Influenza is not a cold, it is a highly contagious disease. Flu is caused by two types of viruses in humans (Influenza A and B). Influenza is spread between people through infected droplets in the air. Having flu vaccination will not only reduce your chances of catching the flu and reduce the severity of the
As the current whooping cough epidemic continues, Health and Ageing Minister Nicola Roxon has reminded parents to protect their children with vaccinations, which can begin six weeks after birth.
“All parents should take advantage of the free vaccines provided by the Australian Government to protect young children from whooping cough,” Ms Roxon said.
“Babies can be protected with vaccinations at six to eight weeks after birth, then at four months, and then when they reach six months old.
“Vaccines worth about $86 million will be provided in 2010-2011––free of charge for infants, children and adolescents.
“Babies are not fully protected until their third dose of the vaccine, so it is important for those around new babies to be free of infection.
Whether you are a new mum or not, most mothers will need to make a choice to whether or not breastfeed their baby. Your decision may be well affected by your own childhood experiences, how you feel about your body and the quality of your relationships with your family, friends and partner. You may also feel overwhelmed at the emotions you feel when you are pregnant or are beginning to feed your baby for the first time.
All the emotions are valid and normal. Taking time to acknowledge and sort out these feelings will help you and your baby to have a successful breast feeding partnership should you decide to breast feed. Just like everyday life, you will have your ups and downs. On some days you may very well feel like the baby has ‘taken over’ your life and that your life is no longer your own. It can be an extremely frustrating and overwhelming experience. Therefore, it is very important to have at least one person who can support you and be there for you when you decide to breast feed your child.
What is depression?
Depression is more than just feeling down or low. It is natural to temporarily feel ‘down in the dumps’ from time to time, especially if you are going through an upheaval, loss or stressful situation. Some people refer to this as ‘feeling depressed’. However, if these feelings are intense and persist over weeks or months and if they stop you enjoying or even doing your normal activities, it’s likely that you have depression (also known as depressive illness). Depression is a serious illness that can have a great impact on your everyday life. It’s not something you can normally ‘just snap out of’. Worldwide, depression was the fourth most common cause of disability in 2000. As well as being disabling in its own right, depression is a risk factor for self-harm and suicide, and for coronary heart disease.
Pap smear was developed to detect any pre-cancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix. The Pap Smear test can detect changes in cells of the cervix at an early stage. These changes can potentially lead to cancer in later stages. Therefore, early detection allows early treatment prior the abnormal cells enters the cancerous stages.
This delicious recipe is from Denise Austin’s “Daily Dozen” book. Denise Austin is a fitness expert who promotes healthy eating and active lifestyles.
There really isn’t a healthy weight range that would suit everyone. Each person is different and their healthy weight is determined by different factors. For example, weight, age, height, exercise habits, etc.
Overweight and Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. It can lead to reduced life expectancy and / or increased health problems. Obesity can increase the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, fatty liver, high cholesterol, infertility, impotence and osteoarthritis.
It is recommended that you service your car every six months. There are many reasons why men need a regular service (at least once a year) to maintain their health as well. Early diagnosis and prevention is key to good health. Here are some facts about men (Obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics) :
Immunisation is highly recommended for all Australian children from an early age. Having childhood immunisation helps to protect them against the most serious childhood infections, some which may be life-threatening.
Routine childhood immunisation will protect your child against diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), polio, haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), rotavirus, hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, meningococcal C, chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella (German Measles).