PARKINSON'S INFORMATION DAY: The Parkinson's Association of Ireland is staging the first Irish patient information day about Parkinson's Disease on Saturday, April 17th in O'Reilly Hall, University College Dublin
This is the first meeting of this size aimed specifically at informing those suffering from Parkinson's Disease about their condition and the treatment options currently available to them. Registration and further information on the event is available by calling the Parkinson's Association of Ireland at 1800-359 359.
Wearing reflective clothing, a white or light coloured helmet, and using headlights during the day can reduce serious injuries or death from motorcycle crashes by up to one third, according to research from New Zealand. Drivers wearing reflective or fluorescent clothing had a 37 per cent lower risk of crash related injury than other drivers. Compared with wearing a black helmet, use of a white helmet was associated with a 24 per cent lower risk, and daytime use of headlights was associated with a 27 per cent lower risk. Increasing the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap ways to increase the visibility of motorcycle riders on the roads and could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death, conclude the authors.
Smoking accelerates cognitive decline according to researchers who looked at the cognitive function of older people. Over 9000 people over the age of 65, who were not suffering from dementia, were assessed for their smoking habits and for changes in cognitive function. They found that smokers had a rate of decline that was five times higher than those who had never smoked while in ex-smokers, cognition declined at twice the rate of non-smokers.
Being fulfilled by your occupation is very important. Researchers interviewed previously high earning, high status professionals, who opted for nursing as a second career and found that status and money did not necesarily make them happier. A former city lawyer who opted to become a nurse said there was nothing she missed about her previous career, while a middle aged bank manager remarked that his life only began when he hit the wards at the age of 51.
"One person in the EU suffers an osteoporosis fracture every 30 seconds. Osteoporosis is one of the most serious, debilitating and costly diseases in Europe yet it is also one of the least recognised," said Mary Anderson from the International Osteoporosis Foundation last week. She was attending the launch of a new patient support group for sufferers of osteoporosis in Cork. The first meeting will be held in early May. Other osteoporosis support groups are running in counties Donegal, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath. Details on tel: 01 6774267 or see www.irishosteoporosis.ie
Interested in learning how to use homeopathy safely and effectively? If so, consider attending an introduction to homeopathy workshop in the RUAH Retreat Centre, St Alphonsis Road, Drumcondra, Dublin on April 24th and 25th from 10.30 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. each day. The workshop will cover homoepathy philosophy, the use of homeopathy in first aid treatment and for common acute illnesses and childhood complaints. Cost €150. Details on tel:01 8378551.
The Irish Lymphoedema Support Network is holding an open day on Saturday, April 14th at St Luke's Hospital, Education Centre, Highfield Road, Rathgar, Dublin. The guest speakers are Kathleen McGreal, senior occupational therapist and manual lymph drainage therapist and Jill Summerville, senior dietician at the Bon Secours Hospital, Dublin. Details on tel: 01 6681855.