The results of the Carers Week survey of 2,000 carers throughout the UK highlight just what effect caring can have, especially regarding health, relationships, career and finances. Key findings include:

More than three-quarters of those questioned (77%) feel that their health is worse as a result of the strain of caring.

A large majority of carers admit to feeling ill, anxious or exhausted, with a staggering 95% of those questioned saying they regularly cover up or disguise the fact that their health is suffering in order to continue with their caring responsibilities.

Worryingly, one-fifth (19%) of these carers said they ignored feeling ill "all the time".

Almost 1 in 4 (24%) of carers say they frequently feel unable to cope with their day-to-day duties due to the physical and emotional stresses of their caring role, and a further 64% say they are occasionally unable to cope.

Based on the survey results, it is little surprise that the health of so many carers is suffering, with:

* 71% saying that they hadn't been able to take at least one week of "holiday" or "free" time when they were not having to care for someone

* 3 out of 5 (60%) carers who are also in paid employment, say they have used part of their annual leave simply to allow them to devote more time to their role as a care

* One fifth of those (20%) said they used more than 10 days of their holiday allocation.

More than 2 in 3 of those questioned (67%) said there had been a number of instances when they had been unable to find an opportunity to visit their GP about their own health concerns, due to time constraints and a general lack of flexibility to leave the house to attend appointments.

Well over half (55%) said they had not had a chance to discuss their concerns about their mental or physical health with someone else (either a friend or healthcare professional) further highlighting the isolation and selflessness that many carers experience on a daily basis.

Almost two-thirds (65%) of people admitted that, to some extent, health problems had affected their ability to care.

This leads to extra worry and anxiety for carers about their situation with 96% saying they were very concerned about who would take over their role should they fall ill.