Compassionate Care for Your Health

A good start to children’s health is the practicing of basic hygiene like brushing teeth twice a day and washing hands after going to the toilet. Good dental hygiene is vital for your child’s general health, and encouraging hygiene, in general protects ourselves and others from illness.

Being careful in the sun is another preventative measure that can prevent sunburn and the potential for skin cancers later in life. To keep your child safe from UV radiation simply follow the SunSmart advice to slip on clothing, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses.

The one conditions children have most regularly, are colds. Although fluids, rest and some cuddles usually help them on their way, there may be a need to see your GP if there is a concern it is something more serious.

If your child is short of breath, wheezes when breathing out or coughs during exercise, then Asthma may be the issue. In this case, your doctor will be able to assist with a management plan.

Your doctor can also be consulted regarding food intolerances and more rarely, food allergies. Other things in the environment like dust mites, animals, insect stings or pollen can create non-food allergic reactions, so if suspected it’s best to confirm with your GP.

An infection such as conjunctivitis where the eyes are red, puffy and sore, is contagious if bacterial or viral, but not if it is due to an allergy, so once again best to see your doctor and confirm the cause.

Careful hand washing can be used to prevent the spread of other common conditions such as worms or hand, foot, and mouth disease. Other good hygiene like not sharing water bottles or utensils can keep more serious conditions like gastroenteritis at bay.

Some contagious conditions like impetigo, otherwise known as ‘school sores’, that are harder to deal with, may require antibiotics from the doctor.

Children’s health conditions of lesser concern, such as lice, can be death with using a comb and conditioner. Others like warts that although not of immediate concern, may require a little more investigation.

Immunisation is for the benefit of your child and the community, in protecting against diseases that are serious and potentially life-threatening. It is important for your children’s health to keep immunisations up to date, this can be done by talking to your GP and following the National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule. Some more information can be found here about immunisation including a list of immunisations for children under 4 years.

There are many needs specifically to women’s health that can be assisted, such as menstruation, contraception, hormonal fluctuations, and menopause. Some women’s health needs will be more specific, such as those relating to fertility, pregnancy and post-natal care or pelvic floor disorders. Others will require proactive steps to buffer against conditions that the general female population is at most risk of, with heart disease, stroke, and cancer at the top of that list.

The needs of women’s health will change and present specific challenges throughout life, and your doctor can be there to assist the journey.

A Cervical Screening Test is more accurate in determining the health of the cervix and is required less often than a Pap Smear. Pap Smears are currently being phased out in favour of the Cervical Screening Test that looks for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease, that usually causes no symptoms and goes away by itself however, it can sometimes cause serious illness.

Some HPV types cause warts while others may cause various types of cancer, including cervical cancer. As one of the most preventable cancers, having routine cervical screening provides the best protection against cervical cancer. Your GP can provide more information and a great resource is the National Cervical Screening Program is available here.

As part of any healthy habits, routine scheduling of health screening has the potential to detect potential health problems early. When a disease is detected early it can prevent complications and improve quality of life.

Blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose tests and screening for bone osteoporosis or cancer of the colon, cervix, and breast are some examples. Checking with your GP at which stages of life and how often to conduct these tests or screens, means that they can be planned just like any other health and fitness routine.

For example, it is recommended to have Mammograms every two years after the age of 50. If there is any family history of other problems or symptoms you may require other tests than those health checks for women listed here.

Many factors come into play with pregnancy and family planning. It will generally begin with a discussion relating to family and medical history along with an assessment that may highlight pre-existing medical conditions.

In preconception, interventions can be put in place to optimise health, including that of the partner. There is much evidence that doing so improves both sort and long term outcomes for mothers and babies. Your GP has a key role in assisting to identify preconception risks and to make informed decisions about planning or avoiding pregnancy.

For those planning pregnancy health and diet should be a focal point prior to and in the early stages of, pregnancy. This may include a folic acid supplement in the preconception period, a decrease in pre-pregnancy body mass index for those who are obese through exercise and diet, or strict control of blood glucose levels for diabetics.

However, if pregnancy is something you would rather avoid, then there are many contraceptive options available, be they implants, barriers, or pills. There are longer-term methods of contraception available such as tubal ligation or vasectomy, where a referral can be obtained by your GP.

More detail regarding planning a pregnancy or fertility concerns can be discussed with your GP in a consultation, as can your contraceptive needs.

For many women, the start of hormonal changes begins in the mid to late forties or early fifties. Depending on the symptoms that present and health-related concerns a woman presents with, the course of action will vary. Hot flushes and night sweats are the most common symptoms experienced by women during menopause, but may also include anxiety, a lower libido, poor sleep, and memory.

Before these symptoms impact on your quality of life, a GP can address how best to manage them, be that changes to your diet, lifestyle or the consideration of medication or treatment. During a consultation, a health assessment may need to be undertaken, as this can allow underlying health issues to be incorporated into the management of menopause.

Men’s health is more than just fitness. Busy lifestyles, family pressure, and work can trigger other health issues, both mental and physical.

For these issues of men’s health, a “she’ll be right” attitude can be applied by some men. However, there are many health problems that can be avoided, through early detection and by the modifying of behaviour or risk factors. This proactive approach to men’s health means that anything of concern can be addressed by your doctor  and given proper management before complications arise.

A health check can be given at any stage, but for men over 40 years of age, it is wise to have a checkup from your GP. The reason being that risk factors for serious life-threatening disease begin to increase during this stage of life. A health check will generally involve a physical exam and discuss things such as alcohol intake and smoking. Based on your level of risk it may also involve further screening for conditions such as diabetes and cancer, particularly prostate, colon or skin cancer.

In recent times mental health of men has been given greater emphasis. Organisations such as Movember encourage men to be more open about discussing problems they are having, be that through a conversation with their friends or a consultation with a GP.

A free counselling service is available through organisations like MensLine Australia where topics such as relationships, fatherhood, anger, depression, and stress can be discussed.

There are great resources available for physical health specific to men, in particular, those relating to male reproductive health. Seeing your GP about reproductive health problems can lead to seeking help for other related health issues such as heart disease. On the flip side, conditions such as diabetes can increase the chance of having sexual or reproductive health problems compared to those without the condition.

Some great information relating to reproductive health disorders and associated conditions can be found at Andrology Australia. The site covers topics such as infertility, low testosterone, and prostate related problems. Having access to these topics before and after seeing your GP can provide a better understanding of any conditions discussed in the consultation.

Some travel vaccinations can provide peace of mind while jet setting around the world, while others are required to enter and leave certain countries. The level of vaccine-preventable diseases vary depending on the country, as demonstrated in the World Health Organisation (WHO) website that contains a summary of immunisation schedules by region and country.

Consideration of vaccinations will need happen well in advance. Vaccines should be given at least six to eight week before departure. Receiving treatment early by your doctor or health service, can minimise the risk of taking the side effects of the vaccine with you on holidays. Some immunisations require a bit more time, as they may need to be spaced out and administered as multiple doses, while others may need some time for immunisation to take effect. This level of planning also allows extra time should a certificate be required for entrance to country on the travel itinerary.

In recent times mental health of men has been given greater emphasis. Organisations such as Movember encourage men to be more open about discussing problems they are having, be that through a conversation with their friends or a consultation with a GP.

A free counselling service is available through organisations like MensLine Australia where topics such as relationships, fatherhood, anger, depression, and stress can be discussed.

There are great resources available for physical health specific to men, in particular, those relating to male reproductive health. Seeing your GP about reproductive health problems can lead to seeking help for other related health issues such as heart disease. On the flip side, conditions such as diabetes can increase the chance of having sexual or reproductive health problems compared to those without the condition.

Some great information relating to reproductive health disorders and associated conditions can be found at Andrology Australia. The site covers topics such as infertility, low testosterone, and prostate related problems. Having access to these topics before and after seeing your GP can provide a better understanding of any conditions discussed in the consultation.