DrGillJenkins
hasmorethan^25 years’
experienceasaGP
Ways to help
✿Trytokeepreasonable
expectationsaboutwork
paceandavoidjugglingtoo
manythings,soyoucan
focusononeatatime.
✿Reduceyouralcohol
intake,takeregular
moderateactivityandlook
atyourdiet–omega-3s
infoodorsupplements
havebeenshownto
helpbrainfunction.
✿Ensureyour
environmentisn’t
distractingyou–acool,
quietroomwithgood
lightingwillhelp,anduse
headphonestoreducenoise.
✿SeeyourGPifyoufeel
physicalproblemsor
medicationarerelevant.Dr Gill
Advice from our Woman’s Weekly doctor
HELPLINES
Our phone lines give you access to professionals who
can offer you help and advice
DR MELANIE WYNNE-JONES
HELPLINES
Stress 0904 470 0681
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IBS 0904 470 0683
Varicose veins 0904 470 0684
Heartburn 0904 470 0685
Heavy periods 0904 470 0686JAN DE VRIES ALTERNATIVE
HELPLINES
Osteoporosis 0904 470 0812
Bladder problems 0904 470 0813
Rheumatism 0904 470 0814
Losing a parent 0904 470 0871
Depressed 0904 470 0873
Arthritis 0904 470 0 874Calls cost 65p per min plus your telephone company’s network access charge and last approx. four mins. Users must be 18+.
You must have the bill payer’s permission. Service provider: Spoke, 0333 202 3390Trialsfor
repairing
theheartare
ongoing30 womansweekly.com
COPING WITH...
TROUBLE
CONCENTRATING
Concentration can be impaired
by many physical or
psychological disorders
W
hen we
concentrate
we’re trying
to focus
attention on one particular
topic or activity. It’s one of
the brain functions that will
deteriorate rapidly when you
are unwell or stressed.
Concentration is affected
by your physical state, so
will fail as you become tired
during the day, or if you are
distracted by sensations such
as pain, hunger or nausea.
Most diseases, acute and
long-term, can affect your
concentration levels and the
memory, including chronic
fatigue, early dementia and
themenopause.
Concentration reduces
if youare stressed,
anxiousor depressed.
Forexample, if you’reworried about something
it’s hard to concentrate on
other things, even if they are
important. Conversely, if you
are relaxed and the topic is
something you enjoy or find
meaningful, you’ll find it
easier to concentrate. You’ll
also need to concentrate
harder on new activities,
when you’re trying to learn
them than on ones you know.Barriers to focus
External influences on
concentration can be
detrimental, such as noise,
temperature extremes, bright
light or lack of light, and
people around you who
annoy you. Alcohol, caffeine
(or caffeine-based drinks
including tea and coffee) and
certain medications can make
most brain functions worse.Getting enough sleep is
vital – insufficient or poor-
quality sleep (such as waking
frequently or nightmares)
dramatically reduces powers
of concentration. Find out
sleep hygiene techniques to
get a good night’s sleep. Don’t
depend on coffee to keep
you awake – your body is
telling you to get more sleep.
Consider ways to manage
stress in your life, including
relaxation techniques like
mindfulness, and counselling.
Breathing exercises both helpHeart patch
A new ‘patch’ of living,
beating muscle cells has
been developed for the
heart. The 3cm by 2cm
patch is now undergoing
human trials before
heart specialists will sew
them into heart muscle
damaged by an attack.
The heart pumps blood
around the body but
damaged heart muscle
fails as an effective pump,
leading to heart failure
with breathlessness,
tiredness and swollen
legs. The patch releases
natural chemicals that
will repair and regenerate
existing heart cells, too.STILLBIRTH
NEWS
Stillbirth is a tragic event and many
women may wish to wait before
trying again, but a study in The Lancet,
of 14,000 women, showed no evidence of
increased risk of any physical problem
if they conceived soon afterwards.
Women often ask how long they should
wait, and have previously been told a year,
but this evidence suggests that physically
there’s no need to wait. It’s more of a
PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY psychological and personal decision.