IN THIS ISSUE:•PrincipalOfficer’snote•Headaches•Whattodoifyoufall•Keepingyourbonesstrong•Playingitsafeinthesun•Didyouknow?•Beatholidayheartburn•Medicalemergency•Importantsafetytips•Whenandhowarecontributionspayable?

•Suggestionsforahealthieryouin 2020

•Healthtips•Importantnotification•Importantcontactdetails

TransCareFOURTH ISSUE 2019

2019

Welcome to another information-packed TransCare newsletter.

TENSION HEADACHESTensionheadachescausedull,squeezingpainonbothsidesofthehead.Theyareusuallycausedby:

• muscletightnessinthescalporneck• eyestrain• poorposture.

Over-the-counterpainrelieverscaneasethepain.Topreventtensionheadaches,trynottoskipmeals,makesurethatyougetenoughsleepandpaceyourselftoavoidfatigue.

CLUSTER HEADACHESAlesscommonkindofprimaryheadacheisaclusterheadache.

Clusterheadachescauseintense,sharp,penetratingpain.Clusterheadachesusuallyoccurononesideofthehead,painisoftenaroundtheeyeornearthetemple,painmayspreadtothecheekorjawandsomepeoplealsogetastuffyorrunnynose.

What is a headache? A headache is a pain in the head or

upper neck. Most headache sufferers have what doctors call ‘primary headaches’. This means the pain you experience is just a

headache and not a sign of a more serious problem.

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Wewillentertheholidayseasonsoonandsomeofuswilltravelalloverthecountrytovariousholidaydestinations.Weurgeyoutokeepyourmembershipcardathandforthoseunexpectedemergenciesandtoensurethatyourfamilymembershaveaccesstoyourmembershipcard.

Inthisedition,ourmainarticlecoversprimaryheadaches.Wealsosharearticlesonwhattodoifyoushouldfall,howtoplayitsafeinthesunandprovideimportantsafetytips.

Wealwayswelcomefeedbackandanysuggestionsthatyoumayhaveonarticlesorinformationonmemberbenefitsyouwouldliketoseepublishedinfuturenewsletters.

Pleasesendyourfeedbackandsuggestionstosuggestions@transmed.co.zaorSuggestions,POBox32931,Braamfontein2017.

Duringthisspecialtimeofyear,wewouldliketoextendourbestwishestoyouandyourfamilyfortheholidayseason.Maythenewyearbefilledwithjoy,health,happinessandprosperity.

Welookforwardtosupportingyouinthecomingyear.

Yoursingoodhealth

Petrus WassermannPrincipal Officer

Principal Officer’s note

Petrus WassermannPrincipal Officer

Clusterheadachescomeinseveralattacksadayforweeksorlonger.Successfultreatmentcantaketrialanderrorbeforefindingthemosteffectivetreatment.Medicationandavoidingtriggers(thingsthatstarttheseheadaches)areusuallypartoftreatment.

MIGRAINESMigrainescancompletelydisruptaperson’sday.Migrainepainisoftenfeltaroundthetemples.Manypeoplewithmigrainesfeelnauseousorvomit.Brightlightsandloudnoisescanworsenthepain.Theaveragemigrainelastsfourtotwelvehours,althoughtheycanbeshorterorlonger.Commonmigrainesymptomsinclude:

• throbbingpain• visualblankspots• sparklingorflashinglights• lightsensitivity• increasedpaininresponsetonoise• fatigue

• nausea• nervousnessoranxiety.Forsomepeople,over-the-counterpainrelieverscaneasethepain.Somepeoplemayneedprescriptionmedication.

PREVENTING MIGRAINESMigrainesaresetoffbytriggers.Somecommontriggersinclude:fatigue,travel,alcohol,weather,caffeineandfood.Toidentifyyourtriggers,askyourselfthefollowing:

• Whatwereyoudoingwhenthemigrainestarted?

• Wasthemigrainemild,moderateorsevereandhowlongdiditlast?

• Wereyoustressedthatday?• Wereyouphysicallyactivewhenitstarted?• Whendidyoulasteat?Identifyandavoidyourtriggers,getenoughsleep,eatwell,exerciseregularlyandmanagestresstoreducemigraines.

HEADACHES

Therearethreetypesofprimaryheadaches:

• tension headaches;

• cluster headaches; and

• migraines.

Themostcommonprimaryheadachesaretensionheadachesandmigraines.Mostheadachesarecausedbystress,fatigue,hunger,hormonalchanges,weatherchangesorcaffeinewithdrawal.

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A simple thing can

change your life –

liketrippingonarugorslippingona

wetfloor.Ifyoufall,

youcouldbreaka

bone.Abreakcan

bethestartof

moreserious

problems,suchasa

triptothehospital

orevendisability.

Youcanhelppreventfracturesbykeepingyourbonesstrong.Havinghealthyboneswon'tpreventafall,butifyoufall,itmightpreventbreakingahiporotherbone.Herearesometipsforkeepingyourbonesstrong:

• GetenoughcalciumandvitaminD.

• Quitsmoking.

• Maintainahealthyweight.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL

KEEP YOUR BONES

STRONG

Whetheryouareathomeorsomewhereelse,asuddenfallcanbestartlingandupsetting.Ifyoufall,stayascalmaspossible.

Takeseveraldeepbreathstotrytorelax.Remainstillonthefloororgroundforafewmoments.Thiswillhelpyougetovertheshockoffalling.

Decideifyouarehurtbeforegettingup.Gettinguptooquicklyorinthewrongwaycouldmakeaninjuryworse.

Ifyouthinkyoucangetupsafelywithouthelp,rolloverontoyourside.Restagainwhileyourbodyandbloodpressureadjust.Slowlygetuponyourhandsandkneesand

crawltoasturdychair.Putyourhandsonthechairseatandslideonefootforwardsothatitisflatonthefloor.Keeptheotherlegbentsothekneeisonthefloor.Fromthiskneelingposition,slowlyriseandturnyourbodytositinthechair.

Ifyouarehurtorcannotgetuponyourown,asksomeoneforhelporcallemergencyserviceson0800115750.Ifyouarealone,trytogetintoacomfortablepositionandwaitforhelptoarrive.

Carryingamobileorportablephonewithyouasyoumoveaboutyourhousecouldmakeiteasiertocallsomeoneifyouneedassistance.

Did you know?Most people who are dehydrated don’t even know it!

Try to drink eight glasses of water a day.

Playing it safe in the sun

• Avoidtoomuchsun:Wearprotectiveclothing,suchasashirt,hat,pantsandsunglasseswheninthesunformorethan15minutes.Seekshadeasmuchaspossibleandavoidthemiddaysun.

• Applysunscreentoexposedskin:Applysunscreengenerously15minutesbeforegoingoutdoorsandreapplyeverytwohoursorafterswimmingorsweatingalot.

• Choosesunscreenwisely:Abroad-spectrumsunscreenthatblocksultravioletA(UVA)andultravioletB(UVB)light,withasunprotectionfactorofatleast30,isbest.

• Getsomesuneveryday:YourbodyneedsadailydoseofvitaminDfromthesun.Formostpeople,15minutesofsunshinewithoutsunscreenwillnotdamagetheskinandwillgiveyouenoughvitaminD.

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6

heartburnholiday

Beat

Theholiday seasonisuponus,whichmeans

family,friendsandfoodand,for

many,heartburn.

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Holidaymealscanproducetheperfecttriggerforheartburn,butthesymptomsanddiscomfortcanbeminimisedbyfollowingafewtips.• Tryeatingsmallmeals

throughouttheday.• Saveleftoversinsteadof

tryingtoeatitall.• Cutdownonalcoholand

tobacco.• Sleepwithextrapillows

behindyou.• Tryover-the-counter

medicine.• Ifallfails,makean

appointmentwithahealthcarepractitioner.

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Medical emergencyWhile the December holiday season is certainly a time for well-deserved relaxation and enjoyment, unfortunately it's often also a time for medical emergencies.

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Accidentsoftenhappenwhenyouleastexpectthem.Keepingacoolheadandmeticulouslyfollowingachecklistofalltheimportantmedicalinformationyouneedtohaveonhandinanemergency,cangoalongwaytopreventingstressandensuringafun-filled,joyoustime.

Yourholidaymedicalchecklistshouldtypicallyincludethefollowingpointsforyoutoactonandtokeepinmind:• AlwayscarryyourmembershipcardandID

withyouandmakesureyourfamilyknowswhereyourcardisincaseofemergencies.

• Familiariseyourselfthoroughlywithyourplan’sbenefitsandtheFund’sexclusions.

• Asisthecasewithallhospitaladmissions,authorisationisalsorequired.Ifanemergencyprocedureorunplannedstayinhospitalfallsoveraweekendoronapublicholiday,makesurethatyoufollowtheauthorisationprocedureandcontactTransmed‘s24-hourpre-authorisationnumberon0800225151.

• Ifyou’retravellingoverseas,ensurethatyouobtainsufficientinternationaltravelcover.

• Makealistofalltherelevantcontactnumbersandmakecopiesofyourdocumentation.Keepitathandduringyourholidayandmakeacopyforarelativewhocanbecontactedatalltimes.

• Ifyouoroneofyourfamilytakesregularmedication,makesurethatyouhavemorethanenoughforthelengthofyourholidayandtakeacopyoftheprescriptionincaseyouneedmorewhileyou’reaway.

• Knowtheemergencynumbers:- Policeandemergencyservices:10111- Ambulance:0800115750 (available24hoursaday)

- Customerservicedepartment:0800110268- Hospitalpre-authorisation:0800225151 (available24hoursaday).

Keep the following information in an easily accessible place in case of an emergency:• your name and surname• your medical fund name• your medical fund membership

number• your medical fund contact number• name and contact details of your next

of kin.

BE SAFE THIS FESTIVE SEASON.

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FALL PREVENTION SAFETY• Removeobstaclesinthehousethatcould

causetripping–everythingfromsmallfloorrugstoobjectsonthefloorlikeanoversizedvaseormagazinestand.

• Placenon-slipmatsontheshowerfloorandinthebathtub.

• Useanightlightinyourbedroom.Makesurethereisenoughlightforyoutoseeinsidethebedroomandalongthewaytothebathroomandkitchen.

• Getupslowlyafterlyingdownorsitting,makingsurethatthepathyouaretakingisfreefromclutterandobstacles.

KITCHEN SAFETY• Avoidwearinglooseclothingwhen

cooking–fabriccancatchfireveryquickly.• Pointpothandlesawayfromthefront

edgeofthestove.Thisensuresthatyouwon’tbumpintothemorcatchyoursleeveonthem.

• Neverleavecookingfoodunattended.• Wipeanyspilledgreasefromthestove.• Ensurethereisadequatelightinginareas

whereyou’reworking.

CAR SAFETY• Makesurealldoorsarelockedand

windowsrolledupwhiledriving.Youdon’t

wantsomeonejumpingintoyourcarwhenyoustopintraffic.

• Neverleaveanythingvaluableinplainview.• Neverleavecarkeysinsidethevehicle;

notevenfor‘justaminute’.• Alwayslockthedoorswhenyouleavethe

vehicle,evenifitisonlyforashorttime.• Parkascloseaspossibletowhereyouare

going.

HOME SAFETY• Neveropenthedoortoastranger.• Nevertellpeopleyouarealone.• Lockalldoors.

FINANCIAL SAFETY• Neverleaveyourpurseorwallet

unattended.• Alwayscarryyourwalletoranybillsina

frontpocket;neverinarearpocket.• Avoidhavinglargeamountsofcashor

valuablesathome.• Tearuporshredallpersonalandfinancial

information;neverjustthrowitintothetrash.

• NevergiveyourIDnumberorparticularsaboutyourbankaccountstoanyone;ifsomeonecallsyouandasksyoutoconfirmthataccountnumbersareyours,don’tdoit.

Important safety tipsBelow are a few steps to increase safety at home and away from home.

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Yourpensionfundwillcollectyourmonthlycontributionfromyourmonth-endremunerationandpayitovertoTransmed.Thismeans,forexample,thatyourOctobercontributionwillbedeductedfromyourOctoberpension.

Ifyourcontributionisreceivedviaautomaticclearingbureau(ACB)deductionfromyourbankaccount,yourcontributionisdeductedonthefirstworkingdayofthemonth.Thismeans,forexample,thatthecontributionrecoveredon1OctoberwillbeyourcontributionforSeptember.

Intheeventofterminationofmembership,yourlastcontributionispayableattheendofyourlastmonthofmembership.

Pleasenotethatalthoughthepaymentofyourcontributionmaybefacilitatedbyyourpensionfund,youremainultimatelyresponsibleforthepaymentofanycontributionduetotheFund.

When and how are contributions payable?

Transmed Medical Fund collects monthly

membership contributions in

arrears.

• Commit to a healthier diet. Eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and low-fat food.

• Move more and sit less.

• Rethink what you drink. Drink more water and fewer sugary beverages.

• Get enough sleep.

• Quit smoking.

• Be sun safe.

• Take care of your health.

in 2020

10

you Suggestions for a healthier

Health tipsEating fresh fruit and

vegetables is a great way to stay healthy.

Chew. If you want to improve your digestion, avoid

heartburn, help with weight loss and get more nutrients from your food, then chew

every bite thoroughly.

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DISCLAIMER: The information and articles in this newsletter do not constitute medical advice or a medical claim for any product of any nature whatsoever on behalf of the publisher, Fund, Administrator or the distributor. Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner for diagnosis or treatment of any diseases or medical conditions.

Services Contact numbers

Customer service department 0800 110 268 (general queries) Chronic medicine 0800 122 263Hospital and major medical pre-authorisation 0800 225 151Optical services (PPN) 0860 304 060/ 0861 103 529Dental services (DENIS) 0860 104 941HIV/AIDS 0860 109 793Ambulance authorisation 0800 115 750

Fraud hotline 0800 000 436

CO

NTA

CT U

S

IMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILS

IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION

Please note that there is a new contact

number for HIV/AIDS. The new number is

0860 109 793