Content sorted by:

Prevention

The most effective prevention strategies are those we do without even thinking about them. Many important illnesses are much less common among people who do not smoke, eat balanced and healthy diets, and get plenty of exercise. But even when people have illnesses or health problems, there are still often many options for them to improve their health and prevent complications. Prevention is not just about diet and exercise. Prevention is a key to avoiding injury, to maintaining sexual health and to improving mental health.

Feature: Allergy prevention in babies and small children

Which children have a higher risk of allergy? Can pregnant women do anything that will reduce the risk of allergy in their child? Is childhood immunisation the cause of the increase in allergies? We let you know what parents can do to try to prevent their children getting allergies.

Feature: Preventing bowel cancer

There is no shortage of recommendations about how to prevent bowel cancer: more fibre, less meat, vitamin supplements and even medicines feature in the long list of suggestions that have been propagated for years. We have studied the latest evidence to see how much scientific support there now is for these common recommendations.

Feature: Preventing depressions in children and young people

Young people often feel sad, down or distressed. That's normal. Sometimes, though, it is more than normal blues: many children and young people get depressed. But depression can be prevented or at least recognised early.

Feature: Preventing osteoporosis

What are the major risk factors for osteoporosis? Why do some people's bones break more easily when they are older? Does smoking influence bone health? Can exercise prevent bones becoming brittle? These and other interesting questions are discussed in our Fact Sheet. And you can use our calculator for a rough check on whether you are getting enough calcium.

Feature: Quit Smoking

Half of the people who have quit smoking did it without any medical help. It can help too, if a smoker can reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. Even if some has had several unsuccessful attempts, it is still worth trying again. It often takes more than one try to succeed. You can read more about medical options for quitting smoking in the fact sheet, including in pregnancy.

Feature: Teeth sealants

Parents know the problem well. Hardly a day goes by without some discussion about brushing teeth. And it is worthwhile, especially with children, to watch out for some basics. You can read more here about what researchers have learned about teeth or fissure sealants, toothbrushing and fluoride to prevent tooth decay. And you can test your knowledge about preventing tooth decay in our quiz.

Fact sheets

Fact Sheet: Preventing falls in older people

People who stay active and mobile have more independence. It can be a big part of staying healthy in older age. That's why some older people are afraid of falling and breaking something. But people who let this fear limit their daily activities might even pay a price that could be higher than the consequences of a fall. People who stop being active might even have a higher risk of falling than a person who is out and about a lot. That's why it is worthwhile to be practical about the risk of falling. You can take some basic precautions, without always having to worry about falling. more...

Research summaries

Allergy and food intolerance: Can soya baby formulas prevent them?

Soy formula has not been shown to protect high-risk babies from developing allergies or food intolerance. more...

Babies with high risk of allergy: Could prebiotics in infant formulas make a difference?

Infant formulas containing prebiotics might be able to prevent the development of eczema in babies who are at high risk of allergies, but they have not been tested enough to be sure. So far, none of the breast milk substitutes has been shown to provide better protection than breastfeeding. more...

Dental caries: Do fluoride tooth products prevent tooth decay in children and young people?

Fluoride tooth products, especially toothpaste, protect children against plaque and tooth decay. more...

Dental caries: Do teeth sealants prevent tooth decay in children and young people?

The application of sealants to the molars or back teeth can result in a major reduction in the risk of tooth decay or cavities. more...

Dental caries: Which fluoride dental products provide the best protection against tooth decay?

Brushing with fluoride toothpaste every day protects children and young people from tooth decay just as effectively as fluoride mouthwashes and gels applied directly to the teeth. more...

Depression: Do psychological programs for children and young people prevent depression?

Psychological programmes seem to help prevent depression in young people who are at high risk, and they might reduce symptoms in the short term. more...

Echinacea

It is not clear whether echinacea extracts can prevent colds. Taking some echinacea products when a cold starts might help to reduce the cold's length and severity. Because the available products are very different to one another, more research is needed to be sure. Adverse effects are rare. more...

Fact sheet: Managing chronic disease

Chronic illnesses are usually lifelong conditions. This does not, however, necessarily mean that the lives of those who have a chronic illness have to be dominated by it. Disease management programmes are intended to make it easier for people to get on top of their chronic illness and have a good quality of life. "Disease management" is the concept of systematically treating and managing a condition. It should improve the therapy of chronically ill people in the long term and help them to understand their illness better. This may mean dealing with the treatment and demands of their illness in a well-informed way and finding out how to live as good a life as possible with the illness. more...

Prevention: How can older people reduce their chances of falling?

Not every fall can be avoided. But there are several things that might be able to help reduce the risk, like reducing hazards around the home, particular muscle and balance training, and stopping use of unnecessary psychotropic medication. more...

Quitting smoking: What works in pregnancy?

Quit smoking support programmes can help pregnant women quit smoking. Nicotine replacement therapy might not be more effective than other programmes. more...

Quitting smoking: Can an antidepressant improve the success rate?

People who want to quit smoking can increase their chances of short-term success if they use the antidepressant bupropion. But adverse effects are common, so the use of antidepressants needs to be carefully considered. more...

Quitting smoking: How much do nicotine patches and gum help?

Nicotine replacement products increase the chances that a heavy smoker will be able to quit smoking, but more than one attempt will usually be needed. more...

Toothbrushes: Are the electric ones better than ordinary manual brushes?

Whether or not electric toothbrushes clean teeth better than manual toothbrushes depends on the way the head moves. Rotation oscillation brushes that move in one direction and then the other remove plaque a bit better than ordinary toothbrushes. more...

Walking: What are the health benefits?

People who are currently very inactive can lose some weight and body fat, and increase their cardiovascular fitness, if they have four or more walks a week that last at least an hour in total. more...

Workplace neck and shoulder pain: Do ergonomic equipment, exercise or treatments help?

This information is no longer available because the research analysis that it is based on is out-of-date. We will publish information on any new findings as soon as they become available. more...

Walking for exercise: What could help you walk more?

Methods to encourage more walking, like pedometers, walking groups or encouragement to walk to school or work could help people walk an extra 30 to 60 minutes per week. If tailored to you and your circumstances, methods like this could help you increase the amount you walk. more...

Weight loss: Can exercising help to keep the weight off?

People who try to lose weight by dieting and doing exercise could lose about 20 percent more weight than people who only diet. One year after losing weight the people had gained about half of the weight they had lost. But those who did exercise weighed less than those who were physically inactive. more...

Osteoporosis: Can calcium and vitamin D prevent osteoporosis?

Older people can reduce their risk of osteoporosis by taking calcium supplements every day. It is not clear whether extra vitamin D helps to strengthen people's bones if they do not have a vitamin D deficiency. more...

Smoking prevention: Can parents influence whether or not their children become smokers?

Whether or not a young person will take up smoking depends on their own attitudes and the influence of others, parents included. Parents' support and encouragement not to smoke may reduce the likelihood that a young person becomes a smoker. more...

Prevention: Do some vitamins and dietary supplements do more harm than good?

Antioxidant supplements generally do not help prevent cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Too high doses of the antioxidants vitamin A, beta-carotene and vitamin E may even increase the risk of dying sooner. more...

Mental fitness: Does brain training when you are older help?

Brain training with special games – especially computer games – is becoming very popular. This can help improve performance in particular thinking functions like brain reaction time. However, these games have not been proven to prevent overall brain function decline in older people. more...

FAQ

Why can you trust our health information?

to the answer

Special Feature

Menopause

Certified by

We subscribe
to the
HONcode
principles.
Verify here.

Page Navigation