Beauty expert reveals how to treat common foot conditions before summer: from fungal nails to verrucas
'As we age, we develop increasing problems with our feet due to wear and tear of the joints, loss of the fatty pads that cushion our soles and a reduction in skin elasticity,' says Molly Chilvers, podiatrist and brand ambassador for footcare treatment cream Footmender.
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The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Four more foods could require allergy warning labels after deaths
Researchers say four foods, including goat's milk and pine nuts, may need allergy warning labels. The recommendation follows a recent study that highlighted eight foods currently not included on the list for mandatory allergy labelling but which are regularly involved in cases of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that can happen very quickly. Experts in France analysed food-induced anaphylaxis cases reported to the Allergy Vigilance Network from 2002–2023 and found that in almost 3,000 cases, some 413 were caused by eight emerging allergens without mandatory labelling, including two deaths. 'We therefore believe it is time to review the list of the 14 foods with mandatory labelling to include at least the most severe of these emerging food allergens,' study author Dominique Sabouraud-Leclerc said. Writing in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Allergy, researchers suggest four of these foods – goat and sheep milk, buckwheat, peas and lentils, and pine nuts – should be included on allergen listings due to their 'frequency, severity, recurrence, and potential for hidden exposure'. The recurrence rate – which means the same allergen caused a number of reactions in the same patient – ranged from 7.3 per cent for peas and lentils to 56 per cent for goat and sheep milk. Researchers also warned that other ingredients to be wary of include kiwi, apple, beehive products like pollen, and alpha-gal, which can be found in red meat. In the UK and EU, food businesses are required to highlight 14 major allergens on packaging, including: Anaphylaxis symptoms usually start within minutes of coming into contact with an allergen and can include swelling of the throat and tongue, trouble breathing and fainting.
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
Thousands more Brits to be offered weight loss jabs for free as NHS relaxes rules – are you eligible?
HUNDREDS of thousands more Brits could be offered weight loss jabs on the NHS in the biggest shake up of diabetes care in a decade - as the health service prepares to ease rules around prescriptions. Under new proposed guidance, people with type 2 diabetes in England would be given Ozempic and new diabetes drugs sooner, rather than keeping them for later stages of treatment. 1 Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) stated that the NHS should rethink its one-size-fits-all approach of starting everyone on the same medication. Instead, it should offer patients more personalised care to prevent complications like heart failure and heart attacks. Officials estimate the changes could save almost 22,000 lives. Prof Jonathan Benger, the deputy chief executive and chief medical officer at NICE, said they would mean 'more people will be offered medicines where it is right to do so'. Under the guidance, doctors would be encouraged to prescribe GLP-1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide or semaglutide to diabetes patients who also have heart disease or obesity. Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Ozempic, is licensed in the UK to treat type 2 diabetes, while its other brand - Wegovy - is used to help obese people lose weight. Patients would be offered the drugs - which have also been shown to boost heart health - at diagnosis, rather than trying out other medications first. Around 754,000 patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or early-onset diabetes could benefit from the proposed changes on weight loss drug prescriptions, NICE said. The guidance says the jabs should be considered in diabetes patients who have also been diagnosed with heart disease, heart failure, or have early onset type 2, which means they were diagnosed before age 40. People with both diabetes and obesity – a body mass index (BMI) over 35 – will also be able to get the jabs if they have not had success in bringing down their blood sugar levels within the first three months of using another drug. NICE also called for making newer type 2 diabetes drugs, known as SGLT-2 inhibitors, a first-line treatment option for patients. SGLT-2 inhibitors, which include canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin, are once-a-day tablets that reduce blood sugar levels by helping the kidneys remove glucose, which is passed from the body through urine. However, analysis by NICE found these drugs are under-prescribed, particularly to women, older people, and black patients. Prof Benger said: "The evidence from our analysis is clear. There are prescribing gaps that need to be addressed. "The guideline update published today will help to increase equitable uptake of SGLT-2 inhibitors, which we know can prevent serious health complications." The new guidelines recommend patients who can't tolerate metformin - the first-choice in type 2 diabetes medication - should start with an SGLT-2 inhibitor on its own. The decision comes after evidence suggested these drugs protect the heart and kidneys as well as controlling blood sugar, NICE said. Around 2.3 million people with type 2 diabetes are thought to be eligible for SGLT2's. Wegovy vs Ozempic - what's the difference? Ozempic is often used as a catch-all term for weight loss drugs, but the drug - whose active ingredient is semaglutide - is actually prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and has the added benefit of making users lose weight. Its manufacturer Novo Nordisk later released a higher dose of semaglutide under the brand name Wegovy to treat obesity. Using Ozempic for weight loss would mean you're using it 'off label' and not for its intended purpose. Not only could that be dangerous to you, it could also mean you're depriving diabetes patients from vital medication. Wegovy and Ozempic are in a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA). They work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone produced naturally by your gut when you eat food, which signals to the brain that you're full and prevents you from overeating Prof Benger added: "This guidance means more people will be offered medicines where it is right to do so to reduce their future risk of ill health. "This represents a significant evolution in how we approach type 2 diabetes treatment. "We're moving beyond simply managing blood sugar to taking a holistic view of a person's health, particularly their cardiovascular and kidney health. "The evidence shows that certain medicines can provide important cardiovascular benefits, and by recommending them as part of initial treatment, we could help prevent heart attacks, strokes and other serious complications before they occur. "This is particularly important given that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes." Around 4.6 million people in the UK are living with diabetes, with nine in 10 of those having type 2. However, it is estimated that a further 1.3 million people may have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. The proposed changes won't be instituted just yet, as a public consultation on the NICE guidelines is open until October 2. Douglas Twenefour, head of clinical at Diabetes UK, said: "This long-awaited announcement propels type 2 diabetes treatment into the 21st century. "Boosting access to newer treatments will be transformative for people with type 2 diabetes, while ensuring the UK keeps pace with the global momentum in treating the condition. The 7 fat jab mistakes stopping you losing weight WHILE weight loss jabs have been hailed as a breakthrough in helping tackle Britain's obesity crisis, some users say they're missing out on their waist-shrinking powers - and it could be down to some simple mistakes... POOR PENMANSHIP Many people don't correctly use the injection pen, according to Ana Carolina Goncalves, a pharmacist at Pharmica in Holborn, London. Make sure to prime your weight loss pen correctly, as per the instructions. If nothing comes out, try again, and if it still doesn't work, switch the needle or ask a pharmacist for help. It's also recommended to rotate injection sites between the abdomen, thigh and upper arm to avoid small lumps of fat under the skin. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE Make sure you're using the jabs on the most effective day of your schedule. For example, taking the jab right before a takeaway or party won't stop you from indulging, says Jason Murphy, head of pharmacy and weight loss expert at Chemist4U. Weight loss injections need time to build up in your system, so if you're planning for a heavier weekend, inject your dose mid-week. MAKING A MEAL OF IT You may not feel the urge to overeat at mealtimes due to the jabs. But skipping meals altogether can backfire, says Dr David Huang, director of clinical innovation at weight loss service Voy. If a person is extremely malnourished, their body goes into emergency conservation mode, where their metabolism slows down. FOOD FOR THOUGHT A key mistake using weight loss jabs is not eating the right foods. As well as cutting out sugary drinks and alcohol, Dr Vishal Aggarwal, Healthium Clinics recommends focusing on your protein intake. DE-HYDRATION STATIONS Dehydration is a common side effect of weight loss injections. But it's important to say hydrated in order for your body to function properly. Dr Crystal Wyllie, GP at Asda Online Doctor, says hydration supports metabolism, digestion, and can reduce side effects like headaches, nausea and constipation. MOVE IT, MOVE IT It can be easy to see the jabs as a quick fix, but stopping exercising altogether is a mistake, says Mital Thakrar, a pharmacist from Well Pharmacy. Exercise helps maintain muscle mass and help shape the body as you lose weight, which may be crucial if you're experiencing excess skin. QUIT IT While there's the tendency to ditch the jabs as soon as you reach your desired weight, stopping them too soon can cause rapid regain. Mr Thakrar recommends building habits like healthier eating during treatment for sustaining results. "The majority of people with type 2 diabetes are not currently taking the most effective medication for them, putting them at risk of devastating diabetes-related complications. "Diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, and tailoring treatment based on individual risk could protect thousands against heart attacks and kidney disease. "These guidelines could go a long way to easing the burden of living with this relentless condition, as well as helping to address inequities in type 2 diabetes treatments and outcomes." Earlier this month, drug maker Eli Lilly would hike up the price of its weight loss jab Mounjaro from September 1, meaning the price of the drug in UK private clinics will almost double. Patients have been scrambling to get their hands.
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
My ‘puffy hay fever face' and bad hangovers turned out to be a killer disease – my mum had to give me a kidney
WHEN Ellen Swarbrick woke up with a swollen face in spring 2022 she put it down to hay fever. Two years later she would find out it was one of the first signs of a killer disease - and she'd need her mum to save her life. 6 6 6 Ellen, 28, moved to London in September 2023 to begin a solicitor training course and started taking up to two antihistamines a day to try to reduce her "puffy" face. She also found herself struggling to get out of bed when her alarm went off, but thought she was just being "lazy" and that she was tired from her new job. On a work trip in July 2024, Ellen noticed her ankles had swollen up, but assumed this was due to being sat down in the heat all day. Looking back now, she also recalls experiencing terrible hangovers and having to use the bathroom more often - but didn't realise her body was trying to tell her something. When she came back to the office, she said she started experiencing flu -like symptoms and blurred vision. When her symptoms didn't improve, she called 111 and was sent to the eye department at St Thomas' Hospital, London. There, doctors found high blood pressure was the cause, and after a short hospital stay she was moved to the renal ward at Guy's Hospital, London. Following a biopsy, Ellen was diagnosed with stage four chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease is a long-term condition where the kidneys don't work as well as they should. It can be caused by high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney infections, kidney inflammation, kidney stones, and regular use of certain medicines, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If you have the condition, even if it's mild, you're at an increased risk of developing other serious problems, such as cardiovascular disease - which is the main cause of death in people with chronic kidney disease. Just after Christmas 2024, Ellen's routine blood test showed the disease had unfortunately progressed to stage five and she was told she would need a transplant. Luckily her mum Kathryn Patrick, 57, was an 80 per cent match and she was able to give her daughter a kidney in May 2025. She admits her mum "completely changed her life" and gets emotional and cries every time she sees her. Now Ellen is sharing her story to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of kidney disease. Ellen, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, said: "I was working really hard, feeling more and more tired. "The puffiness had continued and was probably getting a lot worse. Because it was summer at the time I thought it was hay fever. "It used to go down by the evening, which made me feel like the antihistamines were working. I would have really bad hangovers. It wouldn't even be when I went out for a big night out Ellen Swarbrick "In reality it was just when I was sleeping flat the fluid retention would pile up in my face. Then when I stood up it would move down my body and spread out. "I was working quite hard. I remember feeling like I was finding it a lot more difficult than everyone else and I didn't really understand why. "I was tired but because I'd started this new job I put it down to that when in reality this level of tiredness I was feeling was really not normal. "I remember I would set my alarm before work to go to the gym and I would never be able to get up. "I thought I was being lazy or something but it was that level of fatigue where I literally would not be able to get myself up before I needed to. "I would have really bad hangovers. It wouldn't even be when I went out for a big night out. "I would literally go out for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend or my boyfriend and I would be throwing up the next day." 'Mum's completely changed my life' Ellen said doctors told her the cause of her kidney disease was an autoimmune condition called IgA nephropathy. However, she says her mum was adamant that she would be a match and was determined to be the donor. Ellen said: "It's so emotional. Every time I see my mum or speak to her I just start crying. "She's completely changed my life. I just have a lot more hope for the future. "I didn't want to ask [people to donate] and I didn't want anyone to feel pressured in any way. "My mum was so determined. She knew it was going to be her. "Before she even got the blood test she was telling the nurse on the phone, 'it would be better to do me because I'm older so you don't have to put any of the young ones through it.' "The nurse was like, 'well, you have to make sure you're a match first.' She was like, 'I will be a match, I will be a match.' "They rang my mum and my mum told me that she was an 80 per cent match which is incredible." Ellen will need another kidney transplant during her lifetime but her most recent test results showed her kidney function was in the normal range again. She said: "I think I was 27 when I was diagnosed and you just don't think anything like that would ever happen to you. "You're just so oblivious to it. I didn't consider that I might have anything like that. "I think it hit me maybe a week later and then I felt like, 'why me? This is so unfair. I'm living in London, I've started this new job that I really love. "I was so confused how I could have this seriously life-threatening illness and not know about it. "It was just bonkers to me and it took me ages to get my head around. "As soon as I woke up from the transplant I felt different. "I knew I was tired but I don't think I realised the level of fatigue I had until I woke up from that transplant. 6 6 "My quality of life has improved so much. It's immeasurably better." Her mum Kathryn was "relieved" she was a a match and says that since the diagnosis, the whole thing has been an "emotional journey". Kathryn said: "We're very lucky that I've been able to give her one of my kidneys. I felt like it was something I had to do really. "When we found out I was the best match I felt incredible relief. It feels like a very special gift and it has been amazing. "For her to be able to do more normal things again and to be able to be looking forward to the future it's been really wonderful. "I feel very happy and relieved and pleased. The emotions are still very overwhelming."
