JUST SAY AAAH - Brought to you by HBF Family Health

For your chance to raise medical questions with the HBF Family Doctor 
please see the bottom of this page.

Sunburn can be deadly 

Skin cancer starts in childhood

One in two Australians will get skin cancer in their lifetime, despite the fact that 90% of melanomas could be avoided by staying out of the sun. Stopping your child from getting sunburnt is the number one way to prevent skin cancer. Research shows that number of times you have been sunburnt in your life - especially as a child - correlates to your risk of melanoma. Sunburn may heal on the surface, but some of the damage appears to stay in the body.

Not just an adult disease

Most people think of skin cancer as a disease that only affects sun-hardened middle-age adults: itís not. Teenagers and young adults also suffer skin cancers. Each year, 14-year olds are having malignant moles removed thanks to their golden upbringing in the Australian sun. A number of young adults in their twenties die each year from skin cancer. Simple changes to your lifestyle will help to keep your kids safe.

Infants under the age of 6 months

Do not use sun block; a babyís organs are still maturing and scientists are unwilling to recommend the use of sunscreen chemicals at this early age. Instead, babies need to be shaded from the sun at all times. And remember that UV light reflects off walls, beach sand and water. If thereís high glare, you can actually get sunburnt from all the bouncing UV rays.

Kids over 6 months

Slather the kids from head to toe, every two hours with 30+. (Any sun cream lower than 15+ is not suitable for children). Be wary of creams claiming to have long-lasting effects: most kids I know have usually rubbed, scrapped or sweated theirs off in the first couple of hours! Try and be extra vigilant on days where itís NOT hot. Research shows more people get caught with sunburn during the spring months and on cloudy days when they underestimate the power of the sun.

What type of sun cream?

There are two main categories of sun cream: ones with a ëphysical barrierí to the sun and others that rely on a chemical reaction in the skin to absorb UV rays.

While chemical formulas work very effectively to absorb UV radiation - they may be more irritating to young and sensitive skins. Physical barrier creams use tiny particles of titanium dioxide to act as a mirror to reflect the sunís rays and can be a little whiter in appearance when first rubbed on.

Spotting skin cancer

Most skin cancers develop as changes in moles and freckles. The mole may appear larger, raised, red, or simply feel different. If you have a mole like this, PLEASE see your doctor immediately. Melanoma (skin cancer in moles) can be deadly.

While skin cancer in children and teenagers is rare, I urge parents to check their kids from head to toe each year. Teenagers from 13 years onwards can have all of their moles checked by their doctor as a safety net.

For you chance to ask the HBF Family Doctor a question head to www.askted.com.au 

 Readersí question

I would like some information on panic attacks. They occurred to me out of the blue a month or so ago and I have commenced antidepressants. This is not my normal pattern as I am usually a very calm person. I feel it could be related to menopause as well.

Regards,
Anne

Doctorís answer:

Recent studies show that women have an increase in anxiety and/or panic during menopause, pre-menopause and also in conjunction with PMS.

Swinging hormones give women a hard time with ëupsí and ëdownsí in mood. Menopausal women suffer most and can also experience strong sudden rushes of energy, feelings of electricity flowing through the body, hot prickly feelings on the skin, tingling, and ice-cold sensations. 

Having these sudden sensations would make me panic! But seriously, ìpanicî is simply the mindís reaction to a situation - and in your case it may be the mind trying to cope with these surging energies or sensations.

There are two ways of dealing with panic attacks. The swiftest way is to use medication we call anti-depressants. The better, longer term ìfixî is based on what is known as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).  In this situation you use your own mind to gain insight into whatís causing the feelings, and then ìinteractî with the issue instead of fearing it.

After a month on the antidepressants you should start to feel much better. Rest and gentle exercise everyday will also help you feel ëbalancedí again. 

ëTis the season to be aware

Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction. It is potentially life-threatening, killing approximately 20 Australians each year.

Christmas is the time of year when people eat and socialise outside their ìsafeî home environment. Since around 85%1 of fatalities occur outside the home, people with allergies need to be especially aware.

The symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
ï Difficulty breathing
ï Swelling of the tongue, face lips and eyes
ï Wheezing
ï Hives or welts on the skin.

Anaphylaxis is most often caused by foods (peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, soy, seafood), insect stings and bites, latex and some medicines.

If someone in your family is at risk of a severe allergic reaction, remember to carry an adrenaline injection (EpiPenÆ) with you at all times and check the expiry date.

Be prepared: anaphylaxis can strike at any time!

For a free Anaphylaxis Information Pack call 1800 173 072.

1.      S.Allan Bock et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol2001;107:191-3.

Pneumococcal Immunisation

In January 2005 the pneumococcal vaccine will become freely available. The new Australian Standard Vaccine Schedule recommends immunising against pneumococcal disease for all infants at two, four and six months of age.

The free Prevenar vaccination programme will commence on 1 January 2005, with a catch-up for all children born from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004. These children will be eligible for free Prevenar during 2005.

Pneumococcal meningitis is the leading cause of meningitis in children under five years of age, it is more deadly than meningococcal disease and causes disability of greater severity than meningococcal meningitis.

Population-based research has found that infants and young children are particularly at risk, with children aged 12.4 months reported as the median age of diagnosis. ICU admission was required for 41.5 per cent of those afflicted. 

Of particular concern to parents, the study concluded that the disease is often difficult to diagnose - of the 41 children diagnosed at a WA hospital, 6 had already been seen more than once by a general practitioner - indicating the difficulty for even trained doctors to recognize the disease symptoms.

Almost a quarter of all children who contract pneumococcal meningitis in the first year of life will be left with a moderate or severe disability and, in some circumstances, may die.

Most revealing, however, is that 84.5 per cent of cases were caused by the serotypes contained in the existing 7-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine - supporting the case for prevention through immunisation rather than treatment.

A US trial where infants were vaccinated with Prevenar or control at two, four, six and 12-15 months of age there was a 97 per cent reduction in serious pneumococcal disease caused by the seven strains covered in the vaccine in fully vaccinated children. There was an 89 per cent reduction in total invasive pneumococcal disease burden in children who received one or more doses of Prevenar and a 33 per cent reduction in cases of pneumonia confirmed by x-ray.

For more information on how the Pneumococcal Immunisation will affect your child please consult your family physician or visit www.immunise.health.gov.au  For general information on pneumococcal meningitis visit www.meningitis.com.au