St Mary Cray Practice

04/09/2026

Why you shouldn’t p*e “just in case”
It might seem sensible to empty your bladder before every journey, meeting, or trip out, but doing it too often can actually train your bladder to think it’s full when it isn’t.

What happens?
• Your bladder gradually gets used to holding smaller volumes of urine.
• The nerves in the bladder become more sensitive and start sending “I need to go!” signals earlier than they should.
• Over time, this can lead to urgency, frequency, and symptoms of an overactive bladder.

A healthy adult bladder can usually hold urine for 2 to 4 hours between toilet visits, and most people urinate about 5 to 8 times during the day

When is it OK?
Occasionally going before a long journey, a flight, or when you know toilet access will be limited is perfectly reasonable. The issue is making “just in case” weeing a regular habit.

02/09/2026

Most effective evidence-based remedies
1. Rest, fluids, and time
The common cold is usually self-limiting and resolves within 7 to 10 days.
Staying hydrated and getting adequate rest can help manage symptoms and support recovery.

2. Honey (for cough)
• Particularly effective for cough, especially at night.
• A spoonful of honey before bed may reduce cough frequency and improve sleep.
• Suitable for adults and children over 1 year (not infants under 12 months because of botulism risk).
NICE recommends honey as a self-care option for acute cough associated with upper respiratory infection

3. Zinc (started early)
• The strongest supplement evidence.
• When started within 24 hours of symptom onset, zinc may shorten the duration of a cold by around 1 to 2 days.
• Side effects include nausea and unpleasant taste.
Recent Cochrane reviews found that zinc may reduce cold duration, although benefits are modest and adverse effects are common.

4. Paracetamol or ibuprofen
Helpful for:
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Fever
• General aches and pains
These do not shorten the illness but improve comfort.

5. Saline nasal sprays or rinses
• Can relieve nasal congestion and improve comfort.
• Safe for most adults and children.
Commonly recommended as a symptomatic treatment for blocked noses.

Remedies with limited or mixed evidence:

Vitamin C
• Regular supplementation may slightly reduce the duration of colds.
• Starting vitamin C after symptoms begin has not shown consistent benefit.
Overall, evidence does not support high-dose vitamin C as a reliable treatment for an established cold.

Echinacea
• Results are inconsistent.
• Some preparations may provide modest benefit, but evidence is not strong enough to recommend routinely.

Steam inhalation
• May provide temporary symptom relief.
• Does not shorten illness.
• Risk of scald injuries, especially in children.

What does NOT help
• Antibiotics (unless there is a bacterial complication)
• Most over-the-counter combination cold remedies
• Vitamin D, garlic, or other supplements for treating an active cold, where evidence remains weak or inconsistent.

01/09/2026

Zinc shortens cold by 33%

However most lozenges don’t release free zinc ions

Zinc lozenge only works if it releases free zinc ion in the mouth

👉🏽Start within 24 hours if symptoms
👉🏽More than 75mg/day of elemental zinc (no more than 207mg)

👉🏽⚠️ Avoid lozenges with citric acid, tartaric acid, sorbitol or mannitol

👉🏽Free zinc ion physically blocks virus from entering cells and slows down replication

👉🏽Zinc acetate and zinc gluconate equally effective

28/08/2026

A systematic review found that writing-based interventions, such as journaling, poetry, Chinese calligraphy, and memory notebooks, are effective instruments for cognitive, emotional, and social rehabilitation in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
‘These techniques improve memory, identity, emotional control, and cognitive resilience, while cultural and multimodal approaches provide supplementary advantages.’

Physical activities and cognitive activities such as writing, reading books or newspapers, poetry writing, journal writing, Chinese calligraphy writing, drawing, memory notebooks, crossword puzzles, board games or cards, participating in organized group discussions, and playing musical instruments have been mentioned frequently as an empowering tool to reduce the risk of dementia, improve cognitive function and even regulating emotions.

Writing by hand has been found to cause a wide variety of beneficial effects on brain functioning, for instance, improvement of memory, recall of words, and connectivity within the dorsal attentional network

Writing has benefits other than cognitive improvements, such as positive effects on mental health, increased coordination of upper limbs, and higher self-confidence.
Writing on paper with a pen or pencil as an old-fashioned way should be a part of rehabilitation therapy for people with dementia and even healthy older adults, as it has preventive effects toward cognitive impairments.
If writing therapy is done, creative writing can have more privileges, such as enabling self-expression and communication, and promoting positive self-worth.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurol., 02 September 2025
Sec. Neurorehabilitation
Volume 16 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2025.1568336

26/08/2026

22/08/2026

Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing Emotions

1. Practice Emotional Awareness & Labeling
Identifying and naming emotions reduces their intensity through “affect labeling,” which decreases amygdala activity (Lieberman et al., 2007).
When you notice an emotion, pause and ask: “What exactly am I feeling?” Be specific—instead of “bad,” try “frustrated” or “overwhelmed.” “Sadness”

2. Develop Distress Tolerance
Accepting difficult emotions, rather than fighting them, leads to better outcomes (Hayes et al., 2006).
Remind yourself: “This feeling is uncomfortable, but not dangerous. I can handle this.” Practice breathing slowly and notice where you feel the emotion without trying to change it.

3. Use Cognitive Flexibility
Cognitive reappraisal—changing how we interpret events—is one of the most effective emotion regulation strategies (Gross, 2002).
Ask yourself, “Is there another way to look at this situation?” This isn’t about toxic positivity, but finding more balanced perspectives.

4. Build Your Emotional Vocabulary
People with richer emotional vocabularies have better regulation skills (Barrett et al., 2001).
Keep an emotion journal. Each day, write down three emotions you experienced using specific words rather than general terms.

5. Create Meaning from Emotions
Research shows emotions provide valuable information about our needs and values (Keltner & Gross, 1999).
Ask: “What is this emotion telling me? What need might this highlight?”

6. Practice Self-Compassion
Treating yourself with kindness during difficult times leads to better emotional regulation (Neff, 2003).
Ask yourself: “What would I say to a good friend in this situation?” Then offer yourself the same kindness.

7. Build Social Connections
Social support is one of the most powerful factors in emotional resilience (Cohen & Wills, 1985).
Identify 2-3 trusted people. Practice sharing emotional experiences with them, focusing on being heard rather than receiving advice.

The tendency to dwell on an emotion (rumination) can extend its duration. Emotions associated with high levels of rumination tend to last longer
https://iacrm.org/the-science-of-

21/08/2026

👉🏽 Black Caribbean and Black African Adults have the highest rates of hypertension (high BP) compared to other ethnicities

👉🏽BHF-funded research has shown that Black Africans, African Caribbeans and South Asians in the UK are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes compared to White Europeans.

👉🏽 There is poorer blood pressure control in black population across all age groups than all other ethnicities. ​

👉🏽A study, conducted by researchers at King’s College London, analysed 30 years of stroke incidents from the South London Stroke Register, one of the longest-running population-based stroke registers in the world.

👉🏽Stroke incidence was 131% higher in black African and 100% higher in black Caribbean populations in comparison with their white counterparts.

👉🏽People from black backgrounds are up to 47% more likely to have high blood pressure, and are also up to twice as likely to have diabetes than their white counterparts, (even after adjusting for other risk factors including socioeconomic background)

👉🏽Compared with other stroke types, intracerebral haemorrhage is more strongly associated with uncontrolled high blood pressure, which is more common in black communities.

19/08/2026

As of 13 August 2026, 207 confirmed cases between 11 August 2025 and 1 August 2026 have been detected within this outbreak, analysis indicates a common source of contamination.

38% of people with information available were admitted to hospital due to their salmonellosis symptoms and two people had a blood stream infection.

UK source has been ruled out.
At this time there is no identified link to UK-produced eggs or poultry.

Majority cases in England (199), 47 of which were in London

Evidence suggests this was not associated with travel abroad as only 6 of the 207 travelled abroad.

Extensive epidemiological and food chain investigations are ongoing to identify the source and origin of the contamination responsible for illness.

UKHSA, alongside APHA, FSA and Devolved Administrations are working to collate the information gathered in these outbreaks to explore any potential risks posed from imported eggs and implement preventative measures if necessary.

Salmonella symptoms usually include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, and stomach cramps, along with nausea/vomiting and headache. Symptoms typically start 6 hours to 6 days after infection and often last 4 to 7 days.

Prevention:
Wash hands thoroughly with soap after using the bathroom, changing diapers, handling raw foods, or touching animals, and follow the clean, separate, cook, and chill steps when preparing food.
Avoid consuming raw or undercooked foods, especially: Poultry (chicken, turkey), Eggs, Meat (beef, pork), Seafood

18/08/2026

Pelvic floor exercises (like Kegels) help strengthen the muscles that support the bladder, bowel, and other pelvic organs, and they can reduce or prevent leaking urine, gas (fart), or p**p, and prolapse

- [ ] Imagine you’re stopping the flow of urine midstream or imagine holding in gas. (Don’t clench buttocks, don’t pull in stomach)

- [ ] Do not regularly stop your urine midflow as this can cause bladder issues. Do the exercises at other times or after passing urine

- [ ] Slow squeezes: Tighten the pelvic floor muscles and hold for 5-10 seconds, then relax. Aim for 10 repetitions.

- [ ] Fast squeezes: Quickly tighten and release the muscles, aiming for 10 repetitions

- [ ] Aim to perform these exercises three times a day for optimal results. Consistency is key, and it may take several weeks to notice improvements.

- [ ] Breathe normally: Avoid holding your breath while exercising.

- [ ] Incorporate into daily routine: Link exercises to regular activities, like brushing teeth or waiting in line.

SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE AND PROFESSIONAL PERSONALISED HELP IF YOU ALREADY HAVE PROLAPSE/INCONTINENCE

Download the Squeezy app

18/08/2026

Let’s celebrate the hardest working organ in our bodies!

1) kidneys are about the size of your clenched fists and sit in the lower back under your bottom ribs.
2) They regulate your BP
3) they keep bones healthy by balancing levels of important minerals
4) they make red blood cells
5) they control salt and water and make around 2L of urine daily
6) they use 25% of the blood from every heartbeat
7) they contain 140miles of tubes and a million filters. Your blood goes through your kidneys 40 times a day
Check Kidney Care UK’s website for lots of useful resources
Kidneycareuk.org