Hay fever hell set to continue for millions of Brits

With it being the start of October tomorrow, hay fever sufferers may have thought they were in the clear by now and believe they are unlikely to have a flare-up of typical symptoms such as runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, and sneezing.

Unfortunately, there has been evidence of an emergence in Britain of the biggest US culprit for hay fever, which could mean that an estimated 18 million Brits with the condition are not out of the woods just yet. This equates to one in five of us.

The mild weather of the last few weeks has provided the perfect opportunity for common ragweed to flourish. Ragweed is a highly allergenic plant that can release a staggering one billion pollen grains within a single season.

Ragweed pollen came to European territory way back in the 1960s, contained in contaminated seed, but needs extended and mild autumns to really thrive and therefore does not usually have a massive impact in the UK. In North America though, ragweed pollen is responsible for sparking a huge number of asthma and allergy attacks.

In recent times, scientists have barely ever been able to detect the pollen in the UK’s air. However, earlier this month scientists in the East Midlands found ragweed pollen present in the air for four consecutive days, and on the third day, there more sufficient pollen to cause an onset of hay fever and asthma symptoms for those that have these conditions.

Ragweed is substantially more allergenic than grass and could prove a serious issue for those with hay fever and/or asthma if its volume continues to increase in the air. Not only that, it would mean a longer hay fever season for many, as the season commonly ends in August for a lot of people with hay fever.

Health experts have also warned asthmatics to be vigilant and make sure they always carry their asthma inhalers in case of an attack.

Deborah Waddell, lead clinical advisor at Asthma UK, last week said: “The milder weather and presence of ragweed pollen may now result in a longer pollen season this year which will cause misery for people with asthma and hay fever in the UK.

“The 79 per cent of people with asthma who find that pollen makes their symptoms worse may also be at an increased risk of a potentially life threatening asthma attack.”

Dr Catherine Pashley, who led the research in Leicester, says the plant can reach three feet in height and had most likely managed to find its way into Europe from birdseed imported from the US.
She also said that though cases of ragweed had been found in Britain previously, none of which were enough to cause of pollen problem.

Dr Pashley said: “Ragweed can’t survive in the East Midlands because of our cooler climate compared to North America and Central Europe, so we were very surprised to see it when we analysed the pollen and fungi in the air earlier this month.

“Most years we haven’t seen any at all. Some years we’ve seen one or two grains in a day. Now instead we’ve had ragweed in the air on four consecutive days and one of the days it went well above the level which is known to cause problems in people allergic to it. So that was completely unexpected. It could extend the hayfever season for people who may be allergic to it.

“Whether or not we continue to see more ragweed will very much depend on how mild this autumn is and when we have the first frost. If it is a late frost, it is likely that ragweed levels may increase this time next year.”

Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have a wide range of treatments for hay fever that can ease symptoms for sufferers, including Loratadine – a non-drowsy antihistamine which can provide relief from the symptoms of hay fever and Nasonex nasal spray – a nasal corticosteroid spray for the relief of congestion, sneezing, itching and a runny nose. Prevalin is another nasal spray that lines the inside of your nose and actually deactivates the pollen, and Alomide allergy eye drops that can bring relief from red, itchy, watery and puffy eyes if used regularly.

Cancer patients could be more nicotine dependent with e-cigarettes

A new study into e-cigarettes has put further fuel onto the fire about just how useful a tool they are in helping smokers successfully quit smoking, after researchers found cancer patients who used c-cigs to try and stop smoking actually ended up more addicted to nicotine.

The findings have been published online by the journal Cancer, and will undoubtedly spark further doubts regarding the devices  that have come under scrutiny from the World Health Organisation in recent years, who want tighter regulations on them and a banning of them being used indoors.

The new study was conducted by researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York City, who assessed 1,074 cancer patients who were smokers and that had signed up to stop smoking schemes at cancer centre’s between 2012 and 2013.

The researchers discovered a three-fold rise in e-cigarette use from 2012 to 2013 – increasing from 10.6% to 38.5%.

When the patients’ enrolled into the smoking programme, the researchers determined that those also using e-cigarettes were more dependent on nicotine compared to those not using them, had tried to quit smoking on more occasions, and had a higher risk of developing cancer of the lungs, head, or neck.

During a follow-up assessment, it was found that seven-day abstinence rates were comparable with both e-cigarette users and non-users. Researchers found rates of 44.4% for e-cigarette users and 43.1% for non-users. By the time the study came to a conclusion, those using e-cigarettes were just as likely as non-users to be smoking regular cigarettes.

Dr Jamie Ostroff, lead researcher said: “Consistent with recent observations of increased e-cigarette use in the general population, our findings illustrate that e-cigarette use among tobacco-dependent cancer patients has increased within the past two years.”

She admitted further studies would be needed due to limitations with this one, saying: “Controlled research is needed to evaluate the potential harms and benefits of e-cigarettes as a potential cessation approach for cancer patients. In the meantime, oncologists should advise all smokers to quit smoking traditional combustible cigarettes, encourage use of FDA-approved cessation medications, refer patients for smoking cessation counselling, and provide education about the potential risks and lack of known benefits of long-term e-cigarette use.”

One such smoking cessation treatment is Pfizer’s highly popular Champix, of which Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have been inundated with requests for recently in the run up to Stoptober on 1 October.

Stoptober is an annual campaign run by Public Health England, which challenges all smokers to abstain for 28 days. The idea for 28 days of no smoking is that it is believed smokers are 5 times more likely to stop smoking if they can last the duration of the challenge. Keep checking the Medical Specialists® website for more information about Stoptober in the run up to it, including more to get involved and support available for smokers looking to quit.

The everyday household products linked to asthma risk

Dangerous chemicals contained in many household items may be linked to a surge in asthma cases in children, researchers are warning.

The chemicals in question – butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) – are compounds known as phthalates and are used to soften plastic.  Phthalates are found in a wide variety of things from perfume to plastic food containers, insect repellent, shower curtains, vinyl flooring and are even used in vehicles (steering wheels and dashboards).

Phthalates have been given a ban within the EU from children’s toys and cosmetics, however as the chemicals have been found to raise the risk of health problems, such as asthma, from 2015 they could be routinely banned altogether.

And now a New York study discovered that children who were born to mothers an elevated level of exposure to the two chemicals were at a staggering 72 to 78% higher risk of developing the lung condition asthma during the ages of five and 11, compared with children whose mothers had lower levels of exposure.

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, and found that children born to women with the highest levels of phthalate were 72% more likely to get asthma compared to those with low levels, whilst the risk was 78% for di-n-butyl phthalate.

The researchers involved in the study believe the chemicals may be sensitising the foetuses’ airways, thus causing more susceptibility to asthma in their childhood years.

The idea for the study was formulated a number of years ago after Columbia University researcher Robin Whyatt and her colleagues at the Mailman School of Public Health were noting that inner-city kids living in New York had amongst the highest rates of asthma in the world – almost a quarter have the condition.

Therefore, the team wanted to see which environmental factors were worsening the asthma incidence within children, and started their research with 300 pregnant women so the development from in the womb to late childhood could be tracked.

Since the beginning of the study the results have been published on a regular basis, highlighting any correlation between a child’s respiratory and neurological problem, and a particular environmental issue such as exposure to phthalates or exposure to other things like insecticide and pesticide residues.

Lead author Robin Whyatt, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, at Columbia, said: “Everyone from parents to policymakers is concerned by the steep rise in the number of children who develop asthma. Our goal is to try and uncover causes of this epidemic so we can better protect young children from this debilitating condition. Our study presents evidence that these two phthalates are among a range of known risk factors for asthma.”

Professor Whyatt, speaking about the two chemicals featured in the study, said: “These chemicals are very widely used in very high volume and they are not generally listed on labels. There are some simple steps families can take. Avoid using plastic containers and as much as you can store your food in glass jars in the fridge. Never microwave in plastic. It is also worth considering cutting back on using any scented products – cosmetics, perfumes, air fresheners and detergents.”

She advised women to use the internet to see if their make-up contains for phthalates, and warned that other risk factors for the onset of asthma during childhood include tobacco smoke, air pollution, obesity, and a history of allergies.

Manchester Pharmacy give away 1,000s of condoms for Sexual Health Week

Sexual Health Week began on Monday, running until the 21 September, and this year the focus is on emergency contraception. The week-long campaign is one that has been proudly supported by Medical Specialists® Pharmacy for a number of years and indeed this year is no different.

Run by the FPA (Family Planning Association) throughout England, Sexual Health Week is an annual health awareness event that aims to boost public understanding about the numerous sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and about all aspects of good sexual health in general.

Just like in previous years, Medical Specialists® are helping to support the campaign by giving away literally thousands of Skins Condoms to any patient who obtains sexual health products during the forthcoming week, such erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation treatment, a Clamelle chlamydia test kit, or emergency contraception like the Levonelle 1500 morning after pill.


Last year the spotlight was the XES We can’t go backwards campaign, the aims of which were to protect and promote sexual health and contraception services by fighting governmental budget cuts, policy changes, and more specifically the lack of easy access to contraception and sexual health services.

For 2014’s Sexual Health Week, the focus has shifted to emergency contraceptives, i.e. that awkward and frightening time…the morning after the night before when the couple possibly in the heat of the moment haven’t bothered to use a condom and/or other contraception might have failed.

For the event, the FPA recently conducted a survey involving more than 2,000 women throughout the UK to discover more about the myths that still exist with regards to emergency contraception and found that alarmingly, many women still are not using emergency contraception following unprotected sex or if their usual contraceptive method hasn’t worked.

As mentioned earlier, emergency contraceptive pills include Levonelle 1500, which if taken within three days (72 hours) of unprotected sex, will usually prevent pregnancy. However, women will need to speak to their doctor for more information about taking it within five days (120 hours) of having unprotected sex.

Levonelle 1500 contains a hormone called progestogen can be taken following unprotected sex or if a condom has accidentally come off or split , and is available right now from Medical Specialists® Pharmacy for just £22.50. Most women are eligible to take Levonelle but will need advice if prescribed certain medications, with the IUD potentially being more suited.

An emergency IUD is a tiny, plastic copper device placed into the uterus up to five days (120 hours) following unprotected sex, or within five days of the earliest time the woman may have released an egg. The downside is that it usually takes around 20 minutes to be fitted and can be uncomfortable for the woman to the extent a local anaesthetic may be required.

Alternatively, women can take ellaOne. This is a pill that contains ulipristal acetate and has to be taken within five days (120 hours) of having unprotected sex. Most women can take ellaOne but those with severe asthma, liver disease, or taking certain prescribed medicines or complementary medicines, may be more suitable for the emergency IUD.

The FPA have created a Sexual Health Week 2014 campaign pack comprising of posters and tons of useful information and advice about how health professionals can best discuss emergency contraception with patients.

Women should be aware that it is not an embarrassing thing having to request emergency contraception, it is a sign of being responsible, and the FPA and Medical Specialists® hope that more women feel confident and at ease enough to speak to their GP or local pharmacy about the different types of contraception suitable for them.

For further information you can go to Medical Specialists® website and contact our pharmacist by email, or visit the FPA website for more information about sexual health and services

Male contraceptive injection ‘Vasalgel’ could arrive by 2017

Men could be able to benefit from a new type contraception within three years, and it doesn’t involve condoms.

The non-profit organisation Parsemus Foundation, who are involved in the production of low-cost medical treatment options, are using baboons to conduct clinical trials on a pioneering male birth control injection that will apparently cost ‘less than a flat screen TV’.

The contraceptive injection is currently named Vasalgel, and the makers hope it will be cheap, long-lasting and most importantly, reversible. It involves a health professional injecting a ‘polymer’ into the vas deferens – a thick, muscular tube that connects the testes to the urethra and where sperm travel through to get to the penis.

So far, clinical trials have involved three male baboons being injected with the drug. Each male was then left to share living space with 10-15 female baboons for six months. Remarkably, none of the females became impregnated after the six months.

The drug makers say after a year they will be able to have more information about Vasalgel’s efficacy, with the hope for human clinical trials to start in 2015.

Should the man and his partner change their mind about children, the man can have the procedure reversed with another polymer gel that is injected to get rid of the Vasalgel that is working to block the sperm. The only downside about an injection contraceptive is that unlike condoms, they will not provide any protection against a whole range of sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhoea, and many more.

Vasalgel’s official website says the contraceptive is a “long-acting, nonhormonal contraceptive similar to vasectomy but with one significant advantage: it is likely to be more reversible. The procedure is similar to a no-scalpel vasectomy, except a gel is injected into the vas deferens (the tube the sperm swim through) rather than cutting the vas (as is done in vasectomy). If a man wishes to restore flow of sperm, whether after months or years, the polymer is flushed out of the vas with another injection.”

The idea of Vasalgel partly came about from a different male contraceptive also in the works, tentatively named RISUG. Both block the vas deferens through the use of a gel, but RISUG and Vasalgel are formulated differently.

It is yet unclear for what time span the Vasalgel injection would be effective for as a contraceptive means, but the RISUG injection has been said to last for around 10 years.

A Parsemus Foundation spokesperson said: “We want to get Vasalgel on the market as soon as possible, but all the proper efficacy and safety testing needs to be completed. Vasalgel is currently in animal testing, with human trials expected to start in early 2015 and 2015-2016 (larger trials). If everything goes well and with enough public support, we hope to get Vasalgel on the market in 2016-2017.”

The company are now requesting public donations to aid the human clinical trials set to begin next year.

How migraine can do everyone’s head in at work

Are you a migraine sufferer? Or, are you an employer with employees that you are aware regularly suffer with them? If so, you will be delighted to hear that Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have gone to great lengths to make migraine treatment available for the thousands of people that need it after being inundated with requests for help from your fellow sufferers, and this help could enable you to get on with your day-to-day activities without the pain and stress associated with the condition.

Migraine is the most common neurological condition in the developed world. It is something much more intense and painful than a common headache, even though many people confuse the two. With an estimated one in four women and one in 12 men in the UK affected by migraines on a regular basis, this means around 15% of adults in the UK are suffering. Although sufferers may feel alone and isolated, migraine is a health problem even more prevalent than asthma, diabetes and epilepsy combined.

Despite this, it can be still misunderstood and underestimated in the workplace. Statistics indicate that over a third (34.3%) of sufferers are experiencing difficulty or discrimination in the workplace due to their condition. (The Migraine Trust, 2004).

Firstly, let’s look at some hard facts about migraine:

. Each year migraine causes a loss of over 25 million working days at a cost of around £2.25 billion to the economy.
. Migraine and chronic headache are the second most common reasons given for short term absence from work.
. A recent YouGov poll involving 2,105 people saw 15% of workers who pulled a ‘sickie’ used migraine as their excuse for a day off work.
. A survey conducted by The Migraine Trust in 2012 found that almost half (46.3%) of workers with migraine say they are unfairly untreated because of illness-related absence, over a third (40.5%) felt unsupported by their bosses and colleagues, and three in ten (30.5%) had received disciplinary action due to their health condition.

The main obstacle between fellow employees and the employer and their employees, is simply lack of awareness about migraines. Migraine pain can be excruciating for those afflicted, but an attack is often disregarded as ‘just a headache’. In addition, many employers are lacking understanding and not providing sufficient support for staff with migraines due to non-sufferers commonly using migraine as an excuse when they have a ‘sickie’ from work.

It is partly this reason why migraine sufferers feel isolated and unsupported, and employers should do their best to communicate with these particular employees, as even with the severe pain experienced during an attack, many sufferers will still continue to either attend or stay in work despite their productivity levels being negatively impacted.  This could have major implications for employers, both financially and with the subsequent drop in staff morale and productivity.

It is called ‘presenteeism’ when an employee still goes to work despite being unwell, and is rife amongst those with regular migraines and headaches because of the fear of reprisals from bosses.  Employers should have a fair and open communication policy with all employees – not just those with migraines – to reduce the risk of presenteeism, which can be problematic for everybody concerned.

The issue of presenteeism could be down to the fact some employers utilise strict absence record systems that focus on performance monitoring after a certain number of sick days have been reached. Some empathy needs to be shown though from the employer – otherwise stress and anxiety can be caused and exacerbate migraine attacks by acting as a trigger.

You as an employer should be aware that depending on the circumstances, migraine sufferers could be classed as having a ‘disability’ according to The Equality Act 2010.  It is employers’ responsibility to put into place appropriate conditions that make it easier for employees that suffer with migraines to actually do their job to a good standard and stop them being unfairly discriminated against.

Some helpful adjustments that employers can introduce for migraine sufferers may include: make sure employees have frequent breaks where possible, offer flexible working hours, amending shift patterns, carry out necessary improvements to the working environment (lighting, computer screens, work station), and make sure there is easy access to drinking water for all employees.

As well as being flexible with working hours, employers should also consider being flexible with regards to sickness policies to prevent migraine sufferer’s absence (which is highly likely to be only short term) resulting in strict/unfair punishments being handed out to them. Remember that the aforementioned changes do not cost much to introduce, and often have benefits to the wider team. A happier working environment will inevitably lead to increased productivity, and a happy employer!
For anybody still worried about the impact of migraine on their working life or indeed any day-to-day activities, Medical Specialists® offer a fantastic range of migraine prevention and migraine relief treatment which, for UK patients, can be obtained within 24 hours following an online consultation with one of Medical Specialists’® GMC-registered doctors.

People on higher salaries more likely to suffer hair loss

Working your way up through the ranks at your place of work could be great for your bank balance and enable you to splurge on luxury items, however it may prove disastrous for your hair.

Although hair loss is something that many attribute to old age, the hectic modern day working adult is susceptible to losing their hair, with men and women in their 20s losing hair. Almost half (45%) of men aged 16-24 and 47% of men aged 25-34 that were involved in a new survey, say their hair is already showing signs of thinning.

A L’Oreal Professionnel poll of 2,000 adults found that those with a salary of £75,000 or over were more likely to report they were suffering with hair loss because of the stress and demands of their jobs, in comparison to those on around £15,000.

In fact, only last year MP Nadine Dorries, who earns nearly £70,000 a year, spoke in a television interview about her hair loss. She described the massive impact to her confidence after waking up in tears each morning upon realising her hair had started to fall out.

The L’Oreal survey discovered that almost three quarters of women blame stress for hair loss and one in three were adamant they had noticed their hair was thinning.

Meanwhile, men typically put down genetics as the main reason for losing hair, but nonetheless half of men think that pressure at work is still partly to blame for hair loss.

However, across both sexes, the higher earners were far more likely to attribute their hair loss to work pressure compared to those on a smaller salary.

The survey found across the board that one in five men and women on a salary of over £75,000 per year were blaming work for their hair loss as opposed to just one in ten of those with a salary of up to £15,000.

Almost a third of UK women (30%) and around two-thirds of men (66%) suffer thinning hair or baldness, according to the research.

Despite the fact hair loss is very common – approximately 80% of men experience some sort of hair loss at some time in their life – it seems two in five men would prefer to suffer alone in silence than seek help and one in ten women are doing the same.

There is no reason to suffer alone though, millions of people in Britain alone are battling hair loss and Medical Specialists® Pharmacy are here to help. With our extensive range of hair loss treatments for men and women, you can act now to halt the progression of hair loss, and even possibly see regrowth of hair.

Medical Specialists® can provide the prescription-only medication Propecia (finasteride), which is used to treat male pattern baldness and works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, which thought to cause hair loss.  It is obtainable following a quick and easy 4-step process, which includes an online consultation with one of the Medical Specialists’® in-house doctors. Propecia is priced from as little as £47.58 per month.

Other options that can be used in conjunction to Propecia include Regaine Foam or Regaine Lotion, as featured in numerous television adverts. Obtainable from Medical Specialists Pharmacy from as little as £49.95 and £59.95 respectively, Regaine products contain the active ingredient Minoxidil; clinically proven to help prevent further hereditary hair loss. Minoxidil works by increasing the blood supply to the hair follicles, helping to strengthen existing hair and stimulate secondary hair growth.

Women can also take minoxidil, contained within Regaine for Women, and have the option of the over-the-counter treatment Florisene® – strongly recommended as an addition to any female hair loss treatment. Florisene® is especially recommended for women who have reduced hair volume (compared with several years ago) or who have recently noticed hair shedding as seen by more hairs in the brush, comb or when shampooing.

Impotence drug Sildenafil still being rationed on the NHS

Nearly all of us undoubtedly love sex. Besides the obvious fact that sex is quite clearly fun, it can even have health benefits in the form of being a stress and tension buster, and regular sex can even help people to lose weight as it is a great form of exercise.

However, how would you like to be told how much sex you can actually engage in on a weekly or monthly basis? Instantly negating the exciting and spontaneous nature of sex, it could force couples to plan when to have sex if they are rationed to a specific number of times.

It sounds absurd, but this is what NHS bosses have been accused of doing – ‘rationing’ the amount of times men suffering with erectile dysfunction (ED) can have sex. It is no wonder then that Medical Specialists® Pharmacy continue to have many thousands of men with ED coming to us seeking treatment for the condition.

Apparently, doctors have been informed they should not be prescribing more than one single pill of ‘generic’ Viagra per week to each patient that comes to them regarding their impotence problems.
The ridiculously strict limit was passed on despite the fact a pack of four pills costs the NHS as little as £1.45, or 36p a tablet.

With Pfizer (Viagra’s manufacturer) losing its UK patent in 2013, it is now legal for certain drug companies to produce their own impotence treatments that also contain sildenafil – Viagra’s active ingredient.

As what happens with increased competition in any market, the price has drastically decreased with regards to sildenafil, prompting the Department of Health to scrap regulations on the prescribing of sildenafil, ergo allowing most men with ED to be eligible for sildenafil on the NHS.

Health bosses seem to have become worried by this though, in particularly the financial impact it could have.

One letter was recently sent to doctors in the West Midlands by managers at NHS Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) calling for GPs to restrict their prescribing of sildenafil.

The letter stated: “In light of the pressure on NHS budgets, patients who are eligible for NHS treatment should be prescribed the lowest effective dose, with a maximum frequency of ONE tablet per week (i.e. FOUR per MONTH).”

Dr Martin Duerden, a GP based in North Wales who advises the Royal College of General Practitioners on prescribing, replied back: “Can we ration sex in this way? Prescriptions for sildenafil have no restrictions and each person should be assessed as individuals – some will need more, some less.”