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• 2012
  • Issue 122: Eye Health
  • Issue 121: Bed Wetting
  • Issue 120: Blood
  • Issue 119: Parenthood
  • Issue 118: Menopause
  • Issue 117: Headache
  • Issue 116: Weight Loss
  • Issue 115: Women's Health
  • Issue 114: Brain Health
  • Issue 113: A healthy New Year
• 2011
  • Issue 112: New Year's resolutions
  • Issue 111: Pre-Holiday Health
  • Issue 110: Kidney Health
  • Issue 109: Diabetes
  • Issue 108: Lung Health
  • Issue 107: Nutrition
  • Issue 106: Eye Health
  • Issue 105: Spring Allergies

Eye Health

The old saying "you only get one pair of eyes" remains valid today. Much can be done to improve vision, and modern cataract surgery in particular has improved sight for hundreds of thousands of Australians. Read on to learn what you can do to help maintain the best eye health for you and your family.

Bed Wetting

Wetting the bed is something we're all familiar with, whether from our own experiences, or those of friends or family. Many of us who are lucky enough to be parents may now be looking for guidance on how to deal with this significant condition in our own children. And, unfortunately, there is as much misinformation out there as good information. Bed wetting, or nocturnal enuresis as we call it as health professionals, has a significant stigma attached to it and a child who wets their bed may develop behavioural problems as a result. What we all need to remember is that bed wetting is a physical condition, not an act of rebellion or any fault of the child. This week we look at bed wetting in more detail and discover that its psychological effects can be severe. Getting professional advice about treatment options is critical to minimising the impact this under-recognised condition has on our children.

Blood

With an ageing population, we are seeing more people using medications to reduce blood clotting. The term "thinning" the blood is often used but is a bit of a misnomer as the blood is not actually made any thinner. It is made a bit less "sticky". Being regularly monitored is very important when you are on any medication which affects blood clotting. Read on to learn more.

Parenthood

Parenting is the one job which has neither a job description nor a study course before you start. It is the world's only 24/7 job. Yet none of us would be here if parenting was that impossible. Whilst there is no absolute "book" on what to do, there are ways of learning from others. And this week I have the great pleasure of introducing a new website from the VMC team which aims to make the whole parenthood experience, from preconception to raising children, less daunting. As they say, "a problem shared is a problem halved" so I'd like to invite you all to get onto Parenthub and make it the community you want it to be. Read on for helpful information and tips on getting pregnant and coping with the whole parenting experience.

Menopause

Menopause is something that often isn't thought about until quite a bit later in life and it can be a mystery to a lot of women until it happens to them. The impact menopause has on your life can be quite disruptive including symptoms such as crying and anxiety. But women can prepare themselves physically and mentally to minimise the effects of this natural part of aging. Learn more in this week's newsletter.

Headache

A headache is one of the commonest symptoms we experience with almost everyone having a headache at some point. There are many possible causes. We also know that slight dehydration leads to headaches so keeping up your water intake is a simple thing you can do to help yourself. Read on to learn more about causes, treatments and ways to prevent headaches.

Weight Loss

With an estimated 60% of Australians overweight or obese, we give the USA a good run for its money. Weight is one of those topics which is often made harder than it needs to be. There are simple approaches to weight management and much you can do to help yourself. Read on and get some useful tips and ideas.

Women's Health

Gynaecology, or the branch of medicine that deals specifically with the health of the female reproductive system, is a complex and multifaceted field. We have made great strides in the treatment and/or management of gynaecological conditions including menopause, cervical cancer and infertility but there is still much to learn. In this eNewsletter we look at contemporary issues in women's health, so read on to learn how you, your mother, sister, daughter or friend can make informed women's health decisions.

Brain Health

Of all the aspects of medicine, neurology (that part which deals with the brain and nerves) remains the least understood. It is said that whilst we have learnt a huge amount about the brain, we have just scraped the surface. There continue to be great advances in our understanding of how the brain works and how neurological health affects many aspects of our overall wellbeing. Read on to learn more about this fascinating area of medicine.

A healthy New Year

New Year's resolutions are made with good intentions but often fail early in the New Year when motivation wanes. In this newsletter we'll help you to follow through with your healthy plans for 2012 by giving you all the information you need about diets, quitting smoking and other resolutions you may have made. So read on to regain that lost motivation!

New Year's resolutions

Christmas is nearly upon us and now is the best time to start thinking about, and preparing for, your New Year’s resolutions. In this year's final newsletter we have some great ideas for your New Year's health resolutions, with tips to help you get motivated to achieve your goals in 2012.

Pre-Holiday Health

The festive season is a time to celebrate and catch up with family and friends. Yet sadly for some, it is a time of stress and sadness rather than joy. Staying healthy over the season is easy. Enjoy the finger foods and alcohol in moderation. Drink plenty of water and spend only what you can afford. Also spare a thought and perhaps a donation for those less fortunate than ourselves.
The team at VMC wish you a wonderful Festive Season and a healthy New Year!

Kidney Health

The kidneys are the body's filter. The entire bloodstream will go through the kidneys every three minutes. Kidney cancer is not as publicly discussed as some other forms of cancer, yet around 2,000 Australians will be diagnosed with kidney cancer each year. Read on to learn more about this and keeping your kidneys healthy.

Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes generally occurs later in life and results from your body not recognising insulin which makes it hard to control blood sugar levels. While we think of type 2 diabetes as a disease in its own right, it can also be thought of as a symptom of an unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity in particular is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes and these two conditions share many of the same risk factors. This is good news because it means that with a few changes to how you live you can reduce your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. At the same time this healthier lifestyle will help to get your weight under control and make you less likely to suffer from other related conditions such as erectile dysfunction, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. So read on to learn about diabetes and what you can do to prevent or treat it.

Lung Health

When we think about lung health often the first things that come to mind are smoking and lung cancer. Whilst the percentage of Australians who smoke has dropped enormously over the last 40 years, around 1 in 6 adults still smoke and these individuals have a much greater risk of developing lung cancer than non-smokers. Not surprisingly, a lot of current smokers want to quit and there are a number of options available to them. Interestingly, the highest success rates are achieved by people going cold turkey. 

Nutrition

Nutrition has been made much harder than it needs to be. A sheep in a paddock does not need ten books to know that it needs to eat grass. The needs of the human body have not changed in 10,000 years, yet what we eat has changed considerably. Getting back to basics with eating is easy and healthy.

Eye Health

The old saying "you only get one pair of eyes" remains valid today. Much can be done to improve vision, and modern cataract surgery in particular has improved sight for hundreds of thousands of Australians. Read on to learn what you can do to help maintain the best eye health for you and your family.

Spring Allergies

Springtime is allergy season for many people. This is because in spring more dusts, grasses and plant matter are floating in the breeze. Many people are sensitive to these and get a runny nose, watery eyes or the sneezes. Hayfever, whilst annoying is not serious and can be managed with simple measures until the season passes. Please read on to find out more.