Healthy advice from your family doctor
You’re currently using your macula – the central part of the retina, the light sensitive tissue at the back of your eye – to read this newsletter. It’s also essential for driving a car, seeing colours clearly and recognising faces. One in seven people aged 50 or over, however, have signs of a disease of
Children should walk as much as possible for health reasons. But at the same time, they need to learn how to be safe around cars – including driveways, car parks and when crossing roads. Pedestrian accidents A recent survey found that 20% of children in traffic-related accidents were pedestrians. Children aged under 10 are particularly
A peanut allergy is when your child’s immune system reacts to a normally harmless protein in peanuts. Allergic reactions can be mild such as skin welts, tingling mouth and stomach symptoms. However, some can be life-threatening (anaphylaxis). Peanut allergy has increased in children during the past few decades. The current rate is 3% of one-year
It can be upsetting if your child tells a lie. However, the reality is that lying is common for children. And it’s not because they’re bad – children lie for understandable, developmental reasons. For instance, under 3-year olds simply aren’t old enough to know the difference between truth and untruth. When 3-4 year olds
You sure know about pain when you feel it. But fully understanding pain is another matter. Here are the facts behind some myths. Myth (1) – Medications target the location Ignore what you read on some packages. Painkillers aren’t made specifically for back pain, headache or period pain. All painkillers work throughout the body. Your
In 2017 pap smears for screening and prevention of cancer of the cervix will come to an end. They’ll be replaced with HPV tests, which are considered more effective. You may have mixed feelings about pap smears since screening every two years began for 18-70 year olds in 1991. Pap smears detect cells changes,
Bacteria don’t deserve to only have a bad reputation. Most are harmless. Less than 1 % cause illness and disease. And trillions of other bacteria on your skin, and inside your lungs and gut (intestines, stomach and mouth) are actually important for good health. Gut bacteria Through the evolution of mankind, gut bacteria have co-evolved
Best exercise for weight loss It’s essential to combine exercise with a healthy diet if you want to lose weight. But what type of exercise is best? Aerobic and Resistance training For many people exercise means activities such as walking, jogging, cycling or swimming. However, these activities in fact mainly involve a type of exercise that’s
FLU IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory infection. Last year it hit Australia hard with more than 68,000 laboratory confirmed cases and experts warn we could experience another bad season this year. It doesn’t matter how fit or healthy you are – you’re still at risk of getting the flu and you
Depression can happen at any stage of life. However, it’s more likely during pregnancy and the first year of motherhood. Fortunately, you can help reduce the risk of this type of depression through self-help measures or, where relevant, treatment. Definitions, symptoms and causes Depression during pregnancy or the first year after a child is born