Health & Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing

Welcome to the Carers Choices Health & Wellbeing Page. Below you will find helpful links to sites for health information and support and ideas on getting active!

October Campaigns

Stopober 🚭

Smoking still remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death in England, and costing society £21.9 billion per year! Many people believe that smoking relieves stress, where in fact, over time it makes things worse and quitting can help boost your mood and reduce anxiety.

There are so many benefits to quitting smoking that you will start to notice in a matter of days. Your sense of taste and smell will start to improve, breathing will become easier and you will have more energy. As time goes on you will have better blood circulation and lung function, halving your risk of heart attacks and death from lung cancer. Quitting will also increase the oxygen to your skin, making it brighter and your teeth will no longer be stained by tar.

There are a number of tools to help you with your quitting journey, including nicotine-free medicines, nicotine replacement therapies (patches, sprays, inhalers and gum).

You can also download the free NHS Quit Smoking app where you can track your progress, receive daily support and see how much money you are saving. You are 5 times more likely to quit for good if you can make it to at least 28 days!

National Cholesterol Month

October is National Cholesterol Month, an annual initiative raising awareness of the risks associated with high cholesterol and the importance of looking after your heart health.

The campaign is organised by HEART UK, the UK’s only cholesterol charity, which provides information, advice and support for individuals, families and healthcare professionals.

This year’s message is “Cholesterol Matters, Every Swap Counts.” HEART UK is encouraging people to “swap the scroll for a stroll” by getting involved in a walking challenge. Small lifestyle changes, such as moving more, eating well and making healthier everyday choices, can make a real difference to your heart health.

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia. It often has no symptoms and can sometimes be inherited, so it is important to consider having your cholesterol checked even if you are young, active and feel healthy.

A free webinar is taking place on 15th October at 6pm for anyone who would like to better understand cholesterol and how to manage it. Register your place here.

You can also find out how to get a cholesterol test here, or click here for more information from HEART UK about cholesterol and ways to manage it.

Why not make one small swap this month? Put down the phone, head outside for a short walk and give your heart a little extra care.