To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level:

• both men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
• spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
• to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week

If you drink less than 14 units a week, this is considered low-risk drinking. It’s called “low risk” rather than “safe” because there’s no safe drinking level.

Fourteen units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 7 medium glasses of low-strength wine per week.

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An allergy is the response of the body’s immune system to normally harmless substances, such as pollens, foods and house dust mite.

Common symptoms can include sneezing, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, sinus pain, runny nose, rash, hives, swelling, itchy eyes, ears, lips throat and mouth and sickness, vomiting and diarrhoea. You may notice a worsening of asthma or eczema symptoms.

Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk as it can encourage harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really do need them.

No one likes being sick and it is especially upsetting when your child is ill but remember if you’re feeling unwell, antibiotics aren’t always needed and don’t work for everything.

Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. The 2 most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis affects the smooth cartilage lining of the joint. It makes movement more difficult than usual, leading to pain and stiffness. Once the cartilage lining starts to roughen and thin out, the tendons and ligaments must work harder. This can cause swelling and the formation of bony spurs called osteophytes. Severe loss of cartilage can lead to bone rubbing on bone, altering the shape of the joint and forcing the bones out of their normal position. The most affected joints are those in the hands, spine, knees and hips.

Rheumatoid arthritis is the body’s immune system targeting affected joints, leading to pain and swelling. The outer covering (synovium) of the joint is the first place affected. This can then spread across the joint, leading to further swelling and a change in the joint’s shape. This may cause the bone and cartilage to break down. People with rheumatoid arthritis can also develop problems with other tissues and organs in their body.

Asthma is a common lung condition that causes occasional breathing difficulties. It affects people of all ages and often starts in childhood, although it can also develop for the first time in adults. There’s currently no cure, but there are simple treatments that can help keep the symptoms under control so that the impact on your life is reduced.

MANAGING YOUR ASTHMA

Asthma symptoms include coughing,  a wheeze, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Symptoms can be triggered by factors such as exercise, exposure to an irritant or allergen, changes in weather, and viral respiratory infections such as cold or flu. Symptoms may be able to resolve themselves or may require medication. Symptoms may sometimes be absent for weeks or months at a time.

Exercise and continuing to work are key to recovery when you are dealing with chronic pain. Lying still for long periods can actually increase the pain you feel as your body will stiffen up and your muscles and bones will get weaker. This will affect your quality of sleep and could reduce contact with others which will in turn affect your mental wellbeing and could increase your levels of pain.