Health Reform Hub

With an increasingly stretched health service, successful self-diagnosis can sometimes be a preferable solution. Dealing with a health problem quickly using natural remedies or over-the-counter prescriptions can prevent routine medical problems from escalating, as well as reducing the burden on free healthcare providers.However, it is important that you visit your GP if you have any doubts or suspect a serious illness. Online health forums can still give an indicator of serious problems, however, and early diagnosis and treatment can save lives.The best medical forums avoid being an alternative to professional medical care. Websites such as www.patient.co.uk feature advice from doctors and work with the medical profession to provide an informative health forum. Often the focus of such sites is of a preventative nature; tips for keeping in good health rather than cures for illnesses. This particular site features a symptom checker with appropriate advice for the type of treatment that the condition requires.www.netdoctor.co.uk is a similar site which also features a discussion forum where individuals can discuss medical issues with people in a similar position. This site also features a symptom checker as well as online health surveys to enable individuals to monitor the state of their health.The National Health Service has an official site at NHS Choices, which gives official advice on medical issues and is fully endorsed by the health services. It features links to other specialist websites such as The Royal College of Psychiatry www.rcpsych.ac.uk.As this is an official site, the quality of advice and information given is of the highest quality. However, it does not feature an on-site discussion forum; rather it links to a site called www.healthunlocked.com to provide people suffering with medical ailments access to a community where they can share their experiences.In any case, such sites should be used for information purposes only, and should never be an complete alternative to consultation with a doctor.

It’s a common misconception that to be in good health is to simply be without disease but in fact there’s a lot more to it. To be considered healthy, we must be in a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being which can at times, be difficult to achieve. Let’s take a lot at some steps we can take which will help us on our way to fantastic health.ExerciseRegular exercise is extremely beneficial in a number of ways. Most obviously, it helps to prevent excess weight gain as well as building up muscular strength and endurance. However, it can also help fight against a wide range of issues including strokes, diabetes and arthritis. In addition, there have been strong links made between exercise and mental well-being as physical activity stimulates chemicals in your brain which will leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.DietSimilar to exercise, a good diet is most commonly associated with maintaining a healthy bodyweight but it has many other advantages too. By eating the right foods we can help prevent serious diseases such as diabetes, strokes, heart disease and even certain cancers. Once you’ve already developed an illness, a healthy diet can help you recover more quickly because you’re giving your body the fuel it needs to fight back. A good diet should have fruit, vegetables and starchy foods at the core with the remaining parts made up from protein and dairy products. Try to limit your intake of fats and sugars.Social InteractionsSocialising and building relationships with others are both key factors when it comes to maintaining a strong mental well-being. By surrounding yourself with people you love and who love you in return, you’ll find yourself in a much better state whatever your situation.Health CareUnfortunately, we sometimes fall ill despite our best efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In situations such as these which are out of our control, the best measure we can take to tackle them is to have regular check ups with our GP and to always seek help if we’re concerned that something may be wrong. Always ensure you have access to medical professionals and know who to contact if the need should arise.To be truly healthy we must find a balance between all of these components. Even in the unfortunate event of you falling ill, if you work on building up other areas of your well-being, you can still achieve a relatively healthy lifestyle.