In today’s episode I show you how doctors can easily diagnose lung conditions such as Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cystic Fibrosis and lung scarring through the use of spirometry.
To prepare for your test, you will have your height and weight measured along with your age. It is important that prior to your test you do not take any inhalers but bring these with you as we often repeat the test with medication to assess their efficacy.
The test involves putting a tight seal around the mouthpiece and blowing as hard as you can until the beeper sounds. This then formulates a series of numbers and often a graph is shown to compare you against someone of a similar age, height and weight. Your doctor can then analyse these results and let you know your diagnosis.
Ever walked into a pharmacy and felt overwhelmed by all of the different medicines and vitamins? 💊
Whether you’re taking prescribed medication or over the counter supplements, it’s time to question what they are for, how you are taking them and what potential side effects they have. If medicines are not used correctly, serious issues can occur. Each year 230,000 Australians are hospitalised with problems by their medicines. It is vital that your medications are reviewed regularly by your doctor to ensure they are still needed.
So next time you’re getting a script make sure you’ve got all your information. If you have any concerns or questions please pop by and see me in clinic.
Take care and stay healthy 😘
Dr Nora 💉
For more information visit nps.org.au/bemedicinewise
Join me this episode at Venus Concept’s WOW event at Brisbane, where I got the chance to talk to the award winning dermatologist Dr Davin Lim to find out his top tip for keeping skin healthy, and the educational lead for Venus Concept who took us around the devices and shared her secrets of keeping her skin so gorgeous.
We also got to hear a presentation from the co-host of Doctors show in the US, Dr Sonia Batra who shared her experience and insights to cosmetic treatments.
At the end of the informative meeting, we’re treated to a magic show, can you spot how the trick is done?
Sometimes, giving a girl flowers is not the best thing especially if they have hay fever 🌺
Did you know that nearly 1 in 5 Australians suffer from hay fever at some point in their lives. It is more common if there is a family history of allergies, especially asthma or eczema. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose or itchy eyes.
Treatment usually takes the form of anti-histamine tablets that can be brought from the chemist. However always seek advice from your doctor if you are concerned.
