Any workplace wellness program worth its salt encourages employees to see their doctors and get regular health screenings, right?

But as far as ensuring that your employees are actually making those appointments, arranging their busy schedules to accommodate them, and following through, it’s pretty much out of your hands.

That is, unless you bring the doctor’s office to work.

You might decide to arrange a full-scale health fair, or simply to periodically bring in a health-care professional who can provide information and answer questions about a specific medical issue.

Either way, you’re sure to get positive results from employees who might otherwise put off necessary medical appointments indefinitely. (After all, they can’t cancel this one!)

Prevention of disease starts with awareness, and that’s where you can make a difference.

Armed with knowledge and options about how to best handle such problems as high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol, your workers stand a much greater chance of turning things around.

For every health screening that uncovers a potential problem, there is an individual who might be inspired to make a healthy lifestyle change.

A body-fat test for someone who is obese, coupled with in-depth information about the perils of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, might just be the key to getting them to take better care of themselves.

That’s good news for them, their families, and your business.

If you’re new to the health-fair scene, consider starting small to get a feel for the interest level among your staff members. Then determine a few key health concerns that affect your workers, and focus on those.

Consider offering these basic preventive tests, and customize as needed for your unique organization:

• Bone density testing
• Body fat testing
• Glucose screening
• Blood pressure testing
• Cholesterol testing
• Health risk assessment

This article appeared on Corporate Wellness Advisor – visit source

Here comes Spring!

Bulbs, blossoms and blocked sinuses.

“Seasonal allergic rhinitis” – Hayfever.

For most this means itchy, runny noses and eyes and sneezing.

Allergens, such as dust, pollen, mould animal hair and some plant pollens cause our bodies to react and release histamine, the tissues in our nose then swell.

Preventing exposure to allergens is an important part of controlling hayfever, Pollen counts are generally higher between 6.00am and noon so try to avoid being outside for long periods during these times.

As pollen can collect in your home try to vacuum often.  In your own garden try to choose plants that are pollinated by birds or insects rather than plants that release their seeds into the air.

Mould, and dust mites may also trigger hayfever so keep on top on the cleaning before you have a reaction.

Want to find out more?  Our Asthma and Allergies lunch and learn program is outlined below:-

• Asthma & Allergies
• Covers - what is Asthma
• What are the common triggers of asthma and what causes asthma.
• What can we do to help prevent asthma.
• Common allergies and Asthma
• How do you tell if you have asthma and what treatments are available.
• A hand out and guide are given to all participants.  Peak Flow reading can also be incorporated, with additional time allowed.

Skin Cancer facts and figures.

Do your employees spend time in the sun, are they at risk of developing skin cancer?

Facts and figures from the Cancer Council.

In Australia, every year:

• skin cancers account for 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers.
• two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70.
• GPs in Australia have over 1 million patient consultations per year for skin cancer. 
• around 434,000 people are treated for one or more non-melanoma skin cancers, of which about 450 die.
• more than 10,300 people are treated for melanoma, of which around 1250 die.
• melanoma is the most common cancer in people aged 15-44 years.
• melanoma is the third most common cancer in both women and men.
• Australia has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the world, at nearly four times the rates in Canada, the US and the UK.
• the rate of melanoma incidence in women has risen by an average of 0.7% a year between 1993 and 2003 – a total increase of 6.8% over this decade. For men, the rate has risen by 1.7% a year, a total of 18.7% over the same period.
• the five-year relative survival rate for melanoma is 90% for Australian men and 95% for Australian women.
• skin cancer is the most expensive cancer. In 2001, it was estimated the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer cost $264 million and melanoma $30 million. 
• GP consultations to treat non-melanoma skin cancer increased by 14% between 1998-2000 and 2005-2007 – from around 836,500 to 950,000 visits each year.

References*

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australasian Association of Cancer Registries, Cancer in Australia, an overview 2008, Canberra, 2008.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Non-melanoma skin cancer: general practice consultations, hospitalisation and mortality. Canberra, 2008.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australasian Association of Cancer Registries, Australian cancer incidence and mortality workbooks. Canberra, 2008.

Staples M, Elwood M, Burton R, Williams J, Marks R, Giles G. Non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia: the 2002 national survey and trends since 1985. Medical Journal of Australia 2006;184 (1): 6-10.

Dobbinson S, Jamsen KM, Francis K, Dunlop S, Wakefield MA. 2006–07 National Sun Protection Survey Report 1. Skin cancer prevention knowledge, attitudes and beliefs among Australians in summer 2006-07 and comparison with 2003–04 in the context of the first national mass media campaign. Melbourne: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria, December 2007 unpublished.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare & Cancer Australia & Australasian Association of Cancer Registries. Cancer survival and prevalence in Australia: cancers diagnosed from 1982 to 2004. Canberra, 2008.

National Cancer Control Initiative, The 2002 National Non-melanoma Skin Cancer Survey, Melbourne, 2003.