Fears cold weather health alerts could mean excruciating pain for some Brits
Brits are facing sub-zero temperatures with fears that many people in chronic pain will suffer excruciatingly.
More than half of the UK population have chronic pain and have not found a remedy that works, according to new research from Mamedica, a clinic which offers cannabis-based prescriptions for patients.
And they are set to suffer worse in the cold conditions with snow forecast and it will feel as low as -3C in parts of southern England today. The UKHSA and the Met Office have a cold-health alert in place that runs until Friday.
It states: “An amber alert means that cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time, with potential for the whole population to be at risk and where other sectors may also start to observe impacts, indicating a coordinated response is required.”
Mamedica says it supports patients of all backgrounds that are living with chronic conditions with chronic pain accounting for around 70% of those using their services, spanning across cancer-related pain, musculoskeletal pain, arthritis, neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
"Feel like" temperatures today (Met Office)“Now with the critical mass of society living with debilitating symptoms and the cold weather heightening pain sensitivity, society has assumed the experience of pain and a never-ending relationship with strong medications as the norm,” read a clinic statement.
Its research found that 51% of Britons say they have lived with a chronic condition for over five years and have not found a remedy that works, while 24% say they have tried at least three different medications for their chronic pain but have not found them to be effective. And 73% say that have accepted physical pain and discomfort as the norm for themselves.
Mamedica promotes the use of cannabis prescriptions (from oil to cannabis flower) for patients “who have not found satisfactory results for their conditions with their existing medications across pain, psychiatry, neurology, palliative care and cancer”.
A car in a flooded car park in Wallingford in Oxfordshire (PA)On the cold blast, the Met Office says that a high pressure system is set to persist for most of this week, continuing the dry and cold conditions. Towards the weekend, a cold front from the north could introduce the risk of showers for some.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: "With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the United Kingdom into next week, it is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.
"Cold weather can increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, so it can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions. Temperatures are expected to turn particularly cold overnight, as we would expect at this time of year. If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65 it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time, such as your living room or bedroom, in the coming days."
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