by Grace | Aug 17, 2021 | Health Assessments, Workplace Education
Every day in Australia, around 115 people die from cardiovascular disease – The Heart Foundation (2021).
The biggest contributors to the burden of heart and the blood vessel disease are:
- High blood pressure
- Poor diet
- High cholesterol
For many of us, heart disease risk factors can be addressed with small lifestyle changes:
- Eat a healthy diet – “Eating a poor diet is the largest contributor to the burden of cardiovascular disease.”;
- Quit smoking and e-cigarettes – “Smokers have more heart attacks, strokes and angina (chest pain or discomfort caused when your heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood) than non-smokers. They also experience these impacts at a much younger age.”;
- Get plenty of exercise:
– Be active on most, preferably all, days of the week
– Get between150 to 300 minutes (2 ½ to 5 hours) of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week
– Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week
The Heart Foundation (2021) suggests incorporating into your diet to look after your heart:
- plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and wholegrains;
- minimal processed foods;
- a variety of protein-rich foods, including fish and seafood, legumes (such as beans, lentils and chickpeas), nuts and seeds, eggs and chicken, unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese;
- healthy fats and oils, including olive, canola, sunflower, peanut and soybean oil. You can also choose foods that contain heart-healthy fats, such as avocados, olives, unsalted nuts and seeds;
- herbs and spices for bursts of flavour;
To donate to The Heart Foundation, click here – https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/
by Grace | Aug 17, 2021 | Health Assessments, Workplace Education
Tuesday 21st September is World Alzheimer’s Day.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive form of dementia. Dementia is a broader term for conditions caused by brain injuries or diseases that negatively affect memory, thinking, and behavior.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting up to 70% of all people with dementia. – dementia.org.au (2021).
World Alzheimer’s Day highlights the importance of talking about alzheimers, raising awareness of how it impacts the daily lives of people affected by the condition and challenge the stigma that surrounds it.
Symptoms:
In the early stages the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can be very subtle. However, it often begins with lapses in memory and difficulty in finding the right words for everyday objects.
Other symptoms may include:
- Memory loss affecting daily activities, such as an ability to keep appointments
- Apparent loss of enthusiasm for previously enjoyed activities
- Taking longer to do routine tasks
- Forgetting well-known people or places
- Inability to process questions and instructions
- Deterioration of social skills
- Emotional unpredictability
- Trouble with familiar tasks, such as using a microwave
- Difficulties with problem-solving
- Trouble with speech or writing
- Becoming disoriented about times or places
- Decreased personal hygiene
- Mood and personality changes
- Withdrawal from friends, family, and community
Diagnosis, cure and causes:
Diagnosis is made by a doctor and currently there is no cure, however there are treatments that can slow progression and help manage symptoms.
Alzheimer’s may be brought on due to a family history/genetics and age.
How to support somebody with dementia in the workplace:
Some effects on work somebody with dementia may experience include:
- difficulty communicating their thoughts to colleagues or clients
- trouble concentrating
- forgetting important meetings or appointments
- difficulty managing several tasks at one time
- having problems with larger groups and possibly preferring to work alone
- losing confidence in their work abilities
- feeling uncertain about making important decisions
You can support somebody in the workplace with dementia by having these simple conversation starters:
- What checkpoints can we put in place to help you stay on track?
- What should we be looking for that would indicate you are struggling?
- How do you want us to respond when there are performance problems so that you know we are being supportive?
- What would you think would be the signs that working is no longer an option for you?
- What kind of errors might you be concerned about making and how can we help manage these?
- What are the things that most stress or overwhelm you right now?
- Let’s check in every ___ days. What time works for you?
Sources: Healthline (2018). Alzheimers Society (2021). Dementia Australia (2021). Workplace Strategies for Mental Health (2021).
by Grace | Aug 17, 2021 | Health Assessments, Workplace Education
Monday 20th – Friday 24th September is Headache Awareness Week.
It’s estimated that 7 in 10 people have at least one headache each year. – Healthline (2017).
What is a headache?
A headache is a very common condition that causes pain and discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Headaches can sometimes be mild, but in many cases, they can cause severe pain that makes it difficult to concentrate at work and perform other daily activities.
There are many types of headaches, including:
- Tension Headaches: Which occur most frequently in women over age 20. These headaches are often described as feeling like a tight band around the head. They are caused by a tightening of the muscles in the neck and scalp. Poor posture and stress are contributing factors.
- Cluster headaches: are non-throbbing headaches that cause excruciating, burning pain on one side of the head or behind the eye.
- Migraine headaches: Migraine headaches are severe headaches that can cause throbbing, pounding pain, usually on one side of the head.
- Rebound headaches: Rebound headaches are those that occur after a person stops taking medications they used regularly to treat headaches.
- Thunderclap headaches: Thunderclap headaches are abrupt, severe headaches that often come on very quickly. They will usually appear without warning and last up to five minutes.
Headache Triggers:
- Diet: insufficient food, missing meals, delayed meals, eating too little and dehydration;
- Specific foods: including chocolate, citrus fruits, dairy products and pork products;
- Environmental triggers: bright lights, computer overuse, loud sounds, pollution, strong smells (eg. perfume, smoke-filled rooms);
- Hormonal (women): menstruation, ovulation, pregnancy, menopause;
- Some medications;
- Physical and emotional: lack of sleep, stiff and painful muscles, eye or dental problems, blows to the head, arguments, excitement stress or muscle tension;
How to deal with a headache in the workplace:
Usually a headache does not require time off work. Headache sufferers can help themselves by practicing the following:
- Regular breaks especially if work repetitive or using computers
- Relaxation techniques to rid the body of tension and stress
- Making their work environment as comfortable as possible
- Varying position to avoid stiffness and tension
- Communicating and keeping work informed so a colleague could stand in the event of a headache
- Explaining their headaches to colleagues so they understand the necessity of time off from work
If you are experiencing persistent headaches or finding it hard to relieve your headaches, visit your GP to discuss.
Sources: Headache Australia (2021) and Healthline (2017).
by Grace | Aug 17, 2021 | Health Assessments, Workplace Education
World Lymphoma Awareness Day raises awareness of cancers of the lymphatic system.
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer, a cancer of the lymphocytes (the white blood cells that help to fight infection).
Lymphocytes are found in a liquid called lymph which travels throughout our body in the lymphatic system (a series of tubes, nodes and organs such as the spleen and thymus that are part of our immune system). There are two main categories of lymphoma: Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL).
Source: lymphoma.org.au (2021).
Some symptoms may include bit are not limited to:
- Swollen lymph nodes;
- Fatigue;
- Unexplained weight loss;
- Night sweats;
- Unexplained persistent fevers;
- Difficulty getting over infections;
- Itchy body;
It is always advised to seek medical advice from your GP if you experience anything abnormal with your body.
Diagnosis is through various tests when you consult with your GP.
Fundraising is one of the ways that you can help make a significant difference in the lives of children and adults living with Lymphoma. Donations will help raise awareness, provide support for those living with lymphoma and search for a cure. To donate, click here – https://www.lymphoma.org.au/donate/
by Grace | Aug 17, 2021 | Health Assessments, Workplace Education
Thursday 9th September is R U OK? Day.
This year’s theme is: Are they really ok? Ask them today.
The key is to not wait until somebody is visibly distressed or in a crisis. Make it a point to ask your work colleague, family member or mate how they are really going.
This year with the extra pressures of a global pandemic, why not host an event to spark conversation between colleagues (even if this means just a friendly hello) – you can even do this over zoom!
How can you ask R U Ok at work?
- Ask;
- Listen;
- Encourage Action;
- Check in;
R U Ok? has some fantastic resources for workplaces to start the conversation. To obtain resources for your workplace, visit https://www.ruok.org.au/work
by Grace | Aug 17, 2021 | Health Assessments, Workplace Education
About 11% of Australians have asthma (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020).
What is asthma?
Asthma is a long-term lung condition of the airways (the passage that transports air into our lungs). Currently, there is no cure however it can be managed.
When somebody suffers from asthma, these airways become inflamed when they are exposed to triggers, narrowing the airways and causing persistent, troublesome symptoms.
When suffering from asthma, it may feel like you are breathing through a very thin tube which can possibly lead to a medical emergency.
Symptoms:
Symptoms vary from person to person and you should always visit a doctor to investigate further.
People with asthma experience symptoms because of the inflammation and narrowing of their airways. Most common symptoms include:
- Persistent cough;
- Wheezing (high pitched whistling sound made by the narrowing of the airways);
- Breathing difficulties;
- Tightening of the chest/chest pain;
- Shortness of breath;
Common triggers of asthma:
Research has shown that exposure to the following may increase your risk:
- Dust mites;
- Mould spores;
- Pollen;
- Food allergies;
- Exposure to chemicals, particles and gases;
- Tobacco smoke (especially as a baby or young child);
- Pollution from bushfires, traffic and industry;
How can you help someone with asthma in the workplace?
How can you help reduce asthma?
You can reduce exposure to substances that trigger allergies and asthma symptoms as part of your asthma management. However, even with trigger management, it is always recommended to speak with your doctor about taking preventer medication.
Here’s some helpful tips on how to reduce triggers of pets, dust mites, pollen, mould spores and more – https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/avoiding-asthma-triggers#allergic-triggers-of-asthma
Sources: (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020) & betterhealth.vic.gov.au (2021). c.gov.au (2021) and Asthma Australia (2021).