Healthy advice from your family doctor
It may surprise many people to know that stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer. It’s the second biggest cause of death in Australia after heart disease and a leading cause of disability. In fact, there’s one stroke every 10 minutes, which equals 1,000 every week and 50,000 a
Australia has been increasing the rate of organ donation in recent years, but we still need to improve. Organ donation involves removing organs from a donor and transplanting them into people who are usually very ill or dying. Most transplants happen when the donor dies. In some cases, living donors give a kidney or part
Vitamins and minerals are substances in your diet that are essential for good health. Taking vitamins and minerals as supplements, however, are a different matter. Here are the facts behind some of the myths. Myth (1) – Just as good as food While they’re manufactured to the exact same chemical structure, supplements don’t work as
Fasting diets have received a lot of attention of late, however it’s important for you to be prepared before trying one. A number of different fasting diets are available. In general, they involve eating normally some days and a very low intake or even no food on other days. For example, with the 5:2 eating
Salt is made up of two minerals – sodium and chloride. Only a small amount is needed in your diet for good health. However, unfortunately myths about salt make it easy to eat too much. Myth (1) – Humans have always added salt For most of human evolution we mostly ate low-salt foods found in
Men are always ready for sex, while women pretend to have headaches – that’s the stereotype of mismatched libido in heterosexual relationships. But for some couples it’s actually women who want sex more often. A recent study surveyed Australian men and women aged from 16 to 64 years old. It found that 42% of the
Iodine is an important mineral for the foetus during pregnancy, babies and children. While only a tiny amount is required for their health, iodine deficiency is a medical condition that can still easily occur. Iodine is used to make hormones by the thyroid gland, which is located in the throat. Thyroid hormones promote growth and
Insomnia is defined as having a problem with sleeping. The symptoms include feeling tired, drowsiness, poor concentration and memory, and depressed mood. It is a common medical condition, affecting up to one in three Australians. However the type of insomnia experienced varies from person to person. You can find it hard to go to sleep,
Winter is the most common time for viral gastroenteritis and there are warnings that it will be worse than usual this year. Viral gastroenteritis is a stomach and intestine infection. Symptoms include vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea, usually lasting 1-2 days, but they may last longer. It is caused by viruses (bugs). The most common
Sadness and feeling down are normal emotions. They can occur, for example, when dealing with difficult events in your life such as losing a job or a relationship breakup. Most of us usually cope and eventually the feelings pass. But depression is more than that. It happens when these feelings are longer lasting and have