Health Checks

Today we had a health expo at work. The work is carried out by this company called HealthWorks. I had several things checked out, including vision and skin cancer screenings. Luckily, nothing of concern came up. I did learn that it is possible to get melanoma on the sole of the foot and in the eye. 

Other tests I went through included body composition and heart health. I had an interesting discussion with one of the health professionals about what is classified as fast food. Turns out I considered everything that's not a sit down meal at a restaurant to be fast food, but they only considered the more traditional meaning of chain stores. My blood pressure was uncharacteristically high today, perhaps due to the recent tragedy in the news.

I thought it was a bit unsophisticated for the body composition check that they just used a Bio-Electric Impedance scale for everything. But, I did get some good results, so I can't really complain. I mean, to have a Basal Metabolic Age of 18 years is great. They also gave a figure for % body fat, bone mass, and body water percentage.

Ride to Work Day

Today was National Ride To Work Day. The idea is to encourage people to lead a healthier lifestyle by riding to work instead of driving. This is beneficial not only to the rider but also the environment and the hip pocket. I started cycling to work a few months ago, my daily commute is about 11 km one way and takes approximately 45 minutes. That burns about 2000 kilojoules of energy for me, which is about the amount contained in a McDonald's Big Mac. It will also save me approximately $1.50 on petrol and approximately 2 kg of CO₂. All of that might not seem much, but if I cycled twice a week, in a year, I will have saved over $300, and 400 kg of CO₂ not to mention the health benefits I'd receive.

There are a few things that can make cycling less enjoyable. In particular drivers that really don't give any respect to cyclists. On my way to work today, I saw an ambulance at an accident scene involving two cycles and a car.I guess it is frustrating sitting in morning traffic, and having to continually go pass cyclists only to be overtaken by them. There are dedicated cycling lanes and paths in some areas, but they're far too inadequate and puts out a mixed message. Often the path is shared with pedestrians or end abruptly and forces a cyclist to join the road again. There are pros and cons for cycling with traffic or cycling on dedicated paths, but I find its very counterproductive to force cyclists to have to do both.

Other than traffic dangers, when riding in spring time in Australia, magpies do attack riders. These birds are highly territorial, and there are not many ways to avoid being attacked. Some suggestions to help avert attacks include putting elaborate devices on the helmet. This has to be carefully considered - in the event of an accident, the contraption must not affect the helmet's purpose to protect your head. One suggestion from my colleague was to use cable ties and stick the pointy end away from your helmet, although I have yet to try this out. If you could, it would be best to avoid where they nest and use an alternate route if possible. A map of magpie attacks is being compiled.

Fortunately, there is good camaraderie between cyclists. Often I will cycle pass another cyclists and we will acknowledge each other with a nod or a wave. So next time you cycle, don't forget to say hello to your fellow cyclists!

Allergy immunotherapy

As I sit here and eat my dinner left over from last night, I am contemplating the effectiveness of allergy immunotherapy. Many people suffer from allergies, some more severe than others, and their quality of life is seriously affected by their over-reactive immune systems. To alleviate symptoms, many people take anti-histamines daily, and while there are many good products on the market, they are often expensive and a hassle for the sufferer. 

Immunotherapy aims to combat allergies at the root by desensitising the immune system. Allergens - the substance that causes the allergic reaction - are introduced to the sufferer at an increasing dosage over a period of time. The idea is to allow the body to adapt to a higher level of allergens and reduce the severity and even eliminate the body's reactions. In some sense, immunotherapy may be considered as a "cure" to allergies. Success rate depend on the individual, but research has shown up to 70%.

There are a few methods of delivery of allergens, one of which is by subcutaneous injections. The length and therefore cost of the therapy differ for each allergen. For some, it can be up to 5 years and very expensive. A visit to the GP is required for each injection. This is time consuming for both the sufferer and the doctor. There are also factors that may influence the effectiveness of the injections, such as mishandling of the allergens, poor injection technique or missed doses. For some people, that is enough to warrant them to stay on the anti-histamine. For others, immunotherapy is a path to freedom from allergies. I have chosen the latter path.

Always consult your doctor.