Health Advice
- Weight Management
- Quit Smoking
- Acne
- Child Health
- Pain
- Oral Care & Hygiene
- Aneurysm, abdominal aortic
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- First aid
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- Acupuncture
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- Leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic
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- Addiction
- Addison's disease
- Adenoids and adenoidectomy
- Frozen shoulder
- Agoraphobia
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- Alcohol misuse
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- Alexander technique
- Rhinitis, allergic
- Indoor allergy
- Mountain sickness
- Alzheimer's disease
- Lazy eye
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- Amniocentesis
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- Steroid misuse
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia
- Anaesthesia
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- Arteriography
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- Dog bites
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- Stress
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- Wrist, broken
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- Hearing tests
- Bird flu
- B12 vitamin deficiency
- Skin rashes in babies
- Weaning
- Lumbago (low back pain)
- Septic arthritis
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Weight loss surgery
- Barium enema
- Bartholin's cyst
- Pressure ulcers
- Bedbugs
- Nocturnal enuresis
- Behçet’s disease
- Facial paralysis
- Tongue pain or soreness
- Prostate enlargement
- Beta-blockers
- Bicarbonate test
- Binge eating
- Biopsy
- Bipolar disorder
- Spider bite
- Eye, black
- Bladder cancer
- Cystitis
- Bladder stones
- Blisters
- Blood donation
- Blood gases test
- Blood groups
- Coughing up blood
- Semen, bloody
- Urine, blood in the
- Vomiting blood
- Septicaemia
- Hypertension
- Low blood pressure
- Blood tests
- Blood transfusion
- Blushing
- Bromhidrosis (body odour)
- Bone cyst
- DXA scan
- Bone marrow donation
- Stem cell transplant
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bottle feeding
- Botulism
- Rectal cancer
- Polyps, bowel
- Leaky gut syndrome
- Orthodontics
- Brain abscess
- Head injury, severe
- Brain tumour, benign (non-cancerous)
- Brain tumour, malignant (cancerous)
- Brain tumours
- Breast abscess
- Breast cancer
- Male breast cancer
- Screening for breast cancer
- Nipple discharge
- Mastitis
- Breast lump
- Breastfeeding
- Shortness of breath
- Osteoporosis
- Fractured collarbone
- Hip fracture
- Leg, broken
- Fractured nose
- Rib injuries
- Toe, broken
- Tooth, broken or knocked out
- Smelly feet (bromodosis)
- Bronchitis
- Teeth grinding
- Thyroid eye disease
- Bulimia
- Burns and scalds
- Heart bypass
- Caesarean section
- Food poisoning
- Cancer
- Thrush
- Thrush, men
- Thrush, oral - adults
- Thrush, oral - babies
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cartilage damage
- Nasal congestion
- Rib, cervical
- Smear test
- Sore lips
- Chemotherapy
- Chest infection, adult
- Chest pain
- Herpes zoster virus
- Statins
- Kidney disease, chronic
- Leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic
- Leukaemia, chronic myeloid
- Cirrhosis
- Claustrophobia
- Cluster headaches
- White coated tongue
- Gluten intolerance
- Herpes simplex virus
- Cold
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- Colostomy
- Coma
- Combined contraceptive pill
- Pneumonia
- CT scan
- Concussion
- Hole in the heart
- Heart failure
- Conjunctivitis
- Constipation
- Contact dermatitis
- Corns and calluses
- Coronary heart disease
- Vegetative state
- Topical corticosteroids
- Steroid medication
- Cosmetic surgery
- Cough
- Counselling
- Leg cramps
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- Swallowing pills (problems)
- Undescended testicles
- Lacerations
- Cystic fibrosis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Dandruff
- Date rape drugs
- Thyroiditis
- Hearing impairment
- Dehydration
- Tooth abscess
- Teething
- Tooth decay
- Fluoride
- False teeth (dentures)
- Depression
- Dyspraxia in children
- Diabetes insipidus
- Diabetes
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- Diabetic retinopathy
- Dialysis
- Traveller's diarrhoea
- Nutrition
- Rectal examination
- Double vision
- Nummular eczema
- Shoulder dislocation
- Diverticular disease and diverticulitis
- Lightheadedness
- Down's syndrome
- Dry eye syndrome
- Thirst
- Dyslexia
- Periods, painful
- Indigestion
- Swallowing problems
- Dyspraxia (adults)
- Swimmer's ear
- Earache
- Earwax
- Eating disorders
- Ebola virus disease
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- Endoscopy
- Threadworms
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- Epidural
- Epilepsy
- Watering eyes
- Nosebleed
- Impotence
- Tremor (essential)
- Ocular cancer
- Eye injuries
- Red eye
- Falls
- Family planning
- Fever, childhood
- Fibromyalgia
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- Wind
- Seasonal flu
- Nail patella syndrome
- Food allergy
- Foot pain
- Frostbite
- Gallstones
- Stomach removal surgery
- Gastroenteritis
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- General anaesthetic
- Genetics
- Herpes, genital
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- Iron overload disorder
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- Haemophilus influenzae type b
- Piles (haemorrhoids)
- Ingrown hairs
- Leukaemia, hairy cell
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- Hamstring injury
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- Tendon repair, hand
- Hand, foot and mouth disease
- Hangover
- Seasonal allergic rhinitis
- Head and neck cancer
- Head injury, minor
- Nits
- Headaches
- Hearing and vision tests for children
- Myocardial infarction
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- Heart transplant
- Heart-lung transplant
- Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
- Sweat rash
- Periods, heavy
- Hepatitis A
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- Hepatitis
- Herbal medicines
- Hernia, femoral
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- Herpes simplex eye infections
- Hip pain in adults
- Hip replacement
- HIV and AIDS
- Welts
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- Homeopathy
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Huntington's disease
- Rabies
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- Sweating, excessive (hyperhidrosis)
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- Sleepiness in the day (severe and unexplained)
- Thyroid, overactive
- Hypnotherapy
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- Underactive thyroid
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Painkillers, ibuprofen
- Shoulder tendon, trapped
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- Inquest
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- knee-pain
- Knee replacement
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- Lung transplant
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- Natural family planning
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- Obesity
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- Occupational therapy
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- Organ donation
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- Paracetamol
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- Poisoning
- Reflux in babies
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- Radiation
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- Sexual health clinics
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- Vomiting in children and babies
- Sinus headache
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- Sleep paralysis
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- Squint
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- Tension-type headaches
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- Thyroid cancer
- Tics
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- Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC or transferrin) test
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- Traction
- Travel vaccines
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- Urinary tract infection, children
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- Varicose eczema
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- Vitamins, minerals and supplements
- Vomiting in adults
- Warfarin
- Weight loss (unexpected and unplanned)
- Whiplash
- Wisdom tooth removal
- X-ray
- Yellow fever
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Read moreNHS Choices - 'Life is so much better at a healthy weight'
(05/06/2014)
Husband and wife Brendan and Debbie Byrne lost a combined total of 9st 6lb by binning takeaways in favour of a healthy diet.
The Byrne's family diet used to comprise Chinese takeaways, kebabs, pizzas and little else. Debbie and Brendan, who live in Essex with their children, knew it wasn't ideal.
"When you both work full-time, it's hard to find time to cook," she says. "Brendan and I had struggled with our weight for years. I could see that the children were gaining weight, too."
By early 2006, Debbie and Brendan, who both work for the police force, each weighed 16st 4lb. On a visit to his GP, Brendan was told that his blood pressure was too high. Meanwhile, Debbie's self-esteem was at an all-time low because of her weight, and she was on medication for depression.
"When we heard about Brendan's blood pressure, we knew we really had to act," she says. "Our eldest daughter, Rhiannon, is 21. She was 12st 5lb, around 21lb overweight."
Their eldest son Liam and youngest child Ciaran, 13, could also have benefited from losing few pounds, says Debbie. "I didn't want the children to grow up facing the same health problems as us."
When a friend recommended local slimming classes, Debbie immediately booked a slot for herself and Brendan. "It was quite daunting at first," says Debbie. "But we soon both found the classes an enormous support."
A consultant provided advice on diet and exercise at the weekly meetings, and group members were encouraged to share their experiences.
"At home, I started cooking with less fat," says Debbie. "I changed from white bread to wholemeal, and we started eating lots more fruit."
A food system devised by the slimming club consisted of a diet full of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and lean meat. Dieters are also allowed occasional treats, small indulgences for which you plan ahead. By August 2006, Debbie had lost three stone and Brendan four.
"There's flexibility in the diet, and that was important for the children," says Debbie. "They could see the good it was doing us."
Rhiannon, Liam and Ciaran had also started to lose weight. Along with weight loss came an energy boost. The family started running together, and Debbie even joined a gym.
By May 2007, Debbie had reached her target weight of 10st 2lb and had dropped five dress sizes, from a 20 to a 10. Brendan had also reached his target of 12st 10lb. Daughter Rhiannon had lost 21lb, reaching 11st, and Ciaran and Niall had also lost pounds.
"It's so good to know that the children's weight is under control," says Debbie. "Weight loss has also done wonders for my self-esteem, and I'm no longer reliant on antidepressants. Brendan's blood pressure has dropped to a normal level, too.
"Life is so much better at a healthy weight. You feel great, and people see you differently. I only wish I'd done this years ago."