To help you achieve your health goals this year, in this issue of Health e-News we have interviewed local experts in fitness, mental health and smoking cessation about why it's so hard to keep New Year's resolutions. They have generously shared their top tips for success.

Thunderstorm asthma occurs when there is a combination of a high rye grass pollen count and particular thunderstorm conditions. Epidemic thunderstorm asthma events, where many people develop asthma symptoms over a short space of time, are uncommon. Whole grass-pollen grains are usually too large to enter lung airways but can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, causing hay fever. Winds created in certain thunderstorms concentrate grass pollens at ground level. Some pollens burst open releasing tiny particles (allergens) small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs. These allergens can trigger asthma symptoms such as wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. Epidemic thunderstorm asthma events don’t happen every year, but can occur during grass pollen season, typically October to December.

If you suddenly became seriously ill and were unable to communicate, would your family and doctors know what care or medical intervention you wanted? Would your loved ones argue and fallout over what they believed to be your wishes? Who would you want to speak on your behalf and what would you want them to say?

Sunburn for some is as Aussie as budgie smugglers and Vegemite sangers. If you spent the summer holidays largely outdoors enjoying barbecues, lazy days at the beach or pool, watching sport, or gardening, you probably experienced some degree of sunburn. January is a peak time for extreme sunburn. Last month SunSmart reported a record number of Victorians had attended public hospital emergency departments with severe sunburn in 2017. Most of the 355 people treated were children and people in their 20s. With school starting for the year, it’s no time for complacency.