Melanoma March is the perfect opportunity to help raise awareness and enable much needed research to be undertaken to move closer to a cure.

Melanoma March is in its eighth year and is now Melanoma Institute Australia’s major annual fundraising campaign to support Melanoma research. Research is making a huge difference with breakthroughs, tripling the life expectancy for advanced Melanoma patients however more needs to be done.

In Australia 1 in 14 men and 1 in 24 women will be diagnosed with melanoma sometime in their life. Melanoma is often referred to as Australia’s national cancer. Melanoma is the most common cancer in young Australians aged between 15 and 39 years old and kills more young Australians between the ages of 20 and 39 years old than any other single cancer.

With statistics like these it is so important to get on board this fund raiser and ‘March to find a cure’.

https://melanomamarch.org.au/

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Monday 24th – closing at 2.00pm

Thursday 27th – closing at 3.00pm

Friday 28th – closing at 3.00pm

Monday 31st- closing at 3.00pm

We will be open Thursday 27th and Friday 28th between the hours of 8:00am-3:00pm however these will be for emergency appointments only. We will have multiple doctors away on those dates so we will not be making routine bookings unless requested by your doctor. If you know you will be needing scripts during this time please make an appointment prior to the Christmas period to make sure that you are not without medication over the break.

Saturday 29th December- 9am-11.30am *Emergencies on the day only. No pre-booking*

Monday 31st December we will be closing at 3:00pm

Tuesday 1st January-Closed

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for allowing us to provide care to you and your families throughout 2018. We wish you all a safe, happy and healthy festive season and beyond.

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Decembeard is the month to raise awareness of bowel cancer in men. All you need to do is grow a beard, that simple!!

Promoting your facial hair will raise much needed awareness and funds for Australia’s second biggest cancer killer. 1 in 11 Australian men will develop bowel cancer in their lifetime and it can affect men of all ages, however risk increases every year from the age of 50.

Choices you make related to diet, lifestyle and screening can influence your bowel cancer risk.

Most men who develop bowel cancer have no family history of the disease, although having a parent, brother, sister or child with bowel cancer can increase your risk of developing it.

Screening is recommended depending on your personal level of risk. For people at average risk of bowel cancer, guidelines recommend screening using a FIT test (Fecal Immunochemical Test) every 2 years from the age of 50. However, if you have one relative diagnosed with bowel cancer at age 55 years or older, screening should be considered every 2 years from age 45.

Early detection could save your life!

No matter your age, you should never be told that you are ‘too young’ to have bowel cancer.

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The month of November gives woman the opportunity to support Cancer Council’s Girls’ Night In campaign to raise money and awareness for women’s cancers. Some ideas to help raise much needed funds can include a dinner party, high tea or a clothes swap. You could even go all out with perhaps hosting an event for a slightly larger crowd maybe a fancy dress party or trivia night. The ideas are endless not to mention a great opportunity and excuse for a get-together.

Your Girls’ night in event will make a difference to thousands of women across Australia affected by cancer. This year it’s estimated that over 20,000 Australian women will be diagnosed with breast or gynaecological cancer. Thanks to research and early detection and prevention the 5 year survival rate for breast cancer increased by 17% and gynaecological cancers by 7% from 1982-2012. Together we really can make a difference.

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Tickets will be available from the following venues from the 10^th September til sold out.

Mildura Rural City Council- 76 Deakin Ave, Mildura

Ouyen Service Centre- 79 Oke Street, Ouyen

Tickets can also be purchased over the phone using a credit card. To purchase tickets over the phone please call 50188100.

Sunraysia Bus lines have partnered with Mildura Rural City Council to offer seniors FREE bus travel from the 7^th to the 14^th of October on all their bus routes. Simply show your Victorian Seniors Card when catching the bus. Some events have special transport arrangements, so please check the program for relevant details.

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It is important to keep in mind how common it is for mothers to experience ups and downs with breastfeeding. However it is also important to not give up unless you really want to. There’s a lot of help available and most problems can be overcome.

Breastfeeding can be a special time for mother and baby as well as offering tremendous health benefits to both. Breast milk is designed to cater for your child’s nutritional needs in the first six months of life. Benefits start straight from birth when the woman’s breasts secrete colostrum, a yellowish fluid rich in proteins. Colostrum is the most superior and well-designed nutrition for your baby in the first few days of life. These valuable proteins are essential to the development of a healthy immune system. The protein is easily digested and absorbed by the body, especially by the rapidly developing brain.

It contains factors that promote maturation of the gut and good digestion.

Benefits just continue on for breast fed babies. Advantages include increased resistance to infections, decreased risk of allergies and lactose intolerance. Baby experiences fewer stomach upsets and constipation and they benefit emotionally as they are held more.

Not only does breast feeding benefit the baby but it also helps the mother in many ways. The benefits start straight after birth with the baby’s suckling helping Mum’s uterus to contract, reducing the flow of blood after delivery.  It is an amazing bonding experiencing helping mother and child feel close to each other. It helps the mother’s body return to normal quicker in terms of losing weight more easily and breastfeeding is more economical than formula feeding.

Of course there are many different demands on busy mothers, meaning that women who may want to breastfeed their babies haven’t always got the support to continue this. Busy working schedules alongside the many other challenges that modern women face can mean that women don’t always feel that breastfeeding their child is something that is an accessible option to them.

Breastfeeding support and advice can be sought from other mothers and from a range of health professionals including midwives, baby health nurses, Australian Breastfeeding Association counsellors, lactation consultants and doctors.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association offers mother-to-mother support and encouragement to breastfeed. It also provides counselling from trained ABA counsellors, a newsletter, a library and other activities. ABA support is available in all states and territories of Australia.

The website www.breastfeeding.asn.au<http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au>

is an excellent source of useful hints and information. One feature is information for fathers. It provides an email counselling service and links to other breastfeeding sites.

*   Breastfeeding Helpline – Australia 1800 686 2 686.

*   Child and Family Health Services in your state or territory.

*   Parent Helpline in your state or territory.

The post World Breastfeeding Week- 1st-7th August 2018 appeared first on Ontario Medical Clinic.

White Ribbon is an organisation that helps to raise awareness and helping bring an end to violence against women. Violence against women is not just a women’s issue it’s a social issue, it’s everybody’s issue!

The White Ribbon organisation receives less than 10% funding from the government. The organisation relies on generous donations from everyday Australians to enable the work that needs to be done to end men’s violence against women.

It doesn’t have to be a night out, your fund raiser may include a movie night in with friends, a games night, a footy game dedicated to raising awareness or a workplace fund raiser that may include a morning tea or casual dress day.

Any money raised will go to help towards preventing violence against woman.

For more information go to https://www.whiteribbon.org.au/night/

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Kids Health

Being active and eating healthy plays a big part in a child’s life. Everyone, not just kids should be active every day in as many ways as possible. Not being active can cause an energy imbalance which is when you take in more energy than you actually use. Poor diets can make children sluggish, tired, moody, irritable and sometimes constipated or bloated. Such symptoms can affect kids with their school work and the ability to concentrate.

For good health, wellbeing and a healthy weight it is recommended that children eat plenty of plant foods such as fruit, vegetables, bread and other grain-based foods. They should be eating moderate amounts of animal foods such as lean meat, reduced fat dairy products, chicken, fish and eggs and small amounts (if at all) foods that are fatty and high in sugar which include lollies, chocolates, soft drinks, pies and sausage rolls.

Poorly balanced eating is associated with serious health concerns such as bone growth problems, dental decay, anaemia, and lung and breathing conditions. Some children may even develop high blood cholesterol.  Overweight children may also find themselves socially isolated without friends, targets for school yard and cyber bullies.

The benefits of eating healthy and staying active for children are huge. Helping their bodies to grow properly, giving them strong bones, muscles, lungs and heart. It helps children with good flexibility, balance and coordination as well as sleeping better, improving posture and last but not least to have fun!

For the best start to the day help your child choose a healthy breakfast which is high in carbohydrates such as toast, cereal with milk or fruit and yoghurt.  Just like a car cannot run without fuel, our bodies need energy to work. Especially after a night’s sleep, energy levels are low.

Encourage your children to get active each day, turning off the TV, computer or iPad and help them make healthy choices such as water and eating more fruit and vegies.

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An allergic reaction can quickly become life threatening and people can die from a food allergy. The risk cannot be removed however it can be managed.

A food allergy is an immune system response to a food protein that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. This in turn makes the immune system release massive amounts of chemicals, triggering symptoms that can affect a person’s breathing, gastrointestinal tract, skin and/or heart.

An allergic reaction may present in the form of hives, swelling of the lips, face and eyes, abdominal pain, vomiting, swelling of the tongue, swelling of the throat, breathing difficulty, persistent dizziness and/collapse.

As a community it is vital we know how to minimise the risk of reaction, to know what to do if a reaction happens, and to understand and support family, friends and colleagues living with food allergies.

The post Food Allergy Awareness Week- 13 May 2018 to 19 May 2018 appeared first on Ontario Medical Clinic.

Schizophrenia is a medical condition affecting the normal functioning of the brain altering a person’s ability to think, feel and act. For many this medical condition is a prolonged illness which can involve years of distressing symptoms and disability.

If not treated symptoms may include confused thinking, delusions and hallucinations. These are symptoms of what is called psychosis.

Treatment should generally include a combination of medication and community support, both are usually essential for the best outcome. Medication can assist the brain to restore its usual chemical balance, reducing some of the symptoms.

You can help by participating in an online quiz. Go to www.dowhatyoucando.com.au  and complete and share your results on social media. By doing so you will help tremendously, raising awareness of this mental illness. Understanding and acceptance by the community is essential.

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