Day: November 1, 2023

What is bleeding after menopause? Menopause is the time when you stop having periods at around the age of 51 years. You’ve reached menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months. Up to 1 in 10 females experiences vaginal bleeding or spotting after menopause. This is called ‘postmenopausal bleeding’. However, perimenopause is the stage of life leading up to your last menstrual period. This stage can last 4 to 6 years. A common feature of perimenopause is irregular periods. Can periods restart after menopause? Your periods cannot restart after menopause. Once you have reached menopause, any vaginal bleeding is not normal.

This page will give you information about a bladder-neck incision. If you have any questions, you should ask your GP or other relevant health professional. What causes prostate trouble? Your prostate gland is an organ that lies under your bladder and surrounds your urethra (tube that carries urine and semen to the tip of your penis). Prostate trouble is caused by the growth of your prostate gland. It is normal for your prostate gland to get larger with age. If the gland tightens around your urethra, it can interrupt the flow of urine from your bladder. The position of the

What is bladder prolapse? A bladder prolapse (also called a cystocoele) develops when your bladder bulges into your vaginal wall. A group of muscles called the pelvic floor supports your bladder, uterus (womb) and bowel and holds them in place. If your pelvic floor muscles become weak, these organs can bulge into the wall of your vagina. The term ‘prolapse’ means ‘to fall out of place’. What causes bladder prolapse? The most common causes of bladder prolapse are pregnancy and childbirth. Bladder prolapse affects about half of all females who have had a baby, particularly those who have had a vaginal birth. Hormonal changes

What is the urinary system? The bladder is part of the urinary system, or urinary tract. The bladder is an organ in your pelvis that stores urine (wee). It works with the kidneys to rid the body of waste products from the blood. The kidneys and ureters Your kidneys make urine, which is transported to your bladder along tubes called ureters. The bladder and urethra Once the urine reaches the bladder, it stays there until you empty it (urinate/wee). Urine (wee) leaves your body by passing through a narrow tube called the urethra. What happens when you urinate? To urinate (do a wee),

What is a blackout? A blackout is a temporary loss of consciousness. It may also be called: fainting (syncope) a collapse passing out If a blackout is caused by alcohol or drug use, you may experience memory loss. If you have a blackout, it may not be serious. But it’s still important to see your doctor to try and work out what is causing the blackouts. What symptoms are related to blackouts? If you have a blackout, you lose consciousness temporarily. Before that, you may: fall down have blurred vision feel confused feel dizzy look pale feel anxious be sweaty What causes a blackout? There

What is a black eye? A black eye is a bruise in the tissues around the eye. Depending on how it happened, it may be a good idea to get it checked out by a doctor in case you have a more serious injury. A black eye is also known as periorbital haematoma. A black eye develops when fluids collect in the tissues around the eye. The bruising and blue and purple discolouration are caused by broken blood vessels under the skin. These tissues will usually be swollen too. The eye itself is not usually damaged. A black eye can

Sea creature bites and stings Box jellyfish, Irukandji and other tropical stingers Tropical stingers (jellyfish) live in tropical waters around Australia’s coastline north of Bundaberg in Queensland through to Geraldton in Western Australia. The most dangerous are the box jellyfish and Irukandji. The stinger season usually peaks from November to March. The symptoms of a box jellyfish sting are severe pain and red or purple marks on the skin. It can cause increased heart rate, severe pain elsewhere in the body, sweating or anxiety, nausea or vomiting or cardiac arrest. The symptoms of Irukandji sting are severe backache or headache,

What is contraception? Contraception (birth control) can be used to prevent unplanned pregnancies. Pregnancy can happen when sperm released during penis-in-vagina sex fertilises an egg, which then implants in your uterus (womb). What should I think about when choosing contraception? There are many different forms of contraception. No form of birth control is 100% effective, but some methods are more effective than others. Aside from preventing pregnancy, some — but not all — methods of contraception can also help prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Discuss contraception with a new partner before having sex, so you can choose a method that

Medicines for bipolar disorder What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder is a serious, long-term (chronic) mental health condition that involves having extreme mood swings. Someone with bipolar disorder can swing between periods of depression and periods of feeling ‘high’, irritable, agitated or excited, known as mania or hypomania. Some people with bipolar disorder also experience psychosis. This means that they lose touch with reality and may experience hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. If you have bipolar disorder, treatment can help make the episodes of depression and mania shorter, easier to get through and less likely to happen. How is bipolar disorder treated? Most people with bipolar disorder manage the condition

What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder is a chronic (long-term) condition. It involves intense mood changes that disrupt everyday life — from extreme highs to extreme lows. It affects 1 in 50 Australians each year. Bipolar disorder often develops for the first time during teenage years or early adulthood. It tends to affect more females than males. It is sometimes known as manic depression. People with bipolar disorder will experience periods of extreme moods at different times: Manic (or hypomanic) episodes— feeling very euphoric or high. Hypomania means ‘less than mania’. Symptoms of hypomania are like those of a manic

What is binge-eating disorder? Binge-eating disorder is a type of eating disorder. A person with binge-eating disorder will frequently eat very large quantities of food in a short period of time. They often feel as though they have lost control of their eating. Binge-eating disorder is a serious mental health disorder. It makes up almost half of all cases of eating disorder in Australia. What causes binge-eating disorder? Some people have no obvious reason for having binge-eating disorder. Some will have a family history of eating disorders. Genes probably play a part. Others have experienced childhood abuse or trauma. Binge-eating disorder is also linked to: anxiety

What is binge drinking? Binge drinking is when you drink a lot of alcohol in one session with the aim of getting drunk. To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol, adults should drink: no more than 4 standard drinks in one session no more than 10 standard drinks per week Find out more about standard drinks  According to the Australian Guidelines, drinking more than this can be very risky to health and wellbeing. Why do people binge drink? There are lots of reasons why people binge drink. They might feel pressure from their friends, or they might drink to avoid feeling

This page will give you information about bilateral vasectomy. If you have any questions, you should ask your GP or other relevant health professional. What is a vasectomy? A vasectomy is a permanent method of male contraception. It involves cutting both the tubes (vas deferens) that carry sperm from your testicles. This prevents sperm from mixing with semen and reaching your penis. A vasectomy should prevent your partner from becoming pregnant. What are the benefits of surgery? You or your partner should not need to use another method of contraception. Are there any alternatives to a vasectomy? The only other method of

Cycling and your health What is cycling? Cycling or bike riding is the sport of riding a bicycle. It is a low impact exercise that can improve your mental and physical health. Riding a bike is a low-cost way to get around and is environmentally friendly. You can get to know your neighbourhood in a different way by riding around your local streets. Cycling allows you to avoid high traffic areas and reduce your reliance on public transport. If you do not have access to a car or cannot drive, riding is a handy way to travel. A bicycle is

What are beta blockers? Beta blockers are a type of medicine that makes the heart beat more slowly. This also leads to lower blood pressure. You may also see them spelled β-blockers. Beta blockers are usually not prescribed in the first instance for people who only have high blood pressure (hypertension). They can be useful for some people with high blood pressure and other conditions. This includes ischaemic heart disease and heart failure. How do beta blockers work? Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone adrenaline. They make your heart beat slower and relax the blood vessels, which, in turn, reduces blood pressure. Beta

Grief and loss What are grief and loss? Grief is the natural emotional response to the loss of someone close, such as a family member or friend. Grief can also occur after a serious illness, a divorce or other significant losses. Grief often involves intense sadness, and sometimes feelings of shock and numbness, or even denial and anger. For most people, the intensity of grief eases over time and the episodes of grief become less frequent. Grief is a process or journey that affects everyone differently. It can be exhausting and emotionally draining. This can make it hard to do