THE BENEFITS
So you eat the right foods, live an
active lifestyle and avoid taking risks that might affect
your health. But even if you have no family or personal history
of serious illness you can’t be sure that nothing will
go wrong in the future. Sometimes you’re simply in the
firing line for ill-health.
Private Health For Him
Being young and fit is no guarantee
that you won’t need medical care in the near future:
| • |
One in five people aged between 20 and 30 will go to hospital
this year. |
| • |
One in four people aged between 30 and 40 will go to hospital this year. |
| • |
One in three people aged between 50 and 65 will go to hospital this year. |
| |
*(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2008. Australian Hospital Statistics 2006-07) |
Here are some things to consider
before you declare yourself invincible:
| • |
In 2004-2005 about 77% of Australians had
a long-term condition, ranging from 41% of those under
15 to over 95% of people aged 45 or older. |
| |
*(Source: Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare Australia’s Health 2008) |
Top 10 male conditions
| 1. |
Long sightedness |
| 2. |
Short sightedness |
| 3. |
Back pain and disc problems |
| 4. |
Hayfever and allergic rhinitis |
| 5. |
Deafness |
| 6. |
Hypertensive disease |
| 7. |
Asthma |
| 8. |
Chronic sinusitis |
| 9. |
High cholesterol |
| 10. |
Osteoarthritis |
Other common health issues
for men:
| • |
Heart disease |
| • |
Work related injuries |
| • |
High blood pressure |
| • |
Respiratory disease |
| • |
Digestive disorders |
| • |
Skin cancer |
Private Health For Her
While most adult Australians consider themselves to be
healthy, levels of health actually differ among a variety of
groups in Australia. The female population have specific areas
of interest and concern when it comes to health, and may be
more susceptible to some conditions as compared to other age
and gender groups.
| • |
Medical services (GP, specialist and pathology)
rates for females aged 25–34 years have an average
13.68 which rises to 19.13 among females aged 55-64 years. |
| • |
Hospitalisation rates are higher for females of child-bearing
age – almost 400 per 1000 population at age 25–34
years. |
| |
*(Source: Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare Australia’s Health 2008) |
Top Female conditions
| 1. |
Long sightedness |
| 2. |
Short sightedness |
| 3. |
Hayfever and allergic rhinitis |
| 4. |
Back pain and disc problems |
| 5. |
Asthma |
| 6. |
Hypertensive disease |
| 7. |
Chronic sinusitis |
| 8. |
Osteoarthritis |
| 9. |
Migraine |
| 10. |
Deafness |
Other common health issues
for women:
| • |
Heart disease |
| • |
Fertility |
| • |
Pregnancy and childbirth |
| • |
Digestive disorders |
| • |
Gynaecological problems |
| • |
Menopause |
Private Health For Families
Good health is central to a happy and harmonious family
life. However, it is sometimes unavoidable for a family member’s
health to be compromised due to an illness or an accident around
the home.
| • |
In 2005-06, there were 537,000 hospitalisations
among children aged under 15 years. |
| • |
Injury and poisoning is one of the main reasons for
children’s hospitalisation with over 67,000 cases
in 2005-06. |
|
*(Source: Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare Australia’s Health 2008) |
Common medical problems:
| • |
Infections |
| • |
Bites and stings |
| • |
Respiratory illness including asthma |
| • |
Allergy |
| • |
Falls |
| • |
Dog bites |
| • |
Car accidents (passenger and pedestrian) |
Private Health For Fitness Enthusiasts
We all know that regular exercise is good for us, but
being super-fit doesn’t protect you from getting sick
or injured. In most cases sports injuries are minor but sometimes
they are serious enough to need hospital treatment. In 2002–03
there were 45,452 sports related hospitalisations. Of all
those admitted to hospital, 14,218 were children under 14.
*(Source: Hospitalised Sports Injury Australia
2002–03, AIHW)
Most commonly reported sports injuries
include:
| • |
Fractures |
| • |
Open wounds |
| • |
Sprains |
| • |
Head injuries |
| • |
Dislocation |
|
