Disposable facemasks – advice from Era Health

Tips on how to put on, wear and remove a facemask effectively

Welcome to week two of the Victorian COVID 19 lockdown – facemasks.

Facemasks/face coverings have now become compulsory in the Melbourne Metropolitan area and Mitchell shire.
For those wearing disposable facemasks (you are also permitted to use cloth masks and scarves), they must be put on, worn and removed safely.

We have noted many people are not wearing their facemasks properly!

Here are a few tips on how to put on, wear and remove a facemask effectively:

1- before touching a facemask, sanitise your hands (either washes your hands with soap and warm water or with a hand-wash containing between 70 – 95% ethanol);

2- holding the facemask only by the ties/ear loops, with the coloured side facing away from you and with the metal strip uppermost, position the top part of the mask containing the metallic strip over your nose, and secure the upper ties/ear loops (if ties, secure the upper ties above your ears);

3- centre the mask and then squeeze the metallic section so that it fits snugly over your nose;

4- holding the white rim of the lower part of the facemask, gently pull it down over your chin so that the mask fits snugly;

5- if your mask has ties, secure the lower ties beneath your ears;

6- change your facemask every four (4) hours or should it become moist;

7- DO NOT TOUCH the mask once you have it on (if you need to touch your mask, sanitise your hands first);

8- if you wear glasses, you may experience initial fogging of your glasses;

9- and, without touching the mask other than by the ties/loops, place it in a bin;

10- after removing your mask, sanitise your hands.

11- remember, used facemasks are potentially infectious.

Remember, Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD remains open for both face-to-face and telehealth consultations.

Stay safe.

For appointments:

Go online (https://www.erahealth.com.au/)

Email the clinic (info@erahealth.com.au)

Call the clinic (9944 6200)

Mental health & COVID-19 – Tips and advice‎

It’s been a stressful time all around since coronavirus (COVID-19) arrived. COVID 19 brought a lot of uncertainty into our lives.

Some potential mental health impacts could affect all of us. Here are some of the problems.
• increased anxiety, a fear for our health.
• psychological distress
• social isolation
• Momentary interruption of our work or study
• Lack of a daily routine and functioning.

If you are feeling stress, anxiety, or any other mental health concern, below are some practices to help your Mental health to cope with COVID-19 – Tips and advice‎.

1. It is essential to maintain a daily routine.
2. Connect with family and friends
3. Practise exercises and try to eat healthy foods.
4. Limit the use of alcohol.
5. Find activities that can relax you. Meditation could be a great help
6. Avoid the 24 hours news that we are being exposed as well as content on Social Media

Below are some services for you to seek support if you need.

You can book an appointment to see one of our Doctor or Psychologist at Era Health.

Era Health, we offer both face-to-face consultations as well as Telehealth services.
For appointments:

Go online (https://www.erahealth.com.au/)
Email the clinic (info@erahealth.com.au)
Call the clinic (9944 6200)

Other telephone and online supports:
Beyond Blue
1300 224 636
www.beyondblue.org.au
Lifeline Australia
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au

Welcome to Week 1 of the reimplementation of Stage 3 restrictions for those that live in the Melbourne Metropolitan area.

Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD is open and operating as normal and providing both face-to-face and Telehealth consultations during this new Melbourne Stage 3 restrictions.

Telehealth is a great option for those not wanting to attend the clinic especially for those living outside the Stage 3 zones. With Telehealth, we can provide:-

• Consultations for many (but not all) medical conditions;
• Prescriptions for your medication(s);
• Chronic care plans;
• Mental health consultations and care plans; and
• Medical and WorkCover certificates.

It is important not to let minor health conditions become worse during this period just because you may feel reluctant to visit a health professional. We are here to help.

How to book Bulk Billed Tele-Health Consultation at Era Health?

You can book a Telehealth appointment on our website using the “Book Telehealth Online” button, or you can call the clinic to arrange it.

For Telehealth appointment, you will receive a call around your appointment time.

Go online (https://www.erahealth.com.au/)
Email the clinic (info@erahealth.com.au)
Call the clinic (9944 6200)

Clinic hours: 9.00 AM – 5.00 PM Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays)

Other News on Telehealth

Your Next Doctors Appointment Could Be Right from The Comfort Of Your Home
https://local.google.com/place?id=10082356490144129063&use=posts&lpsid=6697344607038570664

Coronavirus: what are the symptoms and how to act when you think you could be infected. 

Coronavirus: Symptoms and What to Do – Update 15 March 2020

The coronavirus or better known as COVID-19, whose first cases were detected in early December 2019 in China, remained at the center of the world scene after its expansion around the world. Most infected people experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more serious in some cases. The risk groups are those over 65 years old and patients with pre-existing diseases. 

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

Some of them are high fever, chills, shortness of breath, sore throat, cough, muscle pain, and runny nose. The most complex cases are registered in the risk groups.

How to prevent coronavirus?

The World Health Organization lists several tips that are generally applied to reduce the risk of respiratory infections.

• Wash your hands frequently with an antiseptic gel, or with soap and water. The virus can be transmitted by touching contaminated or diseased surfaces, so this hygiene action reduces risks.

• Regularly clean certain surfaces such as desks in workplaces.

Ensure that information on COVID-19 comes from reliable sources such as national public health agencies, medical professionals, or the World Health Organization itself. It is important to understand that the COVID-19 usually begins with fever or dry cough, not with nasal discomfort.

• Avoid travelling when symptoms of fever or cough occur: if there is discomfort during a flight, immediately inform the crew, and once at home, contact health professionals, informing where you have been.

• When you need to cough or sneeze, always do it on the arm sleeve (not on the hand) or use a handkerchief that should be thrown away immediately, and then wash your hands.

• People over 65 years of age or patients with health problems such as cardiovascular, respiratory or diabetes disease are at greater risk of complications from potential infection, so extra precautions should be taken, avoiding crowded areas or places where they could be in contact with potentially infected people. These people at high risk should perform voluntary isolation in their homes.

• If you feel unwell, stay home and call a doctor or health professional, Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD offers Telehealth Appointment for all new or current patients. 

• Avoid showing up spontaneously to an emergency department if you are uncertain about your conditions. 

To be tested, it is important that patients fall into one of the three categories of the suspected case below:

A. Patients that have clinical and epidemiological criteria, which means: fever or acute respiratory infection AND international travel in the 14 days before the onset of illness, or close contact in the 14 days before illness onset with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Please note that casual contact is no longer a trigger for testing.

B. Patients that have severe community-acquired pneumonia (who are critically ill) and no other cause is identified, with or without recent international travel.

C. The patient is a healthcare worker with direct patient contact who has a fever (≥ 37.5) AND an acute respiratory infection (e.g. shortness of breath, cough, sore throat).

 For more information visit Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD www.era health.com.au or Call us at 9944 6200

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=q6kyXtChVJ0&feature=emb_title

References

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorian-public-coronavirus-disease-covid-19         

What it is a Fitness for Duty, and what are the benefits?

Fitness for Duty assessments is designed to ensure an employee is physically fit and capable of carrying out the tasks associated with their particular job description. The fit to work assessment is a vital aspect of the injury management process for your staff as well as being essential to the operation of risk management for the company.

Benefits

• Helps you manage and assess the health issues of your staff.
• Assists in the risk management process of your company.
• Assists in the worker’s compensation and injury management process of your workforce.
• Assists with injury rehabilitation
• Contributes to health and safety in the workplace
• Complies with Workers’ Compensation legislation.
• This service is available through Era Health Work Solutions in Melbourne and Australia wide.

Features

At Era Health, we pride ourselves on the attention to detail contained in our fitness for duty examinations and assessments. With an extensive consultation with the employee and managers, we aim to acquire a thorough understanding of their job description and the requirements of their position. A complete medical examination will ascertain the fitness and readiness of the employee to return to work.

A full written report is prepared, which contains the findings of our team, gives concise medical information and outlines specific recommendations if applicable.

Employees who are not physically or mentally fit for work constitute a danger to themselves as well as to others in the workforce. The purpose of an Era Health Fitness for Duty assessment is to conduct a full evaluation of an employee’s capability to remain at, or return to, their position. The comprehensive report applies to workers’ compensation and permanent disability claims.

If you need more information you can visit our website www.erahealth.com.au  or you can call on 03 9944 6200

Keto diet for beginners

What is Keto or Ketosis?
If you are Keto diet  beginner,  Keto means fat burning
When you burn fat, the fat breaks down into what’s called Ketones where the body can use it as an alternative fuel, a much better fuel-source than sugar fuel. It lowers blood sugar and insulin levels and shifts the body’s metabolism away from carbs and towards fat and ketones.

Different Types of Ketogenic Diets

There are many types of ketogenic diet, including:

Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs (1Trusted Source).
Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as five ketogenic days followed by two high-carb days.

Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.

High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.

Can I reduce weight on a Keto diet?

The answer is yes. A ketogenic diet is a great way to lose weight and reduce many risk factors for disease such as Cancer.

Healthy Ketosis is a version of regular Ketosis based on a principle where you must “Get healthy first, then lose the weight.” And “get healthy” means related to eating healthy, high-quality foods that are providing all of your nutrients.

The number of carbs that you can eat in a ketogenic diet is between 20–50 grams per day. probably its sound challenging, but lots of foods will fit into this diet. That is why we have created this blog for Keto diet for beginners so you can have a better understanding of what is involved.

We have selected 9 most healthy foods to eat on a ketogenic diet.

 

But also, it has other great health benefits for different health conditions such as Heart disease, Cancer, Alzheimer, Epilepsy, Acne, Brain injuries, Parkinson and more.
Do you want to know more about the Keto diet for beginners please consult with one of our doctors

Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD
Call 03 9944 6200

Waking up well-rested can make a huge difference in our mood and mental state. However, a good night’s rest can be an elusive goal for some. The habits we set for ourselves and how we maintain our sleeping environment play a significant role when it comes to sleep quality. If getting consistently good rest is a struggle, refer to this guide for effective tips on how to get the best sleep of your life.

• Do: Put Yourself on a Sleep Schedule

Although it can be hard to maintain the same bedtime every night, studies have shown that going to sleep at the same time consistently helps to put the body in a rhythm. Even on weekends and when travelling, we can benefit from honouring a schedule. Try to maintain the same bedtime within 30 minutes from night to a night for the best results. Even one late night a week can make it harder to get to sleep.

• Don’t: Drink Caffeine or Alcohol Close to Bedtime

Caffeine is a stimulant which is great when we want to stay awake, but not so good before bed so it’s best to switch to decaf at least 5-6 hours before bedtime. Also, it’s common for people to drink alcohol in the evening and it can seem to induce a drowsy feeling. However, though alcohol can make us sleepy, it can also prevent normal circadian rhythms. It’s not usually a problem to have one drink in the evening but avoid overindulging close to bedtime.

• Do: Follow A Sleep Friendly Diet

The foods that we eat can play a large role in sleep quality. Chances are, our diet may not be promoting good sleep patterns. The good news is that changing our diet is pretty simple. It’s best to avoid spicy foods just before going to bed. However, foods that are sources of calcium, magnesium, and tryptophan are all going to promote sleep. Dairy and nuts are good sources of the first two nutrients while tryptophan is found in most meats as well as chickpeas. One other thing to avoid late at night is ice cream before bed. Though undeniably delicious, ice cream is notorious for giving heartburn in the middle of the night, so it’s best to have it earlier than later in the evening.

• Don’t: Watch Electronics an Hour before Bed

Although we often enjoy watching some television or playing on our phones before heading to bed, this habit disrupts our sleeping patterns. The blue light that comes from electronic devices actually tricks our brains into thinking that it’s daytime. Though not impossible, it is harder to turn off our brains if we’ve been using electronics thus it’s best practice to avoid any electronics as well as bright lights about 60 minutes before going to bed.

• Do: Avoid Spending Time in Bed During the Day

Most people find their bed to be one of the most comfortable spots in the home. Although it’s often fun to lounge in bed, we might actually be preventing our body from getting into the habit of recognizing the bed as a place for relaxation. If we relegate the bed for only sleep and intimacy, it’s more likely that our brains will associate the practice of getting into bed as a time to unwind. Also, when we wake up in the morning, get out of bed quickly rather than lounge around. Again, it’s all about training the brain to understand the role of our bed.

• Don’t: Be Afraid to Get Help

Although it can be hard to recognize and admit that we may need to use a sleep aid, it’s better to take a natural supplement to help fall asleep than to suffer from insomnia. Consider trying magnesium, melatonin or valerian to promote sleep.

• Do: Create a Relaxing Sleep Environment

We all have different needs when it comes to sleep. Some sleep better in a cold room that’s completely dark while others find they like having a sound machine that plays white noise or maybe need a certain type of pillow. Regardless of what it is, learn what you need in your environment to encourage healthy sleep patterns.

• Don’t: Lie in Bed Awake

When we can’t fall to sleep within 15-30 minutes, don’t stay in bed trying to force it. Instead, get out of bed and go read a book (the paper kind not electronic). When we start to feel tired, head back to bed and try again. This will help exhaust the mind.

• Do: Keep a Notebook by the Bed

Many people find that they are plagued with anxiety that keeps them awake at night. Journaling our thoughts and feelings is a way to get them off our hearts and minds. By writing them down, we are telling ourselves to forget that problem or task and that it can wait until the morning. Many people find that they become anxious in the evening to have said that this method works well for them.

• Don’t: Exercise Close to Bedtime

The evening is often a good time for exercise since it tends to be less busy. However, any activity that gets the heart racing also releases adrenaline and cortisol, stress hormones, that keep us alert and awake. Try to avoid any strenuous physical activity 2-3 hours before bedtime. A smart evening activity is meditation or yoga as they help the body get grounded and settle down for the night.

This guide of the essential do’s and don’ts for getting the best sleep of your life helps create effective sleep habits. Thus, when stress, travel or injury disrupts our sleep, we know what to do to reset our sleep pattern and prevent insomnia from lingering. Employing these tips can support us in having restful sleep so we wake up rejuvenated and ready for our day.

For more information, please consult with your doctor

Era Health Doctor Melbourne CBD

Ever arrived at the doctor’s office, waited patiently for your turn, only to leave frustrated because you didn’t get the most out of your appointment?

Unfortunately, this is all-too-common if you fail to prepare properly for your doctor’s visit. It may sound like overkill to ”prepare” for an appointment, but when your health is in question, no amount of preparation is too much.

Here’s how to ensure you walk away completely satisfied the next time you have a doctor’s appointment at a medical center in Melbourne.

Preparing For Your Visit to a Medical Center in Melbourne

Perhaps you feel a little sheepish bringing a notepad and a pen to a doctor’s appointment? But if it helps you to remember important questions you want to ask your doctor and their feedback, then why not?

This just goes to show that your health is a top priority and any medical professional should have great respect for that.

Each doctor’s appointment is important, most especially if you are living out your golden years. Whether it’s for a regular check-up, test results, or specialized treatment, there are ways in which you can prepare.

As you may have learned from previous doctor’s visits, time is of the essence. So here’s how to make the most out each appointment:

1. Write Out a List of Your Concerns

It’s quite simple – to ensure you don’t forget about any niggling concerns you have about your health, just write it all down.

Before your appointment, jot down a list of symptoms and questions you’d like to run past your doctor. If you have a few items you’d like to discuss, write them down in order of importance- with the most concerning ones first.

Remember that you shouldn’t put off health concerns just because you’re limited by time at a doctor’s appointment. Bring them up first and ask as many questions as you need to.

2. Take All Important Information With You

If you have a hard time remembering the prescription medication, vitamins or over-the-counter pills you take, write down a list of these. And don’t forget to include the dosage amounts, too.

You should also carry your medical insurance card, emergency contact details, and the names and numbers of any other doctors you see. This is especially relevant if you are visiting a new doctor for the first time.

3. Bring a Neutral Party With You

Generally, you are more than welcome to bring in another member into a doctor’s appointment with you, if you prefer. If you struggle to remember what you wanted to discuss, your friend or relative can bring this up on your behalf.

Likewise, if you are too embarrassed to bring up a certain medical concern, a neutral party can also discuss this for you. Finally, they can also help you by taking down important notes to help you remember all your doctor’s advice and feedback.

4. Don’t Be Shy in Sharing Your Medical History

Upon visiting a new doctor for the first time you will generally be asked to fill out a medical history form. If you struggle to remember it all or interpret the forms, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

And just because you wrote it all down, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t discuss your medical history with your doctor. If you feel there is something important you doctor should know in more detail, don’t shy away from sharing with them.

5. Ensure You Understand Your Doctor Properly

Some doctors have a habit of speaking very quickly and using a bunch of industry jargon that may make little to no sense to you. This can often leave you feeling confused and unsure of the next step in your healthcare journey.

If you don’t understand what your doctor has said, or cannot hear them properly, don’t be afraid to ask them to stop and re-phrase. If you struggle from a hearing impairment, let the doctor’s office know beforehand.

6. Keep Your Doctor Up-to-Speed

This only applies after one or two visits to a new doctor. But each time you head in for an appointment, make sure you update your doctor on your health status.

Let them know if you have recently been treated for something, seen a specialist or visited the emergency room. Don’t forget to mention changes in your sleep pattern, appetite, weight or energy levels, if any.

7. Always Honest About Your Health

It’s important to be as open and honest with your doctor at all times regarding your health and your lifestyle. Because ultimately, this can have a great effect on the treatment you receive and how you respond to it.

Be honest with your doctor about habits that could affect your health. This includes things like dieting, failing to exercise, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol, smoking, etc. This also relates to using illegal drugs, promiscuity, stress levels, and any other unhealthy habits.

8. Remember to Keep an Open Mind

Some of the most troubling patients for doctors to treat are those with a fixed, preconceived idea about the type of treatment they should receive.

Always keep an open mind when it comes to your health and the advice of a qualified and experienced professional.

At the end of the day, a doctor will do their best to hear you out and educate you as much as they can. But if you are not willing to hear or receive their advice this could be detrimental to your health.

Looking For a Private Medical Center in Melbourne?

Here at Era Health in the heart of Melbourne CBD, we offer specialized, private treatment for a plethora of ailments. Whether you’re looking for a doctor, dentist, physiotherapist, podiatrist or more, you’ll find it with us.

Visit our medical center in Melbourne by booking an appointment today and keeping your health in top-notch condition!