In December 2017 in Australia, the Cervical Screening Test replaced what we commonly call the Pap Test. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers women can die from and a routine cervical screening test can save a woman’s life. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV; this is the biggest risk factor for cervical cancer. So it is really important we screen for HPV in healthy women through a cervical screening test. Today on Meditalk I speak with Dr Stuart Salfinger who ...
Mar 09, 2020•23 min
In this MeditalkPodcast episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Rebecca Ray a Clinical Psychologist, Speaker & Author about vicarious trauma and the art of self-kindness. Kindness is defined as having qualities of friendliness, generosity and consideration. And having a genuine concern and care for others. In fact, science has shown that by devoting resources to others, rather than for oneself can enhance one's well-being. Rebecca's most recent book the Art of Self-Kindness is one of ...
Feb 29, 2020•36 min
According to Diabetes Australia, 280 Australians develop diabetes every day which equates to one person every 5 minutes. In 2017-2018 approximately 1 million Australian adults had type 2 diabetes. Being overweight does in fact increase your risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes. Based on a number of significiant trials that have been published over the years Endocrinologists who medically take care of many diabetic patients as well as, GPs are now considering and discussing with people who are ...
Feb 20, 2020•25 min
With obesity on the rise in our community there are more health campaigns than ever encouraging both adults and children to participate in physical activity. Being active is not only good for our bodies but has also been found to be a wonderful stress reliever and is one of the best ways of taking care of our mind and spirit. However, studies have shown that as more people participate in sports it has led to an increase in sporting injuries. So today, I speak with Dr Dror Maor an Orthopedic Surg...
Feb 11, 2020•34 min
Have you ever been asked to be in a clinical trial? Have you ever wondered what is involved in a clinical trial? Clinical trials help to determine whether new and existing medicines and medical practices are safe and effective in treating particular diseases and conditions. And even though medicines are tested thoroughly in laboratories human clinical trials assist doctors to further better understand if the new medicines being offered are any better than older ones as well as, they can help to ...
Jan 30, 2020•45 min
Essentially lung surgery is when a part of the lung is either repaired or removed. Some people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer may be offered lung surgery as treatment. So, today I speak with Dr Chris Merry a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Fiona Stanley Hospital and at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco to learn more about Lung Surgery. Dr Merry explains what is generally involved when having lung surgery and how this surgery has given much hope to people suffering from a number of lung dise...
Jan 21, 2020•26 min
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in Australia. According to the Cancer Council, it is responsible for almost one in five people dying of cancer in Australia. Very sadly there is often a stigma associated with lung cancer that it is a cancer only associated with smoker’s and that they bring it upon themselves. Well one of the key lessons learnt from this interview is that many people that are diagnosed with lung cancer have never touched a cigarette in their life. So in ord...
Jan 15, 2020•31 min
Endometriosis is a chronic condition that many women are diagnosed with globally. In fact, it is estimated that 1 in 10 women of reproductive age suffer from this condition. So what is endometriosis? Why do we get it? What are the signs and symptoms of endometriosis? Can young girls suffer endometriosis? And what can you do about it if you are diagnosed? Can you still have children if you have endometriosis? All these questions and more are discussed when I speak with Dr Jade Acton who is a Gyna...
Dec 16, 2019•23 min
Osteoarthritis is a chronic and progressive condition that mostly affects the hands, spine and joints such as; hips, knees and ankles. It is the most common form of arthritis in Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics , 1 in 11 people have osteoarthritis, making it the leading reason for knee and hip replacement surgeries. Joint replacement requires great consideration and research, for this reason we speak to Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Sam Young who is an Australian and internat...
Dec 10, 2019•25 min
We walk on them every day and sadly it is often not until they are in significant pain that we appreciate our feet. If you have ever suffered from bunions or injured your foot or ankle suffering severe pain and aches in your feet that make it extremely difficult to walk, you begin to acknowledge how vital it is to have healthy and functional feet. Today we speak with Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Reza Salleh who specialises in foot, ankle and knee arthroplasty. Dr Reza Salleh talks to us about ‘pains a...
Dec 03, 2019•26 min
Life has become stressful. There are times in our day, week or year we can feel overwhelmed and stressed. Sometimes we don't even know we have become stressed until we get sick and we are forced to take greatly needed rest. Are you like me and feel some days there is just never as much time as what we need in our day and night to do the many tasks we have noted on our to do lists! So how can we get stronger to better manage stress so it doesn’t take a toll on our health and well-being. Have you ...
Nov 26, 2019•36 min
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition where the heart beats irregularly. AF is important to diagnose and treat as it can increase our risk of other conditions such as; heart failure and stroke. AF is very common in Australia, in fact it is estimated that more than half a million Australians are living with AF. Today we speak to Dr Gattorna about diagnosing and managing atrial fibrillation. Dr Gattorna is a cardiologist at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco who specialises in treating cardiac a...
Nov 18, 2019•21 min
Having a baby is an experience of a lifetime. It is a very emotional time for families and a significant life change for parents. But how should women expect to feel in the first few days, weeks and months after leaving hospital. Today we speak with specialist obstetrician Dr Melissa O’Neill from St John of God Hospital in Subiaco to talk about postnatal care. In this interview Dr O'Neill talks about postpartum health; physical and hormonal changes a women is likely to experience after having a ...
Nov 11, 2019•17 min
Ovarian cancer is diagnosed when a cancerous tumour has developed in one or both of the ovaries. In 2019 approximately 1,600 Australian women are expected to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Do you know the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer? How is ovarian cancer is diagnosed? What are ovarian cysts and why do we get them? Are ovarian cysts related to ovarian cancer? Are there ways we can reduce our risk of ovarian cancer? If you have a family history of ovarian cancer, what are some actions...
Nov 05, 2019•24 min
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer of both men and women in Australia. Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal cancer and it is a cancer that develops from the inner lining of the bowel. If undetected, like many cancers it can be very invasive. Depending on where the cancer begins, bowel cancer also relates to colon or rectal cancer. So today on Meditalk we speak with Professor Platell about Bowel Cancer. Professor Platell is a specialist colorectal surgeon at St John of God Hospital...
Oct 27, 2019•25 min
According to Quit Australia if you smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, or have a cigarette in the first half hour after waking up, you are considered a person who has an addition to nicotine. Is this you or a loved one? Many quit campaigns over the years have educated us of how smoking can cause significant harm to our health. But quitting smoking is easier said than done! Vaping has come into the picture and more recently there has been media reports of vaping causing death to young vapers in ...
Oct 15, 2019•32 min
Often most of us take our fertility for granted until sadly we try for a baby and experience difficulties. Infertility affects about 1 in 6 Australian couples of reproductive age and the causes of infertility are many and varied. It can cause couples and families great heart ache and pain however, with medical specialist advice and support this journey can be helped significantly. So today on MediTalk we are speaking with Dr Michael Gannon about fertility to help us better understand this medica...
Oct 10, 2019•25 min
According to the Australian Heart Foundation in the last 10 years more than 92,000 Australians have lost their lives to a Heart Attack. Did you know women and men can experience differing warning signs of a heart attack? What are the warning signs of a heart attack? Do you have a family history of heart disease? Please take some time out of your busy day to be informed about how to prevent and survive a heart attack. On Meditalk we speak with Dr Michelle Ammerer about preventing, diagnosing and ...
Oct 08, 2019•18 min
October in Australia is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women, with 1 in 8 women being diagnosed by the age of 85. Over the years, thanks to Australia's national breast cancer screening program, public health campaigns and more effective treatments being offered there has been significant improvements in early diagnosis and breast cancer survival rates. However, despite these positive factors every day we still have 42 Australian women being d...
Oct 01, 2019•25 min
Infected ears and tonsils are one of the most common reasons why children visit the doctor and are prescribed antibiotics. Dr Bumbak is a Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco and he explains; why many children have issues with not only infections of the middle ear but, also with their tonsils and how grommets can be an effective treatment for glue ear. Is your child; Taking antibiotics a number of times a year due to infections of the ear or tonsils?...
Sep 24, 2019•26 min
There are just so many books and blogs out there talking pregnancy, it is no wonder many parents feel completely overwhelmed by information. Dr Mulroy helps to simplify the information for us. In our interview Dr Mulroy explains the genetic testing now available for pregnant women to consider as well as, answers pregnancy questions about food cravings, how much we should be exercising before, during and after having a baby? Is our pelvic floor something we should be worrying about before and aft...
Sep 10, 2019•31 min
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) can be life threatening. A AAA is when the part of the aorta that resides within the abdomen becomes bigger and bursts. Unfortuately, a AAA can develop slowly and not present with any symptoms. Occassionally people may feel a pulse near their belly button, or a pain in their back or stomach. Thankfully a thorough medical check up with a doctor can at times incidentally diagnose a AAA through investigations being conducted such as; vascular ultrasound imaging. Dr ...
Sep 03, 2019•20 min
Quite often what first comes to mind when thinking about breast surgery is breast implants or women seeking breast surgery for cosmetic reasons. However, with 1 in 8 women in Australia are being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and in 2018 breast cancer still remained the most common cancer women suffer from worldwide. Many women around the world everyday are undergoing breast surgery due to being diagnosed with breast cancer. For many women battling breast cancer they are also fac...
Aug 08, 2019•37 min
Many people worldwide are living with chronic pain! It is estimated globally that 1.5 billion people suffer from chronic pain which just seems uncomprehensible. Making pain a global public health concern. According to Pain Australia, ''one in five Australians are living with chronic pain and the prevalence increases to one in three people over the age of 65''. Suffering from chronic pain can take its toll on people mentally, physically and socially as it can lead to living a life of isolation as...
Jul 31, 2019•46 min
Did you know the largest blood vessel in our body is the Aorta. The aorta's job is to transport oxygenated blood from our heart to the rest of the body. And within our Aorta are some very special valves called Aortic valves that help to send our blood in the right direction. Valves are the much needed traffic controllers of blood directing it to where it needs to go. Unfortuately, we often take these parts of our body for granted until sadly they are not functioning properly and as we age so too...
Jul 15, 2019•22 min
According to the Cancer Council of Australia, ''1 in 2 Australian men and women will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85 and currently cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia.'' Cancer sadly is such a common medical disease there wouldn't be many people in the world that haven't been touched by cancer either themselves, a loved one or friend they know have had a battle with cancer. When people talk and hear about cancer very unconsciously in our minds we have preconceived ideas a...
Jul 08, 2019•33 min
One in five Australians experience uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome is commonly referred too as IBS. IBS affects our large bowel which is actually the part of the digestive tract that stores our faeces. Because it is such a common condition I thought it was important to start talking about it and interview a consultant that specialises in diagnosing and treating IBS. Dr Levitt is a General and Colorectal Surgeon at St John of God Hospital (SJOGH) in Su...
Jul 01, 2019•32 min
Recently I spent time doing some voluntary work with young children and I noticed a toodler having difficulty with speaking and being understood which was causing him quite alot of frustration. After asking his teacher why he was struggling so much with his speech she mentioned that he had top teeth that were protruding and said this was quite commonly observed in children who at an older age were still sucking their thumb and using pacificers. This then got me thinking and speaking with friends...
Jun 11, 2019•21 min
Contraception today is more safe, well tolerated, reliable and cost effective than ever before which is wonderful. Contraception gives us all the ability to choose if and when we may like to try for a baby in our life. Unfortuately, we hear sometimes negative stories from friends or the media about varying contraception methods that have put us off exploring our options more fully. Sometimes with more choice, comes more confusion so MediTalkPodcast was able to spend time with Sexual Health Quart...
May 29, 2019•31 min
When you eat are you satisfying hunger or an emotion? When you are feeling lonely, sad, frustrated and stressed out do you feel this overwhelming need to eat! You are not alone! In the western world where there seems to be an abundance of food full of fat and sugar nothing seems to feed our emotions better and as fast as eating a packet of biscuits or tub of icecream... Problem is for a lot of us the satisfaction you feel after eating this food is short lived and you then begin to feel embarasse...
May 06, 2019•29 min
