| The Importance Of World Parkinson's Day | https://www.wilsonmedicone.com.au/blog/Pages/The-Importance-Of-World-Parkinsons-Day.aspx | The Importance Of World Parkinson's Day | Recently, people across Australia and around the world took a day to remember the people affected by Parkinson's disease – a disorder of the central nervous system affecting people's abilities to control their body movements. World Parkinson's Day is an annual event on April 11 aimed at raising awareness of the condition and money to help find a cure. This debilitating disorder affects tens of thousands of Australians and is close to the hearts of many people across the country. This year, as part of World Parkinson's Day, Wilson Medic One is giving you a brief overview of the condition, how it affects people, and what you can do to help. A tragically common condition While not as prominent as cancer, stroke or heart disease, Parkinson's disease is a significant feature in the lives of people across Australia. Recent research cited by Parkinson's Australia indicates that as many as 110,000 people in the country may be living with Parkinson's disease, or one in every 340 people. As of 2014, the prevalence of Parkinson's was higher in the population than many cancers, including breast, colorectal, stomach, cervical and lung cancer, as well as lymphoma and leukaemia. The nature of Parkinson's as a slow, debilitating condition that attacks the ability to control the body, with dementia a common complication in advanced stages of the disease, means that management of the disease is extremely expensive, with lifetime financial costs exceeding the average financial cost of cancer. With prevalence tripling after the age of 65, demographers and medical experts are concerned about a soaring number of cases as Australia's population ages. Searching for the cure Fortunately, more and more people and organisations are looking to contribute to the fight against Parkinson's, many rallying around World Parkinson's Day. Launched by the Shake It Up Australia Foundation in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), interested businesses and individuals were encourage to host events to raise awareness and funds for the organisation. It's okay if you can't manage April 11 – Shake It Up Australia encourages events to be held throughout the month to ensure that people hear the message loud and clear. If you'd like to host your own event, visit the Pause 4 Parkinson's page on the Shake It Up website and make a difference with your friends and co-workers this year. | | Treatment & Prevention | 2018-04-18T14:00:00Z | | | | False |
| The Role Of Apps In Delivering Healthcare | https://www.wilsonmedicone.com.au/blog/Pages/The-Role-Of-Apps-In-Delivering-Healthcare.aspx | The Role Of Apps In Delivering Healthcare | Just as Menulog and UberEats have forever transformed takeaway, so too have many apps disrupted the way people interact with and receive care from their medical providers. These new apps are a world apart from the scattershot, anxiety-inducing approach taken by popular sites such as WebMD, and instead tend to focus in on a specific condition or work to create direct links between patient and carer. This new focus has seen these apps come leaps and bound. Many of these apps play an increasingly valuable role in a range of processes, providing simple workarounds or missing links that can reduce the time, money and energy required to deliver treatment. Emergency response One of the most exciting new healthcare apps set to be rolled out this year is GoodSAM – or Good Smartphone Activated Medics – could be described as 'Uber for first aid'. Designed in the UK, the app allows people in medical distress to dial emergency services and request medical assistance, while simultaneously alerting medically qualified responders in the local area to their situation. The idea is that while the ambulance is on its way, off-duty paramedics, doctors, medical students and other first aid-trained people can choose to provide critical help. The importance of starting CPR or first aid as early as possible is well documented, so shortening the time between incident and first aid by as little as a minute could potentially save a life. Already in use in London, the app is being slowly trialled and deployed by Ambulance Victoria over 2018. Keeping patients connected A different approach to healthcare apps is in deepening existing relations, not speeding up the creation of new ones. One of the key apps operating in this space is the Australian-designed CancerAid, built by Sydney doctors Dr Raghav Murali-Ganesh and Dr Nikhil Pooviah. The app allows cancer patients to access personalised and peer-reviewed information about their treatment, symptoms and diagnosis, allowing them to make more informed choices when they next speak to their carers. Launched in July of 2016, the app quickly became one of the most downloaded healthcare apps in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, showing a real international hunger for app-facilitated medical education and communication. Building the future of medicine Many app developers are looking at all the ways that a smartphone facilitates the gathering of information and seeing it as the perfect way to conduct a research project. PPD-ACT is one such app, looking at why certain women suffer post-partum depression (PPD) and others don't. Involving a team from the University of Queensland, the app asks a series of questions and requests certain medical data in at attempt to determine whether there's a genetic cause for PPD. Work with a company who understands the role that technology plays in healthcare. Speak to Wilson Medic One today to learn more. | | News & Media | 2018-03-09T13:00:00Z | | | | False |
| Travelling The Healthy Way | https://www.wilsonmedicone.com.au/blog/Pages/Travelling-The-Healthy-Way.aspx | Travelling The Healthy Way | Whether you're looking to get one last long weekend of travel in before the end of the sunny weather or you're looking ahead and planning a longer holiday, we can all do with some advice on how to make getting from A to B in a way that's a bit easier on our bodies. While a lot of the time it simply feels like sitting, travel can be extremely strenuous on the body. No matter how you're getting there – plane, train or automobile – there are health considerations that you should be aware of. In this blog, we'll show you the smarter way to travel, helping to protect your health so you can better enjoy the destination. Read on and be a smarter traveller in 2018. Stretch those legs Sometimes the simplest steps are the most important. We all know by know the dangers of sitting for long periods of time, and just because you're roaring down a highway at 100 kph or cruising through the air over the ocean while you do it doesn't make you any less vulnerable. Taking the time to get up from your seat and stretching on a rest stop or during safe periods during air travel can make a real difference to how you feel when you arrive. Keeping your heart rate up can go a long way to helping you feel revitalised – not sluggish – when you step off the plane or out of the car, and can help to avoid deep vein thrombosis – clotting in deep veins in the legs – on long flights. When you travel affects how you feel Taking a long haul flight in and of itself is not going to compromise your immune system, but everything around it may. The stress and late hours often associated with long-distance travel means that many travellers are setting themselves up for sickness. Whether you're catching a red-eye flight or driving for hours at a stretch into the evening, you're putting yourself at risk. Add potentially having to rush to make check-in for a flight or appointment with loved ones and you have a perfect recipe for compromising your immune system's ability to fight off potential infections. Eat right, eat smart Avoid the temptation to stick to quick-and-greasy dishes, both on the journey and at the destination. While it's very easy to scarf down a pie, hot dog or other oily dish at rest stop, or overindulge on the flight over, it's important to make the healthier choices. Packing a vegetable-rich sandwich or salad can ensure that you're alert and energised without loading up on salt or sugar. Once you touch down, try to eat at last one meal a day in your hotel room or accommodation. Not only will you most likely eat healthier by default, you'll also save money on meals out. | | Treatment & Prevention | 2018-02-24T13:00:00Z | | | | False |
| The Three Most Common Allergies – and The Unlikely Things That Trigger Them | https://www.wilsonmedicone.com.au/blog/Pages/The-Three-Most-Common-Allergies-–-and-The-Unlikely-Things-That-Trigger-Them.aspx | The Three Most Common Allergies – and The Unlikely Things That Trigger Them | Living with a food allergy can be difficult. Apart from the constant worry that you'll bite into something that could harm you, there's so many restaurants and social occasions you can miss out on. Fortunately, greater understanding and more culinary diversity mean that arguably it's easier than ever to enjoy all the foods you love at a greater range of places. But that doesn't mean you can get complacent. If you or a close friend have an allergy, it's important that you be on the look out for anything that could potentially trigger a reaction. In this blog, Wilson Medic One rounds up three of the most common allergies in the world and the uncommon things that can cause a reaction. Read on and be smart next time you dine out or hit the grocery store. Milk While more common in infants and often grown out of, many people reach adulthood with an allergy to milk intact. Different from a lactose intolerance, a milk allergy is an inability in the body to process the protein component of milk. Because of this, many people with milk allergies are unable to ingest whey protein powder, limiting their options in protein supplements. Fortunately, there are a galaxy of milk-free and vegan-friendly protein powders available on the market, using peas, soy and brown rice. Eggs Another allergy that's more common in children than in adults, egg allergies can cause anaphylaxis in serious cases and can be potentially fatal. Defined as a hypersensitivity to the specific proteins found in eggs, symptoms can appear in minutes, hours or days, and can be triggered by both raw and cooked eggs (such as in cakes). Extreme cases can be triggered by even small quantities of egg, such as in many red wines. Egg whites are used to clarify the wine after fermentation, taking it from hazy and cloudy to the clear and bright colour you see in your glass. If you'd like to avoid wine with egg whites in it, you're in luck. There are a growing number of egg-free wines suitable for people with allergies and vegans. Nuts One of the most commonly known allergies, tree nuts can cause serious reactions in people ranging from a slightly irritated throat to swollen eyes, rashes, asthma and anaphylaxis. While tree nuts are a broad category including cashews, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, walnuts and others, their commonalities mean that people are rarely only allergic to a single nut and are advised to avoid all tree nuts. Tree nuts can be found in many meat-free burger patties, with macadamia nut and walnut burgers making frequent appearances on restaurant menus. | | Treatment & Prevention | 2018-02-22T13:00:00Z | | | | False |
| Being Smart About Sunburn | https://www.wilsonmedicone.com.au/blog/Pages/Being-Smart-About-Sunburn.aspx | Being Smart About Sunburn | If you grew up in Australia, it's likely you've already been warned thousands of times about the danger of sunburn. Even with a lifetime of warnings, so many people still end up badly burnt after a day at the beach or after a jog. While often written off as just a side effect of living in our sunny country, sunburns are often serious and always preventable. In this blog, we'll be looking at what a sunburn actually is, how it can impact your health, and what you can do to ensure you never wake up stinging after a day out and about. Nothing to scoff at People in Australia can be extremely cavalier about sun protection, but sunburn is no joke. A sunburn is not like a thermal burn and shares more in common with radiation burns – due to overexposure to UV radiation – than the after effects of touching a hot stove. The redness is actually a sign of the body struggling to heal itself – caused by an increase in the level of blood being pumped into the blood vessels in the affected area to aid in repair. Excessive exposure can lead to direct DNA damage to the skin, causing cell death that results in that disgusting and often painful peeling process that everyone goes through after a bad sunburn. A risk of serious injury Unfortunately, there's no safe level of sunburn. While mild sunburns can be painful and fade quickly, it's important to remember that your body has just received a harmful dose of radiation. The biggest risk associated with sunburn is the increase in risk of developing skin cancer – either melanoma, basal-cell carcinoma or squamous-cell carcinoma – in the affected area. While treatable if caught early, treatment involves pain excision of the cancerous tissue and often follow up chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Slip, slop, slap and beyond Australia – especially the sunny northern regions of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia – is considered to be the melanoma capital of the world. If you'd like to avoid contributing to this statistic and want to avoid at the very least some painful burns, practice some basic – but highly effective – sun safety. Don't just stop at slip, slop, slap – though they are essential – SunSmart has since extended the campaign to 'Seek shade or shelter' and 'Slide on some sunnies'. Follow the five S's and ensure that you're staying safe this summer. | | Treatment & Prevention | 2018-02-21T13:00:00Z | | | | False |
| Anaphylactic Shock – What It Is and What To Do About It | https://www.wilsonmedicone.com.au/blog/Pages/Anaphylactic-Shock-–-What-It-Is-and-What-To-Do-About-It.aspx | Anaphylactic Shock – What It Is and What To Do About It | The bogeyman of the playground and the office, anaphylactic shock is a serious medical condition that can have fatal consequences if left untreated. While brought on by a range of causes such as insect bites and stings and certain medications, it's most commonly publicly known as the most severe negative reaction a person with a food allergy can have. Rising awareness of the prevalence and severity of some food allergies has led to new focus being put on anaphylactic shock, but there still exists a startling lack of knowledge about how it functions and what management strategies can be employed. In this blog, Wilson Medic One gives you the crucial information you need to recognise and understand anaphylactic shock, and tells you how to manage it. One of three classifications Anaphylactic shock is one variant of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that appears rapidly and can be potentially fatal. Anaphylactic shock specifically refers to a case of anaphylaxis where system vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) occurs that results in a fall in blood pressure to a level 30% lower than their baseline. The other two classifications – biphasic anaphylaxis and pseudoanaphylaxis – have different symptoms but are still classified as anaphylaxis. A serious cause for concern The symptoms caused by vasodilation including respiratory difficulty and low blood pressure can be potentially life threatening, especially to young children who may unknowingly ingest an allergen. Low blood pressure can deprive the brain and other organs of oxygen and nutrients, causing shock and potentially death. Common external signs including itchy rashes, swelling of the tongue or throat, light-headedness and shortness of breath, so if you're the friend, partner or parent of someone with anaphylaxis, ensure you can recognise the symptoms for what they are. The need for a rapid response Anaphylaxis can be deadly in as little as 15 minutes, leaving precious little time to act. Because of the often narrow window of survivability for anaphylaxis, most people with the condition carry an injector of epinephrine – commonly known as an EpiPen – with them at all times. This medication is an effective treatment for anaphylaxis, working to increase blood flow through veins affected by vasodilation and reducing swelling in airways, countering the two most fatal effects of anaphylaxis. Ensure you or the person with anaphylaxis in your life has a solid allergy response plan and that you know exactly what to do in the event of a reaction. | | Treatment & Prevention | 2018-02-21T13:00:00Z | | | | False |
