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Warning!

The articles and Patient leaflets published on this Blogg , have been originally written for the Geraldton Guardian's forthnightly Health Matters section or the www.cityhealthgeraldton.com.au - General Practice Website. I have researched topics , i wrote about, as thoroughly as I could and have listed sources at the end of each article. They are by no means purely scientific but reflect general medical opinion at the time of writing . Medicine and Health news move past, and some of the advice and opinions, will become outdated. Guardian articles were limited to about 400 words , which sometimes made the offering of a comprehensive view difficult if not imperfect. These articles shouldn't be used as replacement for propper medical professional advice and treatment and you are encouraged to seek medical advice and treatment from your doctor , pharmacist, appropriate specialist (physio, chiro...) on matters , if you are concerned.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Snoring, Sleep Apnoea and Heart Disease






Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
“Snoring and Heart Disease”

It is widely accepted that overweight, smoking and lack of exercise pose risks to your cardiovascular system but snoring or even large tonsils? Yes it is true Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) a severe form of snoring , where the muscles in the throat and upper airway repeatedly collapse during sleep, is causing you to stop breathing , reducing your oxygen supply and disturbing your sleep. This often presents to the bed partner as snoring interrupted by scary pauses of breathing 10 seconds and longer. You might feel excessively sleepy during the day, your performance and drive suffers, you can become aggressive, irritable and depressed. The reduced oxygen supply, increases your heart rate , raises your blood pressure and consequently puts your heart and circulation on stress leading to chronic heart failure. Studies show that up to 25% of men and 10 % of women over 30 years might suffer significant OSA. But even 3% of children under 10 years suffer OSA, where surgical intervention like tonsillectomy can be life changing and heart saving in the long run. Risk factors for OSA are a flat round face, short and big neck , overweight , receding jaw line , enlarged tonsils (children), use of alcohol and sedating drugs , sleeping on the back and a family history of OSA. Several smaller studies have shown that treatment for OSA reduces cardiac risk, problem with this is though that patients often have other factors like overweight and might have an increased cardiac risk anyway. Physicians agree at the moment that severe OSA (30 breathing stops per hour ) especially when other heart risks are present demand treatment. There is no doubt that children with OSA benefit from tonsil- or adenoidectomy.
If you or your partner suspect OSA , than you should visit your GP , he should confirm the diagnosis by some simple questions, and refer you for sleep studies , which can be arranged by some pharmacies but also by a visiting sleep lab and are often done in your bed at home. Treatment in adults can be simple mouth guards, often CPAP , sometimes surgery, you should try and loose weight, increase exercise , stop smoking and avoid sedation and alcohol prior sleeping, sleeping on your side might also help. CPAP is a breathing apparatus supplying your airway with a constant positive pressure using a pump and room air, thus preventing collapse of your airway. You actually have a duty as driver to report significant daytime sleepiness OSA or not to the DPI, who might in turn put conditions on your driving, like to seek treatment. Treatment as unappetizing as it might seem in some forms , will guarantee you the thanks not only of your partner and neighbors but also be beneficial for your heart and lungs in the long run as well as significantly improve your overall performance – in essence snoring partners might require a little more than just elbow therapy.


drhelkoschenk.blogspot.com
Geraldton 30/8/2010
Sources:
- Pedram Imani , visiting consultant ENT surgeon presentation on OSA in children 8 2010
- Abc.net.au/health/the pulse story on OSA
- Patient.co.uk on OSA

Friday, August 13, 2010

Diabetes management


Better Management of your Diabetes


Diabetes is persistently raised blood sugar either due to the lack of insuline , the hormone produced by the pancreas , which regulates sugar levels or by increasing ineffectiveness and/ or resistance to insulin.
Raised sugar cause poor healing in tissues ( ulcers , skin infections ) , artherosclerosis (clogging up ) of blood vessels in heart , brain and limbs , small vessel disease affecting the functioning of nerves in limbs , soft tissue organs like the kidney(eventually kidney failure) or the eye (retinal blindness) Whether and how fast complications occur is dependant on early diagnosis and recognition of raised sugar, tight as possible control of sugar levels , but also management of other risk factors, worsening diabetes effects, like smoking, overweight, high blood pressure , raised cholesterol, opportunistic illness (vaccination for influenca , pneumococcal infection). Diabetics have a normal life expectancy and near normal quality of life if they are properly managed and engage in treatment, different to times before 1920 when insuline was first used and diabetes was almost a death sentence. The Management of diabetes however is very complex and different for every patient, therefore even now best done under involvement of GP’s , specialists , nurses and other health professionals , ideally via an individualised careplan for every patien,t detailing their aims in diet , weight loss, exercise, monitoring and management of contributing risk factors, visits to eye and other specialists , individualised medication treatments. A care plan seems to be a bit of ticking exercise but evidence shows that patients fair better on coordinated handling than GP management alone.

The Australia Health report 2010 shows: Diabetes will become the new health burden for Australia in the next 6 years, overtaking Heart disease , Depression and Anxiety. 275 new cases a day are diagnosed in Australia ,that is 100000 cases over the last year. This has been recognized by government and opposition alike, one assigning a considerable dollar amount to GP’s and Allied Health Services to develop personalized Diabetes care from 2012 and the other one looking at increasing rebates for all health professionals in chronic disease management. The Way forward will be the offering of Diabetes Lifestyle Clinics, uniting all GP’s and Health professionals under one roof and with one aim to manage your diabetes optimally. Panaceum Geraldton starts to run such a model clinic form 24 8 2010 , where Diabetes Nurse Educator ,Exercise Physiologist, Dietitian will review your status and advice on newest management available individualised to your diabetes all within 1 h and 20 minutes and bulkbilled on 3 episodes of care under your GP diabetes careplan. This aims at the optimal management of Foot care, diet, and Exercise and will give individualized information and advice.
It remains paramount to have annual health checks with your GP ,in particular if you have family history of diabetes, are overweight, but also after age of 45 or if you show possible diabetes symptoms like: lasting tiredness , thirst , excessive urination or Weight loss.


Helko Schenk
Geraldton Medical Group
12 8 2010sources:
- www.abc.net.au/health
- Diabetes Australia
- patient.co.uk
- GMG Editorial Lifestyle Clinic