280 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
280 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
health
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healthadvice
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lifecoach
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7973715
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-----
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# LifeCoach: workplace health
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## Our panel of experts answers your questions on staying well in a desk-
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bound job, middle ear pain and balance problems.
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![LifeCoach panel: Dr Dan Rutherford, health, Sarah Stanner, nutrition, and
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Tony Gallagher, fitness][1]
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LifeCoach panel: Dr Dan Rutherford, health, Sarah Stanner, nutrition, and Tony
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Gallagher, fitness
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5:33PM BST 31 Aug 2010
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[Comments][2]
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**Q** I am 32 and have a rather intense, desk-bound office job, which involves
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using two computer screens all day, typing and using the phone. Towards the
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end of the week I always have stiff shoulders and a sore neck, and recently,
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I've found that my eyes burn a little at the end of the day. Working away from
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my desk isn't an option, and I'd like some advice on how to avoid long-term
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damage.
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**DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES**:
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**A** If one defines "damage" as measurable changes to the eyes, muscles and
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joints, then no matter how much time you spend sitting at a desk looking at
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computer screens, your body will not be truly harmed as a result. However, as
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you have already found out, such work practices can be very uncomfortable.
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Visual fatigue, aches and pains, especially of the upper arms and wrists, the
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back and legs are all consequences of poor quality or badly adjusted seating,
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screens set at the wrong height and a lack of "get up and walk about a bit"
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breaks that are common among office workers.
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It is not only the physical aspects of the working environment that matter.
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For example, high workload, low co-worker support and a lack of decision-
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making authority have all been shown to be risk factors for the occurrence of
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neck pain at work. Simple measures to get the right amount of lumbar back
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support, and to have seats and displays at the correct heights are well worth
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while.
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## Related Articles
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* [Improving circulation][3]
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* [How to look after your knees][4]
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* [Why can't I put on weight?][5]
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* [Cricket injuries][6]
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* [Holiday weight loss tips][7]
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09 Aug 2010
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* [Why can't I get to sleep?][8]
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06 Jul 2010
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Take a look at the "workplace health" section on [www.nhs.uk for tips][9]. A
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headset and microphone make a huge difference to the comfort of using the
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telephone a lot. A good quality, fully adjustable seat is a must, and need not
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cost a fortune. If, despite attending to all these physical issues, you still
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get symptoms, this suggests that psychological factors are also significant.
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If so, you may need to look at what you can do away from work to counter your
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stress - something that most of us are better at saying than doing.
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**TONY GALLAGHER WRITES**:
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**A** Some employers are more understanding than others with regards to the
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physical problems you describe in relation to staring at a screen for hours
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with less than the ideal stance or amount of movement. As you probably know,
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employers have a legal obligation to protect the health and safety of their
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workforce. All employers, therefore, should assess the risks to the health and
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safety of their employees while they are at work. Our bodies are not designed
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to be sedentary for long periods and therein lies the problem. Add to that
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some slouching in front of a screen and the problems multiply.
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A free downloadable document is available from the Health and Safety Executive
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at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l26.htm. This looks at the main health risks
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associated with display screen equipment (DSE) work - including
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musculoskeletal disorders, visual fatigue and mental stress.
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An effective workstation risk assessment offered by employers should cover any
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particular areas that may be of concern. You might like to reflect on any
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postural problems that may be overcome by simple adjustments to your
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workstation, such as repositioning equipment or adjusting your chair. Visual
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problems may sometimes be tackled by straightforward means, such as
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repositioning the screen or using blinds to avoid glare, placing the screen at
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a more comfortable viewing distance from you, or by ensuring your screen is
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kept clean. In some cases, new equipment such as window blinds or more
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appropriate lighting may be needed.
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Fatigue and stress may be alleviated somewhat by the above suggestions, but it
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is also important to ensure that the software you use is appropriate to the
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task involved and you have adequate training in it. You should ideally have a
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degree of personal control over the pace and nature of the tasks you perform.
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Some forward-looking companies provide on-site back, neck and shoulder massage
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or nearby fitness facilities.
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Exercise routines like body stretches, blinking your eyes and focusing on
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distant objects may help. These stretches or exercises can help to combat
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reduced blood flow, which can sometimes arise from the sedentary nature of
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most display-screen work.
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Naturally there will always be some debate about the right and the wrong ways
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to do things. Most sources will suggest to sit upright, or as close to as
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possible, when sitting in front of a PC. A study by Scottish and Canadian
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researchers in Aberdeen, however, claims that sitting up straight is not the
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best position for office workers since it places unnecessary strain on your
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back.
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Using a new form of magnetic resonance imaging they say the ideal position is
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leaning back to an angle of about 135 degrees. According to the study, disk
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movement was found to be most pronounced with a 90-degree upright sitting
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posture and least pronounced with the 135-degree posture, suggesting that less
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strain is placed on the spinal disks and associated muscles and tendons in a
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more relaxed sitting position.
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This is not an excuse to slouch, but a reason to think about your position.
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**Q** I suffer from the most excruciating pain in my ears and head on
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aeroplanes. It feels as though my head will burst, even though I wear ear
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plugs. I am a Second World War RAF veteran, and flew all over the globe
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without this problem, but now, at 86, I dread the misery of flying. **S
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Richards, Burton upon Trent**
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**DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES**:
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**A** The most common cause of this problem is blockage of the "vent" tubes
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that lead from the throat to the middle ear. Called the Eustachian tubes,
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these allow air pressure to be equal on each side of the ear drum despite the
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changes that occur as the aircraft climbs and descends. If the tubes are
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blocked, your ear drums will stretch, painfully. Luckily you must have had
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open tubes in your earlier flying career. Catarrh and nasal allergies are
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common reasons for blockage and some types of nasal sprays can give relief -
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see your GP or pharmacist for advice. Generally, it is landing that causes
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most trouble as planes descend quicker than they climb, allowing less time for
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your ears to adjust. If swallowing repeatedly does not work, then gently
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blowing against a closed mouth and pinched nostrils may help by pushing air
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into the middle ear. Don't try this on take-off though, as you will make
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things worse by accentuating the difference between the pressure inside and
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outside your middle ear as the plane climbs. Your ear plugs only introduce
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another block to air flow on one side of the eardrum, so they should be
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discarded. The ultimate treatment for this problem is grommets - tiny nylon
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portholes through the ear drum that work very well, but at the cost of some
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hearing at the higher frequency range.
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**Q** I exercise regularly, but recently have found that when I'm doing
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squats, lunges, etc, my balance isn't as good as it was. It seems like my feet
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roll around too much and I can't make myself steady. What's going on?
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**TONY GALLAGHER WRITES**:
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**A** There are several possible explanations: it may be as simple as your
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shoes having worn out too much, causing you to rebalance in order to lessen
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any subsequent over-pronation or supination. A more solid pair of shoes may
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make it a lot easier to keep balance when doing these exercises.
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If you have picked up any injuries lately, such as plantar fasciitis, fallen
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arches or back twinges, you may be having to compensate and readapt without
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even realising it. Your body orientation can be affected in this instance.
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Balance problems could also be a result of ageing or from taking certain
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medications, while other causes include viral or bacterial infections or
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visual reasons, such as eye-muscle imbalance. The inner-ear balance system
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works with the eyes, muscles and joints to maintain your orientation or
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balance.
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If your symptoms persist, or worsen, consult your GP.
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* Send your questions and comments to The Sunday Telegraph, Life Coach, 111
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Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT; or email
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[lifecoach@telegraph.co.uk][10]
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* Share: [Share][11] [ ][13] [ ][14]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthadvice/lifecoach/7973715/LifeCoach-
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workplace-health.html
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Telegraph
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## [LifeCoach][16]
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* ### [Lifestyle »][17]
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* ### [Health »][18]
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* ### [Health Advice »][19]
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* ### [Wellbeing »][20]
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[![Telegraph Medical Insurance][21]][22]
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### [Telegraph Medical Insurance][22]
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In health
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[!['Picky eating' can be common in childhood, but most grow out of it][23]
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][24]
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### [Lifecoach: My son won't finish his meals][24]
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[![The side-effects of medication can feel as bad as the original illness][25]
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][26]
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### [Lifecoach: I'm fed up with feeling ill][26]
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[![Changes to diet and exercise can give you more energy ][27] ][28]
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### [Lifecoach: How to spring clean your diet][28]
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[![Best of all when you have a cold is to keep up a high fluid intake and keep
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the illness to yourself ][29] ][30]
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### [Lifecoach: Cold and flu cures][30]
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[X][11] Share & bookmark
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[What are these?][12]
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Share:
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* [ ][11]
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* [ ][13]
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* [ ][14]
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* [Tweet][15]
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* Advertisement
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![][31]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][32] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][33]
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Advertisement
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[TELEGRAPH MEDICAL INSURANCE »][34]
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* [Calculators][35]
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* [Advice][36]
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