Over the past couple of years there has been an increase in the number of older people with Sexually Transmitted Disease/Infection (STD/I), this is thought to be down to a couple of reasons. The introduction of drugs that combat erectile dysfunction such as Viagra and Cialis, an increase in the number of older people using dating websites and a general naivety in regards to sexual health within the older generations.

Unlike younger people the older generation are less likely to get tested to these disease if they think they are at risk due to many feeling uncomfortable talking to their doctor about their sexual activity, also  when this generation was growing up there wasn’t much emphasis put on STD’s/STI’s as there is now. The only risk people faced back then through unprotected sex was pregnancy, however for many now that isn’t a problem and so many do not bother using protection such as condoms.

With more information and drugs available now regarding sexual dysfunction many older people do not feel the need to visit a doctor, however people who are older can suffer more side effects to these drugs and are putting themselves in danger, especially if they are already taking medication for other health issues.

There are many problems faced for young people who are obese, not only physical health but also psychological, the importance of a healthy diet early on can mean that you face less of a risk of developing other health problems when you are older.  New research has found that men who are obese by the age of 20 have double of the risk of dying prematurely, which is a worrying prognosis for young people in the UK because a third of them aged five to 13 are already considered obese.

The study that was presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm followed more than 5,000 military conscripts starting at the age of 20 until up to the age of 80, here they found that at any given age, an obese man was twice as likely to die as a man who was not obese and that being overweight aged 20 had a constant effect on death up to 60 years later. They also noted that the chance of dying early increased by 10 per cent for each BMI point above the threshold for a healthy weight.

The study found that on obese participants died eight years earlier than those of normal weight, Esther Zimmermann, of Copenhagen University Hospital, who was the study leader said: ‘As the obesity epidemic is still progressing rapidly, especially among children and adolescents, it is important to find out if obesity in early adulthood has lifelong mortality effects. ‘It is the first study with such a long follow-up time and thus the first study to investigate the lifelong effect.”

For the study, mortality rates of a sample of 1,930 obese male military conscripts were compared with a random sample of 3,601 non-obese male conscripts, researchers measured body mass index (BMI) of, 35 and 46 years, and investigated that in relation to death in the next follow-up period. During the follow-up period of up to 60 years a total of 1,191 men had died, the results were also adjusted to eliminate any influence on the findings from year of birth, education and smoking.

The researchers said ‘it was unclear whether being obese at age 20 conferred the men’s increased death risk or whether the lifelong effect was due to obesity often being a lifelong condition.’  However the study did show that either way the majority of obese 20-year-olds struggled to lose weight as they got older. Dr Zimmermann said: ‘More than 70 per cent of the obese young men were still obese at the follow-up examinations, whereas only four per cent of the men in comparison group developed obesity during follow-up.’

This summer the beach babe look is in, perfect if you will be spending time on the beach, however you’re not on the beach this is still a great style to go for, it’s easy to do and doesn’t require that much styling and you can put your ghd hair straighteners away.

When you dry your hair you need to remember your going for a messy look, so don’t dry it perfectly tidy and smooth, instead apply mousse to your roots as well as protector spray then dry with your head tipped upside down for a messy, dishevelled, blow out look with lots of volume.

Apply ghd Sea Spray all over your hair and then twist and scrunch sections, you want to get as much texture as possible, the Sea Spray is great for styling your hair but it also contains UVA that will protect your hair from the suns harmful rays.

 The final look you want to achieve is easy, breezy sun drenched surfer chick/beach babe locks that give the impression that you have been lounging around on the beach all day and don’t care how your hair looks because you know it looks fab!

For millions of people who suffer from allergies, the summer can be a miserable time of year however a new vaccine designed could be on our shelves within the next four years.
Over 10 million British people suffer from a number of allergies, including hay fever, asthma, eczema and reactions to cat fur and dust could benefit from a single vaccine that has been developed by Swiss researchers.

Experts say the jab would be the ‘holy grail’ of vaccines due to its ability to protect against multiple allergies, making it cost effective, easy to manufacture and administer. The scientists behind the pioneering vaccine from Cytos Biotechnology found that a course of the vaccine was almost as good as steroids at keeping asthma under control.

 In recent trials conducted 63 asthmatics were given a course of the dummy drug for two to three months, asthma attacks and symptoms were cut by a third, they also found that one injection a week, for six weeks, cut reactions to house dust mites, runny noses and weepy eyes, by nearly 39%. Experts believe the jab in future could also have the potential to help people with allergies to shellfish and peanuts.

The vaccine which is formed of synthetic DNA similar to those found in the bug that causes tuberculosis is known as CYT003-QbG10, it tricks the body into thinking it is under attack from a dangerous bug, prompting a multi-pronged response.

A spokesman for Allergy UK said: ‘It does sound a very promising treatment, giving hope for those with severe asthma or allergy symptoms for whom the usual treatments aren’t enough, but there is still a long way to go before it will be available.

If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction don’t worry you are not alone, it’s estimated that half of all men in the UK between 40 and 70 will experience erectile dysfunction at some point. There are now many treatments available such as Viagra or Levitra however it can be useful first to look at the causes, as many men do not understand how their lifestyle can affect them.

Problems can stem from many areas including other medications, a chronic illness, poor blood flow to the penis, consuming large amounts of alcohol or being too tired, a change in your lifestyle could affect the problems you are suffering in the bedroom, as well as medications and other holistic treatments. You just need to find one that suits you.

Not treating erectile dysfunction can also lead to other health problems, for example it’s not uncommon for men suffering from ED to feel upset and angry as well as unsure of themselves, and if these feelings are not properly dealt with it could lead to depression. You need to be honest with yourself, partner and doctor about your problems, and then you will be able to find a suitable solution because problems like these just don’t go away.

Stress can also be a huge factor in the causes of erectile dysfunction, so if you find yourself getting worked up you must learn how to relax to be able to deal with ED, learning to relax can also have positive benefits in other areas of your health, so it’s worth while taking this into account, especially when you aren’t feeling well. Relaxation exercises can help, try rhythmic breathing, if it is short and quick try slowing down to a gentler pace, also try deep breathing to focus yourself you could also try and relax with the aid of soothing music.

Now that summer is here and holidays are on the horizon many people are looking to lose the bulge however doing 100 sit ups a day on their own won’t give you that flat stomach your craving, you also need to make sure you are eating well, foods that that will burn through stubborn fat and promote lean, mean muscle growth are what you need.

If you stick to a varied and balanced diet you will probably find that you will soon have the body you’re after, especially when eating protein-rich foods which help your body to build muscle and stop storing fat, below are some types of food that will have a positive effect on your diet:

- Eggs have high levels of vitamin B12 as well as they also stop lean muscle from being broken down making them a great choice for breakfast.

- Protein rich meat such as turkey and beef are great for building muscle and strengthening the immune system, go for free-range or organic look for the leanest cuts of beef, such as rump, topside or fillet.

- There are many different types of bean, kidney, lima, fava and Edamame which are full of protein as well as fibre and iron, when cooked thoroughly your body can break down the proteins essential for keeping your muscles toned and your waistline slim.

- Unprocessed carbohydrates are much better for you than un-processed carbs, so make sure you stick to fibre-rich, unprocessed whole grains, including wholegrain bread, pasta, rice and cereals.

- Adding fish that are full of omega-3 fatty acids to your diet will increase muscle mass and stop your body from storing fat on your waist, they also your immune system.

Summer hair is all about texture and volume this year and a good thing to keep in mind when you’re on holiday. You want your hair to look effortless and easy especially when away, and the beach babe styles just that. You can easily get the summer looks for your locks with your ghd hair straightners, adding the right products will then finish it off.

As the weather is hotter your hair is more prone to damage, so remember when blow drying or styling your hair to use a thermal protector spray to prevent damage, to get the extra volume into your hair when blow-drying use a round barrelled brush and pull out from the roots.

Once you have created some volume you can now use your ghd straighteners a number of different ways to get some curls or waves into your hair, either:

Section your hair in to 4, then with the back left section take all the hair and twist it together, then run your ghd straighteners over the twisted hair and clip back up, repeat this with the other 3 sections. Once it’s cool remove the clips and shake through spritzing with ghd sea spray to give a matt texture to your hair.

Create curls with your hair by sectioning off your hair and insert your hair straightners vertically at the roots, holding the ends of the hair with your free hand. Turn the styler around 180 degrees, gently and slowly pulling it down the hair lengths until you reach the ends. Then hold the look in place with hairspray.

It’s thought that up to 40% of men suffer from premature ejaculation and its thought that 30% of men suffer from it at some point in their life, premature ejaculation occurs when a man ejaculates earlier then either he or his sexual partner would like and can be an embarrassing problem for many.

For some sufferers, premature ejaculation can happen with little sexual stimulation and even before penetration, and many men simply describe the situation as coming too early. Luckily though with medical advances premature ejaculation can now be treated with medication, Priligy has shown in clinical trials to improve staying power by up to three times.

With premature ejaculation there are many things that can cause it, like Psychological problems and stress as well as some cases medical conditions like multiple sclerosis, spinal cord damage, vascular problems and neurological disorders. For some though it could be performance anxiety and fear or uncertainty can also cause premature ejaculation, so new sexual partners could be more likely to suffer from it.

If you are worried about premature ejaculation, you should ask yourself a few questions first, is it a regular occurrence or only a one off? Could it be due to some unrelated to stress? Sometimes a simple counselling session or psychotherapy could improve results rather than going straight for the medicine.

Once your feet are starting to recover from the long winter, you need to make sure your nails look pretty, get them into shape by filing them in a straight line with a good quality metal file, emery boards can tear you nails so they are best avoided. The length of your nails should be no shorter than the natural ridge under your nail, its recommended that you don’t use clippers as it’s harder to control the length, and can put the nail under too much pressure causing white marks and splitting.

As with your finger nails you need to make sure your cuticles don’t grow too long as this can impede nail growth, instead use a cuticle cream or oil and push them back. If over the winter you have had dark nail varnish on and its left a stain on your nail, or you have applied fake tan and that has left a mark then all you need to do to remove these unsightly stains is to buff your nails, this will remove the layer of stain on top of your nails as well as increasing blood flow and leaving your nails nice and shiny.

Your well groomed toes painted in a strong colour will draw the eye away from imperfections, otherwise you can always opt for a neutral top coast if you have a good nail colour or go for a French pedicure finish. Because its summer it’s a great time to start experimenting with colour, if you’re not that brave just add some funky colours to your toes and keep your hands neutral, remembering to apply a nourishing base coat and reapply the top coat every couple of days for longevity.

No matter what time of year it is your hair can be affected and damaged by the weather around you, in winter the extreme cold can cause your hair to dry out and become brittle and during the summer heat and humidity can damage your hair, as well as excessive styling with ghd straighteners causing dry, drab, split, brittle or frizzy hair and ragged ends.

You need to make sure your hair is properly conditioned, if you find yourself washing your hair more often over the summer then cutting back on the use of shampoo will help. Shampoos stop your hair absorbing natural oils so giving it a break or using shampoos that are gentler will help. As well as using your normal conditioner you should also use a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week to give your locks some much needed moisture.

The use of hair dryers and ghd hair straighteners are a big problem, although they can help your hair look tidy the heat from them added to the heat from the sun can leave them damaged. Your best using a thermal protector spray before use.

Also when on holiday and out in the sun remember to also protect your hair from those harmful UV rays, just like skin your hair can also be damaged as well as you scalp, you can get specific products design to protect your hair, but if that’s not suitable then it’s advisable to wear a hat or scarf.