Health

National Dementia Awareness Campaign

IFA is one of the partners of the three year public information campaign being developed by the HSE.  55,000 people are living in Ireland with dementia and 500,000 of us live in families who have been affected by it.  Anyone can get dementia, each year 4,000 people in Ireland develop it – that’s 11 people a day.

Everyone can make a difference by learning about dementia, which is the purpose of this campaign – to build awareness and understanding around it.  Read more here.

Staying Fit for Farming

Farmers often overlook the most important element of good farming – themselves.  This HSE booklet is about looking after yourself.  It looks at different situations and illnesses and sets out how you can see the symptoms early – click here to read more.

Heart Disease

Lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes type 2 and cancer are increasingly very common in today’s society.  In fact heart disease is the no. 1 killer of Irish women.

Theses diseases are directly linked to several risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, high consumption of alcohol and physical inactivity (Department of Health, 2013).

Although farming is traditionally associated with a healthy lifestyle, recent Irish research has showed that farmers are 7 times more likely to die from circulatory diseases than other occupation groups such as lower professionals, managers and skilled manual workers.

See below for key statistics from the Irish Heart Foundation’s Farmers Have Hearts report :

• The majority (82.1%) of farmers reported being aware of family history of heart disease.
• Almost half of farmers (46%) had high blood pressure (≥140/90 mmHg)
• Almost half of farmers (46.1%) had raised total cholesterol levels (≥5.0 mmol/L)

Whilst the It’s a Red Alert magazine, also from the Irish Heart Foundation, focuses on women’s heart health and has case studies as well as tips and guidance on staying fit and reducing risk.

Be Smart – Protect your skin on the Farm

The Irish Farmers’ Association is pleased to be associated with the work of the Irish Cancer Society in helping communities reduce their risk of cancer and spot it early.  This brochure is designed to assist you to be SunSmart. Follow the SunSmart Code:

• Cover Up…by wearing a shirt with a collar and long shorts. Also wear a hat that gives shade to your face, neck and ears.
• Seek shade…especially from 11am to 3pm
• Wear wraparound sunglasses…make sure that they give you UV protection. Always carry your sunglasses on the farm

Read more about how to prevent skin cancer and what warning signs to look out for in the Be Smart leaflet from the IFA and the Irish Cancer Society.

Men’s Health

In Ireland men die on average 5 years earlier than women and have higher death rates at all ages, as well as for all leading causes of death.  Therefore there has been an increased focus on men’s health, as out lined in the National Men’s Health Policy  2008 – 2013 and reflected in the work of the Men’s Health Forum.

Cancers that  affect men – every year over 10,000 men are diagnosed with cancer.  Find out how you can cut down on your risks and be aware of symptoms.  The earlier you make lifestyle changes and take action, the greater your chances are of living a healthy and happy life.

Lyme’s Disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of a tick. 

 Not all ticks are infested, but vigilance is recommended. For information on symptoms, treatment and protection see the Tick Bites & Lyme Disease leaflet.

Useful information

Medical card & GP visit card for over 70s – click here for application form.

GP visit card for children under 6 – click here to find out if your GP has taken part in the scheme and click here to register online.