Accurate, up-to-date health information for you and your family
Health Literacy Australia offers the most up-to-date health information within the pharmacy industry as a benefit to the public. Find more information on symptoms and treatments across a range of minor ailments below.
Health Information for you and your family.
ACUTE WOUND CARE
Acute Wound Care
Burns, cuts, grazes, or accidents and falls in the home or on sports fields can damage the skin and cause wounds. The time a wound takes to heal depends on the size and depth of the wound, how well it has been cleaned and cared for, and which products have been used to protect the wound, as well as the patient’s general health.
BITES AND STINGS
Bites and Stings
Australia has a variety of tropical marine and land creatures that can cause serious bites and stings.
Although it is always best to seek medical advice where possible, it is also helpful to know some first-aid techniques that help. Bites can be from snakes, mosquitoes, midges (sandflies), spiders, ticks, or a variety of other insects. Stings can be caused by bees, wasps and marine creatures like shell or jellyfish.
COLD SORES
Cold Sores
The initial sign of an emerging cold sore is a tingling, itching or burning feeling occurring on the lip, nose or cheek area. A small red bump appears after about one or two days, which turns into several tiny fluid-filled blisters. If the blisters burst, the fluid that oozes out is highly contagious. Symptoms of cold sores can last up to a week.
CONJUNCTIVITIS
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the thin clear layer on the white of the eyes (conjunctiva) and is sometimes called ‘pink eye’. The eyes and eyelids may be:
- red, itchy or irritated
- puffy or swollen
- watery with clear tears or have a yellowy discharge that becomes sticky and crusty
- sensitive to light.
ECZEMA AND DRY SKIN
Eczema and Dry Skin
Eczema causes the skin to become inflamed and itchy, and is also known as atopic dermatitis. It can occur at any age, but is most common among children, although most grow out of it by their teenage years.
People with eczema have dry, sensitive, sensitive skin that becomes red, swollen and extremely itchy. There is often a rash on the forehead, cheeks and scalp, and it can spread to the trunk (torso), creases of the elbows, knees and wrists. Scratching can make the rash irritated, crusted and weepy. The itchiness can interrupt sleep.
HAY FEVER
Hay Fever
The symptoms of hay fever include sneezing and itchiness of the eyes, nose, and throat. Some people also experience tiredness, puffy watery eyes, nasal congestion, or a thin watery nasal discharge. The severity of hay fever symptoms can vary from mild to severe and may impact your quality of life.
HEALTH, WELLNESS & CHRONIC DISEASE
Health, Wellness and Chronic Disease
Everyone wants to be, and feel, well. ‘Wellness’ is more than just being free of disease – it also includes emotional, physical, mental, and social wellbeing. If we look after our physical health, we are better able to cope when faced with difficult situations that we cannot fully control. Looking after your health is an important part of keeping well.
HEARTBURN & INDIGESTION
Heartburn & Indigestion
Heartburn is the common name for the symptoms of indigestion and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD). Reflux is a symptom that occurs when digestive juices (which contain stomach acids) spill back into the oesophagus or mouth and cause a “burning” feeling. This can happen when the muscles at the lower end of the oesophagus (food pipe), relax too much and allow acid to rise.
PREGNANCY
Pregnancy
Planning for a pregnancy is an exciting time. To improve your chances of success, both partners need to look after their health and live a healthy lifestyle. This includes quitting smoking, exercising regularly, ceasing or reducing alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight and eating plenty of fresh food such as fruit, vegetables, salads, fish and lean meat. When both partners follow a healthy lifestyle, you increase your chance of fertility. Once you are pregnant it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat well.
QUIT SMOKING
Quit Smoking
When you smoke cigarettes there are two groups of chemicals that negatively affect your health. The smoke that is inhaled from cigarettes contains thousands of toxic substances that can cause cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive, making it very hard to quit smoking, but it is never too early, or too late, to quit smoking and improve your health.
SCABIES
Scabies
Scabies are tiny mites which burrow under the skin and cause an allergic reaction that results in a rash with raised bumps and intense itching, particularly:
- where there are skin folds such as in armpits and under breasts
- on hands and feet, especially in the space between fingers and toes
- on the inside of elbows and wrists
- on the genitals and groin area; in addition
- in very young children and babies who can have a rash on their face, scalp and palms.
SLEEPING DIFFICULTIES
Sleeping Difficulties
Sleep is the way our bodies rest and restore themselves. Good quality sleep helps maintain the immune system and keep our organs healthy. Many people feel they don’t get enough sleep. Some people may spend enough time in bed, but their sleep is not refreshing. Insomnia is a sleep problem where people have trouble either falling sleep or staying asleep. Fatigue due to lack of sleep can cause road accidents and work injuries.
SPORTS RELATED INJURIES
Sports Related Injuries
Sports injuries can damage the ligaments, tendons or muscles that help our bodies move. Ligaments join bones together and tendons join muscle to bones. They both stabilise the joints in our bodies. Acute sports injuries include sprains or strains, cuts, bruises and grazes. Chronic sports injuries result from the repeated use of a joint or ligament, and can be related to imperfect movement technique, or structural problems of the skeleton.
SUN CARE
Suncare
The sun is vital for life, and provides an opportunity for fun and outdoor leisure activities. Australians are lucky to enjoy sunshine most of the year, and long hours of sunshine in summer. Too much exposure to the sun however, can cause severe skin damage. The sun’s rays contain ultraviolet (UV) A rays that are linked to skin ageing and the formation of wrinkles. UV B rays in sunlight are linked to skin cancer. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
THRUSH
Thrush
Thrush is an infection caused by yeasts (a type of fungus) called ‘candida’. Thrush can occur on the moist areas of the skin, vagina or in the mouth. Another common but different, fungal infection of the skin is tinea (ringworm) – see Tinea Health Information Brochure. Symptoms of thrush on the skin are a red itchy rash, with skin that is cracked with small sores or blisters.
TINEA
Tinea
Tinea is a fungal skin infection. It sometimes forms a round red rash with a pink central area, so many people also refer to it as ‘ringworm’, although it is not a worm at all! Depending on where the infection occurs on the body, it can also be given other names. Tinea can occur on the scalp (Tinea capitis), nails (Tinea unguium), body (Tinea corporis), or groin area (Tinea cruris).
VOMITTING & DIARRHOEA
Vomiting & Diarrhoea
Vomiting and diarrhoea cause the loss of body fluids and can result in dehydration. There are many causes, for example, microbes in the stomach can cause gastroenteritis, which has the symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea; these symptoms can also be caused by a reaction to particular medicines or medical conditions.
