Welcome to the
Self-Care Guide

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.

Asthma is a common lung condition that causes occasional breathing difficulties. It affects people of all ages.

Exercise and continuing to work are key to recovery when you are dealing with chronic pain. See more information here.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.

Dementia is a syndrome in which there is deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities.

Diabetes is a serious condition where your blood glucose level is too high. There are two main types: Type 1 and Type 2.

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. See here for more information.

Headaches are one of the most common medical complaints; most people experience them at some point in their life.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet that has fibre, vitamins, minerals, protein, calcium and unsaturated fat in it, is an important part of maintaining good health.

Heart and circulatory diseases (also called cardiovascular diseases) are problems with your heart and blood vessels. They include:

Having good mental health helps us to relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. Find out more information and how to look after your mental health.

Having a healthy lifestyle is especially important if you are pregnant, or planning to be pregnant, as your baby will rely on you to provide them with the best start in life.

High blood pressure is medically known as hypertension meaning your blood pressure is consistently too high and your heart works harder to pump blood around your body.

High cholesterol is when you have too much of the fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood. See here for more information.

Being overweight means that you have too much body fat. Tips for losing weight while maintaining a healthy diet include:

Norovirus, which causes diarrhoea and vomiting, is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK, especially during the winter months.

Osteoporosis is a condition where your bones lose strength, meaning that you are at higher risk of breaking a bone than the average adult.

When we talk about being physically active, we don’t mean putting on sports kit and joining the gym. You don’t have to get hot and sweaty.

Pre-diabetes is a term used to describe people who are at a high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. See here for more information.

If you smoke, quitting is the single most important step you can take to protect your health. See here for more information.

A stroke is a brain attack. It happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, killing brain cells. Damage to the brain can affect how the body works.

Striking a balance between protecting yourself from the sun and getting enough vitamin D from sunlight. Sun ages the skin and sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer.

Vaccination is the most important thing we can do to protect ourselves and our children against ill health. See here for more information.

Some people are more vulnerable to the effects of cold weather. See here for more information about keeping safe in the winter.