Post Traumatic Street (War Veterans)
First described in the 1970's in Vietnam War Veterans, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a reaction that people can develop after being through or witnessing a traumatic event which threatened life or safety of themselves or others. This includes war, natural disaster, assault or serious accident. It is estimated that 12% of Australians may experience it during their life. Risk factors, aside from trauma include a past history of other mental health problems and stress.
Parkinson’s Disease
A progressive degenerative condition that affects body movements, Parkinson's disease affects around 40,000 Australians. It is more common in men and it is more common in older people. It is caused by a loss of dopamine production in the brain but why this happens is not known. Genetic factors, some toxins and head trauma may be involved.
Headaches
Headache is one of the commonest symptoms we experience. Virtually everyone will get a headache at some stage, but some people will get them often. Whilst there are serious cases, the vast majority not and treatments are generally successful.
Haemorrhoids
One of the most common health problems are haemorrhoids, affecting about 300,000 Australians each year. Haemorrhoids are essentially a "varicose vein" at the anus and can be internal (inside the rectum) or external. Risks related to repeated pressure in the abdomen which may be from pregnancy, constipation or heavy lifting. Sitting on hard surfaces for prolonged periods is another risk factor. There may be a genetic tendency.
Whooping Cough
Whilst rare these days due to vaccination, there are still over 1000 cases of the infection "whooping cough" in Australia each year. It is caused by the bacteria Bordetella Pertssis spread from person to person. The infection causes irritation of the lining of the airways and increased mucous.
