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Better Health Channel

Better Health Channel (BHC) website promotes health literacy and healthy living by providing health consumers with trusted, reliable and easy to understand health and medical information, quality assured by the Department of Health, Victoria.

The website content is developed by health experts across government and the health sector, and quality reviewed to provide users with confidence when making health decisions. It does not however replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals.

Mission and vision

To provide health and medical information to improve the health and wellbeing of people and the communities they live in.

How Better Health Channel can help

Better Health Channel has a range of tools, videos and fact sheets designed to help you discover options for support, locate services that meet your needs, and provides tips for making decisions at the different stages of your health journey.

Recommended links

Last reviewed: August 2023

Information from this partner

Found 760 results

Mushroom poisoning - Better Health Channel

Contrary to popular belief, there is no home test that can distinguish between edible and poisonous varieties of wild fungi or mushrooms.

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Health checks for women - Better Health Channel

A woman at high risk of a particular disease should be checked more frequently and/or at an earlier age.

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Soft drinks, juice and sweet drinks – limit intake - Better Health Channel

Consumption of drinks containing added sugar is associated with weight gain, reduced bone strength and tooth erosion and decay.

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Alcohol and weight gain - Better Health Channel

While the relationship between alcohol consumption and obesity remains unclear, there are good reasons to think that alcohol may play a role.

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Chemicals in the home - Better Health Channel

Learn how to safely store and dispose of household chemicals, and how to respond when a person is poisoned.

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Hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by a virus (usually from the coxsackie group of enteroviruses, particularly coxsackie virus A16). It causes blisters on the hands and feet, in the mouth and often in the ‘nappy’ area. It is generally a mild disease that lasts 7 to 10 days.

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Cancer in children - Better Health Channel

In children, the genetic changes that cause cancer are not due to lifestyle but are more likely to be random and difficult to predict.

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Bacterial vaginosis - Better Health Channel

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is caused by an imbalance of the bacteria normally present in the vagina.

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Lactose intolerance - Better Health Channel

Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

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Snow sports and cold-related injuries - Better Health Channel

You can help reduce your risk of winter sports injuries with planning, preparation and proper equipment.

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