HealthInsite Newsletter
 IN THIS ISSUE Volume 3, Issue 2
Editorial - Spring has Sprung!
Hello and welcome to the latest issue of HealthInsite newsletter. The sun is shining here in Canberra, the wattle trees are in bloom and so are the cherry trees. This can mean only one thing – that winter is finally over and spring is here once again. In this edition we will be looking at the joys of spring, among which are an increase in hayfever and the extra motivation that warmer weather brings to dust off the exercise gear and get into shape for the summer.
We’ll also be looking at the Consumer Medicine Information, a new HealthInsite feature that provides you with information about your medications. This has been a combined effort between the HealthInsite team and the fabulous people at MyDr.
As always, please feel free to contact us at any time. If you have any suggestions for future editions please send us an email at healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
Spring Hay Fever
The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and unfortunately for the hay fever sufferers among us the air is filled with pollen, causing blocked or runny noses, itches and sneezing. Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, can actually occur all year round, and can be triggered by allergies to such things as household dust or animal hairs from your loveable pet cat or dog.
However, many people associate hay fever with the onset of spring, as the warmer weather ends the winter respite enjoyed by hay fever sufferers.
The Australian Society for Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) is the peak professional body of clinical allergists and immunologists in Australia and New Zealand. They aim to promote the study of immune and allergic diseases, including hay fever. You can visit their web site at
http://www.allergy.org.au
For more information on hay fever, as well as tips on how to minimise the impact of the season, check out these topic pages and partner sites:
Hay Fever Topic Page
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Hay_Fever
What is Hay Fever?
http://www.mydr.com.au/default_new.asp?article=2938
Pollen allergy
http://www.allergy.org.au/aer/infobulletins/pollen_allergy.htm
Your local pharmacist will carry a range of products to help relieve the symptoms of hay fever, including nasal decongestants, antihistamines and eye drops. According to ASCIA, some people choose to undertake immunotherapy for their hay fever, which is a treatment option for allergic conditions. Immunotherapy involves giving people a gradually increasing amount of allergic material, so that eventually they become immune to the material, and suffer fewer symptoms or none at all.
Hay fever treatment
http://www.allergy.org.au/aer/infobulletins/hayfever_treatment.htm
Treating hay fever with immunotherapy
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=2273
Exercise and Fitness
It’s time to peel away those layers of winter clothes and take advantage of the warmer weather by getting out and getting fit for summer. The health benefits of exercise are numerous, and include a healthier heart, healthier body weight, increased flexibility and decreased stress levels just to name a few. You can exercise on your own or you can join a gym or sports club, and participate in organised sports or fitness classes. One of the most popular ways to get fit is by simply walking! Walking is free, low impact, and if you walk with a friend, it can be social too.
You might also want to check out the Australian Government's campaign for an Healthy and Active Australia, at:
http://www.healthyactive.gov.au
HealthInsite has topic pages on exercise, for all age groups, as well as services to help you get out and get active.
Exercise
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Exercise
Exercise for Children
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Exercise_for_Children
Exercise for Young People
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Exercise_for_Young_People
Exercise for Older People
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Exercise_for_Older_People
Cycling
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Cycling
Walking
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Walking
Exercise, Sports and Fitness Services
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Exercise__Sports_and_Fitness_Services
Gardening is a popular hobby for many, and is also a good source of exercise. Now that the weather is warming up many keen gardener’s thoughts are once more turning to their garden and all that needs to be done there. Check out these Better Health Channel information pages on gardening.
Gardening for health – starting out
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Gardening_for_health_starting_out
Gardening for seniors
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Gardening_for_seniors
Gardening for children
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Gardening_for_children
Your Feedback - Homework Help
Recently we have received many emails from students asking for help with their assignments. While we are delighted to have students browse our resources in order to find reliable information that will help with a school project, we cannot provide answers to specific assignment questions.
Students are welcome to use our Quick Search and Advanced Search facilities to find a list of topic pages and information pages on their topic of choice, but they will have to synthesise those search results into an answer without our help. Sorry kids!
In Brief
Diversity in Health Conference
The Diversity in Health Conference will be held on October 17, 18 and 19 at Hilton on the Park, Melbourne, Victoria. This conference on multicultural health and wellbeing will look at challenges faced in providing high quality health care to Australia's diverse population.
More information is available from the Australian Multicultural Foundation at:
http://www.amf.net.au/event_nat_healthDiversity.shtml
Please feel free to let us know if you have any suggestions for further editions by emailing us at healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
Partner Spotlight - Black Dog Institute
Each newsletter we include a brief overview of one of our information partners. This month we welcome a new information partner to HealthInsite, the Black Dog Institute.
The Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit educational, research and clinical facility offering specialist expertise in mood disorders – a range of disorders that include depression and Bipolar Disorder. The Institute is based at the Prince of Wales Hospital and affiliated with the University of New South Wales. The website includes a wide range of high quality information and resources on depression and Bipolar Disorder for the general public as well as for health professionals.
You may ask where the name 'black dog' comes from? Winston Churchill used the term 'black dog' to describe the severe biological depression which he and many members of his family suffered from. Winston Churchill is also admired for his incredible resillience during the Second World War, which inspired people around the world to fight on despite adversity.
http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/
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=25
Hot Tip - Consumer Medicine Information
HealthInsite adds a new feature to its line-up this month, with the addition of the Consumer Medicine Information (CMIs).
Consumer Medicine Information leaflets, or CMIs are designed to inform consumers about prescription and pharmacy-only medicines. CMIs are produced by pharmaceutical companies according to regulations which set out exactly what the CMI must contain and the format in which it must be presented. No advertising is allowed. The CMI leaflet may be enclosed within the medicine package or supplied by your pharmacist or doctor. HealthInsite has entered into a new agreement with MyDr (one of our earliest information partners) to make CMIs easier to find.
You just need to type the name of the medicine into HealthInsite's Quick Search box to find the CMI on that particular item. Make sure you have spelt the name of your medicine correctly, or our search engine may have trouble giving you the correct result.
For more information about how HealthInsite can help you use your medicines safely you can go to our Medicines Health Topic Page at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Medicines
Once you have found your particular CMI, you may wish to print it out and keep it with you for future reference.
In the next phase of this project, we will ensure that CMIs can be easily found along with other information about particular diseases and conditions at the relevant topic page. We will let you know when this extra feature is available.
Please let us know what you think.
What's on next month?
Next month we will be looking at the topic of dementia - how it affects people, how it affect their carers, what services and resources are available to help.
That's it for now,
from all of us at HealthInsite.
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