We can all be F.A.S.T. Heroes!

This National Stroke Week (Aug 31-Sept 6) Stroke Foundation is urging Australians from all walks of life to become the next generation of F.A.S.T. Heroes.

A F.A.S.T. hero is anyone who can help save a life simply by knowing how to recognise the F.A.S.T. (Face. Arms. Speech and Time) signs of stroke.

When a stroke happens, brain cells start dying at a frightening rate of up to 1.9 million per minute, but medical treatments can stop this damage.

The message is simple – Time is brain. The faster you can be treated after stroke, the more chance you have of making a full recovery.

About the Stroke Foundation

Every 4 minutes another Australian is diagnosed with cancer

Together we can stop this

The hope of a cancer free future means so much to the 150,000 Australians diagnosed with cancer each year, as well as those who are close to them.

By supporting the Daffodil Day Appeal, you can stop cancer by funding life-changing cancer research. You can give hope and save lives.

Research is vital to saving lives and finding less harsh cancer treatments. Money raised this Daffodil Day Appeal will help fund some of the brightest researchers in the country who are dedicated to discovering the next cancer breakthroughs.

Click here to find out more and to donate: www.daffodilday.com.au/donate

Since the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions earlier in the year, Aussies are spending more time at home than ever before. This has the potential to have a lasting impact on bone health.

This year Healthy Bones Action Week will embrace online fitness and wellness trends to provide Aussies with daily video inspiration to improve their bone health, wherever they are.

To view videos on how to keep your bones healthy, click here: https://www.dairy.com.au/our-programs/healthy-bones-action-week

Healthy Bones Action Week has called on Australians to protect their bones since 1994. People of all ages are encouraged to take three simple actions to build and maintain healthy bones:

Weight-bearing Workout with Sarah Piotrowski (for full workout version click here)

Want to know what is happening for Healthy Bones Action Week, you can visit https://www.dairy.com.au/our-programs/healthy-bones-action-week

Click on image to enlarge

Why your support matters

In Australia, nine children still die suddenly and unexpectedly every day.

That’s more than 3,000 babies, toddlers and preschoolers every year – more than double the national road toll.

We are still losing them to stillbirth, SIDS, and fatal sleeping accidents.

So while incredible gains have been made to reduce sudden infant deaths since the first Red Nose Day in 1988, the fight must continue.

To find out more click here: rednoseday.org.au/about/

While you are sleeping your body does a lot of important work:

• Your brain sorts and processes the days information creating long term memories as your brain consolidates all the information it’s picked up during the day and files it away for later use. Poor sleep leads to decreased decision-making ability, poorer reaction times and greater irritability.
• Hormones flood your body during sleep which helps your body to grow and repair itself. Without enough sleep, your hormones are out of whack and your body craves sugar, fat and high-GI foods leading to weight.
• Consistent good sleep may be a protective factor against heart disease, diabetes, stroke – as our sympathetic nervous system – which controls your fight or flight response – gets a chance to relax.
• Our cortisol levels (stress hormone) decreases during the first few hours of sleep before rising to peak soon after you wake up. This helps makes you feel perky when you wake up and switches on your appetite.
• Your immune system releases a type of small proteins called cytokines. If you’re sick or injured, these cytokines help your body fight inflammation, infection and trauma. Without enough sleep, your immune system might not be able to function at its best.

Sleep and mental health

Even partial sleep deprivation has a significant effect on mood. Not only does sleep affect mood, but mood and mental states can also affect sleep. Anxiety increases agitation and arousal, which make it hard to sleep. Stress also affects sleep by making the body aroused, awake, and alert

• Chronic sleep disruptions increase the likelihood of negative thinking, depression, anxiety and emotional vulnerability.
• Good quality sleep assists with the recovery from stressful experiences and is related to greater mental resilience.
• Poor sleepers are much more likely to develop significant mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety, than those who sleep well.
• The majority of people who have depression also experience sleep disturbances such as insomnia and sleep apnoea. It is therefore important that we look after our sleep to promote good mental health.
• Developing good sleep habits will improve sleep. A regular bedtime and waking time, avoiding stimulants (e.g., cigarettes and caffeine) before going to bed, exercising during the day, eating well, a comfortable bedroom that is quiet and dark, and avoiding electronic screens in the bedroom are all essential habits for good quality sleep. Why is sleep so important?We know that sleep is important because every animal ever studied sleeps. We have an overwhelming need to sleep if we are prevented from sleeping for several nights and because certain behaviours that are vital to our ability to function become impaired when we are sleep deprived.  While scientists don’t yet know exactly why we sleep, we know it is vital for both our physical and mental restoration. What are some of the negative things that can happen when you don’t get adequate sleep? The first things that suffer are related to our brain function.  We can’t hold our attention, our memory becomes poorer, our reactions are slowed and our mood fluctuates more than normal.  If inadequate sleep continues to occur regularly we find that our physical and mental health may be at risk.  The likelihood of depression increases, it seems likely our immune system suffers and we are at higher risk for metabolic impairments, such as those leading to diabetes.  Our performance at work is impaired and there is a higher chance of driving accidents.Why is Sleep Awareness Week so important?

  Sleep Awareness Week draws attention to the importance of sleep as a vital component to a healthy lifestyle.  While we have all heard a lot over the years about the importance of a good diet and regular exercise, the importance of sleep has received less attention.  The Sleep Health Foundation argues that sleep is the third pillar of health, alongside diet and exercise.  Interestingly, the recent Parliamentary Report on Sleep Health Awareness (entitled Bedtime Reading) agrees with this assessment and also argues sleep should become a national health priority.

  If you suspect you have a sleep disorder see your GP.

For more information click here: https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/key-events/about-sleep-awareness-week.html

Tempting as it is to think that everyone is practicing good oral health, the reality is that the oral health of many Australians is not where it should be.

•     Less than 50% of Australians adults have had a dental check-up in the last 12 months.
•     53% of Australians brush their teeth only once-a-day.
•     Nearly 40% never floss or clean between their teeth.
•     73% of young people (14-18 years) are consuming too much sugar.
•     47% of adults (18+ years) are consuming too much sugar.

More statistics on the oral health of Australian children and adults can be found in Australia’s Oral Health Tracker.

For more information, click here:  ADA_OHP_Factsheet_hidden_sugar_4MAY2020

DonateLife Week 2020

This is DonateLife Week, we encourage more Australians to register to be an organ and tissue donor, and to have a chat about it with their family and friends. While the majority of Australians believe it’s important to be an organ and tissue donor, only one in three are registered!

If you’re a registered donor or become a registered donor during DonateLife Week have a chat with your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to sign up too.

What is DonateLife Week?

We want to inspire all Australians to make a real difference to the lives of others by registering and telling their family they want to be a donor.

So every year we run DonateLife Week! A national awareness week dedicated to promoting organ and tissue donation.

Across Australia, DonateLife agencies and our community stakeholders help spread the word about the life changing gift of organ and tissue donation.

To find out more click here: donatelife.gov.au/resources/donatelife-week

To register as a donor click here: donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today

JulEye has three core aims: 

• to raise community awareness of eye health issues; 
• to raise funding for research projects into the causes and cures of vision impairment and blindness; and 
• to support international development projects whose goals are aligned with those of ANZEF. 

Did you know? 

About 30% of all eye injuries occur in the domestic setting? DIY, car repairs and gardening have been shown to be a common cause of eye injury especially amongst males. Nearly all of these eye injuries can be prevented by taking the simple precaution of wearing suitable eye protection.

Suitable eye protection is that which is:

• designed for the particular task at hand,
• correctly fits the wearer, and
• complies with the relevant AS/NZS standards for that activity.

If you are a RANZCO member and want to assist in the JulEye campaign, please contact us via ranzco@ranzco.edu.