Hoppers Lane

June has been Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. This is a Bowel Cancer Australia initiative to raise awareness of Australia’s second deadliest cancer. It helps raise funds for the leading community-funded charity dedicated to prevention, early diagnosis, research, quality treatment.

Did you know that Bowel cancer claims the lives of 103 Australians every week (5,375 people a year). This is despite the fact that it’s one of the most treatable types of cancer if found early enough.

The risk of developing bowel cancer increases significantly with age. It does not discriminate regarding gender. It affects men and women, young and old. 1 in 13 Australians will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in their lifetime. A massive 15,604 Australians will be diagnosed with the disease this year.

Red Apple Day

A highlight of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month was Red Apple Day (Wednesday, 19 June 2019). Australians were encouraged to support the vital work of Bowel Cancer Australia. They did this by purchasing a Bowel Cancer Awareness Ribbon and other apple themed fundraising activities.

Bowel Cancer Australia History

Bowel Cancer Australia was formed by a small team of specialists. They focused on a better health future for the patients they treated and all Australians. not only for the patients they treated but for all Australians.

They were lucky enough to receive a very generous patient donation in 2000. This allowed them to team up to establish the charity now known as Bowel Cancer Australia. They are the only dedicated national charity aimed at raising awareness of and funding research into bowel cancer. These health professionals are truly committed to screening and the treatment of bowel cancer. The team believed the way forward was increased funding for research and raised awareness. They actively encourage people to screen for the disease. Australia could really see a huge reduction in the unnecessary high rate of deaths from the disease.

From its very humble beginnings, Bowel Cancer Australia has grown to become the leading community-funded charity. Their efforts are dedicated to prevention, early diagnosis, research and quality treatment. They campaign for better care for everyone affected by bowel cancer.

They provide critical programs in every Australian state and territory. This together with meaningful collaborations around the world, Bowel Cancer Australia makes real change happen across the entire continuum of care.

If bowel cancer is detected early it can be successfully treated and eradicated. This means patients and their families can continue to enjoy a healthy life. Symptoms to look out for

Common symptoms of bowel cancer can include:

• A recent, persistent change in bowel habit This might be seen as looser, more diarrhoea-like bowel movements. It could be constipation, or smaller more frequent bowel movements. Going to the toilet more often, or trying to go – irregularity in someone whose bowel movements have previously been regular may also be a sign.
• A change in shape or appearance of bowel movements For example, narrower stools than usual or mucus in stools.
• Blood in the stool or rectal bleeding Bright red or very dark blood should never be ignored and you should seek immediate advice from your Doctor.
• Frequent gas pain or cramps. A feeling of fullness or bloating in the bowel or rectum.
• A feeling that the bowel has not emptied completely after a bowel movement
• Unexplained anaemia A low red blood count causing tiredness, weakness or weight loss.
• Rectal/anal pain or a lump in the rectum/anus
• Abdominal pain or swelling A lump of mass in your tummy.

Not everyone experiences symptoms. This is particularly true in the early stages of bowel cancer.  The above symptoms may be suggestive of bowel cancer. They can also be due to other medical conditions, some foods or medicines.

Don’t put off talking to your GP if you are experiencing any of the described symptoms for two weeks or more. If you can get an early diagnosis around 9 % of cases can be successfully treated.

This month we saw World Asthma Day. We wanted to clear up some wrong ideas about it. Asthma is a long-term respiratory condition. It is caused by hypersensitivity (over-reacting to things). Inflammation (swelling and redness) occurs in the airways.

Symptoms may include a cough, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness, and can vary in severity from person to person.

When asthma symptoms get much worse, it is identified as an ‘asthma attack’.

Your doctor can normally diagnose asthma by asking you a series of questions and by carrying out some tests. The Doctor will want to know when and how often symptoms happen, and if you have noticed anything that might trigger them.

A trigger is anything that irritates or aggravates the airways and brings on the symptoms of asthma. These differ from person to person. Someone with asthma may have a number of triggers. Triggers that are often seen can include house dust mites, animal fur, pollen, tobacco smoke, exercise, cold air and chest infections.

Your doctor will also want to know if you have been taking any medicines. He will ask what your occupation is and whether you smoke or are exposed to passive smoking. He will likely as not as for details about your work and home environment.

If you have asthma, you may have one or more of these symptoms:

• Breathlessness
• Tight chest, like a band tightening around it
• Wheezing, a whistling sound when you breathe
• Coughing, particularly at night and early morning
• Attacks triggered by exercise
• Attacks triggered by exposure to dust or animal hair and other triggers
• You wake often at night with asthma symptoms

When asthma symptoms get much worse, this is known as an “asthma attack”. A severe asthma attack usually develops slowly, taking 6 to 48 hours to become serious. There are some people for whom asthma symptoms can get worse very quickly.

Managing your Asthma

Having a written asthma self-management plan, developed with your doctor, can help you to know how to best manage your asthma. It can also help you to know what to do in an asthma attack.

In a severe asthma attack, other things may happen such as:

• The reliever inhaler, which is usually blue, does not help symptoms at all.
• The symptoms of wheezing, coughing, tight chest are severe and constant.
• You are too breathless to speak in sentences.
• Your pulse is racing.
• You feel agitated or restless.
• Your lips or fingernails look blue.

Call triple zero (000) to seek immediate help if you or someone else has severe symptoms of asthma.

If you’re not sure whether it’s asthma, follow asthma first aid steps anyway. Asthma reliever medicine shouldn’t harm the person, even if they don’t have asthma and may save their life if they do.

If you think the person is having a severe allergic reaction, use their adrenaline autoinjector (EpiPen). You can then give them their asthma reliever medicine.

Asthma itself is not preventable. However self-care and taking sensible preventative measures can reduce the risk of asthma. They can certainly help reduce the chances of the asthma getting worse. Some of the things you can do to help keep your asthma under control are:

Self-care is an integral part of daily life. It involves taking responsibility for your own health and wellbeing. This is of course with support from the people involved in your care. Self-care is what you do every day to stay fit and maintain good physical and mental health. It is how you prevent illness or accidents and care more effectively for minor ailments and long-term conditions.

A big part of keeping your asthma under control and preventing ‘asthma attacks’ involves preventative measures. These include avoiding known triggers and ensuring you take your preventer medicine every day.

As with all long-term conditions, it is important to have regular reviews. Building a good relationship with your doctor is vital. It ensures that you can easily discuss your symptoms or concerns and adjust your asthma plan.

All people with asthma (or their parents or carers, if children) should consider vaccination against the flu. They should give this particular consideration especially if they have severe asthma. Adults with asthma can also benefit from vaccination against pneumococcal disease in some situations. Vaccination against influenza is free for people with severe asthma and for everyone over 65.

If you are a smoker and you have asthma, you should stop smoking immediately. This will significantly reduce the severity and frequency of your symptoms. Smoking may also reduce the effectiveness of your asthma medication. If you do not smoke and you have asthma, avoid being exposed to tobacco smoke.

If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be developing asthma you should book an appointment to visit your GP.

We thought this would be the ideal opportunity to clear up some of the myths of Autism. 50 somethings, unless there is a family member with Autism, probably have very little idea about the condition. The impact it can have on families is huge and we wanted to share some truths about Autism with you.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people behave and interact with the world around them. It can be mild, moderate or severe.

An estimated 1 in 70 people have autism; that’s almost 230,000 Australians. Autism affects almost four times as many boys than girls.

The main features of autism are:

• Difficulty in social interactions and
• Challenges with communication
• Restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests.

As with many medical conditions, there are many myths surrounding Autism. Where something isn’t understood it can often fall foul to the imaginations of the creative!

So, let’s address some of these myths…

Myth – Kids with autism don’t want to make friends

It is clear that in the majority of cases this is not true. Just as with some people who do not have autism, there are those who choose not to form close relationships with others; they keep themselves separated. It is fair to say that the majority of people who are affected by autism do want to make friends do want to socialise.

The challenge for those on the spectrum is that they don’t know how to socialise and that results in them making mistakes. It takes patience and working with the children to help them work out how to do it. The desire is there but because of previous mistakes, it can prove too challenging to try again without feeling anxious or overwhelmed. You must work with their desire to connect and help them to do so.

Myth – Children with autism can’t learn

This myth is absolutely untrue.  Autistic children can learn but they need good teachers. We need to learn how to relate to them and understand that learning can be difficult even without the challenges that Autism presents. It can prove to be a long process and requires persistence and the support of family, friends and teachers.

Myth – Autism is caused by bad parenting

Parents of children with Autism need our support and not berating and being accused of bad parenting. Let’s clear this up. This is absolutely NOT true. The truth is that many parents of Autistic children will accuse themselves of bad parenting because their children are not responding as a child without Autism would. This is, even more, the case where there are siblings.

Myth – Just like Rain Man, people with autism have savant skills

Not everyone can recite the telephone book or tell someone they meet on what day of the week they were born. Some people can do some incredible memory ‘tricks’, but this isn’t something that you see every day.

Many children on the spectrum do share some strengths, such as being visual learners or having a good visual memory. These strengths can be used to help children navigate the world.

As a parent, it is important to feel supported and there are a number of organisations who can help with this. The first step is to visit your GP who can talk you through what is next.

At Hoppers Lane GP we recognise that by the end of January a good number of those New Years Resolutions will have dropped by the wayside.

When the kids are at home it can be very difficult to be ‘me’ centred and so the resolve begins to slip, right?

There are a couple of things you do to strengthen that waning resolve and we have detailed those below for you!

Start small

Make resolutions that you really think that you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym. This is preferable to jumping in with a resolution of seven days a week! If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yoghurt. This will mean that you see your diet less as a form of punishment!

Change one behaviour at a time 

Unhealthy habits and behaviours develop over the course of time, they don’t just suddenly happen usually. Therefore replacing your unhealthy behaviours with healthy takes time to achieve. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time. It will be much more achievable if you do!

Talk about it 

Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of co-workers quitting smoking.  We are very lucky that in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne there are a number of very effective support networks and groups in place. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating. Having company along the way also makes you more accountable and therefore less likely to quit.

Don’t beat yourself up 

Absolute perfection is not attainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet. Don’t feel like never stepping into the gym again because you skipped classes for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.
 

Ask for support 

It is sometimes hard to ask for and then accept help from those who care about you. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Your Doctor understands you better than most. They are uniquely placed to offer you the support and guidance that you need to stay on track. They understand the connection between the mind and body and can help you to understand too. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviours. They can help you to fully address emotional issues and increase your chances of success!

Happy New Year! So, how are those resolutions going? Are they still intact? It is estimated that 72% of New Years Resolutions are health-related.

Keeping on track with your health resolutions begins with you. Developing good health habits means you are more likely to enjoy a longer, healthier, happier life. The more they become a habit the more successfully you will maintain these new lifestyle choices.

Getting recommended health checks means you can work with your healthcare team and make success even more likely. It will improve your chances of preventing health problems throughout your life and ensure your resolve stays strong.

A health check is an examination of your current state of health. It can be likened to a service for the body in the same way we service our cars! You take your car to be checked regularly so you should do so with your body too!

The aim of a health check is to help find, prevent or reduce the effect of potential medical situations. It is always better to avoid illness or disease than to treat it.

Having a regular doctor or practice has several advantages. It will help you to build a relationship with your Doctor. This, in turn, means you are more likely to feel comfortable to talk more openly and honestly. Your doctor will get to know you better and understand your health needs and concerns. Having a regular doctor or practice also means that your medical history stays in one place and is more likely to be kept up to date.

What can a health check involve?

A health check generally involves:

• Updating your medical history
• Examining any your health issues or potential problems
• Performing tests if required
• A follow up of any problems that are found
• Advice and information on how to improve your health.

There are different health checks that are recommended at different stages in your life.

Health checks for preconception & pregnancy

Pregnancy is a huge event and can be very demanding on a woman’s body. The preconception period is usually considered to be the three months prior to pregnancy and is vital to ensure the health of your baby.

This is the perfect time to undergo some health checks. Making life changes at this time can help reduce problems during pregnancy and ensure a swift and timely recovery from the delivery.

Some health checks that you might want to consider before pregnancy include:

Pap test

This test can detect changes to cells in the cervix before they develop into cervical cancer. The cervical cancer vaccine is part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP) since 2007 for high school-aged girls. This does not replace the need for Pap tests. The vaccine does not protect against all cancer-causing types of HPV. Because of the nature of the Pap test, you may prefer to have this done before you are pregnant, or you may be offered a test in early pregnancy.

Dental check

Regular dental check-ups are important. Poor dental health can affect not only our teeth and gums but also lead to problems like malnutrition and infections. X-rays are not recommended during pregnancy. You may need an X-ray during an oral exam so having a dental check to make sure you catch and fix any problems before you are pregnant is a good idea.

Immunisation status check

Knowing your vaccination status and immunity for common infections when planning a pregnancy is vital. If you don’t have a record of when you last had the necessary immunisations don’t worry. A blood test can show if you are immune to infections that may be harmful to a pregnancy such as rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and influenza.

General health and blood tests

Assessing your overall health before you plan to conceive is important. It can uncover problems you need to resolve before becoming pregnant. You may need blood tests to check for thyroid function, blood glucose levels or for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). You may also need a full blood count to check your iron and folate levels. Your doctor can help you determine what checks are suitable for you.

During pregnancy

Several different health checks may be available to you during pregnancy. These include tests for abdominal palpitations and ultrasounds. Maternal serum screening test (MSS) and amniocentesis are others. Check with your doctor or gynaecologist on which tests you might need.

We wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy!

Christmas is traditionally a time for making merry, drinking too much and eating way in excess of your own body weight! But it doesn’t have to be that way. The main risks to overindulgence can be avoided. You can keep a little healthier than you normally would at this time of year. Simply follow the 12 tips below.

 1. Party wisely

You may have lots of party invitations but do you really have to attend them all? Choose the most important events to attend and only go to these. Your energy levels will remain higher and you won’t be so jaded.

 2. Sign-up for fitness

Maintain your fitness (and health) throughout December by registering for a fitness event in early 2019. This will motivate you to stay active during the party season. Maybe a local boot camp…

3. Exchange drinks for kilometres

Make a deal with yourself before you enjoy a drink with friends. Maybe for every alcoholic drink you consume, you must walk or run one kilometre the following day. A great way to drink less!

 4. Start eating last

Research shows eating out with seven or more people will see you eat 50% more than if you had eaten on your own. Solve this problem by being the slowest eater – be the last to start eating and the first to stop.

5.  Reflect and re-evaluate

The end of the year should be a time to reflect on your achievements and to conduct a re-evaluation of your goals. This will give you a sense of self-fulfilment, self-worth and purpose, which are both important for a happy and healthy mind. It will help you stay more on track when tempted to indulge.

6.  Dance the night away

Put on those dancing shoes! Dancing for one hour burns approximately 1200kJ. Parties can be more than enjoying food and alcohol – make it a fun workout with your friends.

7. Be sensible with your weight

December is not the month to focus on weight loss. Focus instead on weight maintenance and trying to eat some healthy foods and you’ll enjoy the festive season without the guilt.

8.  Try the slow food revolution

The slow food revolution is about knowing your food – where it has come from and how it is grown. This festive season, head to your local farmers’ markets and stock up on fresh whole foods.

9.  Active catch-up

Nobody said Christmas functions have to revolve around a buffet or a bar. Change your Christmas party to a day of round-robin tennis or even a game of lawn bowls. Get everyone to bring a healthy dish to share.

10.  Downsize the plates

Be like Goldilocks and eat off the smallest plate you can find. Research shows the larger the plate, the more food dished up and the more food eaten. If you’re at a buffet, be sure to keep an eye on the serving utensils, too – a larger serving spoon can see you dish up 15% more food that if you had used a smaller spoon.

11.  Wear tight clothes

Skinny jeans or snug fitting clothes are great in avoiding overeating. It’s extremely uncomfortable sitting and moving in tight clothes when your stomach is almost bursting out. Your waist circumference is also a great indicator of your risk of developing ill health or disease.

12. Get enough sleep

With all the partying and fun pursuits, don’t forget the importance of sleep. Sleep is time for your body to rest and repair, and inadequate sleep can play havoc with your internal body clock. Growing research shows a link between a lack of sleep and weight-gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and an increased risk of accidents. Aim for between 7–8 hours sleep each night.

Enjoy the holiday season but don’t overindulge. If you would like to speak to a GP about any concerns you have then get in touch!