ADE WILLIAMS

Drink to your health

Ade Williams MBE, lead pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy and brilliant Bristol ambassador explains the importance of drinking water...

Water. In recent years, with increased awareness of the environmental impact of disposable plastics –sales of reusable water bottles have soared. It has become known as The Blue Planet effect. Sadly, though, we are still not drinking enough fluids, with evidence showing this to be the case across all age groups.

Water helps our body eliminate waste products, regulate body temperature, lubricate joints, and other cellular and organ processes. Drinking plenty of fluids can also help lower the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Lack of water leads to dehydration, which is when the body loses more fluids than it takes carrying out its normal functions.

Water makes up about 50% to 70% of our body weight. Yet, the functionality of our body, cognitive ability, and mood are hindered to an alarming degree if our body's total water content drops by as little as 1%. Even mild dehydration drains our energy and makes us tired. Evidence also shows that dehydration affects childrens' learning and development due to its negative impact on concentration and behaviour.

Symptoms related to dehydration are broad and can vary significantly based on your age. Some to look out for include bad breath, bad skin, dizziness or lightheadedness, dry mouth, lips and eyes, passing low volume urine, dark yellow, and strong-smelling urine.

Understanding why we do not drink enough continues to be a topic of much discussion. Let's explore it together.

We are all supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, right? The NHS recommends that adults drink six to eight cups of fluid a day. Water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count. To stay well hydrated, children ages 1-3 years need approximately 4 cups per day, including water or milk. This increases to around 5 cups for 4-8-year-olds and 7-8 cups for older children.

Determining the right level of individual fluid intake depends on various individual factors. These will include the amount and type of exercise you do, weather conditions and health considerations such as being pregnant or breastfeeding or taking regular medicines. Please discuss your situation with a health care professional, including at your local pharmacy, to get the best advice tailored for you.

Water tablets or diuretics are sometimes prescribed to help treat heart conditions, including high blood pressure. Look out for symptoms of dehydration and maintain a regular fluid intake, especially during hot weather. Likewise, it is essential that if you suffer from continence issues, you do not simply cut down your fluid intake to manage this, as you may harm your kidneys.

The older our bodies get, the less efficient they are at preserving water by reabsorbing it into the kidneys. So, even as physical activity levels wane, the levels of fluid consumption must be maintained.

Talking of exercise, it's essential to drink water during a workout –take a water bottle with you on a run. Drinking little and often will give you the best results. Being dehydrated can also affect your energy levels – you won't be able to work out as hard if you haven't drunk enough. Remember this golden exercise rule: the sooner you start to replace the fluid, the sooner you will recover. Once all the hard work is over, restore your fluid levels and help your muscles. Dehydration increases your risk of developing injuries.

When it comes to choosing the best way to make up your fluid intake, water always comes top. Calorie, alcohol and caffeine-free drinks not only improve skin health but are proven to help lose weight. Water is healthy, containing no sugars that can damage teeth. If you do not like the taste of plain water, try sparkling water, add a slice of lemon or some no-added-sugar squash for flavour. Plain tea, fruit tea and coffee (without added sugar) can also be healthy.

What are the best ways to drink more water, you ask? Start and end your day with a glass or two of water. Set a timer/use an app to track how many glasses you have drunk and create a routine. Drink a full glass of water with every meal or snack. If you’re wondering how to get your kids to drink more water, pour a glass for them and you and enjoy it together. Get them a cool reusable bottle too.

Water, though, must never become something we ever take for granted. It is likely to be at the fore as we look to mitigate the effects of irreparable climate and environmental damage. Failed crops, lack of accessible drinking water –global water security in our interconnected world is now a shared risk that results in conflicts and financial market upheaval alongside existential human suffering. If you are one of the reported 20% who no longer use their reusable water bottle, have lost it and not bothered to replace it, the planet and your kidneys need you to arrest this. ■

Ade Williams’ portrait as taken by acclaimed photographer Rankin

Seeing in the Spring

As we get older, cataracts affect many of us, but acting early can reduce the impact they will have on your life. Here, we focus on the signs to look for, and what can be done to alleviate the problem.

Cataracts are a very common eye condition, and many people aged over 60 will have at least some amount present. A cataract is a clouding of the lens in your eye, which causes your sight to become misty. Cataracts slowly get worse and your sight gets cloudier over time, but the vast majority can be treated successfully. If cataracts have been limiting your ability to do the things you enjoy, surgery to remove them can be a truly lifechanging experience.

How does your eye work?

Light enters your eye through the cornea (the clear window at the front), and the lens ensures this light is focused correctly to form an image when it reaches the retina. Just like glasses lenses, in order to see clearly, the lens in your eye needs to be clear. Throughout your life, your lens changes shape to help you see things clearly in the distance and close up. This is called “accommodation of vision”. However, as we get older, the lens isn’t able to change shape as well as it used to. When this happens, most people can see clearly in the distance but need reading glasses for close work.

How does a cataract affect your sight?

Cataracts could affect your sight in a number of ways. Your vision may become blurred or appear misty; you may be dazzled by lights; or your coloured vision may seem washed out or faded.

Most people will eventually develop a cataract in both eyes, though one eye may be affected before the other. If a cataract isn’t removed, over time it will be like trying to see through a frosted window. Even if your cataract gets to this stage, it can still be removed and your sight will be almost as it was before the cataract developed.

What causes a cataract?

The most common reason is ageing. Most people over 60 have some amount of cataract and this gradually worsens with age. Apart from getting older, other common causes of cataracts include diabetes, medications such as steroids, and longstanding eye conditions. They can also be present at birth (congenital cataracts).

What treatment is available?

The only effective treatment for cataracts is surgery to remove your cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial clear lens implant. New glasses will not help if the cataract is too advanced, and cataract surgery is one of the most successful operations performed.

In the past, eye surgeons often waited until the cataract became “ripe” before removing it, but with modern surgical precision and techniques, the operation is usually done as soon as your eyesight interferes with your daily activities, such as reading and driving.

What does the operation involve?

Cataract surgery is usually done with a local anaesthetic and takes around 20 minutes. Small cuts are made and the cataract is removed in small pieces using sound waves (phacoemulsification) so you don’t need stitches. The artificial lens implant is then simply placed inside the eye.

How soon will I recover?

After surgery, you can usually go back to your everyday activities within a few days. You will be given eye drops to use for up to four weeks, but the majority of people have no problems following cataract surgery and are up and about the next day.

What should I expect to see after the operation?

Usually, everything in the distance will be clear, but your reading vision in the operated eye may be blurred. This is because the standard lens implant isn’t able to provide clear vision for both distance and near. However, premium lenses are also available at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, and offer the potential to see clearly at more than one point of focus. Premium lenses are not available on the NHS, and are not suitable for everybody, but your surgeon will help you make the best decision, based on your individual needs.

Consultants specialising in cataract surgery at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital include Mr Kieren Darcy, Mr Adam Ross, Mr Mo Majid, Mr Sidath Liyanage, Mr Michael Greaney, Mr Richard Haynes, Miss Rani Sebastian and Mr Rafik Girgis.

Furthermore, if you have any additional health concerns but are struggling to book an appointment with your GP, Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital also offers a private GP service, with minimal waiting times for appointments, prescriptions and referrals. Call our Enquiries team on the number below, who will be able to assist you in booking a consultation.

If you would like to book an appointment with one of our Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons, or a member of our private GP team, call 0117 911 5339, or visit our website.