One in three Australians suffer from poor quality sleep. New research suggests sleep deprivation is costing the Australian economy more than $5.1 billion a year in both direct and indirect costs.
Many people with asthma have sensitivities to certain drugs that can precipitate an asthma attack. If you have asthma, you need to be aware of which medications may be triggers. You do not need to avoid these medications unless you know they are asthma triggers for you. If these medications have never triggered your asthma, it is still best to take the medications with caution because a reaction can occur at any time.
1 in 2 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85, with more than 60% of cancer patients surviving more than five years after diagnosis.According to a recent US study the hidden psychological scars caused by the diagnosis of cancer can leave scaring akin to that inflicted by war, with the impact in some cases lasting for years."BREATHWISE"
Breathwise, a pulmonary rehabilitation programme based at The Wesley Hospital, focuses on a multi-disciplinary outpatient programme for patients with chronic lung disease, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Our team is headed by Dr Andrew Scott (Medical Director) and Jonna MacFadyen (Senior Rehabilitation Physiotherapist). We include thoracic medical specialists, thoracic physiotherapists, nursing staff, occupational therapy staff, a clinical psychologist and pharmacist.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a proven self-management program that is effective in improving the quality of life of people with COPD, and importantly, reducing hospital admissions. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are suitable for people who have underlying chronic lung disease and who are limited by dyspnoea (sensation of breathlessness). This programme will address the primary aims of pulmonary rehabilitation, which are to reduce the disability and handicap of people with chronic lung diseases and to restore patients to the highest possible level of independent functioning.
In Australia only 1% of COPD patients who could benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation have access to it, prompting the development of this service in 2008. To date we have successfully treated many patients, with improvements in exercise and functional capacity, quality of life scores, independence with activities of daily living and comfort of breathing.
Aims of the Programme
- To increase your strength and the distance you can walk
- To increase your quality of life
- To increase your confidence and ability to cope
Who Benefits
- Any person with lung disease who has difficulty breathing and who finds that day to day activities are getting harder
- Patients requiring supplemental oxygen are encouraged to attend
- The program does involve exercise but this is aimed specifically for people who get short of breath so all levels of ability are catered for
- It is very important that you attend each session
The First Step - Talk to Your Doctor
- Doctor's referral required
The First Visit
- This will be an individual apoointment that will take about one hour
- During this visit you will be assessed and the program explained to you in more detail by our senior physiotherapist
The Program
- You will need to attend twice a week, for an 8 week period. This is to ensure you receive the full benefit from the program
- Any inidivual exercise program will be designed for you
- It will be gentle at first. Each time you attend you will asked to do a little more
- You must also follow a home exercise program so that when the 8 weeks are up you will know how to exercise at home to stay fit
- As well as the exercise session, there will be an edication session on each visit. THis will be presented by our health profresionals to help you nunderstand your disease and learn some management skills.
Medical referrals can be directed by contacting Wesley Therapy Services:
Phone : (07) 3232 7048, and (07) 3232 6233
Fax : (07) 3232 6508
Email :
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Download : Download Breathwise Referral
Additional background information on this area of medicine is available from the Australian Lung Foundation website