Day: December 28, 2023

What are night sweats? If you wake up with your pyjamas and sheets soaked with perspiration, even when it’s not hot or you don’t have too many blankets on the bed, you may be having night sweats. Anyone can have night sweats, no matter your gender or age. What causes night sweats? There are many causes of night sweats. Most are not serious. In some cases, night sweats are a sign of a medical condition. In others, they may be caused by a medicine that you are taking. The most common causes of night sweats are related to hormonal changes

Quitting smoking Why should I quit smoking? Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Australia. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and many of them can cause cancer. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and every cigarette is doing you harm. From the moment you stop smoking, however, your body begins to repair itself and you will start noticing the benefits quite quickly. Quitting smoking can be tough, but as well as the health benefits and being able to save money, there are other reasons to give up — with benefits both for the

If you are a person living with disability or caring for someone with disability in New South Wales, you may have noticed some changes in the way that disability services are delivered. Services that were delivered through NSW state government agencies are now delivered through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS is a Commonwealth Government system to support Australians under 65 who have permanent and significant disability. The scheme is run by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Services for people aged 65 years and over are delivered through My Aged Care. To find out how to access the NDIS, go

What is neutropenia? Neutropenia is not a disease. It is a condition in which you have a low number of neutrophils (white blood cells). White blood cells help fight infection, so if you have neutropenia, you are more susceptible to infections. The lower your neutrophil count, the greater the risk of infection. Neutropenia can be: acute, meaning it has come on suddenly (and can also go away quickly) chronic, meaning it has been there for a long time cyclic, meaning it comes and goes What is febrile neutropenia? Febrile neutropenia means you have neutropenia and a fever of 38°C or higher.

The role of a neurosurgeon What is a neurosurgeon? Neurosurgeons, also known as brain surgeons, are doctors who specialise in the surgical treatment and management of conditions that affect the brain, spine and nervous system. Neurosurgeons must complete specialist training in neurosurgery, which can take between 5 and 9 years. Some sub-specialise in areas such as children (paediatric neurosurgery), the treatment of cancers (neuro-oncology) or spinal surgery. Neurosurgeons are different from neurologists, who are specialist physicians that treat conditions and diseases of the brain and nervous system, but do not perform surgery. When do I see a neurosurgeon? Neurosurgeons are involved

What is neuropathy? Neuropathy is when nerve damage leads to pain, weakness, numbness or tingling in one or more parts of your body. The nerve damage may be because of disease, infection, injury, medicines, long-term alcohol abuse or another reason. Sometimes no cause is found. What are the different types of neuropathies? There are many different types of neuropathies. Neuropathies are usually named according to the body part affected, the cause of nerve damage or the number of nerves affected. Autonomic neuropathy occurs when there is damage to the nerves that control your body’s automatic functions, such as digestion, blood pressure

What is the neuromuscular system? The neuromuscular system includes all the muscles in the body and the nerves connecting them. Every movement the body makes, needs communication between the brain and the muscles. The nervous system links thoughts and actions by sending messages (as electrical impulses) from the brain to other parts of the body. Nerves and muscles work together in the neuromuscular system to make your body move as you want it to, and manage important functions such as breathing. How does the neuromuscular system work? Nerves are cells called neurons. Neurons carry messages to and from the brain

The role of a neurologist What is a neurologist? A neurologist is a specialist physician who diagnoses and treats conditions of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. This can include muscle diseases and disorders that affect thinking and behaviour. A neurologist has completed at least 6 years of specialist training after becoming a doctor. They are different from neurosurgeons (brain surgeons), who have specialist training in surgery of the head, spinal cord and nerves. When do I see a neurologist? Neurologists treat conditions that affect the nervous system, which includes the brain, spine and nerves. The nervous system controls consciousness, muscle movement, thinking

What is hives? Hives (also known as ‘urticaria’ or ‘nettle rash’), is a skin rash that can be triggered by a variety of things including allergic reactions, medicines or an infection. Sometimes the trigger is unknown. What are the symptoms of hives? The common symptoms include itchy, raised red or skin-coloured bumps or welts on the skin. The raised areas of skin are known as wheals, which often fade after a few hours but can sometimes reappear elsewhere on the body. The hives rash can last for a few minutes to hours, and usually disappears within 24 hours. Sometimes people

What is the nervous system? The nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord and nerves. It controls much of what you think and feel and what your body does. It allows you to do things like walk, speak, swallow, breathe and learn. It also controls how the body reacts in an emergency. The nervous system is made up of: the central nervous system, or CNS, which consists of the brain and spinal cord the peripheral nervous system, or PNS, which consists of nerves that connect the CNS to the rest of the body The brain is made up of

What is a nervous breakdown? Everybody experiences stress and anxiety when they feel under pressure, though usually at levels that are manageable. When stress and feelings of worry or anxiety are there all the time and build up to a level that has an impact on a person’s daily life, they may be described as having a nervous breakdown. A nervous breakdown, also known as a mental health crisis or mental breakdown, describes a period of intense mental distress. A person having a nervous breakdown is temporarily not able to function in their everyday life ‘Nervous breakdown’ is not a

What is nerve pain? Nerve pain is also called neuropathic pain or neuralgia. It is when pain that results from a disease or dysfunction of the nervous system. It can be caused by a number of conditions. Sometimes the cause is not known. Nerve pain can be complex and difficult to treat, especially if the cause is unclear. Some conditions associated with nerve pain include: stroke or spinal cord injury multiple sclerosis (MS) chronic lower back pain diabetes human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Your doctor can help diagnose your pain and discuss the best treatment options with you. How is nerve pain treated? There are many treatments for

What is nerve pain? Nerve pain, also called neuralgia or neuropathic pain, occurs when a health condition affects the nerves that carry sensations to your brain. Nerve pain can feel different from other kinds of pain. Nerve pain can affect any nerve in your body, but it commonly affects some nerves more than others. Some examples include: post-herpetic pain — this can happen after you’ve had shingles(herpes zoster) and affects the same area as the shingles rash trigeminal pain — causing pain in your jaw or cheek occipitalpain — causing pain at the base of your skull that can spread to the back

What is nephrotic syndrome? Nephrotic syndrome is not a specific disease, but the name given to the set of problems that can arise if the kidneys become damaged. One of the main jobs of the kidneys is to filter the blood. This allows the body to pass waste products, extra fluid and salts through the urine. The glomeruli are the parts of the kidney where this happens. With healthy kidneys, proteins in the blood don’t usually leak into the urine during the filtering process. But if the glomeruli become damaged, proteins such as albumin can leak into the urine along with the waste