Awareness Days

Gynae red flags

If you’re worried about symptoms of irregular bleeding, pelvic discomfort, bloating, frequent urination or lumps and bumps you’re not expecting, this helpful information can help you to recognise what your GP needs to know.
https://patient.info/news-and-features/how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-about-your-vagina

Healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet is important for long-term health and wellbeing. There are recommendations about the number of portions of fruit and vegetables you should eat, along with suggestions for fibre and protein. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/eating-a-balanced-diet/

Cholesterol

High cholesterol makes you more likely to have heart disease or a stroke. You’re more likely to have high cholesterol if you eat fatty foods, don’t exercise enough, are overweight, drink alcohol or smoke. High cholesterol can also run in families.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-cholesterol/

Bullying

If your child frequently has lost or damaged belongings, a change in behaviour, reluctance to go to school, or suddenly needs access to money, it’s one of a list of things that might indicate they’re victims of bullying.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/bullying-and-cyberbullying/

If you’re being bullied, whether you’re a child or an adult, the National Bullying Helpline can offer help and support so you can deal with the situation and know that you’re not alone in finding things difficult.
https://www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk/

Child abuse and safeguarding

If you’re concerned about a child’s welfare, you can report your concerns anonymously. The best way to keep children safe is to report your concerns. Reports can easily be investigated and resolved, keeping the wellbeing of the child in mind.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/report/

If you work with children, you’ll know that “safeguarding is everyone’s concern”. This isn’t just true for those who work with children, but also for anyone who has a concern about a child’s welfare. You could make a huge and positive difference to their lives.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/safeguarding-child-protection/duty-of-care-and-safeguarding

It’s important to protect vulnerable adults. Adults who cannot protect themselves need others to help and support them. If you’re concerned about the welfare of a vulnerable adult, make sure your concerns are heard.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/socia…harities/abuse-and-neglect-vulnerable-adults/

Changes that happen with age

As we get older, our bodies change. Across the globe, our populations are getting older on average and this provides a challenge for our health and support systems. Ageing healthily can help to ensure you maintain a good quality of life.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health

We should aim to age well. Keeping our bodies and minds healthy can help to ensure we enjoy our later years to the maximum. Age UK have some suggestions for achieving this.
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/mind-body/10-tips-for-ageing-better/

Testicular cancer awareness

If you have lumps, swelling, hardness, pain or heaviness in your testicles, it could be a sign of a number of conditions. Among the more serious is testicular cancer. So, if you’re worried about any of these symptoms, a short visit to your GP practice should help you to get to the bottom of it.
https://www.testicularcancernetwork.co.uk/april-testicular-cancer-awareness-month

Cancer of the testicles is one of the less common cancers and tends to occur in men aged 15 to 49. There are a number of risk factors, which include an undescended testicle or testicles, a family history and previous testicular cancer, though all men should be vigilant and check for symptoms.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/testicular-cancer/

parkruns

parkruns are inclusive events that aim to put friendly, regular activity on the list. Run by groups of volunteers, parkruns are held all over the UK at weekends. You can volunteer to be part of the support team if you don’t wish to run.
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/

You can find out more about where you can join a parkrun event below. Whether you’re looking for a full 5k run, a junior event or you’d like to be part of the friendly support crew, there’s bound to be an event for you!
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/events/events

Shingles

Shingles is a painful condition that is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus, usually on one side of your body. It can be painful and cause complications. If you’re aged 70 to 79, or turned 65 on or after 1st September 2023, you should be eligible for a free shingles vaccination.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shingles/

If you’re suffering from shingles, you can find lots of helpful information about how you can best manage the infection including information about how to reduce the pain associated with shingles, and about antivirals you may be offered.
https://patient.info/skin-conditions/shingles-herpes-zoster-leaflet

Stress Awareness Month

Stress often builds little by little over time. By taking time to connect with others, be active and practise mindfulness, eventually the little becomes a lot less stress. In this way, we can aim to reduce the effects of stress.
https://www.stress.org.uk/sam2024/

Stress can cause a number of physical and mental symptoms, including rashes, chest pain, sleep disturbances, anxiety and an inability to enjoy life, among other things. https://www.mind.org.uk/information…problems/stress/signs-and-symptoms-of-stress/

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

More than nine in ten people survive bowel cancer when it’s diagnosed at its earliest stage. Awareness of the symptoms can help you to catch it early and improve the outcome. https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/support-us/bowel-cancer-awareness-month

Symptoms of bowel cancer include changes to your poo, bleeding from your bottom, blood in your poo, unexpected weight loss or overall tiredness, and/or a pain or lump in your tummy. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s better to get checked early. https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/about-bowel-cancer/symptoms/

IBS Awareness Month

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common disorder of the digestive system, with up to a third of the population experiencing symptoms. IBS can happen at any age, but the most common age to seek advice for the first time is between 20 and 40. https://gutscharity.org.uk/awareness/ibs-awareness-month/

The main symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. Flare-ups of IBS can happen for no reason, but can be triggered by alcohol, caffeine, certain foods or stress and anxiety.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs/symptoms/

World Autism Acceptance Week, 2nd – 8th April

Only 26% of autistic pupils say they’re happy at school. Acceptance and understanding can go a long way to help autistic people thrive in their environment. https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/raise-money/world-autism-acceptance-week-2024

When we talk about the “autistic spectrum”, we tend to think of autism as linear. This isn’t the case; the needs of one autistic person may be very different to the needs of another autistic person. Therefore, meeting specific needs for each individual is important. https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/varying-support-needs

World Health Day, 7th April

At least 140 countries recognise the right to health in their constitution, although around half of the world’s population don’t have access to essential health services. https://www.who.int/news-room/event…ndar/world-health-day-2024-my-health-my-right

World Parkinson’s Day, 11th April

11th April is World Parkinson’s Day. This year, let’s “make it blue” to raise awareness of Parkinson’s.
https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/make-it-blue

Parkinson’s disease has a number of symptoms, but most commonly associated with Parkinson’s are involuntary shaking of parts of the body, slow movement and stiff, inflexible muscles.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/parkinsons-disease/

Haemophilia awareness, 17th April

The theme for this year’s World Haemophilia Day is Equitable Access for all. The aim of the day is to encourage us to consider how we can make high-quality healthcare available for all who have bleeding disorders.
https://wfh.org/world-hemophilia-day/

Earth Day, 22nd April

Earth Day encourages us to think about creating a better future for our planet. This year, Earth Day is demanding a commitment to a 60% reduction in the use of plastics by 2040.
https://www.earthday.org/

Allergy Awareness Week, 22nd – 28th April

Allergies can significantly impact the lives of those who suffer from them. From issues with food, pollen and drugs, the more aware others are of the impact of allergies, the more chance we have of ensuring that the potentially life-threatening effect on sufferers is minimised.
https://www.allergyuk.org/

There are many different types of allergies, including food, drugs, insects, pollen and even sunlight. Not all allergic reactions are anaphylactic, but allergies can worsen with time. https://www.allergyuk.org/types-of-allergies/

MS Awareness Week, 22nd – 28th April

This year’s MS Awareness Week sees the launch of MS Unfiltered, which encourages people with MS to talk openly about how some of the things that feel difficult to discuss affect them.
https://www.mssociety.org.uk/get-involved/ms-awareness-week

MS can cause problems with your vision, with how you move, think and feel. If you’re suffering from MS, your immune system (which normally protects your body from infections) attacks the myelin that protects your nerves, causing damage.
https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms/what-is-ms

World Immunisation Week, 24th – 30th April

World Immunisation Week highlights the importance of acting together to reduce the impact of vaccine preventable diseases.
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-immunization-week/2024

Vaccines help to reduce the number of people who become ill, or suffer serious side effects, from vaccine preventable diseases. Vaccination helps to protect both you and others.
https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-important-and-the-safest-way-to-protect-yourself/

World Malaria Day, 25th April

Malaria is a serious illness caused by being bitten by an infected mosquito. It can be caught from just one mosquito bite and is very common in certain parts of the world. If you’re planning to travel outside the UK, you should seek advice about any vaccinations or preventative measures you may need.
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-malaria-day

On your feet Britain, 28th April

This On Your Feet Britain Day, wiggle it, waggle it, just don’t sit on it! Sit less and move more to encourage better health. Jobs have become more sedentary, so we need to try to combat this by moving!
https://yo-yodesk.co.uk/pages/onyourfeet

Sitting for over eight hours a day increases your risk of a number of negative health outcomes. Wearing a watch or setting an alarm to remind you to stand has been proven to increase the probability that you will stand up for a while, so set an alarm and stand when you’d normally sit!
https://fortune.com/well/2022/12/30/health-benefits-of-standing-vs-sitting/