MS Gong Ride - the ride to fight MS

This ride took place on November the 3rd with thousands of cyclists hitting the road to ride from Sydney to Wollongong to raise funds for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

MS is a chronic and often debilitating disease that attacks the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord,  and optic nerves). MS is the most common neurological disease in young adults and often arises when people are at a time of their life when they are raising young families and building a career.

What can be confounding about MS is that no two cases of MS are identical. There are visible and invisible symptoms that vary from person to person. Check out Australia's animation demonstrating this. MS is a lifelong disease and there is no known cure.

The MS Gong Ride raises money to provide services and assistance to people living with multiple sclerosis. You can still donate at https://www.msgongride.org.au/ . You can learn more about MS and the MS Australia website.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The aim to raise awareness about lung cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia and the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in Australia according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data.

Source: Cancer Council

The Cancer Councils Making Smoking History Manager says that 90% of lung cancer cases in men are directly related to smoking and 65% of case in women. There are thousands of compounds in cigarettes including many known carcinogens from various chemical classes. See the Cancer Council's site for more information.

Symptoms of lung cancer include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, coughing or spitting up blood, a persistent cough. recurring bronchitis or pneumonia, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. Visit your health professional if you are suffering from any of these symptoms. Early diagnosis increases the success rate treatment.

If you want to quit smoking and need help call the Cancer Council's Quitline on 137848 or visit makesmokinghistory.org.au

Fertility clock is not just for females

The effects of a mother's older age on a newborn baby's health outcomes have been well studied. However, research from the United States has also confirmed a link between older fathers and negative effects on both a mother and baby's health.

Researchers from Stanford University's School of Medicine in California analysed data from more than 40.5 million live births between 2007 and 2016, to determine the effect of a father's age on the health of the baby and mother.

The results, which were published in The British Medical Journal, show that 13% of premature births, 15% of low birth weight infants, and 15% of admissions to a neonatal intensive care unit were due to the increase in number of fathers older than 45 years. In relation to the mothers, it was found that 18% of gestational diabetes diagnoses were also attributable to these older fathers.

Although this study took place in the US, where the average age of parents has been increasing for the past 40 years, these patterns are mirrored in Australia.

Read the full article here at Jeanhailes.org.au

                                                                  image source: pixababy

October 10 World Mental Health Day

1 IN 5 AUSTRALIANS ARE AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS, YET MANY DON’T SEEK HELP BECAUSE OF STIGMA.

See beyond the stigma and make mental health more visible by making a #MentalHealthPromise.

MAKE YOUR PROMISE HERE.

Mental Health Month - October 2019

Depending on your location Mental Health Awareness may be marked by a day, week or month.
Mental Health Day,10th October is also a worthwhile day to recognise within Mental Health Month. Some great resources including the Promise Wall can be found at https://1010.org.au/promise-wall/

Australian Capital Territory October: https://www.mentalhealthmonthact.org/calendar
New South Wales- October http://mentalhealthmonth.wayahead.org.au/
Queensland 5-13th October https://www.qldmentalhealthweek.org.au
South Australia 7-13th October: http://www.mhcsa.org.au/mhcsa-events/mental-health-week-2019/
Tasmania 6-12th October https://www.mhct.org/mentalhealthweek/
Victoria- October https://www.mhfa.org.au/CMS/national-mental-health-month-2019
Western Australia 6-12th October https://mhw.waamh.org.au/

Read more at AccessEAP here.

Read about the Mental Health Month Campaign at Wayahead here.

Relaxation Techniques for Health

A substantial amount of research has been done on relaxation techniques. However, for many health conditions, the number or size of the studies has been small, and some studies have been of poor quality.

Relaxation techniques are generally considered safe for healthy people, although there have been a few reports of negative experiences such as increased anxiety. People with serious physical or mental health problems should discuss relaxation techniques with their health care providers.

Read the rest of the article here to find out the best relaxation techniques for specific health conditions.

Shifting weight on shift work research

Shift workers are more likely to put on more weight placing them at risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes than regular day workers.

Unfortunately, being a shift worker plays havoc on eating and sleeping habits not to mention opportunities for exercise.

Researchers from the University of South Australia and Monash University are undertaking a study exploring novel weight loss regimes in night shift workers.

The SWIFt Study (Shifting Weight in shift workers) is funded under a $1.43 million grant by the NHMRC and will compare three diet strategies to help with weight loss and improve overall health.

Read more about the study here on ANMJ.

                                                                    Source: ANMJ

TODAY IS R U OK? DAY

R U OK?'s vision is a world where we're all connected and are protected from suicide.


"We know that suicide prevention is an enormously complex and sensitive challenge the world over. But we also know that some of the world’s smartest people have been working tirelessly and developed credible theories that suggest there’s power in that simplest of questions - “Are you OK?”


If you've got a feeling that someone you know or care about it isn’t behaving as they normally would trust that instinct and act on it.


R U OK? provide resources to help with meaningful conversations.

Teen Suicide

Teenagers have their whole lives ahead of them, they’re often told. The idea that a teen could be thinking about ending that life might be hard for their friends, families, or other people in their community to believe.

But the risk of suicide should be on the radar of anyone who interacts with teens, says Dr. Jane Pearson, a mental health expert at NIH (U.S National Institutes of Health).

Experts don’t know why this rate has been rising. But NIH-funded researchers are working on better ways to find and help teens who are thinking of suicide.

Suicide Warning Signs

The more warning signs, the greater the risk of suicide.

• Talking about wanting to die
• Looking for ways to kill oneself
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Abusing alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious, agitated, or reckless
• Having trouble sleeping
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Having extreme mood swings
• Giving away belongings, including treasured objects

Read the full article here.

                                                                        Source NIH

Men in Nursing eBook launched

Established in 2018, the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Men in Nursing Working Group aims to raise the profile of men in nursing and improve the nursing workforce through greater retention and recruitment of men. The working group has been actively promoting and engaging men to enter the nursing profession in the past year.

The ACN’s Men in Nursing eBook was launched online at the 2019 National Nursing Forum (NNF) to help achieve the goals.

“It’s ok for men to care. These qualities are not to be suppressed but to be embraced. These are natural traits of men, they are inherent traits that society drives out of men.”
These were the words of ACN Men in Nursing Working Group Chair Luke Yokota as he shared his experiences of being a male nurse.

Read the rest of the article here at ANMJ.

Also, 5 tips for the male nurse here!

                                                           source: https://www.travelnursesource.com/

Women's Health Week 2-6 September 2019

Go to womenshealthweek.com.au to look for and register events, find daily information on the above topics and take control of your health.

'It's normal to feel guilty': How to survive a patient complaint

A doctor has revealed what he wishes he had known while being investigated by the medical regulator over a patient complaint.The surgeon says he wishes he had 'catastrophised' less and focused on the likely positive outcome.

Read the full article here at AusDoc.com.au.

Video: Watch Professor Carson discuss his experience:

Source: Ausdoc.com.au

Too Much Screen Time for Aussie Kids

Too many Australian children being permitted to participate in screen based activities for periods of time that exceed the national guidelines. Subsequently there is a risk of potential harms, especially for children under 3 years of age, according to the authors of a research letter published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Adherence to screen time recommendations for Australian children aged 0–12 years by Leigh Tooth, Katrina Moss, Richard Hockey and Gita D Mishra Med J Aust 2019; 211 (4): 181-182.

Department of Health guidelines recommend that children under 2 years have no screen time, and a limit of one hour per day for those aged 2 to 5. Further, a limit of 2 hours of recreational screen time per day is recommended for 5 to 17-year-old children.

University of Queensland researchers, led by Principal Research Fellow, Associate Professor Leigh Tooth, from the School of Public Health, analysed data collected in 2015.

Source: IStock

It was found that for babies aged 12 months the mean daily screen time was 50 minutes on weekdays and 58 minutes on weekends; for toddlers aged 2 years, it was 91 minutes on weekdays and 105 minutes on weekends.

The numbers of children whose daily screen time exceeded the recommended maximum were largest for children aged 1-4 years. For this age group taking up screen time is of greater concern because longer screen times have an increased risk of poorer developmental outcomes. While long periods of screen time on weekends among children of all ages reduces their active play time posing implications for their general health.

Further research into the potential harms of screen use for babies and young children needs to undertaken. Strategies to help parents adequately manage their children's screen time need to be sought for use from infancy to late teems.

Contact your Librarian if you can't access the PDF of this important letter.

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights - 2019

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights in it's second edition, was launched by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care on 8 August 2019.

The second edition reflects a greater focus on person-centred care, empowering consumers to take an active role in their healthcare. It is in line with the first edition but is clearer and more specific about important issues such as health literacy, shared decision making and partnership in action.

The Commission began the review in 2018. Over 1600 survey responses were received and eight workshops were held with consumers, health service staff and policy-makers. 

Source: https://safetyandquality.gov.au

Supporting the Charter is a range of easily accessed resources that are  designed to help as many people as possible understand their healthcare rights. Resources include translations into 19 languages as well as Braille, Auslan and Easy English versions. Access the resources here.

Temple Grandin and Autism

Temple Grandin's battle against inhumane livestock conditions was way ahead of  most people's way of thinking.

As early as 1965, she has been working towards more humane facilities for cattle, making her one of Time Magazine's most influential people in the world.

Professor Grandin believes that her autism — or what she terms as her "cow's-eye view" — has been her advantage, giving a unique insight into how animals see the world.

In fact, she firmly believes that they see the world in the same way she does.

Temple Grandin (Danes) was an uncommunicative child prone to tantrums who was diagnosed with autism. The medical consensus at that time was that autism was a form of schizophrenia resulting from lack of maternal affection. Despite recommendations to have her institutionalised, Grandin's mother hired therapists and worked to help her daughter adapt to social interaction.

Source: ABC News - Credit Rosalie Winard

As a teenager, Temple traveled to her aunt and uncle's ranch to work. She observed cows being placed into a squeeze chute to calm them, and, during an anxiety attack, she used the chute to calm herself. Inspired by her teacher, Dr. Carlock to pursue science, she is admitted to Franklin Pierce College where she developed an early version of the squeeze machine to calm herself during stressful times. Her college misinterpreted the use of the machine as a sexual act and forced her to remove it.

In response, she developed a scientific protocol to test subjects' reactions to the machine, proving it to be a purely therapeutic device. Grandin graduated with a degree in psychology and pursued a masters in animal science. She is now a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and her life is to the subject of a movie starring Claire Danes.

Read more about this remarkable woman on ABC News or borrow the book Temple Grandin : How the girl who loved cows embrased autism and changed the world, by Sy Montgomery. Available at PMBH Health Services Library