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General health – articles and advice
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Explore features on everyday health, lifestyle choices and wellbeing. From understanding how the environment and weather influence your wellbeing, tips for navigating health systems with confidence, and how to stay safe and healthy in the workplace.
For trusted reference, see our Patient Information Leaflets on general health.
General health and lifestyle
What is metabolic health - and why does it matter?
by Dr Caroline Butler
General health and lifestyle
What is the endocannabinoid system - and why does it matter?
by Heather Ainsworth
General health and lifestyle
What is a ‘coolcation’ - and could it be better for your health?
by Victoria Raw
General health and lifestyle
Pride, belonging, and why health is about more than healthcare
by Thomas Andrew Porteus, MBCS
Environmental conditions
Environmental conditions - including water quality, housing, and localised climate - are primary drivers of human health, often having a greater combined impact on biological aging and mortality than genetics.
- Updated5 benefits of bees for your health
- What is a ‘coolcation’ - and could it be better for your health?
- What is weather change sickness?
- Beat the heat: your essential sun safety guide
- What are EDCs and why should you worry about them?
- Festival health essentials
- Plastic free July: should we be worried about microplastics?
- How to stay healthy at a music festival
- What's the link between hair relaxers and fibroids?
- Handy tips to reduce your food waste
- Do Blue Zones hold the secrets to a longer life?
- UK water quality part 1 – is tap water safe?
- Could the energy crisis fuel a mental health emergency?
- Festival abroad? Have fun and stay safe
- How to drink more water and stay hydrated at a festival
- How to help your baby sleep safely in hot weather
- Hay fever: How to cope with a 'pollen bomb'
- What's a permacrisis, and its impact on our mental health?
- What is fuel poverty and how does it affect our health?
- How does climate change affect mental health?
- What's the health impact of pesticides?
- Are pesticides harmful to humans?
- What are the health benefits of houseplants?
- Can central heating cause health problems?
- Microplastics in drinking water not an urgent health risk
- How to cope with climate change anxiety
- Is plastic affecting our health?
- How your environment affects skin conditions
Festive health
To stay healthy during the festive season, focus on balance: enjoy treats in moderation, keep active, be mindful of alcohol intake, stay hydrated, and try to get enough sleep. If you have specific health needs, such as pregnancy, there are extra tips to help you stay well.
- How to maintain your fitness New Year's resolutions
- How to drink less over Christmas and the New Year
- What to eat at Christmas if you have type 2 diabetes
- How to avoid stress over Christmas and the New Year
- 4 first aid tips for a safe and merry Christmas
- What is holiday heart syndrome - and how could it affect your Christmas?
- Are your Christmas decorations triggering your allergies?
- What is a prosecco smile? tips to protect your teeth this Christmas
- 12 trusted diets for your new year goals
- How to deal with Christmas indigestion
- New Year, New Me: Why reinventing yourself in 2025 might be bad for your mental health
- 9 food swaps for a delicious and healthy Christmas dinner
- How to manage social anxiety during Christmas gatherings
- Why new year's resolutions fail - and what you can do about it
- How to cope with New Year after losing a loved one
- Why a Christmas movie can make us feel good
- Why do I feel depressed in the New Year?
- Why we should be making mental health New Year resolutions
- How to manage food guilt over Christmas
- 9 tips to enjoy yourself and budget well this Christmas
- How to control your drinking at a work Christmas party
- How to say no to a Christmas invite
- Is Christmas music good or bad for your mental health?
- Why 'Christmas creep' stresses us out
- New Year Resolutions: how to make environmentally friendly lifestyle changes
- How to deal with empty nest syndrome at Christmas
- How to stay healthy and safe when pregnant at Christmas
- How to cope with a nut allergy at Christmas
- How to drink safely over Christmas and New Year
- 5 ways to look after your mental health this Christmas
- Do New Year's diets actually work?
- How to cope with a terminal illness at Christmas
- What are the main causes of hospital admissions over Christmas?
- Navigating Christmas with a chronic illness
- Managing grief during your first Christmas without a loved one
- How to manage your heartburn at Christmas
- How to help your kids eat healthily over Christmas
- Keeping kids active over Christmas
- How to stay body positive over Christmas
- How to have a healthy Christmas party
- What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at Christmas
- How to drink sensibly over the festive season
- What it's like to give birth on Christmas Day
- Patient's Christmas Cook Off
- What's the healthiest high street Christmas sandwich?
GP surgery and NHS services
GP and NHS services include a wide range of healthcare provided by the National Health Service, such as hospital care, emergency treatment, mental health support, and public health programmes.
- Why is medical cannabis so hard to access on the NHS?
- Physician associates in the NHS: understanding the role, the debate, and your rights as a patient
- Neighbourhood health: What the NHS changes could mean for your care
- Common phrases in your GP record explained
- Understanding your 'Right to Choose'
- The Patient Charter: Your rights, NHS pledges and responsibilities
- Ideas, Concerns and Expectations - a guide to filling in your GP’s online form
- What is a fit note and when do you need one?
- Clinical trials - helping to keep your medicines safe.
- How to choose the right GP for you
- Are online doctor's appointments the future for healthcare?
- How to get the most out of your remote GP appointment
- NHS opens walk-in clinics for FGM survivors
- When do you really need to go to A&E?
- How to get the most out of your GP appointment
- Why you shouldn't skip your free NHS health check
Healthcare
Good healthcare is about prevention, early detection, and treatment. Discover how to get the most from your health services and understand your care options.
- NewWhat is metabolic health - and why does it matter?
- What is the endocannabinoid system - and why does it matter?
- Pride, belonging, and why health is about more than healthcare
- What can a simple Sit-to-Stand test tell you about your health?
- What to pack for a hospital stay
- What is #MedSafetyWeek and MHRA Yellow Card scheme?
- How to ease worry when waiting for medical test results
- Cost of living crisis: is our health paying the price?
- What is peer support and how can it help you?
- How can we self-monitor our health?
- Study of homeopathy clinical trials reveals poor research practice
- What it's like to work in mental health services when you have a mental illness
- Does self-diagnosis work and what are the dangers?
- How is technology helping to put patients in charge of their own health?
- What to do when you're waiting for drug or alcohol services
- What you need to know about stopping medication
- Dietitians, nutritionists and nutritional therapists: what is the difference?
- Health checks you can do at home
- Why you should talk to your loved ones about organ donation
- What does an osteopath do?
- How can technology help us manage health conditions?
- Dental inequality: what is it and why does it exist?
- Why do transgender people struggle to get cervical screening?
- Will Brexit affect my travel insurance?
- The health problems cannabis could treat in the future
- Is there an LGBTQ+ health gap?
- Families urged to talk about organ donation before a loved one dies
- What to do if you're worried about a loved one's health
- Obesity blamed for fewer eligible organ donors
- Which medical conditions affect your driving?
- What is social prescribing - and can it improve your health?
- Symptoms you need to stop hiding from your doctor
- How your height affects your health
- Calculating absolute risk and relative risk
- Mental health carer checklist
- What student health benefits can I get?
Pharmacy services
Pharmacies provide services such as dispensing prescription and over-the-counter medications, offering clinical advice for minor illnesses, and conducting health checks like blood sugar and blood pressure testing.
- How social media helps you stay connected to your GP Practice or Pharmacy
- What to expect from your pharmacy consultation
- Can a pharmacist prescribe antibiotics?
- Pharmacy First - getting the most from your pharmacist
- Prescriptions: your questions answered
- Hay fever: how your pharmacist can help
- Can your pharmacist help you with your sexual health?
- Health problems you don't need to see your doctor about
- Getting malaria tablets from your pharmacist
Physiotherapy
A physiotherapist is a healthcare professional who helps people affected by injury, illness, or disability through movement, exercise, manual therapy, education, and advice.
- Is getting a massage a substitute for physiotherapy?
- What is video physiotherapy and who can it help?
- How to get the most out of video physiotherapy
- Do you need physiotherapy after joint replacement?
- Signs you might need physiotherapy
- Can physiotherapy prevent falls in older people?
- How physiotherapy can help people with lung conditions
- What does a women's health physiotherapist do?
Pollution
Long-term exposure to air pollution significantly increases the risk of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), respiratory illnesses (such as asthma and COPD), and lung cancer.
- Protecting your skin from harmful pollution
- Why is air pollution so dangerous for your lungs?
- The effect of air pollution on asthma sufferers
- Air pollution and asthma: how to protect yourself this summer
- UK water quality part 2 – water pollution
- How air pollution affects your health
- Air pollution linked to mental health problems
- Air pollution in major cities for lungs is as bad as smoking 20 cigarettes a day
- Air pollution blamed for a third of new asthma cases in Europe
- Air pollution speeds up ageing in the lungs
Preventing disease
Prevention is better than cure. Discover how vaccines, screenings, healthy habits, and lifestyle changes reduce the risk of developing many serious health conditions.
- Updated5 natural ways to reduce inflammation
- How can you prevent osteoporosis during the menopause?
- 6 workday habits that keep your heart healthy
- What can you do to help prevent arthritis?
- Your guide to stroke prevention
- The NHS 10 year health plan explained
- Plant-based proteins could help prevent high blood pressure
- 8 common health symptoms you should never ignore
- Tips to prevent common foot injuries
- How to prevent varicose veins
- Screenings you should have to help prevent health problems
- What are the benefits of collagen, and can it prevent skin ageing?
- Who should take the HIV prevention drug PrEP?
- Women's HIV prevention: the importance of the vaginal ring
- Four-in-one pill could prevent heart problems
- Offering HPV jab to boys will help prevent over 100,000 cancers
- How do you prevent altitude sickness?
- Are you washing your hands properly?
- Being 'too clean' isn't bad for your health, experts confirm
- How good is PEP for preventing HIV?
- How your diet can help prevent type 2 diabetes
- What are the most effective flu prevention methods?
- Should HIV prevention pills be available on the NHS?
- Atrial fibrillation stroke prevention options
Summer health
Discover essential tips to keep you and your family safe and happy in summer. Get advice on sun safety, coping with heat, and how summer affects existing conditions.
- Can you catch a cold in summer?
- How heatwaves affect your blood pressure
- How to relieve itchy eyes in the summer
- How to work out in a heatwave
- Why do some people experience summer anxiety?
- Should you wear sunscreen even when it's cloudy?
- Springtime gardening: tips to prevent strains and sprains
- What are the common causes of summer rashes?
- How to treat sunburn at home
- How to cope with asthma in the summer
- Why it's so important to know your skin type this summer
- How to keep your feet healthy this summer
- When the heat rises, so do heart risks: What you need to know
- How to keep kids active over the summer
- How to cope in the outdoors with a heatwave
- How to stay cool indoors this summer
- How to choose the right sunscreen
- How to sleep better in the heat
- Itchy skin at night this summer? Here's why
- How to treat sunburn blisters
- Why is my facial eczema worse in summer?
- A guide to UV protection sunglasses
- Why do some people struggle with summer depression?
- Drinking in the sun: a dangerous cocktail
- Here's how to protect a bald head from the sun
- Are skincare products putting you at risk of sunburn?
- How to keep your kids sun safe this summer
- Are headaches and migraines more common in summer?
- Tips for better sleep in summer
- The warning signs of heatstroke and heat exhaustion
- Sun protection mistakes you're probably making
- Why are men less likely to wear sun cream?
- Could you be allergic to the sun?
- Does SPF moisturiser give you enough sun protection?
- How to beat the end-of-summer blues
- How to avoid food poisoning this summer
- How to look after your child's asthma this summer
- How to deal with negative body image in the summer
Winter health
Winter health focuses on staying warm to prevent illness, boosting immunity with good nutrition, getting flu/COVID vaccines, staying active, managing mental wellbeing, and ensuring home safety.
- Spring is in the air, but winter bugs are still about
- How to boost your motivation levels during winter
- How to prevent dry eyes during winter
- How to stay warm this winter
- Beat the chill: why movement matters for your joints in cold weather
- How to comfort eat healthily in winter
- How to manage COPD during winter
- How to care for your skin in winter
- How to boost your energy levels and feel less tired in winter
- How to deal with Raynaud's in the winter months
- Do you need more sleep in winter?
- How to take care of chapped lips this winter
- How to protect your heart during the winter
- Stay fit indoors: winter workout ideas you can do at home
- How to boost your vitamin D levels this winter
- Winter wellness tips: how to cope with SAD
- Can cold weather make you ill? And other winter myths
- How to stop dry skin ruining your winter
- How to handle asthma during the winter months
- 4 common winter hair problems - and how to treat them
- How to combat winter depression and increase your serotonin
- How to care for black skin during winter
- Is it COVID-19 or flu this winter?
- Dry skin in winter: what cold weather can do to your skin
- How to book your flu jab before winter
- Spider veins: why is winter leg care so important?
- Should you wear a face mask if you have a cold this winter?
- How to eat more healthily during the colder months
- How to tell the differences between winter viruses in kids
- Can winter weather make joint pain worse?
- Does cold weather boost weight loss?
- Can cold weather trigger cold sores?
- This is what cold weather does to your heart
- Do your feet get smellier in winter?
- How to maintain your running routine in winter
- Winter babies at greater risk of mental health problems
- How to look after your mental health this winter
- Essential steps to take to avoid falls this winter
- Winter foot care mistakes to avoid
- How to get vitamin-ready for autumn and winter
- How to keep your baby safe and warm in winter
Workplace health
Workplace health matters. Learn how employers and healthcare providers help prevent work-related illnesses and support safe, healthy working environments for everyone.
- Looking after your mental health when returning to work after maternity leave
- How to manage breastfeeding when you return to work
- What is office chair butt - and how do you prevent it?
- When to take a mental health day at work - and how to talk to your boss
- Redefining work-life balance: what is the Quiet Quitting movement?
- Real stories: How to manage endometriosis and your career
- Mental health and work: is it affecting your career?
- How menopause can affect women at work
- What health benefits could a four-day working week have?
- Why do we feel anxious about calling in sick to work when we are genuinely unwell?
- How to improve your mental health while working from home
- How has working from home affected our mental health?
- Gaslighting at work: what it is and how to handle it
- How to protect your mental health in the workplace as a Black woman
- How does IBS affect people at work?
- Is your job putting your health at risk?
- How will not going back to the office affect our health?
- How to manage your mental health if you've been made redundant
- How to avoid neck, shoulder and back pain while working from home
- How to deal with back to work anxiety
- Painful periods cost women nine days of productivity every year
- Workplaces should help staff get fit to reduce sick days
- Should you go to work when you have a cold?
- What working overtime is really doing to your health
- Can a standing desk really help your back pain?
- Signs your job is making you sick
- What can we learn from Britain's healthiest companies?
- Sexual health at work - should bosses be doing more?
- Will having a child affect my career?
- Working with food when you have an eating disorder
- How does pregnancy impact your job?
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