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Monthly Archives

November 2016

Nov 25
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Skin cancer, skin checks and moles – oh my!

By Cancer, Chronic Disease, Skin

Why is skin cancer an issue?

  • 2/3 australians are diagnosed with skin cancer by 70!
  • More than 2000 people in Australia die from skin cancer each year and
  • The Cancer Council estimates that Australia spends more than $1 billion per year treating skin cancer, with costs increasing substantially over the past few years.

Preventing skin cancer

slip on sun-protective clothing, slop on SPF30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen, slap on a broad-brimmed hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses.

It’s just so easy to accidentally damage your skin. Even if you don’t intend to obtain a sun-tan, many Aussies often report that they have suntanned skin. This could be from very basic activities such as mowing your lawn, doing the gardening, having a barbecue, playing sports or going for a walk down the Berwick High Street! Even just passive recreation around the home can put you at risk of developing cancerous moles, if you don’t take proper steps to protect yourself.

It is also a good idea to talk to your doctor about your level of risk and for advice on early detection.

How to perform a skin check on yourself

Getting to know your skin and picking up on changes is one of the keys to reducing your skin cancer risk. This is because skin cancers rarely hurt and are more frequently seen than felt.

To check your skin, do the following regularly:

  • Make sure you check your entire body as skin cancers can sometimes occur in parts of the body not exposed to the sun, for example soles of the feet, between fingers and toes and under nails.
  • Undress completely and make sure you have good light.
  • Use a mirror to check hard to see spots, like your back and scalp, or get a family member, partner or friend to check it for you.

What should you look for?

  • New spots
  • Changes to existing freckles or moles

There are three main types of skin cancer- melanoma (including nodular melanoma), basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Melanoma

Melanoma

  • Most deadly form of skin cancer.
  • If left untreated can spread to other parts of the body.
  • Appears as a new spot or an existing spot that changes in colour, size or shape.
  • Can appear on skin not normally exposed to the sun.

Nodular melanoma

Nodular melanoma

  • Grows quickly.
  • Looks different from common melanomas. Raised and even in colour.
  • Many are red or pink and some are brown or black.
  • They are firm to touch and dome-shaped.
  • After a while they begin to bleed and crust.

Basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma

  • Most common, least dangerous form of skin cancer.
  • Red, pale or pearly in colour, appears as a lump or dry, scaly area.
  • May ulcerate or fail to completely heal.
  • Grows slowly, usually on areas that are often exposed to the sun.

Squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma

  • A thickened, red scaly spot that may bleed easily, crust or ulcerate.
  • Grows over some months, usually on areas often exposed to the sun.
  • More likely to occur in people over 50 years of age.

What do I do if I notice changes?

Your GP will be able to assess any moles or changes in colour to anything on your skin and advise on the next steps. Your GP may recommend that they perform a mole removal procedure, or that they take a biopsy to check whether your mole is cancerous or not.

What is a mole removal procedure?

If your doctor does recommend a procedure, these can typically be performed by your GP in the treatment room of the medical centre. Usually the appointment would go for about half an hour, and involve the GP with the help of the practice nurse making you comfortable, applying anaesthetic and then removing or taking a biopsy of the area in question. You would then return for the follow up of results, and for the doctor to continue to monitor you.

What if I don’t want to or can’t do the skin check myself?

Your GP should be more than happy to perform a skin check for you. This is typically a half hour appointment, which involves your GP assessing all areas of your skin and examining any existing moles or freckles with a device called a dermatoscope.

Some of the independent GPs who consult at HealthMint offer skin checks and mole removal. If in doubt – come on in for a skin check. We’ve had many experiences where people have come in for a completely unrelated issue and our doctors have picked up and removed cancerous moles. With summer approaching, now is the perfect time to have those moles or freckles looked at, it’s just not worth the risk of leaving them unchecked!

Nov 23
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Antibiotic Resistance - healthmint medical centre

Antibiotic Resistance – Why Antibiotics Are Not Always the Answer

By Body Systems, General Wellbeing, Lifestyle

The WHO has warned that antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to human health today – read on to find out why…

Take home points from antibiotics awareness week

  • Misusing antibiotics can cause harm
  • You could be passing on antibiotic resistant bacteria
  • Antibiotics are a precious resource that should be handled with care

What are antibiotics and what do they do?

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections or disease caused by bacteria.

Examples of infections caused by bacteria include:

  • Urinary tract infections
  • Skin infections
  • Infected wounds
  • Respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia and whooping cough

Antibiotics work by blocking a vital process in bacteria, which either kills them or stops them from multiplying. For example, some antibiotics destroy bacterial cell walls, while others affect the way the bacterial cell works.

  • antiobiotic resistance, healthmint medical centre

What do antibiotics not do?

Antibiotics have absolutely no effect against viruses and viral infections such as cold and flu.

 

So how do I know if I need antibiotics?

To be absolutely certain that a person needs antibiotics, your doctor would have to take a sample of the afflicted area to have it tested. Without this, your doctor would be making educated guesses based on data from clinical trials suggesting which types of illnesses are likely to benefit from treatment by antibiotics. IF YOU ARE GOING TO A DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBES YOU ANTIBIOTICS FOR EVERYTHING WITHOUT QUESTION, CONSIDER GETTING A SECOND OPINION.

Certain ailments may benefit from antibiotics, such as Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). But this doesn’t mean all UTIs are bacterial – it’s just that it is more likely than not that they are. So on balance, your doctor might make the call that antibiotics will help you.

 

What are the risks of taking unnecessary antibiotics?

The WHO has warned that antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to human health today.

This is where the bacteria that normally would have been killed or prevented from multiplying by the antibiotic change to protect themselves from the antibiotic. In other words – the antibiotic will no longer be effective!

This is a HUGE issue for us in Australia, because we have one of the highest antibiotic prescription rates aroung the world. The more antibiotics are used, the higher the chances that bacteria will become resistant to them!

 

Antibiotics can also have some unpleasant side effects:

  • Stomach problems such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
  • Thrush infections which can affect the mouth or vagina
  • Less commonly they could cause allergic reactions such as hives, fever and breathing problems or ongoing diarrhea.

So it really isn’t worth taking them if they aren’t causing you any benefit

 

You could be passing on antibiotic resistant bacteria to your friends and family!

If you use unnecessary antibiotics, and an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria develops, these can be passed onto people you are in contact with.

 

So what should I do to stop the spread of antibiotic resistance?

Simple – be part of the solution! You can pledge to reduce antibiotic resistance by committing to the following 5 actions:

  1. I will not pressure my doctor to give me antibiotics for colds and the flu as they have NO EFFECT on viruses
  2. I understand that antibiotics will not help me recover faster from a viral infection
  3. I will only take antibiotics in the way they have been prescribed and when my doctor says I must
  4. I understand that it is possible to pass on antibiotic resistant bacteria to others
  5. I will make a greater effort to prevent the spread of germs by practising good hygiene

 

Remember, you can make antibiotic resistance worse if you:

  • Use antibiotics when you don’t need them
  • Use old packs of antibiotics for a new infection
  • Share antibiotics among friends or family
  • Don’t take antibiotics as your doctor prescribes, including the right amount at the right time.
Nov 16
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8 questions about Perinatal Depression and Anxiety

By Family Planning & Parenting, Mental Health, Women's Health

Are you a new or expecting parent? Have you had feelings of depression or anxiety? If so, you’re not alone.

 

What are the stats?

1 in 10 expecting mothers and 1 in 20 expecting dads struggle with antenatal (before child birth) depression. Additionally, 1 in 7 new mums and 1 in 10 new dads are diagnosed with postnatal (after child birth) depression each year.

 

And what about anxiety?

Unfortunately, even more new and expecting parents suffer from anxiety.

 

So what does this mean for me?

Adjusting to having a new baby is something that all parents should expect and prepare for. It’s usually a temporary adjustment, and might include some feelings of ‘baby blues’ for the first few days. So if you feel teary, anxious or moody during this time it’s not something to be overly alarmed by. But when these feelings last beyond the first few days and worsen, it could be time to reach out for help.

 

What should I be looking out for?

Keep an eye out for some of the common signs of postnatal depression such as:

  • Feeling like you’ve failed or are inadequate as a parent
  • Having a sense of hopelessness about the future
  • Having a very low mood that continues for long periods of time
  • Worrying excessively about your baby
  • Feeling scared of being alone or scared of going out
  • Feeling guilty, ashamed, worthless,
  • Feeling exhausted, empty sad and teary
  • Having trouble sleeping, sleeping for too long or having nightmares

 

What if I’m experiencing things that are scaring me?

In some situations you might experience thoughts that are confronting to you, such as leaving your family, or worrying that your partner will leave you. If you have these thoughts, or thoughts about self-harm or harming your baby or partner, please seek professional help right away.

 

Who can I reach out to?

Your family and friends.

Your GP – the independent GPs who consult at HealthMint are particularly good at helping people through depression and anxiety. They take the time to listen and work through things with you to put you on a path to feeling better.

Phone services:

 

What help is available?

Family and friends are the obvious go-to, but in some situations, just having a friendly face to speak to outside of your family can be a big help. So you may find that having regular visits with a good GP helps to alleviate your symptoms and make you feel relaxed and in control of your health. A GP can also keep an eye on your symptoms, and help you to determine whether what you’re experiencing needs further help. Together with your doctor you could explore things like:

  • Counselling
  • Group treatment
  • Medications such as anti-depressants
  • Developing support strategies
  • Diet and exercise
  • Yoga and mindfulness

So what’s the take home message?

You are absolutely not alone. There are people both within your immediate support network, as well as professionals that are ready and willing to help you. If this article encourages you to take the first step, then you are already a step closer to feeling better.

Nov 14
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Eyes on Diabetes

By Chronic Disease, Diabetes

Why Diabetes Screening is so Important

The 2016 theme for world diabetes day is ‘Eyes on Diabetes’ which promotes screening and obtaining early diagnoses of Type 2 Diabetes. This is so important because a massive 1 in 2 adults with diabetes are undiagnosed!

In support of keeping an eye on diabetes, we wanted to explain the symptoms, risks and screening process to inform as many people as possible on just how simple it is to be screened for diabetes.

 

What actually is type 2 diabetes?

As we consume food, it goes through a process of being absorbed by the body. This involves the sugars being broken down and entering our blood stream. In order to combat the spike in blood sugar levels, the pancreas produces Insulin. Type 2 diabetes is where the pancreas either doesn’t produce enough insulin and/or the body’s cells do not respond to insulin effectively. This results in a prolonged increase of blood sugar levels, which is dangerous of allowed to continue for an extended period of time.

 

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of diabetes are typically:

  • Excessive thirst
  • Weight loss
  • Frequent urination
  • Lack of energy
  • Blurred vision

 

Am I at risk of diabetes?

There are a number of factors that may put you at risk of diabetes – some of the ones to look out for are:

  • Weight
  • Inactivity
  • Family history
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • High blood pressure
  • Age

 

How can I check if I’m at risk of diabetes?

Getting screened for diabetes is the best thing to do if you believe you are at risk of diabetes. Your GP will be able to arrange screening for you, and arrange care if you are diagnosed with diabetes. Even if you don’t have diabetes, but do have some of the risk factors, your GP will be able to help you to improve your overall health and decrease your risk of developing diabetes.

 

What if I already have diabetes?

In order to prevent or delay complications, you will want to keep three things as close to normal as possible:

  1. Blood glucose levels
  2. Blood pressure
  3. Cholesterol levels

 

What can my GP do for me if I have diabetes?

Your GP will be able to help you monitor and stay on top of your condition, by preventing complications. They may prescribe certain medications and refer you to specialists and allied health professionals in order to monitor your feet, eyes and help you to lose weight.

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