Self Care

We are keen to help patients access information on self-care and hope that the following information will be useful. Take a look and see if you can improve your own understanding of your health and well-being! Please encourage others to look here too.

Common health complaints such as coughs, colds and headaches, can be treated more quickly, and just as effectively, at home using self-care, advice from your pharmacist and over-the-counter medicines. Self-care does not mean that you need to manage on your own without any help from a health professional. 

There are a wide variety of sources of information available online to help you find out: 

• About your symptoms so you know what to expect;
• What you can do to help yourself get better;
• When to seek medical help; and
• Where to find out more.

The Self-Care Forum and NHS Choices all provide fact sheets with useful information on self-care (click on the underlined links).  For those without internet access, the fact sheets have been collated as booklets available from Reception. The links and booklets cover the following minor illnesses:

• Eyes, ears and throat - conjunctivitis, dry eyes, ear wax, middle ear infection and sore throat.

• Gastro-intestinal system - constipation, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, heart burn & indigestion.

• Infections or infestations - athlete’s foot, cold sores, fungal nail infections, head lice, fever in children and threadworms.

• Aches, pains & travel sickness - back pain, headaches & migraines, sprains & strains, teething and travel sickness.

• Respiratory system - coughs, colds and nasal congestion, hay fever and sinusitis.

• Skin conditions - acne, cradle cap, dandruff, eczema, excessive sweating, Minor burns & scalds, warts & verrucas.

• Urinary tract - mild cystitis, urine symptoms in men.

Information is also available on Mental Health issues and via Health Apps.

Pharmacists are experts in the use of medicines and are able to diagnose and offer treatment for a range of illnesses and ailments immediately, without the need to make a doctor’s appointment. Pharmacists can also advise you when you should seek further medical assistance. Pharmacists can give advice, or when appropriate, medicines that can help to clear up the problem and offer a range of branded or non-branded medicines.

If you have any questions about any medication, they would be happy to talk to you. In particular, to avoid dangerous drug-drug interactions, you should consult a pharmacist before you take prescription medicines and over-the-counter preparations at the same time.

People who have chronic disorders should also consult a pharmacist. Over-the-counter drugs are not designed to treat serious disorders and can make some disorders worse. An unanticipated reaction, such as a rash or insomnia, is a signal to stop taking the over-the-counter drug immediately and obtain medical advice.