What are the health risks?
Living with a severe mental illness can be hard, and it is understandable why someone may turn to coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, some of these coping mechanisms can have an impact on physical health.
Smoking, over eating or under eating, self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, and either not taking any exercise or over-exercising, are all common coping mechanisms which bring with them health risks. There are a number of health conditions that can develop, which can be life limiting or even fatal.
An annual physical health check will give attention to the impact that these coping mechanisms and lifestyle choices may be having on health. It will act as an early warning to catch any physical health conditions that might be developing.
The following are serious physical health conditions which could develop, if no action is taken. However, the good news is that all of these conditions can be prevented or treated. That’s why an annual physical health check is so important.
Cardiovascular Disease: This is a general term for conditions which affect the heart or the blood vessels. The four main types are:
- Coronary heart disease: a build-up of fatty substances in the blood vessels supplying the heart (the coronary arteries). This can lead to angina (chest pain), heart attacks and heart failure.
- Stroke: when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Symptoms can include numbness or weakness in the face, arms or legs and difficulty speaking. It can lead to brain damage, disability and possibly death.
- Peripheral arterial disease: a blockage in the arteries to the limbs, usually the legs, which can cause dull or cramping pain, numbness or weakness in the legs and persistent ulcers (open sores). Complications could require surgery and in some cases amputation.
- Aortic diseases: the aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body, which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An aortic aneurysm is where the aorta becomes weakened and bulges outwards, and could burst causing life-threatening bleeding.
Positive action you can take:
Having high blood pressure or high cholesterol are significant risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease. So is being overweight or obese. Lifestyle choices such as lower physical activity, sedentary behaviour, eating a poor diet, smoking and long term use of alcohol, all contribute to developing high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and to weight gain. Your GP can advise on how to safely take more exercise and eat a healthy diet. Your GP can also suggest support for cutting back on smoking and alcohol consumption.
This NHS website gives more information on Cardiovascular Disease:
Cardiovascular disease – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Type 2 Diabetes: This condition happens when the body can’t process sugars properly, causing the level of glucose in the blood to become too high. It increases the risk of getting serious problems with the eyes (vision loss), the heart (heart attacks) and the nerves (pain and loss of feeling).
Positive action you can take:
If you are obese (overweight with a lot of body fat), the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is higher. Lower physical activity and sedentary behaviour can lead to being overweight. Also, some medications can cause an increase in appetite and severe weight gain, leading to a higher risk of developing diabetes. Your GP can advise on how to safely take more exercise and eat a healthy diet.
This NHS website gives more information on Type 2 Diabetes:
Type 2 diabetes – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: COPD includes a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Symptoms, such as increasing breathlessness, chesty cough, chest infections and wheezing, can have a significant impact on quality of life, and could lead to life-threatening problems.
Positive action you can take:
Smoking is the main cause of COPD. Your doctor can suggest support for cutting down the amount you smoke, or stopping altogether.
This NHS website gives more information on COPD:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Obesity: Being very overweight, with a lot of body fat, can lead to a number of conditions including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, some cancers (breast and bowel) and stroke. Quality of life can be affected by breathlessness, feeling tired, joint or back pain, and finding it difficult to do physical activity.
Positive action you can take:
Lower physical activity and sedentary behaviour can lead to being overweight or obese. So can a poor diet. Some medications can cause an increase in appetite and severe weight gain. Your GP can advise on how to safely take more exercise and how to improve your diet, so that it is healthier.
This NHS website gives more information on Obesity:
Cancer: Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. There are many types of cancer. Statistics show that more people diagnosed with SMI than the general population have suffered a premature death due to cancer, especially breast cancer in women and lung cancer in men. Lifestyle choices contribute to this elevated risk.
Positive action you can take:
Smoking, long term alcohol use and being overweight or obese contribute to the risk of developing certain cancers. Eating healthily, taking regular exercise, and cutting back on smoking and alcohol consumption, are lifestyle choices which will improve quality of life and perhaps reduce the risk of cancer. Your GP can advise on all of these.