Day: December 4, 2023

What is hay fever? Hay fever is the common name for allergic rhinitis. Hay fever describes a reaction that occurs when your nose or eyes come in contact with allergens, which are substances to which you are sensitive. Allergens can include pollens, dust mites, moulds, animal dander, or other substances. For some people, exposure to these allergens can trigger an immune response (your body’s natural defence system), which leads to swelling and inflammation in the inner lining of the nose (known as rhinitis). Hay fever is common — it affects 1 in 5 people in Australia. Despite its name, it’s not caused by hay and

Leprosy What is leprosy? Leprosy is an infection of the skin and nerves caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. It is rare in Australia, and can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease. Leprosy mainly affects the nerves of the hands, feet and face, and also the skin. What are the types of leprosy? The type of leprosy you get depends on how your body’s immune system reacts to the bacteria. If you have little resistance to the bacteria, the bacteria may multiply and cause more widespread disease. If a person has a high level of resistance

Why is good hand hygiene important? As you go about your everyday life, germs accumulate on your hands. After you touch your eyes, nose or mouth, germs carried there can cause infections. Frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness. Hand washing is important because it helps prevent the spread of infections such as common colds, flu, COVID-19 and gastroenteritis — especially if you care for babies, older people or sick people who are more vulnerable to these illnesses. Babies and children need to wash their hands too. Their immune systems aren’t yet mature, which means

What is halitosis? Halitosis is the medical name for bad breath. It’s normal to have bad breath when you first wake up. It usually goes away after you have something to drink and clean your teeth. Bad breath that doesn’t go away can be the sign of another condition. What causes halitosis? Bacteria in your body create substances with an unpleasant smell, leading to halitosis. Having an infection in your mouth, gum disease or tooth decay increase the amount of bacteria present and are common causes of halitosis. Having a dry mouth means that the bacteria are washed away less often, and the unpleasant smelling

What is male pattern baldness? Male pattern baldness is a type of hair loss and thinning that is common in adult men. It is also known as androgenetic alopecia. Male pattern baldness involves hair loss that starts at the hairline above the temples and leads to a receding hairline. This is followed by hair loss on the top or ‘crown’ of the head, leaving behind a horseshoe-shaped pattern of hair. While it is commonly seen in older men, male pattern baldness can affect young adult men as well. Hair loss occurs because of changes to the normal hair growth cycle. In the

What are haemorrhoids? Haemorrhoids (also spelt hemorrhoids), or ‘piles’, are lumps that occur inside and around the anus (back passage). They are very common. Haemorrhoids are sometimes described as ‘varicose veins’ of the anus. They happen when there is a weakness in the side of the anal canal that leads to thickening of the lining and then veins can enlarge to become a haemorrhoid, causing symptoms such as bleeding, pain and discomfort. Haemorrhoids may be just inside (internal haemorrhoid) or outside (external haemorrhoid) the anus. Large internal haemorrhoids may protrude outside the anus (prolapse). What are the symptoms of haemorrhoids?

What is a haemorrhoidectomy? Haemorrhoidectomy is an operation to remove severe haemorrhoids (also known as piles). It is usually a day procedure and is usually carried out under a general anaesthetic. The procedure is common and generally safe, but recovery after the surgery can take a few weeks and can be painful. Why is haemorrhoidectomy performed? Most haemorrhoids can either be treated with medicines or non-surgical procedures or avoided with appropriate diet and exercise. If non-surgical treatments don’t work, or the haemorrhoids are particularly large, a doctor might suggest a haemorrhoidectomy. Removing the haemorrhoids will relieve the uncomfortable symptoms, but haemorrhoids can

What is haemoptysis? Haemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood from the lungs or bronchial tubes. It can range from small flecks of blood to a lot of blood. It can be mild or indicate something serious. It is haemoptysis if the blood comes from the lungs or bronchial tubes (the tubes that bring air to the lungs). Haemoptysis does not include having blood in the saliva due to bleeding in the mouth, upper airway or from vomiting of blood from the gut. Haemoptysis is not usually life threatening, but if you cough up blood, it is still very important that you see your

What is haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)? Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) is a contagious bacteria. It can cause serious infections that can affect your: brain throat and lungs ears joints or bones skin Hib infection can happen quickly and can be fatal (cause death). Hib is not the same as influenza B (the flu). Influenza is caused by a virus, not bacteria. What are the symptoms of Hib? Symptoms of Hib can appear 2 to 4 days after catching the bacteria. The symptoms depend on which part of your body is affected. Meningitis Hib can infect the membranes around the brain and spinal

What is HUS? Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) is a rare but serious illness that can be life-threatening and is caused by a bacterial infection. HUS causes inflammation and the blood vessels to clot in the kidneys. This prevents the kidneys from working properly. HUS also causes changes to your blood, including anaemia and low platelet count. You can get HUS at any age but it’s most common in children under the age of 5 years. Young children and older adults are at greater risk of severe disease. What are the symptoms of HUS? Your early symptoms depend on the cause of your HUS. The

Blood in urine (haematuria) What causes blood in urine? Urinary tract infection (infection of the bladder or kidney) is one of the most common causes of blood in the urine. Other common causes are: exercise, sexual intercourse or injury a kidney stone cysts blood-thinning medication a disease of the blood a medical procedure Blood in the urine can also be caused by: kidney disease injury to the kidney, ureter, bladder or urethra tumours of the bladder, kidney or prostate How is blood in urine diagnosed? Your doctor will talk to you and will examine you. They will ask for a urine sample for urine tests, and may