Deloitte has announced a new partnership with Australian software development company, Well Placed Cactus (WPC), in the hope of expanding digital reality experiences as we know them today.
WPC is an innovative company sitting at the forefront of emerging technologies. They offer a range of services in games for purpose, experiential software, digital reality, natural user interfaces and creative solutions.
Having spent the last 5 years building interactive opportunities for businesses and individuals, WPC has grown its market presence and attracted attention from business giants.
The two companies are mutually eager to delve into the future of digital reality and realise the possibilities it can offer. WPC now forms Deloitte Digital’s creative team, bringing with them a new level of technical and engineering capabilities.
The new Digital Emerging Technology team will be headed by Deloitte Digital lead partner, Steve Hallam. WPC’s CEO, Jack Gillespie will combine to act as the director of Deloitte Digital’s creative team, while WPC’s COO, co-founder and technical director will become managers.
The partners aim to deliver new possibilities and solutions to their clients, to help solve the most complex of problems. Additionally, the partnership has allowed Deloitte to shift its focus from a reactive player in the technological industry, to a pioneer in development.
Given Deloitte’s scale as a business, it is a particularly progressive move to bring WPC’s established team in-house. Together, the front-running group will combine Deloitte’s ambitious creativity, with WPC’s impressive expertise to transform conceptual ideas into a virtual reality.
iLab
The companies have already worked together on several projects in recent years, delivering impressive innovative results. iCare was the subject to Deloitte’s work, in which they were challenged to change a passive learning experience into one of interaction and originality.
Deloitte and WPC built a cutting-edge installation with iCare, which allowed users to listen, contribute and influence the space. As a result, the creation allowed for the input of many perspectives and ideas, whilst simultaneously immersing users in the experience.
iLab is an excellent indicator of the future of this partnership, with the team’s imagination and technical precision holding the potential to revolutionise digital reality capabilities.
The combination of Deloitte and WPC’s incredible teams introduces exciting possibilities for the future of digital reality. With their sights set to change the digital landscape, there is potential for new, engaging and even more realistic inventions to come.
Making healthy choices isn’t easy, and passive peer pressure doesn’t really help. Wanting to change something about ourselves, wishing to develop healthy habits, is much harder to accomplish when everybody around us simply refuses to change.
However, we shouldn’t focus on what others are doing. What we should do is invest our attention to bettering ourselves and embracing a (physical and emotionally) healthy lifestyle. The assistance and support of others is nice and useful, but we should not rely on such things, rather, only appreciate them if they are there.
Start small
Photo: Skeeze, Pixabay
The first and perhaps most important notion you need in order to embrace healthy habits is to start small. Too often we set high and difficult goals, only to become dejected and discouraged once we inevitably fail.
Running a marathon, quitting smoking, initiating a regular meditation practice, learning how to code and paint – these are all wonderful goals. The problem is, attempting them all at once will inevitably lead to burnout.
We’re not saying you shouldn’t reach for the stars. What we are saying is that having one goal at a time (running a 5k for example) will increase your chances of success. Furthermore, it can serve as a stepping stone to a larger and more serious goal (running a full rough trail marathon). So if you want to, for example, start meditating, begin with just 5 minutes every other day, and then build it up to half an hour, five to six days a week.
Plan properly and understand set-backs happen
In line with the previous point, we advise you set clear and actionable goals which will assist you in cementing healthy habits. When you set a goal, try to partition it into many sub-goals. Just to give you an example, let’s say you want to get a 100 kilo bench-press.
You want to focus on two things. The first one is the actual final goal. The second thing is having a weekly or monthly target. Increasing the weight every week will keep you motivated and on track. Also, many people simply don’t make notes of their success and improvements. Keep a workout journal, and you will have physical and objective proof of just how far you have come.
Also, don’t be disheartened by failure, it is completely natural. If you want to quit smoking, know that there will be times when you fall of the wagon and light one up during times of stress. If that happens, accept that you had a cigarette, and don’t dwell on it.
Having the mindset of “oh I ruined everything, what’s the point of trying” will just push you towards smoking a pack a day again. Instead, understand that you made a mistake that doesn’t automatically delete all the progress you made.
Focus on improving your energy levels
You should do everything in your power to increase how much energy you have. This is both a habit in-and-of-itself, but it is also a foundation that will make the development of any habit, from the obvious ones like regular exercise, to things like reading more often, easier. You will have more energy to read after a hard day at work, for example, or will deal better with stress-snacking caused by quitting cigarettes.
So, first, you should cut out foods that you may be intolerant to. For example, many people live their lives not knowing they are (to a lesser or greater degree) lactose intolerant. Many people are just fine with gluten, but there is a percentage that have issues with it. So, munching on some high-quality gluten free snacks instead of regular unhealthy snacks is a good alternative. Baby carrots, fruit, and nuts are a viable replacement as well.
Photo: Mokeybusinessimages, Bigstock
Make a habit of drinking at least 8 cups of water per day, ideally having one glass the moment you wake up. Getting as much fresh air and sunshine as you can will also do wonders.
Conclusion
Developing healthy habits is the best way to achieve any goal you want. They create a strong structure and foundation upon which you can build your life. Just remember to take care of your body and diet, take small steps at a time, and create planned, actionable goals.
PGP Australia, also known as Premium Graduate, helps students to find internships and gain work experience in their industry. This is particularly valuable in areas that are hard to break into, particularly without local experience, references and connections.
PGP Australia helps students who need more industry experience to find a company that will allow them to work and learn, as well as make connections and get a reference for when they apply for a full-time position.
It can also be handy to use Premium Graduate Placements to find out if a career is right for you, or to narrow down which field within a profession you want to specialise in.
The internship company also provides training and mentorship programs to help their clients prepare for a professional environment. This is useful even before an internship, as if you don’t fully understand professional norms when you start working you can make a bad first impression which is difficult to shake.
Accounting
After completing a university qualification in accounting, Premium Graduate Placements can be a useful pathway into the start of a professional career path. Accountants are essential at most large companies all over the world, and there a number of different pathways to follow within the profession.
PGP Australia has contacts at several accounting firms (or large companies with an accounting department) and can help to find internships for people who want to get some Australian corporate experience on their CV.
It can also help to figure out what path within the industry you should go down.
PGP Australia helps find accounting placements so that you can learn from professionals. Photo: Fizkes, Bigstock
IT
Information technology is a fast-growing sector, and once you get into the field it can be very lucrative. Once you have finished studying, going through PGP Australia to get into the industry is a great way to kick start your career and gain valuable skills.
Being able to adapt to different software and solve problems is crucial in IT, and this is what you will learn through a placement from Premium Graduate. The training that you get on the job is usually equally as valuable (at least) as your qualifications to an employer, so it is a great way to get started.
Marketing
Marketing is a very wide field, where you could end up doing anything from advertising products and services to designing new products, deciding where to expand services or even web design and SEO. Getting Premium Graduate Placements to help you find an internship is a great way to help narrow your focus or, alternatively, get a wide range of experience to be ready for anything.
PGP Australia can help you add to your academic qualifications with real-world experience, which makes you far more attractive to your future full-time employers in marketing. No matter whether you want to go into digital marketing, advertising or marketing management, PGP Australia can help you to get started.
HR
Human resources departments exist in virtually every sizeable company, and most smaller businesses use HR consulting firms to help them manage their employees. All of this means that going through Premium Graduate Placements to get into HR sets you up for a long career with a lot of options.
That being said, it can also be difficult to get into human resources without practical experience. There is a lot of competition for post-university jobs in this country, which is why PGP Australia provides a great opportunity for people to catch a break.
Civil engineering
There is a lot of construction going on in Australian cities, and the national population is projected to keep growing. Premium Graduate Placements have a lot of connections with civil engineering firms that can help you to get involved in this growing and competitive industry. The work experience you gain will give you a better idea of what your career will involve.
Employers in civil engineering want to see high academic grades along with relevant work experience and good, trusted references – and PGP Australia can help you to get the second two! They have a proven track record in helping their clients to develop and many of the people they find internships for end up being offered a job by their host company.
Photo: Giggsy25, Bigstock
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering combines design, practicality and a strong knowledge of physics. The physics and design elements can be taught at university, but to practice and demonstrate your practicality you need to work. Unfortunately, lots of people are trying to get into the field because it is challenging, rewarding and well paid – but an internship through Premium Graduate Placements can give you an edge.
Getting experience in mechanical engineering with PGP Australia helps you to ground all of the theoretical knowledge you learned through the course of your degree in practicality and find out what your future job will entail. From a job searching perspective, an internship of a decent length will also make you more attractive to firms looking to hire.
Premium Graduate Placements
The benefits of going through PGP Australia for finding internships are many, regardless of what field you are looking to go into. Industry experience is a big bonus in any career, and the longer you go without it after finishing your degree the more your lack of demonstrated skills will count against you.
If you don’t have connections in your chosen industry it can be hard to break in, even with a tertiary education – after all, lots of people have a degree these days! Premium Graduate Placements can help you find these connections, as well as pick up some practical experience and learn about the professional norms in your industry.
This is especially true if you don’t have any work experience in the country. Employers can live with people who were recently students not having worked in the industry before, but they want to see some evidence of working and have a reference to call. PGP Australia gives you that, along with some handy skills.
If you didn’t have a job while at university then you need to find a way to get experience of working and have someone who will vouch for your ability to learn, adapt and take instruction. Having someone who is known within the industry vouch for you after supervising you in a PGP Australia internship is an ideal solution to the problem.
Premium Graduate Placements has helped a lot of people to find jobs and get experience in their field. More than half of the interns who go through them are offered ongoing work at their host company, which is really the ideal outcome (as long as you like the work). PGP Australia additionally boast that 90% of the interns they place find work in their industry within 4 months.
Patios are a popular choice in Australia with the country experiencing favourable weather through most of the year. Outdoor living is almost an Aussie way of life, which is why it’s important to plan your ideal alfresco lifestyle if you’re the type of person who likes to spend more time outside than inside.
You’ll need to consider several things if you’re looking to create a stunning, functional space outside your home. Follow these strategies to plan your ideal alfresco lifestyle.
Establish Desired Functionality From Your Patio
The functionality you desire from your patio will determine the layout. Consider the following:
Are you looking for a space purely for your own relaxation?
Are you looking to create a space that enables get-togethers?
Do you want to incorporate activities like cooking and barbequing?
How much seating are you looking for in the patio?
Do you enjoy the idea of a fireplace for cool evenings?
Once you determine the activities for your alfresco, you’ll be in a better position to plan the size and layout. For example, small and intimate spaces work best for people looking for their own relaxation, while larger spaces work for people looking to incorporate outdoor cooking and barbequing facilities.
Incorporate Convenience Into The Patio Space
While you love the idea of an outdoor lifestyle, you cannot be completely detached from the house, especially if your space has cooking and barbequing facilities. Consider the following:
Does the space allow you to easily access your kitchen?
Can you incorporate food storage on your patio to reduce walk ins to the main house?
Can you move freely from inside to outside and vice versa?
Does the space have adequate electrical units for lighting and other electrical needs?
Simply planning an alfresco lifestyle isn’t enough. You must find a way to incorporate convenience into it to ensure that you reduce your back and forth trips between different areas in your home.
Avoid Deviating Too Far From The Existing Architectural Style Of Your Home
When designing any patio space, you’ll want it to blend into your home and not stick out like a sore thumb. Consider the following:
Extend interior finishes to your exterior spaces to feature homogeneity in all your living areas.
Use similar colours on your floors and walls to create a continuous transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Incorporate similar lighting fixtures and furniture colours to craft a cohesive finish.
While everything doesn’t have to be the same, you’ll want your home to have a harmonised finish. This can make a huge difference to your selling price if you’re looking to move out at a later stage.
Plan Your Outdoor Lighting To Suit Your Lifestyle
Photo: Dariusz Jarzabek, Bigstock
While you probably don’t think about light when it comes to outdoor living, it can make a huge difference if you’re planning on spending evenings and nights on your patio. Consider the following:
What kind of ambience are you looking for from your patio? An intimate or bright space? Intimate lighting works best for relaxation, but you may need bright lighting for outdoor cooking spaces.
Would you like to control the level of lighting you have outside? In this case, you may want to opt for dimmable LED lights.
Are you looking to incorporate spotlights to bring attention to special garden features?
Would you like to use sensor lights to keep burglars at bay?
Think of the lighting that works best for your alfresco space and plan accordingly. Any new light installations require the services of a licensed professional; so don’t try to do it on your own.
Consider The Level Privacy You Want For Your Patio
One of the best things about alfresco living is your ability to remain outdoors, while retaining your desired level of privacy. Consider the following:
What kind of privacy works best for your space? Screens, blinds, trees, fencing, draperies or plants?
How will the privacy feature work with the existing décor of your patio?
How open or closed off would you like your patio space to be especially when it comes to inviting sunlight inside or keeping it away?
Incorporating patio living doesn’t have to be at the expense of your privacy. When planning for privacy, find a balance, so that you don’t box yourself into a space that feels like the inside of your home.
Patio living is a stylish and practical addition to your home, especially if you’re the type of person who enjoys the great outdoors.
If you are a student who is in the final stages of their undergraduate degree or have recently finished, you may be wrestling with the question: “should I pursue a master’s degree?” It’s a difficult question and the right answer can often be obscured by the circumstances in your life.
You might be unsure if the extra education will benefit your career goals. The prospect of paying extra school fees and spending more time as a student can make the decision tough for those eager to enter the workforce and earn a living full-time.
Because it’s such a huge decision, the reasons you apply for a master’s degree need to be well grounded.
Let’s take a look at the 5 best reasons you should pursue a master’s degree.
An investment in your future
While it’s not completely vital that you have a career plan in place before undertaking graduate study, it does have its advantages. Postgraduate education is a form of professional development that gives students the skills and knowledge to access higher paying jobs sooner.
If you care about being the absolute best in your desired career, then postgraduate education is the next step on that path. There really aren’t many alternatives that will give you the same result.
Get noticed by employers
Entering the job market with a basic undergraduate degree isn’t as easy as it used to be. As more people gain access to higher education, the more competition there is for the same jobs.
More and more, employers are looking at other factors when deciding who to interview. Even entry level roles are being hotly contested by those with similar educations.
A master’s degree will place you in a smaller pool of candidates, making it much more likely that you will land an interview for the jobs you apply for.
Get an even deeper understanding of your field of study
If you’re applying for a master’s in law, then you likely have a very keen interest in legal philosophy and other related subjects. A master’s degree allows you to dig deep into your study area in a far broader sense than during your undergraduate degree.
While undergraduate degrees often let students pursue modules of interest, this is taken to a much greater level with a postgraduate degree. You will often need to conduct large amounts of independent research as part of your study and develop your own understanding of a subject from a range of different perspectives.
Make contributions to your field of study
A master’s degree enables you not only contribute to your field professionally but academically as well. During your study you will lay the foundations of your expertise in the field and this can inform academic essays that you might get published in the future.
If you care about being an expert opinion in your field then a master’s degree is absolutely necessary.
Building your network
According to MastersAvenue, while an undergraduate degree is often associated with making friends, cramming last minute study for exams and sleeping late, postgraduate education is much more about making professional connections. This is not only true of other students, but with faculty members as well.
The professors and lecturers you learn from and interact with can have a profound effect on your future prospects. Many of them will serve as mentors who are invested in your individual growth.
Postgraduate study also gives you an opportunity to develop your people skills, which is essential in practically every career. Working with others on high concept ideas and nurturing those working relationships is one of the biggest advantages of postgraduate study.
Will you pursue a master’s degree?
Even acknowledging all of the points made above, it can still be an incredibly tough decision. Depending on your personal situation you can struggle balancing your study with other commitments.
It’s also important to know that economic incentives shouldn’t be the only reason you pursue further education. While it’s understandable as a driving factor you will struggle throughout your master’s degree if it’s not something you want to achieve academically.
For those without any significant reservations, a master’s degree is a sound choice that will enable you to reach heights in your professional career that you could not have otherwise.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May has managed to survive a no-confidence vote following her failure to deliver an agreeable Brexit deal.
Members of Parliament supported Mrs May’s leadership with 325 votes to 306 following her Brexit proposal falling flat and leaving the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union in confusion and doubt.
The no-confidence vote was prompted by Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn after Mrs May’s Brexit proposal was defeated by 230 votes – the largest margin in the history of the House of Commons.
With the Brexit deadline of March 29 drawing near, the pressure is on Mrs May to negotiate a favourable divorce from the European Union which the UK joined in 1973. There are doubts as to whether or not the exit will ever happen at all.
Mrs May said that she was “most pleased” in the result keeping her Government intact, but that she was determined to “deliver on the referendum and leave the European Union”.
Since then, Mrs May has scheduled several meetings with Government leaders and senior Members of Parliament in order to find a means of breaking the deadlock on a Brexit settlement. She has also made offers to her rivals, including Mr Corbyn, to meet with her on an individual basis.
She said that she believed the Government had a “responsibility to identify a way forward”.
If no deal is reached in time, the actual Brexit could prove to be incredibly chaotic or even prompt another referendum to reconsider the decision to leave the European Union.
As we prepare to enter day four of the Australian Open (still in just the second round) local hopefuls are being eliminated at a rapid rate. With only one Australian seed in each of the men’s and women’s draws (Alex de Minaur, 27 and Ashleigh Barty, 15) the Aussies were never expected to make an impact deep into the second week.
De Minaur and Barty are both through to the third round, along with surprise packet Kimberley Birrell. Today two more Aussie men, Alex Bolt and Alexel Popyrin, will fight to join them in the round of 32. There were initially 12 Australian men and 10 women in the single’s draw.
In the men’s competition former teenage sensations Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkanakis all crashed out in the first found, along with James Duckworth, Marc Polmans and Jason Kubler. They were followed in the second round by Matt Ebden, John Millman and Jordan Thompson.
The Australian women have been equally disappointing, with Ellen Perez, Priscilla Hon, Sam Stosur, Darla Gavrilova, Destanee Alava and Ajla Tomljanovic losing in the first round. In the second round Zoe Hives and Astra Sharma joined them.
De Minaur will face second seed Rafael Nadal tomorrow in the third round – the third Australian to try and stop the second most successful male player of all time. Nadal beat Duckworth and Ebden in straight sets in his first two games, and despite reports of an ankle injury de Minaur doesn’t look like having much of a chance.
Today Bolt faces Giles Simon, the 29th seed, while Popyrin will take on Dominic Thiem, ranked 7th. Neither is being given much chance by the bookies, and it looks likely that de Minaur will be the only Australian man in the third round.
The famously parochial Melbourne crowd will need to find favourites from overseas to support, with Roger Federer the most likely candidate. Nadal also traditionally enjoys immense support at Melbourne Park, while on the women’s side of the draw Barty will hope to progress to next week.
It’s a rapidly changing world out there and taking advantage of the right technologies for your business can help you achieve the growth you’re after in a highly competitive, global marketplace.
Whether you’ve just emerged from the startup phase or are already expanding your offering and opening new branches, there are some solid IT tips and strategies that every Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) should be aware of.
Invest in cyber security
Photo: Dan Grytsku, BS
Malware and ransomware attacks are a growing problem for every size business, but smaller businesses can be especially vulnerable, as they generally present a softer target. In fact, small businesses made up a whopping 58% of malware attack victims in 2018 – a pretty frightening statistic.
The heartening news is that while attacks are becoming ever more sophisticated, that means there’s just as big an incentive for the ‘good guys’ to come up with ways to keep those businesses safe. By investing in endpoint security solutions rather than relying just on a simple antivirus program, you’re adding that extra layer of protection that makes it less likely you’ll become a target, and there are several affordable options designed specifically for SMEs on the market.
Embrace all things mobile
Photo: Ingo Joseph, Pexels
The ubiquity of the smartphone has completely changed the way consumers interact with businesses and brands online, with more than 52% of web traffic now coming from mobile devices rather than desktops. That’s right – if you don’t have a mobile-friendly website design, more than half of your potential customers are going to be frustrated by or entirely unable to use your website the way they want to.
If you haven’t done so yet, make a mobile-friendly website your number one priority this year, because that 52% of users is growing rapidly as the functionality of mobile devices continues to expand at lightning speed. Make use of Google’s free Mobile-Friendly test to see whether your website is considered mobile-ready yet, as well as for some suggestions on how to improve it.
Aside from your website, going mobile can pay off in other big ways too. Creating your very own mobile app can be an extremely effective marketing strategy – and you no longer need highly specialized skills to develop one. Platforms like Microsoft PowerApps do most of the technical work for you. Mobile payment platforms can also be a valuable investment for your business.
Hire the latest hardware
Photo: Shock, Bigstock
If you’re sick of forking out a small fortune for the latest IT equipment only for it to become obsolete within a few years, you’re not alone. While purchasing some equipment outright still makes good financial sense, you can save cash and frustration by rather renting the IT equipment you only need for a short term requirement or where you need the very latest and greatest from providers like Tech Brain.
Keep your data safer in the cloud
Getting into the cloud has several benefits for SMEs. Being able to access your files and applications anytime from anywhere, more easily scalable infrastructure, and reduced upfront costs thanks to monthly payment options where you only pay for what you need are just a few of them.
Another big, big plus for small businesses is that it allows you to take advantage of the data security measures the big guys use. Security updates, reduced risk of data loss and disaster recovery are all managed for you by a third party whose business depends on providing the latest and most secure technologies.
Consider automation software
Photo: Redpixel, Bigstock
A lot of small and medium businesses spend a huge number of man-hours on repetitive, monotonous and menial tasks that have to be done, but don’t actively add value for the company. Identify what these tasks are and how much time could be saved by automating them, and you could be freeing up a lot of resources.
And lastly – don’t rely on tech to solve problems with flawed in-house processes
While IT can be extremely helpful in many aspects of your business, it’s not going to be able to fix issues and bottlenecks if there are deeper underlying problems with your day to day processes. Make sure you know what you’re actually trying to achieve with a new piece of software before you buy it, and don’t expect any piece of tech to be a magic wand that can make issues with problems like internal communication or employee engagement disappear overnight.
If you have a clear idea of your goals and understand where your bottlenecks are, tech can make finding the solution much easier, faster and cheaper – but you still have to know what you intend for it to accomplish first.
Varicose veins are enlarged blood vessels that bulge out, generally on the leg but sometimes on arms and elsewhere on the body. They can cause medical issues, as well as being unsightly, but are treatable. If they get especially bad they can even be life threatening (if the leg gets cut).
There is a distinction between varicose and reticular or spider veins, which is that varicose veins bulge out while spider veins are just a visible web of blood vessels, and reticular veins are particularly blue.
The enlarged blood vessels can be painful and cause minor circulation issues but are generally not a life-threatening condition. The main exception is if they occur near major blood vessels, particularly on the thigh, as in this case even a minor cut to the leg can result in severe blood loss.
What causes them?
The veins become varicose when the valves that prevent backflow separate and stop working properly, which leads up to a build-up of blood in sections of the vein. This then damages more valves further down, which makes the bulges bigger. They generally happen in superficial veins, which means they can be removed without restricting general blood flow.
Photo: Solarisys, Bigstock
Varicose veins are partially hereditary and affect women more commonly than men. They can be brought on by factors like pregnancy, obesity, menopause and general ageing. Prolonged sitting or standing can also contribute to the issue by starting off the process of valve damage in the legs. Heavy alcohol consumption can also bring on the issue and damage valves.
Signs and symptoms
Apart from the obvious bulges coming out of your legs, people with varicose veins can experience leg pain (could be aching, burning or throbbing), heaviness, cramping, rashes, skin darkening over the veins and possibly swollen ankles. In especially serious cases people can experience ulcers, clotting and even internal bleeding (which will look like a bruise).
Generally these symptoms are worse at the end of a day, especially after sitting at a desk all day at work (or standing all day at a standing desk). People who are active throughout the day will generally not experience this, but they are also much less likely to have varicose veins in the first place.
The veins generally happen on the backs of your legs, but that is also where most of the veins are. They can occur on the front, particularly on the thigh but on the shins as well. In rare cases they can also happen on your arms or even torso.
The issues will generally progress, rather than all popping up at once. The first sign of a problem is often reticular veins, which then start to varicose and bulge. Then you might start to see your skin pigment changing over the bulges or get rashes. You may also get ulcers if your problem is particularly bad.
Treatments
Before we get into the treatments for varicose veins it should be pointed out that if you only have bulging with no discomfort then the problem is usually more cosmetic than medicinal. There are also steps you can take to stop the problem from getting any worse, and possibly help it get better, such as wearing support stockings. You might need surgery to help fix the problem if it is particularly bad, but there are other options.
The veins that bulge are usually superficial, surface blood vessels so they can be blocked or removed without impairing your blood flow or causing any damage to your leg.
Varicose veins clinics, surgery and treatments in Sydney:
Sclerotherapy is a treatment that involves injecting chemicals into the affected vein that will eventually cause the blood vessel to spasm and collapse. The walls of the vein heal together so that blood cannot flow through anymore.
The process takes time, so it is better to get this treatment early on. The veins will clear up over 2 to 6 months, although this can be sped up by wearing compression stockings. The actual injection procedure will take about an hour and a half, although this includes walking around the doctor’s office for half an hour after the injection. You might need to repeat the procedure several times a few weeks apart.
After the treatment you will need to wear a compression stocking and walk around a lot. Regular exercise and weight control are important after the treatment (or between treatments if you need multiple injections).
There are some potential side effects to sclerotherapy, generally the same ones you will get with any injection. You might experience bruising or slight skin discolouration, and potential swelling. If you get the treatment on large veins you might end up with lumps of trapped blood as well – these should go away on their own, and if not they can be removed a few weeks after the injection.
More seriously you could get inflammation or clotting if you ignore compression after the injections or are taking hormonal medication during or soon after the injections. You may also experience ulcers within a few days after the injections, and if you are allergic to the irritant you may have serious problems.
Ablation therapy
This therapy is based around using heat to seal the vein. Ablation therapy can use lasers or radio-frequency to collapse the blood vessel and make it close and is suitable for bigger veins or if you want them to heal quickly.
The operation will be quite quick, and you don’t have to do anything special for recovery except wear support stockings. You will also need to speak to your doctor before you exercise heavily. Apart from that you will be back to your normal activity immediately.
The treatment involves inserting a catheter into the varicose vein and using either laser fibres or radio-frequency energy to collapse the vein and seal the walls of the blood vessel – eventually it will turn to scar tissue. In a similar way to sclerotherapy this will make the bulge go away and won’t damage your circulation.
The operation will take about 45 minutes, although if you have a lot of varicose veins or they are especially large it will take longer. You will be under anaesthetic for the procedure, so you will need to recover from this, especially if you go under for a general anaesthetic. Even if you only get local it will be a few hours before your legs can move normally again.
Within a week you should start to see the varicose veins going down, although it can take weeks or even months for them to disappear completely. If the veins do not go down completely you might need another course of treatment or a sclerotherapy treatment to get rid of them.
Apart from the complications that can occur from any operation or anaesthetic, you could suffer minor burns from ablation therapy. You might also develop a lump or lumps, or damage to other blood vessels around the varicose veins.
You may also develop more varicose veins in the future after this treatment, as not every superficial vein is being closed. Your lifestyle and genetics will play a major role in this.
Surgery
Surgically removing the veins is the final treatment option for varicose veins. It involves a surgeon physically cutting the swollen blood vessels and stripping them out of your leg.
Surgery is the most extreme treatment for varicose veins. It is usually only performed in the worst cases or when there is a high likelihood of recurrence for the veins. This operation will probably be the most effective – and certainly the fastest – treatment for varicose veins, but it also has the most impact on your regular routine and is likely to cause scarring.
For the operation you will be put under a general anaesthetic as the surgeon disconnects the superficial veins in your leg from the deeper, more essential, blood vessels. They will need to make many small cuts to do this, and you will probably have a lot of scars on your leg when it heals. They will then strip out the varicose veins using a special device.
The operation can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how bad your varicose veins are and how many you have. You will need longer afterwards to recover from the anaesthetic, but should be able to go home either the day of or the day after the operation.
There will be a lot of pain after you wake up, and you need to be careful to avoid infections afterwards. It will take a few days before you can resume your normal daily activities, including work (if you do a lot of standing or manual labour at work it will take longer). Regular exercise will help you recover, but speak to your doctor before you start.
The surgical option carries the highest risk of unsightly scarring out of all the treatment types, and there is also a risk of suffering nerve damage while under the knife. After the surgery you might experience a tingling sensation or numbness because of this. There is also a very slight risk of damage to the major blood vessels in your leg that the varicose veins are being disconnected from.
Prevention
If you believe you are at risk for varicose veins, or you currently have small ones that you want to keep from getting worse, there are some things you can do. Even if you do everything right, however, you may still develop varicose veins or see them get worse.
The main things you can do involve improving circulation to your legs and other extremities, because this can help keep the valves that collapse to form the unsightly bulges from working too hard. Staying generally healthy and keeping good blood pressure and cholesterol levels will also help.
Clothes
While compression socks and stockings can help to support your veins and help prevent already varicosed ones from getting worse, tight clothing generally should be avoided. Tightness around your waist or tight leggings and jeans on your legs can restrict circulation, which will force the valves in your legs to work harder and potentially fail.
If you want to wear tight clothes or shapewear, it is best to save it for special occasions and find some looser options to wear on a day to day basis.
Standing and sitting
Photo: StartupStockPhotos, Pixabay
Standing or sitting in one position for too long makes it harder for your veins to pump blood back up your leg and causes higher blood pressure – and can lead to blood pooling in your ankles and swelling. This, naturally, forces your valves to work harder and can contribute to varicose veins.
Because standing and sitting both contribute to the issue, standing desks are unfortunately as bad as seated ones. If you are stuck at a desk all day, try to get up and walk around the office every hour or so. If your desk has adjustable height, change throughout the day between sitting and standing to help keep your muscles engaged and aid blood flow.
If you are stuck sitting all day, moving your feet will help a little. Wiggling your toes and stretching your ankles will also keep your blood moving more fluently – and walk around when you get up for a coffee or to go to the bathroom!
Elevate legs
If you elevate your legs a few times a day you will be able to reduce the blood pressure in your lower extremities. The best (and easiest) way to do this is to lie down with your feet resting on something so they are raised above your heart. You can do this on a couch with some pillows under your feet, or just rest your feet on the armrest!
If you can comfortably sleep with your feet elevated, this is a very easy way to reduce pressure in your legs and feet – although if you do it for too long you might end up with not enough blood getting through your legs.
Avoid high heels
High heels can increase the blood pressure in your legs and don’t engage your calf muscles, which help to pump blood through your veins. Wearing them for the odd function or night out won’t hurt you, but it’s best to wear flats to work if possible. As a side benefit, flats are much better for your ankles and the tendons in your legs – if you wear heels too much your calf ligaments and tendons can shorten.
Control your weight
Keeping your weight under control is a major factor in avoiding varicose veins. Being overweight puts extra pressure on your feet and legs, which contributes to the problem, while a poor diet will probably also raise your blood pressure by being high in salts and cholesterol.
A healthy diet helps to keep your blood vessels clear and under less pressure, while being physically lighter will also help keep your blood pressure down and help prevent the valves in the superficial veins in your legs from being overloaded and becoming varicose.
Exercise is also a hugely important factor in varicose vein prevention. Apart from helping to keep your weight down, exercise (even just walking) helps the blood pressure in your legs and strengthens the calf muscles that your leg veins use to pump blood back towards your heart.
If you are at risk for varicose veins walking is the best form of exercise for preventing them, while yoga is also a good option. Yoga can help to strengthen your deep leg muscles, which aids blood flow and takes some of the pressure off your superficial veins. Cycling and swimming are also very good, but really any form of exercise is better than nothing.
Obesity is a major aggravating factor for varicose veins, so eating healthily and exercising are ways to reduce the risk of either becoming obese or, if you are already overweight, bringing yourself back to a healthy body composition.
Compression stockings
Photo: Zlikovec, Bigstock
Yes – compression stockings are technically tight clothing. However, rather than the tightness constricting your blood flow, they are tight in the right places to support the veins in your legs and try to prevent them from becoming varicose or getting worse if you already have the condition.
The compression stocking can also alleviate the problems caused by varicose veins by offering support, which can help you to suffer less pain from the condition. If you wear them during the day you are also less likely to get leg cramps at night.
Are we heading toward the fourth industrial revolution, or are we already inside it?
It’s been over a century since our second industrial revolution, where Henry Ford made the moving assembly line a manufacturing standard. And, depending on who you ask, we entered our third industrial revolution when manufacturing began shifting to digital practices just a few years ago.
Given our timeline through history, you might predict we’re about 90+ years away from another industrial revolution, yet the Internet of Things (IoT) appears to be heading that way right now. In fact, we may already be there.
What is the IoT?
Simply put, the IoT is the collaboration of internet-connected devices that collect and trade information between each other using integrated sensors.
For example, if you have a smart thermostat in your home or a home camera system you can monitor from your smart phone, you are using a small-scale IoT.
These devices aren’t exactly new, having existed for several years now. But each year, we see an uptick in purchases and usage of IoT devices, with 2017 being slated as the breakout year for smart home technology.
But what happens when IoT is no longer reserved for individuals and becomes part of public interest?
The Future of Cities with IoT
It’s predicted that by the year 2020, the current number of IoT devices will have tripled, rising to over 34 billion devices. It’s expected that the IoT industry will have generated upwards of $6 trillion within the next five years alone. The government will become the second largest user of IoT devices, trailing only behind businesses.
If these predictions become reality, big infrastructure, economic, and social changes are coming soon to a city near you. And it won’t take us one hundred years to get there.
There’s an enormous mountain of data being generated every second of every day, and the IoT will only build it quicker. While there will always be a need to collect data, it’s even more important for businesses and government to learn how to monetise it.
Here’s what an IoT metropolis could look like in the (very) near future:
First come, first served parking will be a thing of the past
If Paris’s Autolib program is any indication of what’s to come from the IoT movement, one of city living’s biggest frustrations might cease to exist.
In 2011, Paris debuted an electric car sharing initiative called Autolib that has now grown into a fleet of 3,000 automobiles. Each vehicle is tracked via GPS, and drivers can reserve parking spaces in advance using the car’s sophisticated dashboard controls.
London has engaged in smart parking testing that allows drivers to secure a parking spot without a lengthy search-and-find. In addition, the city has also begun its own electric car sharing program similar to Autolib, and plans on expanding the number of vehicles and charging stations in the near future.
As a result, drivers can spend less time parking and more time on the important things. In addition, a quick parking job cuts back on air pollution and traffic congestion. It’s a win/win for everyone.
Electricity will be generated more effectively
The IoT will ensure electricity is generated more efficiently. Photo: Lumppini, Bigstock
Traditionally, power companies generate energy based on estimation and trends. But with an IoT-connected city, it’s nobody’s guessing game.
In the past, city planners would estimate power needs based on population density, square miles, and other related factors – but according to sustainability expert John Picard, this is neither accurate nor efficient.
Instead, Picard predicts the IoT movement will shift us towards a demand-based model that allows us to determine the actual amount of power or other resources we need at any given moment.
Daily commutes will be more efficient and productive
Driverless cars were once a wild impossibility just years prior. Even when Google unveiled a new prototype in May 2014 that didn’t include a steering wheel or gas pedal, people were still skeptical (and some were downright in denial) that this was indeed happening.
That was over three years ago. Autonomous driving technology continues to advance at lightning pace, so much so that Nissan has already gone on record to say it plans to release its first driverless car to consumers by the year 2020.
What this means for city dwellers and commuters is less traffic congestion, fewer automobile accidents, and better use of your commute time. Imagine how much more you could do in your day to have an extra 15, 30, or even 60 minutes going to and from work that would otherwise be spent behind the wheel.
Nissan is getting closer to a solution for autonomous vehicles, and hopes that one day its models will be able to drive, park, and even refuel themselves. Which means you’ll be able to mark a few more tasks off your to-do list.
Waiting on the bus will exist only in your memories.
The city of Manchester in England was granted £10 million in the CityVerve project to develop and implement IoT tech in the urban setting. Some of these funds are being used to construct smart bus stops that will notify drivers when a passenger is waiting.
If the project is successful, Manchester’s actions could shape the blueprint for smart cities across the globe.
Airspace will become the new public space.
While we may never create flying cars, another airborne vehicle is already making waves as a potential delivery and communication system.
City planners are now engaged in how to regulate airspace to drones, and it’s causing quite a few complications.
If drones become a part of everyday society in urban areas, city planners and developers face certain issues in creating new infrastructure and protecting existing structures:
What is the safest operating height?
Should there be designated launch and landing spots?
How do we create designated flight paths, if at all?
How close should drones be able to come to people, animals, buildings, and other objects?
Should the pilot require a license?
Drones have the ability to deliver, surveil, monitor, film, and photograph, but some view the technology as more disruptive than innovative.
However, if drones continue on its path to widespread reality (and it certainly looks like it will), city officials will have no choice but to incorporate this technology into their development plans.
Though it sounds like a detailed plot of a brilliant sci-fi movie or novel, all of these things and more are happening around us. They just aren’t quite ready for us to see them.
As the old saying goes, “the future is now.” And it’s never been truer. Is it for better? Is it for worse? Only time will tell.
