Health Australia

Australia experiences very hot weather throughout the year in the northern territory. For the rest of the country, high temperatures are experienced during summer. If coming from a climate that is much cooler, it is important to keep in mind that around two weeks are required for acclimatization to take place.  Before this happens a lot of salt is lost through excessive sweating. It is therefore advisable to increase the intake of salt during this period. Following are some of the conditions that can develop owing to heat exposure.

Heat exhaustion

This happens when the intake of fluid does not keep up with rate at which it is being lost mainly through perspiration. Some of the symptoms include:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Pale skin that is cool and clammy
• Fainting

When this happens resting in a cool shady place is recommended. Also, water or even dilute sports drinks should be taken in plenty.

Heat stroke

This is an illness caused by severe heat which causes fluid depletion. It is a real medical emergency whereby the brain is over heated making one suffer hallucinations, disorientation or even seizures. Heat stroke can be prevented by taking sufficient amounts of fluids that maintain the passing of urine that is copious and clear more so at times of physical exertion.

There have been reports of deaths related to dehydration of ill prepared travellers in outback Australia. Following some rules as stated below can prevent this.

• Have sufficient water for every trip. Include extra just in case the vehicle breaks down.
• Make sure that you inform someone of your trip including the expected time of arrival.
• Carry with you some communication equipment.
• Instead of walking to get help it is advisable to stay with your vehicle.

Hypothermia

During winter hypothermia poses significant risk especially in the southern Australia. Strong winds are responsible for the high chill factor which can lead to hypothermia even though the temperatures are moderately cool. Early signs are characterized by:

• Difficulty in performing fine movements like buttoning up
• Having shivers

Treatment involves getting out of the cold and removing wet clothing if any replacing it with dry clothes that have wind and water proof layers. Insulation should be added and water with carbohydrates (glucose/sugar) should be taken so as to encourage shivering which in turn builds up internal temperature.
In cases of severe hypothermia, shivering stops. This becomes a medical emergency that requires medical attention.

Tips on protecting yourself from insect borne illnesses

Because various insects can be the carriers of specific diseases you can protect yourself from them in the following ways:

• Putting on loose fitting long sleeved clothes.
• Applying an insect repelling lotion on exposed skin.
• Treating clothes with an insecticide known as permethrin which is effective in killing insects but safe for human beings.

Safety at the beach

Australia has very good locations for surfing that are mainly on the western, eastern and the southern coasts. Because beaches have different underwater conditions, conditions may change resulting in powerful surfs. It is recommended that you check with life saving groups located in a particular place before engaging in water activities. Also be aware of your own limitations in reference to swimming and surfing skills.

Skin care

One of the countries that have the highest rates of cancer of the skin is Australia. With this in mind you should pay attention to the extent to which you allow direct sunlight exposure on your skin. The greatest exposure of ultra violet rays occurs between 10am and four in the afternoon. Skin exposure should be avoided at these times. A 30+ sunscreen is effective in protecting the skin from the sun. It should be applied thirty minutes before exposure to the sun then reapplied regularly to ensure that any damage to the skin is minimal.

Getting vaccinated before any International travel is something of utmost importance. You should visit your doctor at least one to two months before your traveling date because most of the vaccines given produce immunity at least two weeks after their administration. You should try and acquire an International Certificate of Vaccination (the yellow booklet) without which you cannot be allowed to enter countries that insist on proof of vaccination against yellow fever before you are allowed in. The booklet lists all of the vaccinations that you have received and comes in handy for travel anywhere else.

If there are any medications that you have to carry, you have to ensure that they are contained in their original containers. These containers should be clearly labeled. It would also be a wise thing for you to get a letter from your doctor detailing your condition as well as the medication that you are carrying with you. The medications should include their generic names as these are universally understood as opposed to brand names. Also a letter documenting the necessity of carrying syringes should be included if you have any syringes or needles with you. Make sure that all medical letters are dated and signed properly.

As it is important to have a medical cover while abroad ensure that you acquire additional cover if your current insurer does not have such a provision. It is very important to find out before hand if the insurance plan you have directly pays the medical providers or reimburses you at a later date for medical expenses incurred while abroad. As most doctors ask for payment during consultation both in Australia as well as in many other countries, ensure to have an itemized bill that has the details of the service given. Also the contact information of the doctor should be kept for future reference if need arises.

Dealing with some traveling sicknesses.

Deep vein Thrombosis: The Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT as is widely known refers to the formation of blood clots in the legs. This usually happens when one remains immobilized for long periods of time during a plane flight. The risk is directly proportional to the length of flight. The longer it is the higher the risk of getting blood clots. Usually the clots are reabsorbed without a problem but at times one may suffer the misfortune of a clot breaking away and traveling to the lungs. The situation then becomes life threatening and immediate medical attention is needed.

The main symptom to look out for is the swelling of the foot or calf. This may be or may not be accompanied by pain. In fact even the presence of pain without any swelling is also regarded as a symptom. This symptoms are usually one sided but at times it may happen to both sides. If you have pain in the chest or when breathing becomes difficult you should seek for medical assistance immediately.

The best way to avoid these clots is by taking walks around the cabin every now and then when on long flights. You can also drink a lot of fluids although alcohol and cigarettes are discouraged. When seated you may try exercising by flexing the leg muscle every now and then.

Motion sickness: Motion sickness is usually a common occurrence. Most of the time, it is treated using antihistamines. The main side effect of these though is that they cause drowsiness. An alternative that works very well for some people is the ginger which is natural and rarely has side effects.

Jet lag: jet lag normally happens when five or more time zones are crossed during a flight. It can cause malaise, nausea or insomnia. The best way to avoid it is by taking a lot of fluids but not alcoholic ones. Try to expose yourself to as much sunlight as possible then change your eating and sleeping times as soon as you can when you get to your destination.

Taking care of medical costs while Australia

The health care in Australia is affordable. Even though this is so, it is always advisable to have an earlier arrangement for insurance cover. In the unfortunate event that you fall sick, accumulated bills could end up being too costly for you especially if repatriation becomes necessary.

The healthcare system in Australia is very good. There are private clinics as well as public medical facilities that get funding from the government. There are even special medical facilities for women and children which are located in the major centers.  Australians are medically covered by the Medicare system. For those visiting from countries that have an agreement with the Australian Medicare system they can benefit from this health care system. Examples of countries that have this agreement are the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Ireland, the UK, Finland and Malta. Before leaving your country check and clarify everything in regard to the type of cover you have and this can be done online.
In case you need to buy over the counter medication you can get them in one of the many privately run pharmacies. Skincare products, painkillers and antihistamines can be bought over the counter. You may come to learn however, that some over the counter medication in other countries need to be prescribed in Australia. Antibiotics, the contraceptive pill and most asthma medications fall under this category.

If you have medication that you take on a regular basis, it would be advisable to carry a sufficient supply. Also ensure that you know the generic name of the medication for easy identification of the same drug when away from home.

If you travel to the remote areas of the country there may be delays in emergency medical response getting to you. Therefore you should strive to be prepared for any eventualities. A first aid course would come in handy in such situations. Always have a first aid kit when going to places that are far away taking care to have a reliable means of communication for instance a radio communication for remote places. The Royal Flying Doctors Service avails back up service for people in remote areas.

There are no major health concerns in Australia and New Zealand that you should be too worried about, even though it is regularly reported in international news bulletins about people being attacked by salt water crocs, dingoes, and other animals. Australia has all of the health facilities of your home country and fatalities by animals in the bush are quite small. Although animals that are dangerous do exist in Australia and Australia have eight of the ten deadliest snakes in the world. But don’t worry we have enough anti-venom in the country to keep you alive.
But a rule of thumb in Australia when you are unaware of the toxicity of an animal or plant is that; if it is pretty or beautiful in a unique sort of way than it is probably toxic, because it has nothing preying on it and therefore does not need to blend into the natural environment.

Here is a list of potentially deadly creatures: Salt Water Crocodile / Dingo / Eastern Brown Snake / Platypus / Red Belly Black / Sydney Funnel Web / Red Back Spider / White Tail Spider / Red Kangaroo / Cassowary / Blue Ringed Octopus / Stone Fish / Sting Ray / Great White Shark / Bull Shark / Taipan and whole bunch of others that are equally worth mentioning.

But, your chances of running into any of them are pretty slim. To give you an understanding of the threat level that any of these animals pose to you is like saying; you would not go to the USA because you are frightened of getting eaten by a Grizzly Bear. That is about the same threat level to your well being that these animals pose.

(H1N1) STRAIN: SWINE FLU

But, the most important health concern that affects Australians at the present is that brought about influenza, particularly the pandemic (H1N1) strain, known as Swine Flu. From 30/10/09 there have been 187 recorded fatalities of Swine Flu in Australia and the southern capital of Victoria (Melbourne) is the most infected area in the country. Although the disease is more common in the northern hemisphere, where many governments have developed vaccination plans to combat the condition. So, it would be wise to have the appropriate shot before you come to Australia. But, if you are in Australia and you have not had the shot and believe that you want to then contact your OSHC provider to see if it is covered under their policy with you. US based researchers have shown concern over the possibility of the (H1N1) strain mutating and becoming resistant to the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir that is used to keep the disease in check. So, this is another reason to
have the appropriate shots because the more people who are protected by the vaccine the less chance the disease has of mutating.

SLIP / SLOP / SLAP

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. I doubt whether there has been an Australian family in the last 100 years that has not been affected by this disease. So, if you are auburn haired with freckles and kind of celtic looking than you are a prime target for the disease. So slip / slop / slap while you are in Australia, so you do not become a victim of this killer.

How do you stay healthy once you are in Australia?

Australian?s are some of the fattest people in the world. In fact, it has been reported that we are the fattest people in the world. Although an American friend told me he still thinks Americans have a couple of kilos on us. But, in spite of that predicament it is not hard to stay healthy in Australia.

Fresh food is in abundance and gym fees are generally cheap, with some gym chains offering memberships to travellers where they can go to any gym that is a part of their network or aligned through some other arrangement. Australia also has 24 hour gyms that tailor to those who like to work out at night. 24 hour gyms are perfect for overseas students who have a full course load while balancing the 20 hours of work per week they are allowed to do under the stipulations of their visa. So, you can maintain the 30 minutes a day of light to moderate exercise recommended by the Australian Federal Government by doing cardio on the treadmill or stationary bike, walking, biking, gardening or light aerobics quite easily.

It is not hard to maintain this light regime while you are a student in the country and most of the above exercises can be performed without you forking out a single cent. Even the outer western suburbs of most Australian cities on the east coast have adequate parkland and walking tracks that are designed for the needs of walkers in those areas. Plus it is possible to circumvent the whole 30 minutes a day thing by doing 20 min of hard exercise three days a week.

The Australian Federal Government recommends that the average person eats five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit. This is probably a similar recommendation from the country that you come from and in all reality it is difficult to maintain, but remains a significant challenge to those who try to hold to the strictness of the recommendation.

Australia has a fair share of fast food chains, both Australian companies and international franchises, so it is easy for a busy student to get caught up in the easy meals lifestyle. Why go home and cook a meal when you can buy a burger and fries? But, there are resources at most education institutions in Australia that would help you with making culinary and culturally appropriate choices for you while you are in the country.  Australia has embraced (to a degree) its cultural diversity and it is common in most cities in Australia to see supermarkets for non Anglo Celtic Australians and specialist delicatessens that cater to international visitors.

Also, it is beneficial to think of your emotional health as well while you are at it, because you will most likely suffer some degree of ?Culture Shock?. AA Education has a webpage on ?Australia Culture Shock ?it would be wise to have a look at it and learn the symptoms and how you can deal with it effectively.

Emotional health and the assistance of friends and colleagues, and professional counsellors at the institution you are studying at is a key to having a successful stay in Australia and meeting your educational goals that you have while you are here.  

And last but not least:

The most important thing to remember while you are in Australia is to slip / slop / slap. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. I doubt whether there has been an Australian family in the last 100 years that has not been affected by this disease. So, if you are auburn haired with freckles and kind of Celtic looking than you are a prime target for this disease so slip / slop / slap when you are down at the beach, out walking or playing with your mates in the backyard.
Welcome to OZ!