Enough To Make Your Blood Boil - By: Shaun Parker

If there is anything in life to be taken seriously it has to be our health. From regular GP check up's to protecting our health with health insurance, many of us are taking more responsibility for our health and taking the initiative to look after ourselves better.

Many of us try to eat healthily and exercise when we can. These two things alone can make the world of difference to us, yet sometimes in our busy lives, they can be the hardest to stick to. Even when we are striving to look after ourselves well, it's always a good thing to have our health insurance as a back-up, as you can never be too prepared for the unexpected.

Taking advice from our doctor on how to keep ourselves healthy is essential but it is also useful to see press reports of new treatments and medicines that have been approved for use. Sometimes this can give us a bit of a lead when we are visiting our doctor and taking an active part in restoring any lost health.

One affliction that has seen recent development in the treatment available is varicose veins. Conventional treatment means that the veins will eventually need to be stripped from the legs which can be very painful and cause extensive bruising. Treatment is not always seen as urgent or necessary and some sufferer's have found themselves waiting some time for treatment on the NHS whilst others have used their health insurance for access to the necessary treatment. However, a new method is being hailed as a godsend for sufferers.

Varicose veins are more prevalent if you have a family history of them and/or you spend a lot of time standing, such as teachers or hairdressers. Valves that channel blood back towards the heart become faulty and blood cannot get through, but pools in the leg causing pain.

With the new treatment, being used by University College Hospital in London, the veins in question are sealed off at the point of the faulty valve with lasers. The water in the blood in the varicose vein is then heated to a point that kills off the vein itself. The vein is then removed through tiny incisions. The whole process is quicker and much less painful than previous treatments and the recovery rate is a great deal quicker.

In a further bid to improve the health of the nation, a charity-run network of units are being rolled out throughout the country taking services such as chemotherapy, genetic testing and counselling to remote areas to enable those in need of the services to get them without having to travel to hospitals that, for some, can be difficult to access.

Tenovus - the charity leading the scheme - say this will seriously improve the way patients receive treatment. No longer will they have to travel miles to the hospital but they will also avoid the difficulties and expense of parking. Almost eight hundred people a day are diagnosed with cancer in the UK and this figure is expected to double in the next ten years. With these mobile 'one stop medical shops' hospitals will be relieved of some of the pressures of coping with such large numbers of people needing these services.

These are all great steps forward in the health of UK residents and all of huge benefit to all of us.

About the Author

Shaun Parker is a leading medic with many years of experience in treating vascular conditions. Find out more about health insurance at http://www.health-on-line.co.uk

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Shaun-Parker/28721

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