Healthy lectures: A series of free health lectures is taking place on Wednesday nights throughout February at the County Library, Tallaght from 7 to 8.30pm.
This Wednesday the topic is Healthy Women and will cover breast screening, diet and nutrition and sexual health. Other topics include Men's Health (12th), Healthy Minds (19th) and Healthy Lifestyles (26th).
Sick as a parrot
Professional footballers are 10 times more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the hip in later life, new research reveals. The findings are based on questionnaires sent to 92 managers in the UK to assess the prevalence of joint disease among those who used to play professional football. Nine former players confirmed they had osteoarthritis of the hip; six required eight hip replacements. This compares with just two cases of osteoarthritis of the hip among 136 other men who had never played competititive football.
Bereavement information
The South Eastern Health Board has published its first Bereavement Information Pack for people bereaved through sudden death. The pack includes information on what to expect following a sudden death, the process for obtaining death certificates, notifying the tax office, and details of support groups. It includes a section on suicide and its impact on relatives and friends. The packs are available through the South Eastern Health Board's Suicide Resource Office (tel 051-874013) and on the SEHB's website www.sehb.ie
Taking cold comfort
Irish people spend an average of two days in bed each time they contract a cold or flu, according to a recent survey. Thirty-two per cent say their work was disrupted while 29 per cent claimed their social life was disrupted due to their illness. One in three reported they would buy something to relieve their symptoms.
Lifelines is compiled by Dr Muiris Houston and Sylvia Thompson. Email lifelines@irish-times.ie