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Type One Diabetes :)

What is Type One Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most serious health conditions of childhood and is a major threat to health. The main aspects of type 1 diabetes are that high blood sugar levels can damage organs. These health issues associated with type one diabetes include kidney failure, damage to the eyes, poor circulation, nerve damage, amputations and premature death. Not a lot is known about it, apart from the fact that it is caused by environmental factors that trigger the immune system to stop producing insulin and that there is also a genetic link.

A crucial thing to remember is that type 1 diabetes is different to type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is triggered by a decrease in insulin production or the inability of the body to use insulin properly, and it is also associated with being overweight. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have no known cure but they can be treated through intake of healthy foods, plenty of exercise and an adequate amount of insulin.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include being excessively thirsty, feeling tired and lethargic, constantly feeling hungry, blurred vision, mood swings and leg cramps.

Incidence & Prevalence of Type One Diabetes - Is Type One Diabetes more common in males or females?

The incidence of Type 1 Diabetes among Australian children has increased. In 2009 alone 913 new cases of Type 1 diabetes were diagnosed. The incidence rates increased with age, with children aged 10-14 2.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes than children aged 0-4. Males are more likely to be diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes than Females, also Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islanders are almost four times more likely than Non-Indigenous Australians to have diabetes (Diabetes Australia)

The prevalence of all Diabetes in Australia is on the rise with Type 1 Diabetes accounting for 10% of all diabetes in Australia with numbers increasing (Diabetes Australia). The prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes is also increasing world wide.

Which determinants are risk factors? Which determinants are protective factors?

Risk Factors;

Biological:

Gender - Type 1 Diabetes is more common in boys than in girls

Age - Type 1 Diabetes is more likely to be diagnosed among older children

Genetics - Family history of Type 1 Diabetes increases the risk of an individual having it

Behavioural:

Eating sugary foods that raise your blood sugars increases your chance of your organs failing, which can be fatal.

Physical Environment:

Being exposed to certain viruses are thought to alter the immune system and can trigger the condition in some people.

Social Environment:

Lack of health facilities and health insurance can increase the chances of the condition getting worse as individuals aren’t able to access help and get knowledge on prevention.

Protective Factors;

Biological:

Gender - Being a girl reduces your chance of getting Type 1 Diabetes

Ethnicity - Not being of Indigenous ethnicity lowers your chance of getting Type 1 Diabetes

Age - You are less likely to be diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at a young age.

Behavioural:

Regular physical exercise and diet act as protective factors as it reduces your chances of the condition worsening.

Physical Environment:

Living in a clean, safe and hygienic environment reduces your chance of the condition developing and/or worsening as the blood glucose monitor are more likely to be sterile and will give more accurate results

Social Environment

Having access to information on how to manage Type 1 Diabetes, and access to healthcare services and professionals.

What Health services help this condition? (Government, Community, Personal Strategies)

Government service: Diabetes Victoria puts on a camp for 10-12 year olds living with type 1 diabetes. The camp offers many different activities including adventure parks, environmental clinics, movie nights, trivia nights, surfing, swimming and canoeing. This camp helps to give these kids the confidence to be able to manage their condition and achieve more independence.

Community service:  Programs and activities like healthy eating programs and physical activity programs are run in communities through the National Diabetes Service Scheme (NDSS)

Personal strategy: A child with Type 1 Diabetes should always be checking their insulin levels to make sure they are don’t need further treatment. They should keep to a diabetic diet, cutting out unnecessary sugars, and should keep up regular exercise, to ensure the condition doesn’t worsen. Another good option is to get nutrition counseling to know how to manage eating properly and how to keep the condition managed.

~ By Emma Gorry, Jeneba Ottosson, Zoe Harris and Cassie Golding :)

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Asthma

Description:

Asthma is a respiratory condition marked by attacks of spasm in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It is usually connected to allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity.

No one is born with an allergy, but you can have a genetic tendency to develop one. If both your parents have allergies, you will have a far greater chance of developing them.

Causing of asthma can include exposure to various irritants and substances that trigger allergies can trigger signs and symptoms of asthma. Triggers of asthma are different from person to person and can include: Airborne substances, such as pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander or particles of cockroach waste. Exposure to these triggers may impact on one's quality of life affecting their social, mental and physical wellbeing.

Incidence/Prevalence of the condition:

1 in 9 Australians have asthma – around 2.5 million.

Indigenous

The rate of asthma among Indigenous Australians is almost twice as high as that of non-Indigenous Australians. This is even more marked in the older adult age group.

Asthma is more common in people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.

The prevalence of asthma is significantly higher in people living in inner regional areas compared with people living in major cities or outer regional and remote areas.

Males and Females

As Shown above the research that undergone by the Australian health and Welfare institute revealed that in 2014–15 those aged 0–14,  asthma was more common in males, but among those aged 15 and over, asthma was more common in females. The change in prevalence for males as they mature is likely due to changing airway size and hormonal changes that occur during adolescent development.

Determinants of Health

Biological

A number of factors are thought to increase your chances of developing asthma. These include: Having a blood relative (such as a parent or sibling) with asthma. Having another allergic condition, such as atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis (hay fever)

Behavioural

A behavioural risk factor of asthma is tobacco smoking, dust in the home

Physical

Overweight or obese children reported greater limitation of physical activity and are more likely to get asthma. he older that you get the higher risk of getting asthma if you aren't staying physically fit.

Social

Many people with Asthma also experience a variety symptoms such as waking up in the night because of difficulty breathing, wheezing, breathing through the mouth, fast breathing, frequent respiratory infections, rapid breathing, or shortness of breath. Socially this can affect one's ability to function to full capacity during the day due to sleep deprivation. This can influence activities such as work, school, sporting, or social events.

Government strategy

The National Asthma Council Australia Partner with Australia and with funding from the Australian Department of Health is undergoing a new Asthma Strategy from 2017-2021 with hope of reducing the impact of asthma on individuals, the community and the economy. Through this taking Australia to the next stage of improvement in asthma health outcomes and research developments. Information about the site the process of the Strategy can be found at https://www.nationalasthma.org.au/about-us/national-asthma-strategy

Personal strategy

There are many ways to help prevent asthma and an important aspect of keeping on top of symptoms and asthma attacks is Follow your asthma action plan. With your doctor and health care team, write a detailed plan for taking medications and managing an asthma attack. Is is important to follow this plan once one has been put. However along with asthma action plans there are also a few thing that can be considered to make life with asthma easier, such as: identifying and avoiding asthma triggers, monitoring your breathing identifying and treating attacks early and taking your medication as prescribed.

Community strategy

Asthma Australian - Asthma friendly Schools Program first began in 2001 in Victoria. The strategy was initiated to encourage schools to develop safe, healthy and inclusive environments for students with asthma.

Why has it been implemented:

The Asthma friendly Program was implemented to Improving asthma awareness and management in the school to improve the health of students who suffer from asthma. This may involve better first aid training and equipment in sick bays to cater for children who use inhalers or have asthma attacks. The program also Improves support to students with asthma encouraging an inclusive environment which provides parents and carers of students with asthma, a peace of mind and access to resources when needed.

The Asthma Friendly school program aims to decreases the burden of disease by spreading knowledge and and awareness to our younger generations with hope of improving quality of life for of asthmas suffers for years to come.

Hayden, Spencer, Grace and Joe

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What is Juvenile Arthritis ?

Juvenile Arthritis is a disease in which there is inflammation, also known as swelling of the synovial joint in children aged 16 or younger. Juvenile arthritis is an autoimmune disease. That means the immune system, which normally protects the body from foreign substances, attacks the body instead. The disease is also idiopathic, which means that no exact cause is known. Researchers believe juvenile arthritis may be related to genetics, certain infections, and environmental triggers.

There are five types of juvenile arthritis:

Systemic arthritis, also called Still's disease, can affect the entire body or involve many systems of the body. Systemic juvenile arthritis usually causes high fever and a rash. The rash is usually on the trunk, arms, and legs. Systemic juvenile arthritis can also affect internal organs, such as the heart, liver, spleen, and lymph nodes, but usually not the eyes. Boys and girls are equally affected.

Oligoarthritis, also called pauciarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, affects fewer than five joints in the first six months that the child has the disease. The joints most commonly affected are the knee, ankle, and wrist. Oligoarthritis can affect the eye, most often the iris. This is known as uveitis, iridocyclitis, or iritis. This type of arthritis is more common in girls than in boys, and many children will outgrow this disease by the time they become adults.

Polyarthritis, also called polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA), involves five or more joints in the first six months of the disease -- often the same joints on each side of the body. This type of arthritis can affect the joints in the jaw and neck as well as those in the hands and feet. This type also is also more common in girls than in boys and more closely resembles the adult form.

Psoriatic arthritis affects children who have both arthritis and the skin disorder psoriasis. The child might get either the psoriasis or the arthritis years before developing the other part of the disease. Children with this type of arthritis often have pitted fingernails.

Enthesitis-related arthritis is a type of arthritis that often afflicts the spine, hips, eyes, and entheses (the places where tendons attach to bones). This type of arthritis occurs mainly in boys older than 8 years of age. There is often a family history of arthritis of the back (called ankylosing spondylitis) among the child's male relatives.

How common is it in Australian children?

The number of cases of juvenile arthritis is difficult to estimate because is it an uncommon condition. Based on self-reported data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014–15) National Health Survey, juvenile arthritis is estimated to affect at least one child in every 1,000 aged 0–15.

Research suggests that more girls suffer from juvenile arthritis than boys

Which Determinants act as risk or protective factors?

Risk factors

Biological:

More common in girls than boys: At an individual level, most subtypes of JIA are more common in females than in males. In particular, oligoarticular arthritis, which constitutes up to 50% of all JIA, is approximately three times more common in females than males. For systemic JIA, however, both males and females are affected approximately equally

Genetic predisposition or family history: Although some predisposing JIA genes are now being identified, research aimed at identifying environmental influences lags behind most other autoimmune conditions. Some evidence has been generated to support a role for breastfeeding, infection and maternal smoking in determining JIA risk.

Physical Environment:

Exposure to some viruses are thought to alter the immune system and trigger the condition in some people

Protective factors

Behavioural:

Being proactive in treatment

Personal Strategies

pain killers (for example, paracetamol) and anti-inflammatories (for example, ibuprofen) to help control pain and swelling

other medications, such as steroids or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)

exercises to help with joint mobility, muscle strength, and pain

splints to help with the support or use of a joint.

Treatment option for juvenile arthritis in hospital

Splints: Medical devices can be used to restrict movement in the arm, leg or spine. Splints may be worn to protect damaged joints and to minimise further damage.

Pain management: Aside from taking medications, there are other strategies that can be used to manage pain during procedures and everyday life. These may include relaxation, deep breathing, distraction from pain, and education regarding strategies for dealing with and thinking about pain.

Joint injections: Medications can be injected directly into the joint. These medications are usually corticosteroids, which are anti-inflammatory drugs that slow down the accumulation of cells that cause inflammation.

Joint aspiration: This procedure collects fluid from the joint to determine if there is infection. Alternatively, it can be used to drain a swollen joint to relieve pain and improve mobility.

Joint replacement: This procedure replaces damaged joint structures with artificial components.

What is the health service used for this condition?

Personal program - The use of medication to treat pain and inflammation, exercise and regular doctors visits

Community Program - Camp Limber Up is an arthritis program for children with juvenile, their parents and siblings. It is a weekend-long camp that provides the opportunity to learn more about juvenile arthritis from other families in similar situations, from health specialists, from young adults who have lived with arthritis, and staff. It is an opportunity for kids to spend time with others who have also got arthritis, and an opportunity for siblings impacted by arthritis but who don’t have the condition.

Government Program - National action plan for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.

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What is the condition?

Food allergies are an immune system response to a food protein that the body identifies as being harmful.  When a food containing that protein is consumed, the immune system releases large amounts of chemicals triggering symptoms that can affect a person's breathing, gastrointestinal tract, skin and/or heart.

Symptoms of food allergies

Mild to moderate symptoms of food allergy include:

Swelling of face, lips and/or eyes

Hives or welts on the skin

Abdominal pain, vomiting

Signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to foods include:

Difficult/noisy breathing

Swelling of tongue

Swelling/tightness in throat

Difficulty talking and/or hoarse voice

Wheeze or persistent cough

Persistent dizziness and/or collapse

Pale (in young children)

Which determinants act as risk or protective factors?

Biological:  Family history is a risk factor for food allergies.

Behavioural:  Eating a food with the allergen is a risk for anaphylaxis.

Physical:  Exposure to allergens through air or touch can cause anaphylaxis in some people.

More common in boys or girls?

Boys have nearly double the risk of peanut and tree nut allergy whereas girls have double the rate of coeliac/gluten allergy.  Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal that about 71,000 boys aged two to 18 have an allergy or intolerance to peanuts, compared with only 39,000 girls. Experts are still struggling to find the reason as to why this is.  1 in 10 australian babies will be born with a food allergy.

Stats

The minimum estimated rate of new cases of anaphylaxis in Australia has been estimated at one new case per 5000 people per year.

More people in Australia are dying from anaphylaxis than in any other developed country, warn immunologists, with medication and bee stings the biggest culprits.

Recently released figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal that almost 4 million people in Australia reported avoiding a food type because of allergy or intolerance. Of those, about 560,000 were children aged between two and 18 years. In this group, girls were more likely than boys to be susceptible. However, about 71,000 boys were reported as having an allergy or intolerance to peanuts, compared with only 39,000 girls.

How common is it in australia?

In Australia, food allergies affects 1-2% of adults (roughly) and 4-8% of children under the age of 5 that are affected.

The most common triggers of allergic reactions in childhood are eggs, nuts and cow’s milk. In adults it is fish and shellfish

What is the health service use for the condition?

Government program

Anaphylaxis guidelines for victorian government schools

Community program

Be a M.A.T.E (Make Allergy Treatment Easier) program is an educational awareness program designed to teach students about food allergies and how to help their friend who are at risk of anaphylaxis.

Personal strategy

Awareness and education for children who suffer from allergies to empower them to be able to avoid the foods to which they are allergic.