Spotting a Melanoma Early…

April 10, 2024January 29, 2018 by Hoppers Lane

Approximately, two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70.

More than 750,000 people are treated for one or more non-melanoma skin cancers in Australia each year.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is more common in men, with almost double the incidence compared to women.

It is important to ensure that you know what to look for and that detection happens as early as is possible. The earlier any problems are spotted the more likely is can be handled effectively.

How do I check to make sure my skin is healthy and cancer free?

The easy and quick answer to this is to get your Doctor to make sure on your behalf!

At Hoppers Lane General Practice we would encourage you to have regular checks. Our doctors are always happy to ease any fears you may have.

We have put together some of the classic symptoms of a melanoma so you can be proactive if you spot something that you are not sure about.

The first symptom of a melanoma is usually the appearance of a new spot or a change in an existing freckle or mole. The change may be in size, shape or colour and can usually be noticed over several weeks or months.

The ABCDE guidelines provide a useful way to monitor your skin and will help you to spot the early signs of melanoma. This is just a guide and melanoma may present with different characteristics. If you are even slightly concerned make an appointment with your GP. Regular skin checks from a professional are important to ensure that any changes are detected early.

We would suggest that you seek expert advice if you notice any of the following:

A is for ASYMMETRY:

One-half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.

B is for BORDER irregularity:

The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.

C is for COLOUR variation:

The colour is not the same all over. There may be differing shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of red, white, or blue.

D is for DIAMETER:

The area is larger than 6 mm (about the size of a pencil eraser) or is growing bigger.

E is for EVOLVING:

Changes in size, shape, colour, elevation, or another trait can be an indicator. Itching, bleeding or crusting are also warning signs to be aware of. Crusting is likely the strongest of all of the warning signs)

How do I make sure I don’t miss anything?

Stand in front of a full-length mirror in a well-lit room.
Start at the top and work your way down your body.
Don’t forget your scalp. Begin by using a brush or hairdryer to part your hair into sections so that you can check properly. If you struggle ask a friend or partner to help.
Move to your face and neck. Don’t forget your ears, nostrils and lips.
Be sure to check both the top and underneath of your arms and don’t forget your fingernails.
As you move down your body don’t forget to check places where the sun doesn’t shine! Melanoma can be found in places that do not have exposed skin.
Ask a partner or family member to check your back.
The best way to monitor changes of your skin is by taking photographs every few months and comparing them to identify any changes. React quickly if you see something growing and/or changing.

16 easy tips to make return to school healthy

March 29, 2024January 15, 2018 by Hoppers Lane

Back to School. Health Matters!

You’ve got all the accessories required and the new uniform, in fact, you are all set to go! What have you done to look after your child’s health as they head off to school, maybe for the first time?

We have put together a bit of a checklist which should take some of the pressure off you to remember every step! Discover the problems and solutions that impact the health of your child. These may include things such as overloaded backpacks, bullying, or back-to-school separation anxiety.

1. Be their Lunchbox Hero

fruits

We all understand that small changes can make a big difference over time. Changing the way you pack your kids’ lunches can make them healthier in the long term. You will also help them appreciate what healthy food tastes like. Try filling their lunch box with colourful fruits and vegetables. Grapes, apples, mangoes, berries, can prove a hit. Thin slices of red bell peppers and carrots are often popular. Switch juices and sodas for water. Maybe consider substituting white bread for whole grains. This will add more fibre to their diets.

2. Prepare With Good Sleep Routines

The long days of summer can throw sleep routines out. Getting the kids ready for their school schedule ahead of time will ensure they are alert and ready to learn when school starts. School-aged children function better with at least 10 hours of sleep every night. Teens need between nine and 10 hours. Get kids accustomed to the same bedtime every night, a routine is the key. Remove screen devices from their rooms at night, like mobiles, tablets, computers, TVs, and other gadgets.

3. Immunize, Immunize, Immunize

Polio was once one of the most dreaded of childhood diseases. Its impact was devastating causing paralysis and even death. In 1955 a vaccine was created and widely implemented. Today polio has been almost eradicated.

Vaccinations save children from unnecessary pain, illness, and death. Be sure your child’s immunisations are up-to-date for their safety, and for the safety of others. If you are not sure ask your GP, they will be able to help.

4. Flu Shots

Every year, kids in school are at risk of contracting the flu virus. This interferes with learning and in certain cases can be deadly. To reduce the risk for your children and their classmates, make sure to get them immunised. Ideally, get your family vaccinated before April, the start of the flu season.

5. Staying Physically Fit

Exercise

Kids need at least an hour a day to exercise. Making sure they get enough exercise is a matter of getting their priorities more balanced. Setting limits on TV-watching, video game time, and similar low-energy activities. This can give kids the encouragement they need to pick up a ball or a go out and explore their surroundings. Doing so helps kids maintain a healthy weight, sleep better, and feel less stressed out. This all contributes to better productivity in school.

6. Teach them the Rules of the Road

As the school year starts, remember to teach your children about walking and bicycling safely. Be sure your kids know to always walk on a path when available. When there is no pathway, always walk on the shoulder of the road facing traffic. Whenever possible, cross the road where lights indicate when it is safe to do so.

7. Battling Backpack Burdens

Experts state that carrying any more than 10-15 percent of a child’s body weight in backpacks can cause health problems. Heavy backpacks can cause significant pain in children’s backs, necks, and shoulders. Girls are particularly prone to back pain from heavy bags. Lightweight backpacks with waist belts and padded backs can make a difference. Using both shoulder straps is also a good idea. Finding ways to reduce the extra weight like using lockers more frequently between classes will help.

8. Sick at School? Have a Plan

Many parents work and getting a call from the school nurse can be a major disruption. Caring for your child when they come down with an illness takes planning when you work. Your backup plan may include a trusted family member. Maybe a family friend who can care for your child for the day. You may just need them to take them to a babysitter or child care facility flexible enough to take sick kids. You could ask if there is a parent network at your school for support during challenging times such as these.

9. Emergency Medication

When your child needs medication, the law may prevent schools from administering it without your written consent and a note from a doctor. You must find out what the protocol is. Remember that when it comes to transporting medication, make sure adults are in charge. Once your child is mature and responsible enough to handle the job themselves then hand it to them.

10. Keep Clear of Colds

Colds and flu

Don’t let colds and other infectious diseases stand in the way of your child’s success. Teach your kids the basics of cold prevention. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your face, sneeze into tissues or sleeves and throw tissues away after using them. Find ways to lower your kids’ stress. This can help them keep colds at bay, too.

11. Allergy Awareness

The new school year can also bring new allergy concerns. Common triggers include mould, dust mites, and chalk dust. Food allergies present other challenges. Talk to your child’s teachers, coaches, and other school staff about your child’s needs. If your child has hay fever, pay attention to local

pollen counts and plan accordingly with allergy-fighting medicine. If your child has a life-threatening food allergy, make sure school staff know how to administer auto-injectable epinephrine.

12. Beware of the Heat

It’s easy to forget that for most students the beginning of the school year is the hottest time of the year. One of the most important ways to protect your child’s health in the heat is to be sure they’re staying hydrated. For kids aged 4-8, about 1.5 litres of water should be enough on a hot day. The amount increases for each age group, levelling out as teenagers at about 2 litres.

13. Get them in for a Check-up

It’s a good idea for kids to have a yearly checkup to keep up with their growth progress and other health concerns. From birth until early adulthood, doctors recommend that children be seen annually. Perhaps allocate the first day of school as your reminder each year. The annual checkup is an important time to assure your child’s health and wellness.

14. Time for Glasses?

Text with magnifying glass

As children head to school, some of them will begin to notice trouble with their vision. Vision problems may create barriers to learning. Young children often do not tell their parents about their vision problems. Some may not even recognise that they have problems with their sight. A yearly eye exam is recommended. Watch for signs of vision problems. These can include squinting or rubbing the eyes. Sitting too close to the television, frequently losing their place while reading can also be indicative of problems. Closing one eye to see better and frequent headaches can also be added to the list.

15. Overcoming Separation Anxiety

It’s common and natural for parents and children to feel anxious about being apart as the school year starts. There are ways to relieve this separation anxiety. Try practicing ahead of time by leaving kids with caregivers for short periods. Developing a simple goodbye ritual can help reassure children. Make goodbyes short and sweet—don’t hesitate! Understand that your own trouble saying goodbye may feed into your child’s anxiety. Forging a good relationship with the teacher can help you both feel better about saying goodbye for the day.

16. Building a Healthy Future

Little eyes are watching. By taking steps to secure your child’s health at school, you are leading by example. Children learn how to take better care of themselves when you take them to get annual checkups. If you teach them how to make preparations to manage their allergies and follow the other steps listed you are helping them. Those lessons can last a lifetime, setting them on the right track to become and remain healthy adults.

Enjoy and try not to get too stressed. We hope this helps you do that!

Why you need to stay hydrated

March 29, 2024January 15, 2018 by Hoppers Lane

how to stay hydrated

There’s no real science behind the age-old advice to drink eight cups of water a day. We all have heard this but the challenge for many is how but how! And ‘eight glasses’, what does that mean? How much should you be drinking?

It seems like a straightforward question, but unfortunately, there’s no clear-cut answer. We actually know very little about the relationship between hydration and long-term health. But, we do know that water is the one nutrient we can’t survive without for more than a few days. Also, we can live significantly longer without calories, carbs, or essential vitamins.

This gap in information may come from the fact that there is no consensus about the definition of “optimal hydration”.

Because there is no one perfect method for assessing fluid status.

What the guidelines say…

There’s also a shortage of reliable data on how much water and total fluids people drink on average. Relatively few studies have methodically assessed this.

The Institute of Medicine updated its recommendations regarding water intake in 2004. They set the adequate intake for adults aged 19 and older at 2.7 litres daily for women (about 11 cups) and 3.7 litres for men (about 16 cups). These guidelines show average intake rather than a requirement based on actual health outcomes. The recommendations don’t refer to just pure water. They encompass total fluid intake from all beverages (including coffee and tea) as well as foods. About 20% of our daily water needs come from fruits, vegetables, meats, and other foods. This means you don’t actually need to drink 11 to 16 cups of liquid daily to stay hydrated.

The European guidelines, published in 2010, are more conservative. They advise an average intake of 2 litres of total fluid in women (about 8 cups) and 2.5 litres (about 11 cups) in men, again from beverages and food combined. The discrepancy between the U.S. and European recommendations gives you an idea of how difficult it is to set population-wide hydration goals.

Both sets of guidelines are intended for people who do moderate amounts of physical activity in temperate climates. Athletes will have much higher needs. This will increase further if exercising outdoors in hot, humid weather.

Heavy exercisers can lose up to 6 litres of water per day through sweat in extreme conditions. They need to drink an equivalent amount to replace their losses.

Not Sure If You’re Hydrated?

For most people, urine colour and volume are a good measure to use. Our bodies adapt to variable fluid intakes by altering the amount and concentration of urine our kidneys produce. If your urine is a pale yellow or straw colour it suggests that you’re drinking enough.

If your urine is dark-coloured or you’re only urinating small volumes, you are likely to be dehydrated. These methods aren’t 100 percent reliable though. If you’re dehydrated but drink a large volume of water quickly, your body will produce pale, diluted urine. This would suggest you are hydrated even though you may still need more. Some supplements and medications can also cause you to produce darker urine for several hours after taking them.

Severe dehydration has serious health consequences. Mild dehydration can be damaging. Research shows that losing just 2 percent of your normal, well-hydrated body weight can contribute to fatigue. It can produce difficulty concentrating, confusion, and impaired mood. Dehydration can also cause headaches. Drinking plenty of water may help to relieve these types of headaches in a relatively short period of time.

One study of migraine sufferers found that drinking an extra 1.5 litres of water a day reduced the intensity and duration of headaches. It did not reduce the total number of headaches they experienced. Dehydration is also a major risk factor for kidney stones, which now affect 1 in 11 adults. Drinking plenty of water is key to preventing a recurrence, especially in hot summer months.

Make Hydration a Habit

Child at water fountain

Many people are so busy that they feel they barely have time to eat, let alone pause for a water break. You may find you often go hours and hours without quenching your thirst. Staying hydrated has real advantages. It can help you maintain your energy and focus. This will mean you can operate more efficiently. It is important to give your drinking habits the attention they deserve. Here are some simple ways to make topping up with fluid throughout the day a little easier:

Carry a water bottle with you. If you have desk job, always keep one at your desk. If you have a bottle within arms reach, it’s very likely that you’ll use it throughout the day, without any effort required!

When you’re feeling frazzled or hazy, grab a glass of cold water. Studies show that people feel more alert after drinking water. It’s a simple, healthy way to snap out of a midday slump.

Drink a cup of herbal tea every evening. Make this a habit and you’ll instantly add an extra cup of fluid to your tally every single day. This relaxing ritual is a great way to de-stress at the end of the day.

Eat whole foods. By eating water-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, and yoghurt, you’ll up your fluid intake. Processed snack foods like chips, crackers, and baked goods have minimal water content.

If you’re an elderly adult or a caretaker for one, it’s especially important to pay attention to hydration. Ageing impairs the body’s natural thirst mechanisms, which makes it easier to become dehydrated. It may be helpful to fill up a big water bottle (at least 1 litre) at the beginning of the day, with the goal of emptying it by the end of the day. The water bottle is a physical reminder to drink even if you’re not thirsty.

We hope this helps but if you have any questions ask your GP, they will be happy to help you stay hydrated!