Victoria blamed her bloating on a food allergy. Then three months later she saw the sign everyone dreads... and was diagnosed with stage-three bowel cancer at just 39
The adult support care worker from Hamilton, near Glasgow, had never experienced anything like it.
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The Guardian
43 minutes ago
- The Guardian
At 82, I'm completely at home with bacteria
Regarding the article on bacteria in homes (Is your home a health hazard? 15 surprisingly filthy everyday items, from taps to toothbrushes, 17 July), I have managed to live to the age of 82 without ever putting a cutting board in the dishwasher, or sterilising light switches, the TV remote or my spectacles. I do boil the dishcloth every couple of weeks and that's it. We have lived with these bacteria for millennia. Is there any evidence that sterilising every surface would do anything other than increase paranoia?Owen WellsIlkley, West Yorkshire Adrian Chiles, trying to sleep in the heat of the Croatian summer, should use a canny old Australian trick: keep your pyjamas in the freezer until bedtime (I've found the cure for a sleepless night in a heatwave – but it can have its drawbacks…, 17 July). Bliss!Liz TaylorWest Bridgford, Nottinghamshire To answer Tony Meacock's question (Letters, 18 July), no, I haven't finished my replica of the Bayeux tapestry yet. Right now, the completed embroidery stands at 52.6 metres. I aim to finish in HanssonWisbech, Cambridgeshire Wow! Blake Morrison's compilation of terrorists (Letters, 18 July) is the most powerful letter I have ever seen in my 60 years of reading the Guardian. I just hope that those who could make a difference will read it. Gill Empson Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire Thanks to Blake Morrison for his poem. It just reminded me why I buy the KinderRomsey, Hampshire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
What is chronic venous insufficiency? Symptoms and treatment after Trump diagnosed
US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House has confirmed. The president, 79, underwent a medical check-up after noticing "mild swelling" in his lower legs and was found to have the condition - which is common in older adults and causes blood to pool in the veins. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the diagnosis after concerns had been raised over recent photos, which showed bruising on the back of Mr Trump's hand that had been covered with make-up. Ms Leavitt said it was unrelated to the vein condition and was instead irritation from the president's "frequent handshaking" and use of aspirin. Mr Trump is said to take aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Mr Trump once described himself as "the healthiest president that's ever lived". The decision to disclose details of his medical check-up was intended to dispel speculation about his health. It comes as former president Joe Biden was repeatedly criticised by Republicans and opponents over his fitness to lead in light of a number of verbal gaffes towards the end of his term. He has since been diagnosed with prostate cancer. What is chronic venous insufficiency? Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) occurs when little valves inside the veins that normally ensure proper blood flow back to the heart gradually lose the ability to work properly. The valves are especially important in the legs, where gravity works against the upward movement of blood, hence why CVI primarily affects the legs. In a note released to reporters, White House physician Captain Sean Barbabella said the condition is "benign and common", particularly in individuals over the age of 70. Symptoms can include varicose veins, pain, cramps, itching, hyperpigmentation, chronic swelling of the legs and ankles, and leg ulcers. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, CVI risks include being overweight, a family history of the condition, and previous leg damage or blood clots. Other causes include standing or sitting for long periods, smoking, and deep vein thrombosis. 👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 What did Trump's physician say? Dr Barbabella said after Mr Trump reported "mild swelling" in his lower legs, the concern was "thoroughly evaluated" by the White House medical unit "out of an abundance of caution". In his statement, the physician said the president underwent a "comprehensive examination" that revealed CVI, which he described as a "benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70". Dr Barbabella noted: "Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or arterial disease." Laboratory testing also showed "normal cardiac structure and function". Dr Barbabella said: "No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified." The bruising on the back of Mr Trump's hand was said to be "minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen". In summary, Dr Barbabella stated: "President Trump remains in excellent health." What can Mr Trump do? Press secretary Ms Leavitt said the condition was not causing the president any discomfort. "The president remains in excellent health, which I think all of you witness on a daily basis here," she told reporters on Thursday. Ms Leavitt would not discuss how Mr Trump was treating the condition and suggested those details would be in the doctor's letter, which was later released to the public. However, the letter was the same as what she had read and failed to include any additional details. Those with CVI are often advised to lose weight, walk for exercise, and elevate their legs periodically. Wearing custom-made, medical-grade compression stockings can also help to manage the condition.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Maternal deaths rising in UK despite fewer births, official figures show
Growing numbers of women in the UK are dying during pregnancy or soon after giving birth, even though fewer babies are being born, official figures show. While 209 maternal deaths occurred in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during 2015-17, that rose to 254 during 2021-23, data compiled by the House of Commons library shows. The upward trend underlines a recent acknowledgment by the heath secretary, Wes Streeting, that poor care in NHS maternity services is so widespread that it has led to 'the normalisation of deaths of women and babies'. A maternal death is defined as one that occurs while the woman is pregnant or within 42 days of the pregnancy ending, either in the delivery of a child or other event, such as a stillbirth. 'It is appalling that maternity deaths are rising even after the years of concern over the state of services that has led to so many scandals with deadly consequences,' said Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson who commissioned the library's research. 'Families are being torn apart and unimaginable pain is being caused after years of shocking neglect so that now, even with the number of births declining, the number of deaths are rising,' added Brown-Fuller, who speaks for the party on primary care and hospitals. The rate at which such deaths occur is also rising. The 209 deaths during 2015-17 meant that there were 9.16 deathsfor every 100,000 women giving birth. However, the 254 deaths during 2021-23 meant the death rate had by then climbed to 12.67 for every 100,000 births. However, the 2021-23 figures were slightly down on the 275 deaths and 13.56 deaths per 100,000 maternities seen in 2020-22. The two were the highest figures in the eight years the library analysed. Its staff collated the figures from reports by MBRRACE-UK, a longstanding official audit of maternity care quality and outcomes, which is led by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University and involves senior doctors and the Royal College of Nursing. Each of the seven reports they analysed covered a three-year period, with the figures for 2021-23 the most recent available. Streeting last month announced the setting up of an England-wide 'rapid national investigation' into what he called the 'crisis' in maternity and neonatal services. It would 'provide truth and accountability for impacted families and drive urgent improvements to care and safety, addressing systemic problems dating back over 15 years'. The investigation will look into maternity care in up to 10 areas that have prompted particular concern, such as in Leeds – where a scandal is unfolding – and Sussex. It will be undertaken in conjunction with families who have suffered as a result of substandard care of mothers and newborns. Streeting is also chairing a newly created taskforce to ensure that progress is made in tackling what he described in his speech last month as 'the biggest patient safety challenge facing our country'. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Women aged 35 or over are three times more likely to die than those aged 20-24 and black women are at more than double the risk of white women of dying in pregnancy or soon after, MBRRACE-UK has found. In recent years there have been official inquiries into maternity scandals at the Morecambe Bay, East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trusts, and another is continuing into one in Nottingham. In addition, ministers and the NHS have published major strategies in 2016 and 2023 to overhaul care. 'We cannot allow a situation to persist where people are needlessly dying and their loved ones are left to pick up the pieces,' added Brown-Fuller. She blamed the Conservatives for letting maternity services 'decay' while they were in power and challenged Streeting to take immediate 'concrete steps', including ensuring that recommendations from previous reports were acted on. The Commons library research also found that progress on implementation in 11 of the 31 areas in which NHS England promised action in its three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services in 2023 has gone backwards. They include staff responding to the woman's concerns during her labour and birth, women receiving kind and compassionate treatment during labour and birth and receiving adequate explanations during their postnatal care. The Department of Health and Social Care did not comment on the rise in maternal deaths. It instead highlighted Streeting's decision to launch the investigation and promise to overhaul the quality and safety of care provided.
