Hervey Bay Local Health News

Nappy rash, sometimes called napkin dermatitis occurs most often in infants 6-12 months of age. Most babies will have nappy rash at some time during infancy. A baby’s skin is much softer and thinner than an adult’s. Contact of urine or bowel motions with the skin and infrequent nappy changes can irritate, causing nappy rash. Advice from a pharmacist can help in both treating and preventing nappy rash from occurring.

Important
See a doctor if the:
*    Rash spreads outside the nappy area
*    Rash is no better after five days of treatment (see over)
*    Skin is broken and the rash is severe
*    Rash shows signs of an infection
*    Baby also has a fever, is irritable, is not eating well or generally seems ill.

Signs and symptoms
Simple nappy rash is a burn-like rash where the nappy touches the bottom. It is red, slightly rough, and scaly.
*   Fungal infection is common, usually with thrush (candida). This causes a brighter red, shiny rash with sharply outlined patches, often with smaller spots out of the main area. Unlike a simple nappy rash, the creases of the skin may also be red.
*    If the rash does not clear and the skin becomes broken, the area can become infected with bacteria - weeping or yellow crusting may be present (see a doctor if this happens).  

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Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in people over 40 years of age. Almost all blindness caused by glaucoma can be prevented if it is discovered early enough. Glaucoma occurs when the pressure of the fluids within the eye gets too high.

There are two types of glaucoma: chronic open angle glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma. Glaucoma can’t be cured, but in most cases it responds well to treatment.

Who is at Risk?
You are at greater risk of having glaucoma if you:
*    Are over 40 years of age
*    Have relatives with glaucoma
*    Have diabetes
*    Are shortsighted
*    Get migraines.

Chronic open-angle glaucoma
*    The most common type of glaucoma
*    Occurs slowly with few symptoms and can go unnoticed for years
*    Occurs when the pressure rises slowly because the canals that drain the fluid away don’t work properly
*    Normally affects both eyes
*    Causes a gradual loss of sight
*    Is usually treated with eye drops and/or tablets, which must be used every day as your doctor advises
*    If medicines don’t work you may require eye surgery
*    Laser treatment of the eye may be used

Acute angle-closure glaucoma
*    Much less common than open-angle glaucoma
*    Occurs acutely causing severe pain, blurred sight, coloured rings around lights, nausea and even vomiting
*    Occurs when the drainage canal becomes completely blocked without warning
*    Normally affects only one eye at a time
*    Can cause blindness if not treated straight away
*    Needs surgery or laser treatment urgently

Secondary glaucoma
*    Is caused by other conditions such as injuries or inflammation.

Symptoms
Most people have no symptoms - changes in sight are gradual and may not be noticed. These changes can include:

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Gout is a common and very painful type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid crystals form in and around a joint. It more commonly affects men, especially after the age of 40. Gout can usually be well controlled with medicines and changes to diet.

Uric acid (urate) is one of the body’s waste products. If uric acid builds up in the bloodstream, it can settle in and around joints as crystals. Uric acid crystals irritate the joint, causing the inflammation and pain of a gout attack.

People who get gout usually have a high level of uric acid in their blood. Gout commonly affects one joint at a time, most often the big toe joint, but can affect knee, ankle, foot, hand, wrist, and elbow joints.

Signs and symptoms
A gout attack usually comes on suddenly, often overnight. Common symptoms include:
*    Joint inflammation, with swelling, redness and heat
*    An extremely tender and painful joint, which is sensitive to touch - sometimes even the weight of a bed sheet can cause severe pain.

If a fever is also present, it is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Without treatment, a gout attack usually lasts about one week. After having one gout attack, more attacks are likely. The time between gout attacks can be days, weeks, months or years.

If gout is not managed correctly, the time between attacks may get shorter, attacks may last longer and more joints may be affected. A joint can be permanently damaged by repeated gout attacks and kidney problems can also develop.

Contributing factors include:
*   A family history of gout
*    Drinking too much alcohol
*    Being overweight or overeating
*    Joint injury or surgery
*    Certain medical conditions
*    Certain medicines (e.g\, some fluid tablets)
*    Crash dieting or fasting
*    Not drinking enough fluids.

Some foods may also increase the level of uric acid in the blood.

Reducing or eliminating some or all of these factors may reduce the risk of future gout attacks and the need for long-term gout medicine.

Foods that can increase uric acid levels:
Foods high in proteins and purines can increase uric acid levels. For example:
*    Large amounts of meat
*    Sardines, herrings, anchovies, shellfish
*    Liver, kidney, brains, sweetbreads
*    Meat extracts (e.g., Bonox, Bovril, gravies)
*    Baker’s and brewer’s yeast
*    Vegemite, Marmite, Promite
*    Dried beans and peas
*    Asparagus and mushrooms.

Self care
*   At the first sign of a gout attack, it is best to consult a doctor and start ‘gout reliever’ medicine promptly.
*   Avoid vigorous exercise during a gout attack, but keep your joints mobile with regular moderate intensity exercise.
*   Limit alcohol consumption. Try light beer and low-alcohol wines and avoid drinking a lot of alcohol at one time (binge drinking) as this may bring on an attack.
*   Drink at least two litres (eight glasses) of water every day (unless your fluid intake has been restricted by your doctor).
*   Reduce your dietary salt intake.
*   Eat a healthy diet and avoid foods that can increase uric acid levels.
*   Keep to a healthy weight.

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