Health Issues

We will be working on this page to include links to helpful information that may assist you with a variety of health issues.

Acquired Brain Injury Factsheet
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is a complex and individual condition that describes any
injury to the brain that occurs after birth.

Autism Factsheet
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term used to describe a group of
closely related disorders that affect a person’s ability to interact with the world around
them.

Cerebal Palsy Factsheet
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a lifelong physical disability that affects the way a person moves. Caused by an injury to the developing brain, which usually occurs before birth.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Factsheet
Also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis – is a neurological disorder characterised by extreme mental and physical exhaustion and weakness that persists for months.

Deep Vein Thrombosis Factsheet
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common medical condition where a blood clot develops in the deep veins of the body, usually the large veins of the calves. If DVT is left untreated, it can lead to inflammation and ulcers.

Dementia Factsheet
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe the symptoms of a group of short-term
memory loss illnesses that cause a progressive deterioration in a person’s cognitive
functioning.

Diabetes Factsheet
Diabetes Millitius (Diabetes) occurs when there are abnormally high levels of
glucose (sugar) in the blood due to the body producing insufficient insulin or not
responding to the insulin being produced.

Down Syndrome Factsheet
Down Syndrome is a congenital condition where extra genetic material results in
physical characteristics, developmental delay and some intellectual disability.

Emphysema Factsheet
Emphysema is a type of lung disease characterised by shortness of breath, and is one
of several diseases known collectively as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD).

Glaucoma Factsheet
Glaucoma is an eye condition where the optic nerve at the back of the eye is slowly destroyed,
causing loss of vision. In the majority of patients, this damage is caused by increased pressure
inside the eye, a result of blockage in the eye’s drainage system.

Lung Cancer Factsheet
Lung cancer is the growth of abnormal cells which cluster together inside the lungs, forming a
tumour. Lung cancers usually start in the cells lining the airways, but there are different types
of lung cancer depending on which cells are affected.

Macular Degeneration Factsheet
Macular degeneration (MD) is the name given to an eye condition that causes the progressive and painless loss of the eye’s central vision, which is used to see fine detail like reading and recognising faces.

Motor Neurone Disease Factsheet
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive disease that causes rapidly muscle
deterioration when then nerve cells (neurons) fail to work normally.

Multiple Sclerosis Factsheet
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive and unpredictable disease that affects the
central nervous system, interrupting the transmission of nerve impulses throughout the
brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

Muscular Dystrophy Factsheet
Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder that weakens the muscles that help the body
to move. People with MD can have missing information in their genes, which prevents them
from making the proteins they need for healthy muscles.

Palliative Care Factsheet
Palliative care is available for people of all ages who have a life-limiting illness.The
aim of palliative care is to achieve the best possible quality of life for the individual
person, their carers and their family.

Paraplegia Factsheet
Paraplegia is the partial or complete paralysis of the lower portion of the body,
including the legs and the torso. Paraplegia is the result of an a back injury, occurring
when the spinal cord is injured below the first thoracic nerve.

Parkinsons Disease Factsheet
Parkinson’s Disease (Parkinson’s) is a progressive neurological disorder which
affects a person’s control of their body movement due to a breakdown of messages
from the brain.

Prostate Cancer Factsheet
Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer amongst Australian men,
after skin cancer. Prostate cancer usually grows slowly, so provided appropriate treatment
occurs while the cancer is still confined to the prostate gland, it can be cured.

Stroke Factsheet
A stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is suddenly disrupted, usually the
result of a blood clot or blood vessel breaking in the brain. When the blood flow is
stopped the brain cannot get the oxygen it requires, causing brain cells in the area to
die. As a result, the person loses the ability to do the things that are controlled by that
specific part of the brain.