Victoria's hub for health services and business
A gateway to the strategies, policies, programs and services delivered by the Department of Health & Human Services.
Victorian government portal for older people, with information about government and community services and programs.
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Messages relay between the brain and the motor and sensory nerves of the body in a constant 'conversation'...
Brain death differs from other states of unconsciousness in important ways...
Brain surgery is performed for a number of reasons, including alterations in brain tissue, brain blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid...
Folic acid taken before conception, and during at least the first four weeks of pregnancy, can prevent around seven out of 10 cases of neural tube defects...
A wide range of illnesses, conditions and events can cause coma...
Epilepsy is the world's most common serious brain disorder and is characterised by a tendency to have recurrent seizures. Most seizures are spontaneous and brief yet self-limiting and can involve...
The nervous system helps all the parts of the body to communicate with each other...
The long-term effects of brain injury will be different for each person and can range from mild to profound...
A person with alcohol related brain impairment (ARBI) might experience problems with coordination, thinking, planning and memory...
If a person with alcohol related brain impairment is aware of their memory limits, they can learn how to deal with them...
People with alcohol related brain impairment benefit when their life is organised and follows a good structure...
A brain injury can change the way a person experiences and expresses their sexuality...
Head injuries can be serious and require urgent medical attention. A hard blow to the head from a fall, knock or assault can injure the brain, even when there are no visible signs of trauma to the...
There is no specific treatment for mild head injury other than plenty of rest, and not overdoing things...
A subarachnoid haemorrhage is any bleed located underneath one of the protective layers of the brain known as the arachnoid layer...
Subdural haematomas are blood clots formed underneath one of the protective layers of the brain...
In its earlier stages, an acoustic neuroma can present similar symptoms to other, less serious conditions, which may delay diagnosis and treatment...
Brain cancer symptoms and treatment depend on which part of the brain is affected...
Gliomas are brain tumours associated with the three types of glial cell in the brain...
A meningioma is a non-cancerous brain tumour and responds well to treatment...
Generally, pituitary tumours are benign and slow growing, and pituitary cancers are extremely rare...
Loss of memory can be temporary or permanent, but 'amnesia' usually refers to the temporary variety...
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is characterised by physical deterioration of the brain, dementia and walking difficulties...
Dementia is not a normal part of ageing and can happen to anybody...
Although nearly all of us will experience a headache during our lifetime, persistent headaches need to be medically investigated with tests such as scans, eye tests or sinus x-rays...
Migraine causes a severe and throbbing headache, usually on one side of the head, as well as symptoms such as nausea...
Hydrocephalus is the abnormal enlargement of the brain cavities (ventricles) caused by a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid...
Leukodystrophy refers to a group of inherited disorders that affect the white matter of the brain, which causes loss of normal brain functions...
A stroke interrupts blood flow to an area of the brain and is a medical emergency...
Many people living with epilepsy are successfully employed across a range of professional fields...
Medication can provide seizure control for approximately 70 per cent of people with epilepsy...
It is rare for a person with epilepsy to have a seizure during physical activity, but you should always take safety precautions when exercising...
Good seizure management is an important part of reducing the risks associated with epilepsy...
Children with epilepsy generally have seizures that respond well to medication, and they enjoy a normal and active childhood...
Learn about your epilepsy so that you can make informed decisions about your lifestyle...
A febrile convulsion is a fit that occurs in children when they have a high fever...
Medicinal cannabis is a legal, high quality medicine that can be prescribed for people by their doctor...
The majority of people with Bell's palsy, around 90 per cent, will recover completely with time...
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by repetitive hand movements, pregnancy and arthritis...
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful condition of a person?s arm, hand, leg or foot, which occurs after an injury, such as a fracture...
Type 2 diabetes may be prevented, but it cannot be cured...
Diabetes is the most common cause of neuropathy...
Optic neuritis is inflammation of the optic nerve that causes blurred, grey and dim vision...
To the casual observer, a person with Friedreich ataxia may seem to be drunk...
Most people with Guillain-Barré syndrome experienced some form of viral or bacterial infection before the onset of symptoms...
Neuralgia is pain in a nerve pathway. Generally, neuralgia isn’t an illness in its own right, but a symptom of injury or a particular disorder...
Pins and needles is a sensation of uncomfortable tingling or prickling, usually felt in the hands or feet...
Many quadriplegics could live more independent lives with a highly specialised operation called tendon transfer surgery...
Folate can prevent up to 70 per cent of spina bifida cases if taken daily for one month before conception and during the first three months of pregnancy...
Most people who have a spinal cord injury are young males, who have a greater tendency to indulge in risky behaviour...
A child with spinal muscular atrophy type 1 rarely lives beyond three years of age...
Syringomyelia is the growth of a cyst in the spinal cord that may result in paraplegia or quadriplegia if not treated...
Childhood apraxia of speech affects a person?s ability to organise the muscles used in speech...
Dyslexia is a type of specific learning difficulty (SLD) in which the person has difficulties with language and words...
Children who stutter should see a speech pathologist, preferably before they start school...
The CT scan is a medical imaging procedure that uses x-rays and digital computer technology to create detailed images of the body...
In a person with epilepsy, an electroencephalogram (EEG) may show bursts of abnormal discharges in the form of spikes and sharp wave patterns...
The MRI scan is a medical imaging procedure that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to take pictures inside the body...
PET scans are tests that show how an organ or tissue is working...
An x-ray examination uses a special machine to take two-dimensional pictures of internal body structures to help diagnose conditions or injuries...
Need to find a doctor in your local area? Take a look at the general practitioners entry in the health services directory.
Want to know more about the medications you are taking. Search and find information sheets on over 4,000 prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
Find out more about over 170 common surgeries including risks, benefits and after care.