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Glen Iris Medical Centre
118 High Street
Glen Iris VIC 3146
Tel 9885 4562. Fax 9885 5293
www.gimc.com.au
Your next appointment:
PRACTICE DOCTORS
Dr Arthur Kipouridis
MBBS, FRACGP
Dr Elizabeth McNaughton
MBBS, DipObst (RCOG), FRACGP
Dr Ronnie Gerendasi
MD, BSc, FRACGP
Dr Sally Hanson
BSc, BMBS, FRACGP
Dr Miriam Blashki
MBBS, FRACGP
Dr Timothy Ross
Dr Odette Wan
MBBS, DipRANZCOG, FRACGP
Dr Tim Duncan
Men’s Health
Paediatrics
Sports Medicine
Meditation
Asthma
Travel Medicine
Man Gout
Healthy Eating
Women’s Health
Family Medicine
Minor Surgery
Counselling
Shared Care
PRACTICE STAFF
Managers: Dr Arthur Kipouridis,
Dr Ronnie Gerendasi & Jill McPhie
Reception Staff: Andrea, Debbie,
Prue, Stacey & Nicole
Practice Nurses: Jill McPhie,
Katherine Teagle (Nurse Immuniser),
Jaceen O’Meara & Jenny Gastin
ALLIED HEALTH SERVICES
Physiotherapist ............... Travis Quinn
Available Mon/Wed/Fri 10.00am – 12md
Psychologist...................Lyn Stevenson
Dietician + Diabetic Education
................................................Aidan Ma
SURGERY HOURS
Monday to Friday .................. 8am – 6pm
Genital Herpes
TAKE ME
HOME!
Enjoy this free newsletter
Please remember that decisions
about medical care should be made
in consultation with your health care
provider so discuss with your doctor
before acting on any of the information.
www.healthnews.net.au
Private patients will pay a gap beyond the Medicare refund. This varies
according to the complexity of service or if a procedure is performed.
At the discretion of the doctor a “no show” fee may be charged for
patients who miss their appointments. Payment can be made by
cheque, credit card or EFTPOS.
Please note – on Saturdays and Public Holidays, bulk billing
arrangements are not available.
SPECIAL PRACTICE NOTES
Dr Tim Duncan joined the Glen Iris team in January. We look
forward to a long and happy working relationship with him.
MBBS, FRACGP
Positive Attitude - What it Means
BILLING ARRANGEMENTS
We direct-bill Medicare for Pensioners and Health Care Card holders.
Saturday ........................ 8am – 11.30am
Public Holidays .....................as advertised
AFTERHOURS & EMERGENCY
Australian Locum Medical Service
132 660. Call 000 in an emergency.
Home Visits. If you wish your doctor to
make a home visit, please call the surgery
first thing in the morning.
We are now able to send SMS appointment reminders. Please
ensure that your current mobile phone number is updated on our files.
eHealth – assisted registration forms are available at reception. If
you would like to complete one of these forms to enable you or your
children to have an eHealth record then please speak to one of our
reception staff..
Dr Tim Ross is now offering an “anti wrinkle” clinic. Please speak to
our reception staff if you would like to make an appointment.
Telephone calls. Reception staff will take a message for the Doctor
whilst he or she is consulting. They will then return the call ASAP
or at the end of their session. However, if the status of the inquiry is
urgent then staff will put the call through immediately to the Doctor
concerned or to the Doctor on duty. Emails and SMS messages of a
clinical nature will not be accepted by Practitioners of this practice.
Remember an email is the electronic equivalent of a “post card”
Reminder system. Our practice is committed to preventative care.
We may send out a reminder letter from time to time, offering you
preventative health services appropriate to your care. If you do
not wish to be part of this system or on a State reminder system,
please let your doctor or reception know. Patients with significantly
abnormal results will be notified by our practice staff. Patients may
call the Practice Nurse between 11.30 – 12.30pm Monday to Friday
for results.
Privacy policy. Your medical records are a confidential document. It is
the policy of this practice to maintain security of your personal health
information at all times and to make sure that this information is only
available to authorised members of staff.
Practice feedback. The Doctors and staff at this practice value your
feedback. Any comments/complaints should be addressed to the
Practice Managers or directed to the Health Services Commissioner on
1300 582 113.
Childhood Immunisations. When making an appointment to
have your child immunised, please advise reception staff so that an
appointment can be made when our nurse immuniser Kath Teagle
(RN) is on duty.
Please see the Rear Cover for more practice information.
Man gout
Gout is painful joint inflammation brought on when crystals of uric acid form in the joint.
Most affected are men (nine times more than women) aged 40-50. Whilst any joint can be
affected, the big toe is the most common spot. Gout can be recurrent. The symptoms range
from mild to severe.
Often the painful joint is red and hot. Genetics plays
a role but so does diet in building up uric acid in the
body. Culprit foods include liver pate, blue cheese
and meat, seafood and alcohol. Recent research
from New Zealand showed people who drank four
sugar-sweetened drinks were seven times
more prone to gout. Some medications like
thiazide diuretics can increase uric acid.
Diagnosis is largely from the story,
examination and testing blood levels of
uric acid, all considered together. Things
are often not black or white, leading to an
Positive attitude
- what it means
Are you a “half full glass” person? If you half fill a
glass with water then you can see it as either half
full or half empty – the amount of water is the
same but the way we see it is quite different.
dismiss the power of the mind. Every positive thought creates
chemical messengers in our body that can make us feel better
(called neuroendocrine transmitters).
proverbial silver lining in any situation. When it rains we can
choose to grumble about needing an umbrella or be happy that
the car in front or be happy to have some quiet time to listen to
music.
We have choices in life.
If any situation is getting you down ask yourself this simple
testing.
medications that can take up to a week to work. For those
with recurrent “attacks of gout” preventative medication
to lower uric acid, diet, and avoidance of physical stress
(e.g. heavy exercise) are key to relief. Drinking plenty of
water also helps.
www.arthritisvic.org.au and search “gout”
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a thinning of the bones, so they weaken
and are more likely to break, even with minor trauma. The
problem develops over a long time, usually without symptoms
(although some do describe soreness in the bones). If
vertebrae become thin and crushed, a stooped posture
results.
Women get osteoporosis more so than men, probably due to lack of oestrogen,
often reaching crisis point in menopause. Asian or Caucasian background, along
with a positive family history, all increase risk. So does a sedentary lifestyle,
alcohol excess, smoking, and low intake of calcium and vitamin D. Some
medications such as steroids also increase the risk.
and is best done in women over 50.
weight bearing exercise, and ensure your diet has enough calcium and vitamin
The main complication of osteoporosis is bone fracture following a fall.
Fractured wrist or hip is typical.
Preventing falls by using non-slip mats, hand rails and walking aids is important
in the elderly. For some, medication is a good idea either taken once a week or
as yearly injections. Discuss options with your doctor.
generally be pleasantly surprised as to how this plays out.
www.osteoporosis.org.au
www.kidspot.com.au
Schoolyard bullying
Bullying at school is not new. Awareness has grown in
recent years and it is no longer accepted or hushed
up, mainly because of the damage done to those
persistently bullied through intimidation or physical force.
Today, we have cyber bullying, a far cry from a nasty
“note” passed around a class, to an online comment that
millions can see.
Healthy eating
Of course, not every childhood taunt is bullying. It is thought around
one in three school aged children are bullied, middle school more
than senior school. Emotional bullying is most common followed
by physical acts like pushing, tripping or shoving. Surprisingly, little
Cyber bullying is more common in senior school.
Back to school means thinking about lunchboxes.
there are many healthy options for snacks too. Sticks of carrot or
celery can be a snack. Fruit in season is a great snack. Even with
snack bars, by reading the labels you can select those with natural
ingredients, whole grains and less sugar. Read the labels on cracker
biscuits too. Some are high in fats and sugar, whilst others (like
rice crackers) are not. A mix of seeds, nuts (watch for allergies) and
dried fruit is another simple snack, as are cheese sticks or popcorn.
iceblock while the weather is hot.
isolation and emotional upset. Often the bullies too have emotional or
other problems.
ask how things are at school; general ‘open’ questions about how they
are feeling or what’s happening with their friends.
it out.
Genital Herpes - Could you have it & how is it treated?
The herpes virus (of which there are types 1 and 2) causes both cold sores on the mouth and genital herpes. Some one in
eight Australians has genital herpes, which is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
The symptoms are the same as cold sores. There
is often a burning type sensation for a day or two
followed by the outbreak of blisters. This can be
on the penis in males or the labia or vagina in
Diagnosis is made via a swab of lesions. A blood
the mouth and genital herpes.
Outbreaks last between two and 14 days. Whilst
it will settle by itself there is treatment, which
can reduce symptoms and shorten the course.
These anti-viral tablets are on prescription.
Once you have herpes the virus stays in
your system and can cause further episodes,
sometimes frequently, sometimes rarely.
The triggers are similar to cold sores and
include stress and viral illness. While over
time outbreaks become less frequent, regular
medication can be used to hurry this. Talk to
your GP about this.
condoms. When lesions are present, abstain from
sex. Remember genital herpes is not pleasant
but it is not serious. Think of it as cold sores in a
Seek advice if you get genital herpes and are
planning a pregnancy.
Glen Iris
Medical Centre
Laughter the Best Medicine
Puns on the Run
I tried to catch some fog. I mist.
When chemists die, they barium.
says he can stop any time.
I stayed up all night to see where the sun
went. Then it dawned on me.
The girl said she recognised me from the
vegetarian club, but I never met herbivore.
I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I can’t
put it down.
I did a theatrical performance about puns. It
was a play on words.
They told me I had type A blood, but it was a
Type O.
SUDOKU
Take the Quiz!
1. What is osteoporosis?
When your ------ become
weak and brittle.
2. Gout is a painful form of
------------- -------3. Asthma is more common
in …….. than ……
4. Victims of schoolyard
bullying display low ---- -----, difficulty in trusting others,
isolation and
-------- upset.
Answers:
1. Bones
2. Inflammatory arthritis
3. Children than adults
4. Self-esteem …….emotional
✃
METHOD
Bring salt and water to the boil. Add the
chicken drumsticks & boil for approx. 3 mins.
Remove the chicken and allow to cool.
Place frying pan on medium heat & add the
castor sugar.
When the sugar starts to brown add the
peaches (flesh side down) and bay leaves.
Cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the
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Collection Centre –
No appointment necessary
Mon – Fri
8am – 4pm
Saturday
8am – 11am
LUNCH BOX HEALTH FOR
CHILDREN.
Recipe for health
CHICKEN, PEACH & ROCKET SALAD
INGREDIENTS
6 large chicken drumsticks (or 4-6 chicken
thighs)
4 medium-large peaches, peeled and halved
½ cup caster sugar
2 Bay leaves
1 tbsp butter
100ml Verjuice (found in most local
supermarkets) or white wine
250ml Vegetable oil
100g Rocket leaves
4 tbsp Harissa, Romesco sauce or Kasundi
(spicy Indian relish)
1½ litres water with tspn cooking salt
APPOINTMENTS
Consultation is by appointment.
Urgent cases will be seen on the day.
Booking a long appointment.
If you want an insurance medical,
review of a complex health problem,
counselling for emotional difficulties,
gynaecological check-up or a second
opinion about someone else’s
management you will need to make
sure you book a longer appointment.
This may involve a longer wait but
your problem will get the attention
it deserves. Please bring with you
relevant letters and test results from
other doctors.
sugar starts to turn to a light caramel.
Add butter and verjuice or white wine and
cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add
drumsticks/thighs.
Cook for 5-10 mins until cooked through.
Once cool, slice peaches in to wedges and
separate the chicken.
Place in serving bowl with rocket leaves and
dress with Harissa dressing. Serve.
Even with food advertising and peer
pressures, not all children go to
school with lunch boxes filled with
chips and lollies, despite what your
children say! Keep offering healthy
lunch box choices so your child can
learn healthy food choices. Include
these in their lunch box – fresh
fruit, crunchy vegetables, dairy food
(cheese, milk or yoghurt), protein
food (lean meat, hard-boiled egg,
nuts, baked beans, tuna patties),
starchy foods (bread, rice or pasta)
and water.
WHEN SHOULD OLD
MEDICATIONS BE THROWN OUT?
Every medication bottle has an
expiry date printed on it. If this date
has passed, discard the medication.
Do this sooner if the medication is
not needed and there are toddlers in
the house.