Self care

Getting vaccinated is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your children against ill health. Get your annual winter flu jab – your GP will invite you if you’re eligible. Keep up to date with childhood immunisations. Speak to your GP if you think your child may have missed one.

The NHS website provides a guide to vaccinations and when to have them. This includes vaccines from 8 weeks, flu vaccines, COVID vaccines as well as a range of vaccines for children which are normally carried out as part of the school immunisation programme.

You can also get further information about vaccinations from your GP.

There’s lots of common illnesses that you can manage at home. A well-stock medicine cabinet should include:-

• Paracetamol/Ibuprofen
• Antihistamines
• Anti-diarrhoea medicine
• Oral rehydration salts
• Indigestion treatment
• First aid kit including plasters, bandages and a thermometer

A healthy balanced diet is really important for maintaining good physical and mental health.

Eating healthily can help you to feel your best and help to prevent ill health and diseases. Simple changes can make big difference.

There is lots of information and advice available online here. Everything from reducing sugar in your diet to understanding more about healthy eating.  It doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to make simple changes that can make a big difference to you and your family.

Keeping active is essential for good health.  It can help reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, obesity and can help strengthen bones and muscles too.    Keeping active can help your mental health too. It can help to reduce stress and tension, lift your mood, help you to get a better night’s sleep, help to give you more focus and motivation as well as getting out and about and meeting people.

Whatever your age or ability, there’s something for everyone. Start small and build up how much you do over time.

There’s a range of ideas to help you to get active from getting off the bus at an earlier stop and walking the rest of the way through to housework and gardening – it all counts! Find out more on the Healthy Knowsley website.

Knowsley also has a borough-wide ‘Healthy Weight Plan’ which sets out how the Council, its partners and residents will work Better Together to help people in Knowsley achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The Council also works closely with its partners across health, social care and the third sector to drive the plan forward, for example, to commission services that residents can access easily if they want support to lose weight and/or increase their physical activity.

Stopping smoking brings multiple benefits to health, some immediate and others that build over time. These include being able to breathe and having more energy and longer term your risk of having a heart attack is reduced.

There are financial benefits too, the average smoker can save around £250 a month, or £3,000 a year when they quit.

It’s never too late to stop smoking and with the right support you’re up to three times as likely to quit for good.

Smokefree Knowsley, Knowsley’s stop smoking service, offers specialist support for Knowsley residents to quit smoking, including those who are pregnant.

You can also find out more about services available, or access support from Knowsley Stop Smoking Service by calling 0151 426 7462, texting quit to 61825 (normal network charge) or visiting the website www.smokefreeknowsley.org.uk

If can also use your local pharmacy stop smoking services. Please contact your local pharmacy for more information.

Further information and support, including second-hand smoke, can be found on the Healthy Knowsley website.

Cutting back on the booze can be a really effective way to improve your health, boost your energy, lose weight and save money.

Lots of people like to unwind with a glass of something at the end of the day, but a couple of drinks a night can soon add up and drinking too much too often can put your health at risk.

It’s important to know how much you are drinking and how to cut down. Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week. By sticking to these guidelines you can lower your risk of harming your health.  A can of strong lager/beer/cider contains 2.4 units and a large glass of red/white/rosé wine contains 3 units of alcohol.

Any reduction in the amount you drink every week will be beneficial to your health.

There’s lots of help, support and tips to help you to cut down on how much you drink  including don’t stock up on alcohol at home (if it’s in the home, you’re more likely to drink it!), don’t get involved in rounds (you can drink at your own / slower pace), have low-calorie soft drinks in between alcohol and just have one  drink with your evening meal.

Find out more on the Healthy Knowsley website.

If you are concerned that you have an alcohol problem or if you’re worried about a friend or family member, contact the Knowsley Drug and Alcohol Integrated Recovery Service on 0151 482 6291 for advice and support.

Telephone: 0151 482 6291.

You can also visit their website for more information.

You can reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by keeping your heart happy. You can find lots of information and advice on the Happy Hearts website.

Support is also available to help you manage and control your:

• High blood pressure
• Atrial fibrillation
• High cholesterol

You can also download the Happy Hearts leaflet here.

Take the online heart age test to see how healthy your heart is. The self-assessment:

• Tells you your heart age compared to your real age
• Explains why it’s important to know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers

Gives advice on how to reduce your heart age

Keeping on top of your blood pressure will help you to keep on top of your health. Blood pressure is a measure of your blood as it is pumped around the body. It can be low, normal or high.  High blood pressure has no symptoms, but people with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or stroke and twice as likely to die from these as people with a normal blood pressure.

You can get your blood pressure checked at your GP and most pharmacies. You can also buy a blood pressure machine to keep a check on your readings at home.

Blood pressure can be lowered by changes to your lifestyle and if necessary, taking medication as directed by your doctor.

Top tips for reducing your blood pressure include:

1. Cut down on salt – Reducing your salt intake is the quickest way to lower your blood pressure.  Don’t add it when cooking or at the table, avoid using stock cubes, gravy and soy sauce, check food labels and avoid processed foods high in salt – aim to eat less than a teaspoon (6g) a day.
2. Eat well – a healthy, balanced, high-fibre diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables – at least five different portions every day will help.  Find out more at Healthy Knowsley
3. Keep active – that doesn’t have to mean going to the gym.  If you’re new to being active then start easy and do what works for you, a 10 minute walk each day can help.  Moving more often and building activity into everyday life is key.  If you are unsure about being more active speak to your GP.
4. Drink less alcohol – a glass of wine or a pint of beer is 2-3 units. To keep health risks low, men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis and no more than two to three units per day, spread over three days or more.
5. Stop smoking – you can get support to help you quit smoking from https://www.smokefreeknowsley.org.uk/

People who are affected by drugs use them compulsively and the effects of substance misuse contribute significantly towards poor health, homelessness, family breakdown and offending.

Drugs can be very harmful to your health and can affect your body in many different ways.

With the right help and support, it’s possible for you to get drug free and stay that way.

If you are concerned that you have a drug problem or if you’re worried about a friend or family member, contact the Knowsley Drug and Alcohol Integrated Recovery Service on 0151 482 6291 for advice and support.

Further information about common drugs and the help and support that is available can be found on the Healthy Knowsley website.

There’s also a range of information and support on the Talk to Frank website or you can call 0300 1236600

Having good mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health. Your mental health goes through ups and downs and can be affected when you face difficult or challenging times.

There’s lots of help and support available on the Healthy Knowsley website to help you to cope with issues such as anxiety, not sleeping, coping in a crisis and outlining the 10 ways to wellbeing which includes keeping active, talking about your feelings, keeping in touch with others, making time for yourself and asking for help if you feel overwhelmed or feel that you can’t cope.

You can get a free NHS-approved Mind Plan from The Better Health – Every Mind Matters website. Simply answer five quick questions you will get a personalised action plan with practical tips to help you manage stress and anxiety sleep better and boost your mood.

Qwell

Qwell is a free, safe and anonymous online chat-based counselling support service that is accessible 24/7. Booked and drop-in chat sessions from midday to 10 pm weekdays and 6 pm to 10 pm on weekends with professional counsellors. You can also access self-help resources and peer to peer support forums and lots of helpful content on a variety of mental health and wellbeing topics. Available for anyone in Knowsley aged 19+. Sign up now at Qwell.io

SHOUT

SHOUT is a new free, confidential text messaging service for anyone struggling with their mental health who lives or works in Knowsley. By texting the word ‘REACH’ to 85258 you will start a conversation with a trained volunteer. Visit giveusahout.org for free, 24/7 mental health text support.

Urgent help

If you are in mental health crisis and you need urgent help, please call the NHS Mental Health crisis line on freephone 0800 051 1508. NHS staff will then support you to get the help you need. – Available for people of all ages, including children and young people, available 24/7.

Taking care of your sexual health is really important.

Equal, respectful relationships and having access to services and information are an important part of sexual health.

Sexual health risks include the risk of unplanned pregnancy and the risks of getting a sexually transmitted infection. The free and confidential services in Knowsley can help you take steps to reduce any risks and protect yourself and your partner.

There’s also AXESS 4U, this is the Young Person’s Clinic for people aged 19 and under.

There’s lots of information about the importance of sexual health on the Healthy Knowsley website including the services available through the Sexual Health Services, getting checked, the importance of Smear tests and HIV support.

For further advice and support or to find out where your nearest clinic is, call the Sexual Health Service on 0151 244 3580 or click here.

The free NHS Health Check is designed to help spot the early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. The check enables people, aged 40 – 74, to get specialist advice so you can take early steps to lower your risk of getting these conditions.

The health check includes recording your height, weight, age, sex and ethnicity, taking your blood pressure and doing a simple finger prick test to check your cholesterol.

You can find out more about the NHS Health Checks on the Healthy Knowsley website and you can book an appointment for a Health Check by contacting your GP.

Looking after your mouth and oral health is important in preventing gum disease, tooth decay, tooth loss and oral cancer.

Tooth decay is the most common reason for young children to be admitted into hospital and very common in adults, leading to loss of permanent teeth. You can prevent tooth decay and help keep your mouth healthy by following a few simple steps including regularly visiting your dentist, brushing your teeth for 2 minutes twice a day and reducing the amount of sugary foods and drinks you have. You can find out more on the Healthy Knowsley website.

The Healthy Knowsley website provides you with a week by week guide, giving you the essentials about what’s happening with your baby and what to expect with appointments, what you’re entitled to and things that are good to know throughout your pregnancy and your baby’s first three months.

There’s also a range of useful information about free prescriptions and dental care, immunisations, feeding your baby, check-ups with your midwife, smoking in pregnancy and support to quit (you can call Smokefree Knowsley’s trained pregnancy advisors on 0151 426 7462 who are ready to support you), mental health, advice for expectant dads, healthy start for baby, eating for two and alcohol in pregnancy (and support to stop drinking).

The NHS provides a range of screening programmes which can detect certain diseases including cancer before any symptoms have developed.

Screening programmes are targeted to groups who will have most benefit from it. This includes screening tests during pregnancy, screening test for new born babies and breast screening for women over the age of 50.

The council works with a wide range of partners including the NHS and community groups to ensure local residents are aware of and have easy access to screening.

The NHS website provides a guide to screening and the different programmes.

Your GP will invite you to attend screening programmes as appropriate.

It is also important to be aware of potential cancer symptoms. Although it's unlikely to be cancer, it is important to speak to your GP who will then investigate. Symptoms to look out for include if you have a cough for 3 weeks or more or if you noticed changes in your bowel habits for 3 weeks or more. The NHS website provides advice on a range of symptoms on how to check yourself regularly.