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May 2017

6 Things You Need to Know About Multiple Sclerosis

By Chronic Disease

It’s time for some Multiple Sclerosis awareness! Around 2.3 million people are diagnosed with MS worldwide, and one in twenty Australians will be affected by MS in their lifetime – either personally or through a family member or friend. But what is MS, and how does it affect the people who have it?

  1. MS starts with a dysfunctional immune system.

If an electrical cord loses its plastic coating, the exposed wires are dangerous and can’t function as intended. Multiple Sclerosis happens when a person’s own immune system starts eating away at the protective coating around their nerves, called the myelin sheath. This means that the nerve signals start getting interrupted, which causes a wide range of symptoms.

  1. MS looks different for everybody.

Symptoms depend on which part of the nervous system is attacked by the immune system, and how bad the damage is. The two main ways the symptoms occur is in a relapsing-remitting form, where people with MS have symptoms that improve (sometimes almost completely) and then return; or the progressive form, where people get gradually worse.

  1. There is a wide range of symptoms.

There are 5 main areas that people with MS are affected:

  • Neuro-psychological symptoms – MS can cause difficulties with memory, depression, trouble with thought processes, and interfere with other brain processes.
  • Motor control – loss of control over muscles sometimes results in weakness and reduced function in limbs. Some people with MS can struggle with their balance and coordination.
  • Fatigue – people with MS sometimes struggle with feeling tired and lethargic, and occasionally can have sensitivity to heat.
  • Continence problems – Some people with MS might struggle to hold on to their urine, or might have constipation or other bowel-related issues.
  • Neurological issues – some neurological issues might include feelings of dizziness and vertigo, pins and needles, and issues with eyes.
  1. It often affects young, otherwise healthy people.

While Multiple Sclerosis can happen at any age, most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 – 40. MS occurs in women about twice as often as in men. There does appear to be some genetic link, as the odds of having MS are increased if a family member has also been diagnosed. Some researchers have linked viral infections with relapsing of symptoms.

  1. It’s currently incurable.

Treatments for MS focus around managing symptoms and shortening the attacks, as we currently have no way to cure the condition. The most common types of medication used are immunotherapy drugs, corticosteroids, or direct treatments for symptoms. The aim is to help slow down the rate that the disease progresses, and ease symptoms.

  1. There are a lot of costs associated with helping MS patients and researchers.

Aside from medication, there is a range of treatments and professionals who can help a person with Multiple Sclerosis. People with MS might benefit from physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, nurses, social workers, eye specialists, or neuropsychological therapists who can help with symptoms that affect the brain. Research is ongoing and focuses on developing treatments for symptoms and finding a cure.

 

If you would to discuss MS further, or if you have any concerns about symptoms that you or someone you know is experiencing, talk to your GP. You can click here to book an appointment.

Food Allergy Vs Food Intolerance

By Children's Health, Nutrition

Food Allergy Vs Food Intolerance – What’s the difference?

Food has become the center of everyone’s attention, be it about eating habits, taking pictures of daily meals or just trying to understand how what we eat affects our bodies. In the process of understanding the effects of food on our body, we can often find ourselves thinking that we have an allergy after reacting badly to something we have eaten.

Food allergies and intolerances are often confused, as their symptoms can seem very similar. Truth be told, the two are very different and it is important to be able to identify one from another.

What is a food allergy?

A food allergy involves our body’s immune system reacting badly to a food protein that is otherwise harmless. When food is eaten with a particular type of protein, the immune system releases a large amount of chemical rapidly, which triggers immediate symptoms that can affect a person’s skin, gastrointestinal tract, heart and breathing in no particular order.

Some of the most common food that the causes allergies include:

  • Egg
  • Peanuts
  • Soy
  • Cow’s milk
  • Wheat
  • Tree nuts
  • Sesame
  • Fish and Shellfish

While these foods cause 90% of allergic reactions in Australian, any food can cause an allergic reaction as well as other non-foods including dust, pollen, animals and medication.

Signs and symptoms of food allergies can range from mild reactions in the skin, to moderate and severe life threatening reactions. It is important to be aware of these signs and symptoms. An allergic reaction can cause:

  • Hives or rashes (eczema)
  • Swelling of the lips, face and eyes
  • Abdominal pain and vomiting
  • Difficulty breathing due to swelling of the throat
  • Persistent coughing and wheezing
  • Dizziness and collapse
  • Pale skin and floppiness (in children)

Allergies are very common in Australia affecting 1 in 5 people at some stage of their life. Food allergies occur in around 1 in 20 children and 2 in 100 adults. They can occur at any stage of life. Children with food allergies may outgrow them over time; conversely, adults who previously did not suffer any allergies could develop one later in life. The severity is often unpredictable, therefore taking appropriate care and caution for people with known food allergies is important.

What is food intolerance?

Food intolerance is generally a chemical reaction occurring in the body, that does not involve the immune system. This can occur in response to naturally occurring chemical in food and to common food additives such as preservatives, artificial colors and flavorings. Reactions are generally dose dependent with each individual having a different tolerance level.

The exact mechanism of how food intolerance affects our body is not fully understood and is an area of growing research. However, some common signs and symptoms include itchy rashes, gastrointestinal issues such as bowel irritability and migraines.

If you are experiencing a food allergy or food intolerance, it may mean that you have to eliminate certain foods from your diet. It is important to make sure that eliminated foods are replaced with other alternatives, so that you are not missing out on important nutrients.

It is essential that an allergy or food intolerance is appropriately diagnosed by your GP or allergy specialist and an Accredited Practising Dietitian is consulted to ensure nutritional adequacy, appropriate management of food allergy and growth monitoring in children.

If you would like to see a GP to discuss your concerns about food allergies or intolerances, you can click here to book –> 

Let’s take a deep breath and talk about pneumonia

By Body Systems, General Wellbeing, Lifestyle

Pneumonia fact-check – are you at risk? 

This past week, the Lung Foundation has highlighted a very common but serious disease that affects many Australians – pneumonia. Let’s follow their lead and look at how to recognise the signs of pneumonia, how to identify if someone might be at risk, and how to help prevent pneumonia from occurring.

What is pneumonia?

We all have tiny air sacs in our lungs (called alveoli) that hold oxygen. Pneumonia causes those air sacs to swell and fill with pus or fluid, which stops air from flowing normally. There are many types of pneumonia, and most are caused by infections from bacteria or viruses. Some of these microbes are contagious, being spread by a cough or sneeze.

What are the signs?

The most common signs of pneumonia are:

  • Cough (dry or productive)
  • Fever/chills
  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Chest pain, especially when coughing or breathing deeply.

Not everyone will get all of the symptoms, and pneumonia can sometimes look like a cold or flu. If you or someone you know has a few of these symptoms, it’s definitely worth getting to a GP for a closer look.

Who is at risk?

Pneumonia is a common infection – the Lung Foundation says there are over 77,500 pneumonia hospitalisations in Australia each year. Anyone can get pneumonia, but small babies and adults over the age of 65 are at an increased risk even if they are otherwise healthy, simply because of their age. The severity of the infection and the length of stay in hospital as a result greatly increases with age. Other at-risk groups are people who smoke, Indigenous Australians and people with other serious medical conditions – especially lung conditions like COPD.

Can pneumonia be prevented?

Pneumonia has such a wide range of causes and triggers that there is no 100% certain way to avoid contracting this infection. The good news is that there are several simple things you can do to lessen your chances of getting pneumonia:

  • Quit smoking.
  • Practice good hygiene – especially washing your hands well and often.
  • Have the pneumococcal vaccine.

The pneumococcal vaccine protects against the most common cause of pneumonia infection. The vaccine is free in Australia to at-risk people; including all Australians over the age of 65, people with a high-risk illness such as diabetes or weakened immune systems, Indigenous Australians who are aged 50 years or older, or Indigenous Australians aged 15-49 who have medical problems that might put them at risk.

Discuss with your GP if the pneumococcal vaccine is right for you. Pneumonia is a serious disease – if you suspect that you or someone you know might have pneumonia, seek medical advice as soon as possible. Your GP will be able to point you in the right direction.

Click here if you would like to book an appointment with a GP –>

Clearing the Air – 4 Common Misconceptions about Asthma

By Asthma, Chronic Disease

World Asthma Day is a great opportunity to highlight the campaigns around the world that educate people about asthma, and to recognise the 1 in 9 Australians of all ages and ethnicities who live with this condition every day. Sadly, there is a lot of false information around about this condition. Let’s look at some common misconceptions about asthma.

Is asthma just an allergic reaction?

Asthma is a long-term lung condition that is caused by sensitive airways, not normally an allergic reaction (although allergy-induced asthma does occur). People can have their asthma triggered by common allergens such as pollen, dust mites or air pollution – but other triggers can also include exercise and cold air. Each person is different.

People with asthma can’t breathe properly, right?

When the sensitive airways of someone with asthma are exposed to a range of “triggers”, the muscles around the airways tighten up and they produce more mucous, making it much harder to breathe. When this occurs, we call it an “asthma attack”. A person with asthma who is not having an attack still has sensitive airways, but most often they breathe quite normally. With medication and good management, many people with asthma are able to live normal lives.

All asthma attacks look the same, don’t they?

Most asthma attacks include a range of different symptoms like tightening of the chest, troubled breathing, coughing and wheezing – some attacks bring up mucous, some don’t. Asthma attacks can worsen over weeks or occur in minutes. Asthma attacks are often different for the same person! Even the meaning of the word “attack” can change – for some people it might mean some difficulty breathing, while in others it means hospitalisation.

Doesn’t asthma go away as you get older? Can’t it be cured?

Sadly, asthma is a life-long condition, although it often does start in childhood. There is no cure, but there are a range of medications that can help keep asthma under control. Even during a bad attack, the tightness in the airways is almost always reversible with medical attention. Each person with asthma should work with their GP and specialists to develop their own plan for managing their asthma and avoiding attacks.

There are many excellent resources that can provide more information about asthma and asthma management. If you suspect that someone might have asthma, talk to your GP. If you have already been diagnosed, your GP can discuss different management strategies that can help you to take control of your asthma symptoms.

Click here to book in and discuss Asthma with a GP –>

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