L080 DSA Health Broch 1 - easyhealth.org.uk

1 1 National Office:155 Mitcham Road, London SW17 9 PGTel: 020 8682 4001 Fax: 020 8682 4012 Email: charitable company limited by guaranteeRegistered Charity No. 1061474 Registered Company No. 3310024 (England and Wales)Registered Office: 155 Mitcham Road, London SW 17 9 PGLG/01/03/10K/HE1 PUBLICATION16 HealthLooking After YourselfA DOWN S SYNDROME ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION Produced with the support ofHEALTHL ooking After YourselfHealth is about more than being free is also about having a healthy lifestyle,which helps you feel good physically and also means looking after are a few things you can do to improve your Health and keep information department would like to thank the members ofthe London Down 2 Earth group for their help in writing this ,Robert,Eleanor,Bethan,Chloe,Gershom,Ken t,Luke,Karen,Laura,JennyDietEating a balanced diet helps to keep you ahealthy weight, and may help to stop yougetting some diseases.

2 It makes you feelgood too!The Food Pyramid shows you what a healthydiet looks like. Choose some foods fromeach of the different groups every day. Youcan eat more of the foods at the bottom ofthe pyramid, but not too much from the foodsat the top. The Sometimes group is forspecial treats - only once or twice a and chicken, fish, beans, eggs, nutsFruits and fruit juiceMilk and yogurt, cheese, chocolate, chips, biscuits, crisps, sweetsVegetablesand saladBread and bread, cornflakes, rice, pastaLuke saysbreakfast is animportant mealDietHere are some more simple tips for eating ahealthy diet. lEat regular mealslEat a variety ofdifferent foodslCut down on sweets and puddingslDrink lots ofwaterlIfyou like to drink alcohol,don t havemore than one or two glasses a saystry not to snackbetween mealsKent saysifyou drink,don t over do itRegular exercise is very important to keepyour body healthy.

3 It will also help to keepyou a healthy weight. There are lots ofdifferent ways of exercising, for instancewalking, dancing, or swimming. Find someactivities that you enjoy. Try to do someexercise at least 3 times a week. You can also look for ways to keep active, like walking to the shops instead of takingthe you have not exercised for a long time,begin by doing just a little at a time. You cangradually increase the amount of exercisethat you do. Most people are well enough to start doingmore exercise straight away. But you shouldtalk to your doctor first if you have:lheart problemslchest painsldizzinesslproblems with your bonesor jointsExerciseChloe saysGardening is agood way to getsome exerciseSmokingIf you smoke, you can be at risk of seriousdiseases including cancer and heart should try to give up or at least cut up smoking is hard work.

4 You can getproducts to help you stop from the chemist, oryou can get help from your doctor. SkincareLots of people with Down s syndrome havevery dry skin. If your skin feels dry or looksflaky, don t use very hot water or bubblebaths. You may need to put on a moisturisingcream after washing. If you have dandruff (flaky skin on top of yourhead) you can use an anti-dandruff you go out in the sun, you should wearsun cream to stop you from getting for a cream for sensitive you are worried about your skin, ask your your toenails about once a week. Cut them straight across with nail clippers or people get athlete s foot - itchy, flakyskin on their feet. If you get this it s importantto wash your feet every day and dry themcarefully, especially between the toes. Youcan also get products from the chemist totreat athlete s you find it hard to cut your own nails youcan get help from a chiropodist.

5 If you have heart problems or diabetes, youshould see a chiropodist keep your teeth healthy:lbrush your teeth twice a daylget a new toothbrush every 3 monthsldon t have too many sweets orsugary drinkslvisit the dentist every six monthsHealth ProblemsSome Health problems are more common inpeople with Down s syndrome, for example:Eye problems- you may need to wearglassesHearing problems- you may not hear thingsso wellProblems with your heartChest infections,coughs and coldsDiabetes Thyroid problemsIt is also important to remember that somepeople with Down s syndrome do not haveany Health , it is important that you go to seeyour doctor to have regular check ups so thatyou keep healthy. Doctors now know whatmedical problems someone with Down ssyndrome can have. Many doctors have setup screening programmes, which means thatthey look for the early signs of an illness sothat they can give the patient the righttreatment to make them well before theirillness becomes is therefore important to visit your doctorsometimes when you feel very well just tocheck on it is difficult toremember everything youwant to ask the doctorwhen you have your visit, make a listof the questions you want toask the doctor.

6 This way youcan be sure you won t may like to ask amember of your family or acarer to help you with doctors are verydifficult to t be afraid to say youdon t them to explain theiradvice to you or to tell you again. After all, it is your it is difficult tounderstand the advice thedoctor is giving you or toremember what they saidwhen you get your doctor to write thingsdown so that you can go over itwhen you get may like to ask a memberof your family or a carer to gothrough it with saysyou may needhelp in makinga doctor sappointmentSometimes it is difficult toget the doctor tounderstand the problemsyou are someone to go with youwho knows you well and canhelp explain the problems youare you may not behappy with the advice adoctor gives have the right to ask for another doctors is called getting asecond you may beunhappy with the advice orthe way your GP treats have the right to change your GPand seesomeone saysifyou ve gotsomethingcatching.

7 Stay t go towork or collegeConsent to treatmentConsent is about giving your permission for something tobe done to you by a nurse or a doctor. It means that beforethey can do anything they must ask your permission andyou have the right to say yes or you say yes or no, ask the doctor or the nurse togive you information about what they want to do in a waythat is easy for you to understand. The decision is up toyou, no one else can say yes or no for you. Talk it throughwith the medical team and your friends or family who knowyou well. This will help you to decide to say yes or no -give , a doctor or a nurse may think that you do notunderstand enough to make the choice. They have theright to give you treatment that they think is best for and nurses jobs are to make people well or ascomfortable as possible.

8 This is why sometimes they makethe choice about what is best for help you with hearing problemsCardiologists help with heart problemsChiropodists help you look after your feetDentists help you look after your teethENT specialists help you with ear, nose and throat problemsOphthalmologists Help you with eye problemsGeneral Practitioners (GPs)Your GPis often the first doctor you go tosee when you have a Health problem. Ifthey cannot help, they will arrange foryou to see a doctor who can, thesedoctors are often called does what?Who said what?..saysGardening is agood way to getsome may needhelp in makinga doctor is animportant mealCHLOEKENTPut the person with whatthey backin the book ifyou cannot have started you offwith the first drink,don t over do ve gotsomethingcatching,stay t go towork or not to snackbetween mealsJENNYLUKEWho does what?

9 Which Food group?Write the food name under the pictureWrite the job nameunder the pictureAudiologistsCardiologistsChiropod istsDentistsENT specialistsOphthalmologistsChocolate,Cri spsMilk andMeat and and SweetsMilk ProductsMeat AlternativesVegetablesFruitsBread and CerealsENT specialistsMeat and Meat AlternativesPersonal Health RecordThis form is to keep important information about your Health . This will help people to care foryou properly if you get ill or have to go to might want to ask someone to help you fill in the form - maybe a friend, relative or might be able to help you remember things about your Health as well. You may need to change some of the information on this form from time to time. Before youstart filling it in take some photocopies of the form so that you can use a new one each Health RecordDate you filled in this form.

10 Name: ..Date of birth: ..Male/Female ..Next of kin: ..Important informationWhat is your GP s name and address? ..Do you have any allergies? ..Do you need a special diet? ..Personal Health RecordIf you had to see a doctor, or go into hospital, is there anything else important you think they should know about you? ..Have you been in hospital before? ..Has anyone in your family had a serious illness? ..Has anyone close to you died? ..Do you have any problems with your Health ? If so, please write about it in the space below. How does it affect you? Is there anything you can do about it? ..Personal Health RecordSkillsThese pages are to keep information about your skills,and things you like areill,you may find it harder to do these pages will help you,and other people,to notice ifyou are getting ill,and when you are getting will also help people tolook after you ifyou become may need to change some ofthe information on these pages from time to communicate in different ways.