Exhausted, shunning all social contact and feeling hopeless? And the cold weather with the constantly overcast sky is not helping either. Have you dismissed it as a case of winter blues? You could be suffering from SAD – seasonal affective …
Winter blues or SAD? Why Some People Feel Depressed in Winter Read More »
Recently, we did a post on chronic pain and ways to manage it. What struck us were the statistics on back pain. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 3.7 million Australians reported back problems and it has …
Reams have been written about the common cold and the elusive search for a cure. Highly infectious, debilitating and annoying but very rarely serious, a cold epidemic is one of winter’s surest signs. Thousands suffer from classic symptoms – runny …
With the colder weather will come a range of winter illnesses – the dreaded flu, cold, bronchitis and pneumonia. Are these all just a difference of degree or are they different conditions? The confusion stems from the similarity of symptoms. …
Cold, Flu, Bronchitis and Pneumonia – The Difference Explained Read More »
Yes. The dreaded flu season will be upon us soon. Past seasons have shown us that influenza is highly contagious, debilitating and in some cases fatal. And it can strike without warning. Here are some quick facts: Influenza is a …
We all know that gluten intolerance is feeling sick when you eat wheat products. And when people suspect they have it, they simply give up wheat for a while. The fact is that gluten intolerance is a bit more layered …
You’ve had to give up your favourite latté now that you have been diagnosed with lactose intolerance. Unfortunately, lactose intolerance is one condition that can appear at any age with no warning. And while it is one of medicine’s most …
You’ve just taken a loved one to the hospital. Can you provide the emergency staff with all the information they need? Medical reports, allergies, medications. If only you could access it on your phone. Well, you can, provided the patient …
Sports injuries, particularly those caused by soccer and footy have been in the news. A few months ago, there were calls for a national database of sports injuries in kids to better understand the extent and nature of the problem …
Keeping our Children Safe from Sporting Injuries Read More »
The Brain, n: An apparatus with which we think what we think (The Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce). It is a lot more than that. The brain is the organ that controls us – the physical and the emotional. Billions of …
Not many people know that bowel cancer is the second largest cancer killer in Australia (Cancer Council, Australia). We also have one of the highest rates of bowel cancer worldwide. To improve screening, early detection and cure, the Australian government …
Immunisation programmes are crucial to protect individuals and the community from outbreaks of dangerous diseases. The Australian government runs the Immunise Australia programme to protect its citizens. This post looks at various programmes, their objectives and how the community can …
Among the conditions that are very common in Australia is eczema – a disorder that results in red, itchy skin patches. Unsightly, uncomfortable and distressful, eczema is a difficult condition to treat, not just because there is no known cure, …
Which is Australia’s deadliest disease? You may have guessed it right. It is cardiovascular disease (CVD). That is the umbrella term used for all heart-related conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure. It takes the life of 1 …
A persistent cough, as you know, can be very annoying. You can’t remain silent in a room, and a dry cough at night can hold you back from getting a good night sleep. The thing about a cough though is …
As an after hours medical service, we get called out for a number of reasons. Often people call saying they feel dizzy. It is a bit of a mysterious one that worries people because dizziness is really a symptom. It …
Understanding Vertigo: Dizzy or Just Lightheaded? Read More »
Hair loss is an issue that almost every one of us will face at various times in our life. The condition can affect both men and women. For some, hair loss can be minor and temporary and will resume a …
A few weeks ago, we started to do a series of blog posts on illnesses that resulted in the most calls for home visits by after hours doctors. High on this list is a high fever. Triggered by a variety …
What are the most common summer illnesses? Along with sunburn, dehydration and food poisoning there is another candidate that is linked to hot and humid weather – warts and fungal skin infections. They are caused by HPV – the Human …
Warts and Fungal Skin Infections: Some Basic Facts Read More »
Across the year, if there is one reason for a large number of doctor visits, it is a fall. Of all the injuries that were reported in 2013, 40% were due to falls, according to the Australian Institute of Health …
How to Prevent Falls Among the Elderly and Children Read More »
Barbeques. It is a word symbolises summers in Australia. Happy times spent with friends and family in the backyard, as Dad hands out the burgers. Unfortunately, it is also the cause of many cases of food poisoning that are reported …
Australia is blessed with a long and beautiful summer. The beaches, the open-air cafés and a busy sporting calendar, all beckon. But to enjoy summer to the fullest, there are a few things you must do. Use sun protection (sunscreen …
Summer is synonymous with spending time outdoors. The sun, the beaches and the great atmosphere are a big part of the summer season. Before grabbing that hat and swimsuit though, it would be wise to get to know how sunburn …
If you are over the age of 65 or have a parent who is, chances are you know a lot about osteoporosis. In rare cases, osteoporosis can strike someone as young as 16, but it is largely a mature age …
Bone Health and Osteoporosis: Bone Density Testing Explained Read More »
How frequently have you heard the word ‘migraine’? I bet very often. It is used to describe a headache but in reality it is a very severe headache that includes flashes of light, blind spots, sensitivity to sound and nausea. …
Migraines and Headaches: The Stages and Remedies Read More »
One of the most frequent reasons our after hours doctors get called out for is pain. It’s a very generic word and encompasses a long list of conditions, accidents and falls that results in chronic, debilitating pain. So we thought …
It sweeps through our schools, offices and institutions like an outbreak. The dreaded stomach bug – medically known as the Norovirus – is most active in the last weeks of winter and all through early summer. It is highly contagious …
Most of us have dealt with an ear infection at some point in our lives. In most cases, especially in kids, ear infections clear up quickly and unless prolonged cause no long term damage. In adults too, most ear infections …
This little muscular organ, the size of a fist, is arguably the human body’s most studied organ. It has been centre-stage of medical research for decades now but continues to mystify. Strange are the ways of the heart. Heart disease …
Matters of the Heart: Common Causes, Tests and Treatment Read More »
Our modern day lifestyles have given rise to a large number of conditions, most of them preventable. The three most common ones are– heart disease caused by high cholesterol, stroke and paralysis caused by hypertension, and diabetes by high sugar. …
