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Welcome to the spring edition of the HealthInsite Newsletter.
As promised, in this issue we will look at some of the things affecting our health now that the weather is becoming warmer, and the days longer. For many allergy sufferers, spring means hayfever, avoiding the beauty of fresh flowers, dosing up on various antihistamines and always having a box of tissues at the ready.
The warmer weather also encourages us outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, the new growth in the garden and wonderful seasonal fruits and vegetables. All this sunshine prompts us to remember the message of last summer and ‘slip, slop, slap’. And while you’re checking the ‘Use By’ date on your sun screen, we’ll also look at the reason why being out in the sunshine can really make you feel ‘better’.
Please feel free to also let us know if you have any problems or if you have any suggestions for future editions by sending an email to
mailto:healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
IN THIS ISSUE Volume 2, Issue 3
Springtime Sniffles
Spring has sprung, but it’s not time to smell the flowers for everyone. An increase in pollens and recent dry conditions in Australia mean many Australians are going to suffer hayfever or allergies. And although hayfever can occur all year round, most people associate hayfever with spring.
In the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2001 National Health Survey, 19 per cent of 15 – 24-year-olds reported suffering from hayfever, making it the most prevalent long-term illness in that age group. Overall, 16 per cent of Australians reported suffering from hayfever.
Hayfever is also known as allergic rhinitis and, according to the Better Health Channel, is associated with symptoms such as
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Itchy ears, nose and throat
- Red, itchy or watery eyes
- Headaches
If the thought of fresh flowers in the morning is enough to give you a runny nose, don’t despair. There are several ways you can avoid allergic reactions to pollens:
- Plant flowers in the garden that are pollinated by birds or insects, rather than releasing pollen in the air
- Replace the lawn with bricked or paved areas
- Don’t mow the lawn, or stay inside when the lawn is being mowed
- Splash your eyes with water regularly to eliminate pollen
- Smear Vaseline inside the nose to stop any pollen touching the inside of the nose
- Carry a good supply of tissues!
Of course, if the hayfever becomes too bad there are antihistamine medications available to reduce symptoms, but paying attention to the simple causes of hayfever will mean a sneeze-free spring and plenty of opportunity to stop and smell the roses.
If you would like more information about hayfever and associated allergies, the following topic pages and information partner sites contain useful information:
Hayfever Topic Page
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Hay_Fever
Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy – Pollen allergy
http://www.allergy.org.au/aer/infobulletins/pollen_allergy.htm
Better Health Channel – Hayfever
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hayfever
myDr – Allergy Awareness
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=2211
Fruit and Veges - Fresh is Best
Just as flowers blossom in the spring, this season heralds an abundance of wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables. With so many fruits and vegetables in season, what better opportunity to include more of these foods in your diet? The advantages of fruits and vegetables are well known - such as their cancer-preventative properties, and their high concentration of healthy vitamins and minerals. NSW Health outlines several ways to include more fruit and vegetables in your diet:
- Add a piece of fruit in your breakfast cereal, such as a banana, kiwi fruit or strawberries. Alternatively, have a piece of fruit with toast, cooked rice or include some in a smoothie
- Be adventurous – use mashed avocado as a spread instead of butter or margarine, or grate zucchini or beetroot into a salad
- Add extra vegetables to salads, soups, stir-fries, casseroles or curries. Bright vegetables such as green and red vegetables mean the food is rich in antioxidants - the deeper the colour, the healthier the food
- Get children into the habit of snacking on fruit. Fruit may be more attractive to kids if it is cut up into slices. Instead of eating an entire apple for instance, cut it up and get the kids involved in the preparation
Fruit is not only good for you, it can also be quite easy to prepare and eat when time is short. So take advantage of the fresh fruit and vegetables this spring and include more in your diet.
HealthInsite's Food and Nutrition Topic Page can be found at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Food_and_Nutrition
Nutrition Australia has some fantastic tips, recipes and information at:
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/About_Us/About_Us_Index.asp
Also check out the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, through the Healthy Eating Club at:
http://www.healthyeatingclub.com/info/articles/food-guides/aust-guide-he.htm
Sunsmart for Spring
After the chill of winter, spring can bring a more active lifestyle and more time spent outdoors. A new sporting calendar and longer, warmer days may have involve a lot of time in the sun for you and your children.
The sun safety message is well established in Australia and the dangers of over-exposure to the sun should be well known. However, new research shows that half of all Australians still believe a tan is healthy. This has added to cancer experts’ fears of a prolonged national skin cancer epidemic.
This means that the 'slip, slop, slap, wrap' message is as relevant as ever.
- ‘Slip’ on a T-shirt
- ‘Slop’ on some sunscreen
- ‘Slap’ on a hat
- 'Wrap' on wraparound sunglasses
There are also a few other tips for being ‘sun-smart’ this spring, courtesy of myDr
- Check the use-by date of your sunscreen, and make sure it is one with a high UV factor protection (preferably 30+)
- Wear sunglasses that filter out UVA and UVB rays
- Wear light, loose-fitting, light-reflecting clothing made from fabrics such as cotton and linen
- Some medications may increase sensitivity to sunlight – so check with your doctor
So get active, get out there, have fun and make sure you are ‘sun-smart’ this spring!
Links to sun safety resources:
Risk Factors and Prevention of Skin Cancer Topic Page
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Risk_Factors_and_Prevention_of_Skin_Cancer
myDr – Quick Tips for Sun Safety
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2575
The Cancer Council Australia - Sun Protection Products
Your Feedback - Statistical Information
Feedback often receives requests for statistical information relating to various health professions, conditions or diseases. Although we do not write this kind of information, HealthInsite is a link to relevant sites, especially those of our information partners such as the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ website is also very helpful when searching for national health-related information.
The Department of Health and Ageing regularly produces a series of Fact Sheets, which can be accessed at: http://www.health.gov.au/statistics/index.htm
The fact sheets aim to explain how Australian health services are funded and utilised, and what new innovations and technological changes have occurred in the health arena.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website can be found at:
http://www.aihw.gov.au/
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is found at:
http://www.abs.gov.au
In Brief
The long awaited new look HealthInsite website will be up and running in the next couple of weeks. Final testing is being done this week to make sure that everything works properly and that all the links take you to where you expect to end up. Thanks to all those who have provided us with feedback - it's always great to know what our users think.
We'll be sending out a special edition of the Newsletter to let you know when the new site goes live. As always, you can let us know what you think by sending an email to:
mailto:healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
Partner Spotlight - beyondblue
Every month we include a brief overview of one of our information partners. This month we look at one of our newest information partners, beyondblue : the national depression initiative
beyondblue is a national, independent, not-for-profit organisation, and an initiative of state/terrirory and federal governments. beyondblue aims to raise community awareness and address the stigma associated with depression, anxiety and related substance abuse disorders in Australia.
beyondblue offers people living with depression and their carers information on the illness, its various forms, and effective treatment options for the condition. The website provides personal experiences from those who have or have had depression. Some of the most compelling stories are written by young people and adolescents. Their stories explain individual symptoms of the illness and how these led to diagnosis and treatment. Other stories are provided by high profile personalities with depression – Rachel Griffiths and Gary McDonald.
Tips are offered on early identification, intervention and treatment programs for those with depression and where to go for immediate help. Fact sheets are available on many aspects of the illness and there is also information on how to help someone you may know who has depression. The beyondblue website clearly identifies the frequent correlation between having depression and substance abuse (drugs and / or alcohol) and provides self-help information for those who may need it.
The beyondblue website is available at:
http://beyondblue.org.au/
beyondblue has just launched a fantastic new site specifically for young people available at:
http://beyondblue.org.au/ybblue/
Information about postnatal depression is available at:
http://beyondblue.org.au/postnataldepression/
Latest Resources
The HealthInsite team regularly adds new items to the database including
new information partners, new topic pages and news items. You can
find a list of new and updated material added to the database in the
past month at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/search/newsletter_search.cfm?id=17
Hot Tip - Working with GPs
This month we have participated in several national conferences for general practitioners and others working in general practice.
As you know, HealthInsite was designed to provide people with a safe place to find reliable health information on the Internet.
GPs tell us that it is sometimes difficult to answer the range of questions that a patient might have during a single consultation, especially if they are dealing with a new diagnosis or need to make decisions about different treatment options. With HealthInsite, the GP can refer a patient to us for further information or, if they have on-line facilities, print out relevant information for the patient to take home with them. Patients can then read the information in their own time and perhaps discuss it with their family before returning to the GP for further discussions or treatment.
What's on next month?
The next newsletter will be a special edition about the 'new look' HealthInsite. We hope you'll like what we've done.
That's it for now,
from all of us at HealthInsite.
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