URINE INFECTIONS/ CYSTITIS

This is common in ladies (pain/burning passing urine, or going to toilet frequently). Often it will get better by drinking plenty of water to flush out the system and taking relief sachets from chemist.  Reasons for seeing a doctor are if it doesn't go away after a day or if there is temperature or kidney/back pain or vomiting. Bring a sample with you in a clean container (ideally a specimen from chemist). The urine needs to be collected properly. About one in 3 samples are spoiled by bacteria/germs that live quite happily in the front passage/vagina. Unfortunately the urine has to pass through the front passage to get into the bottle,  so we ask that the sample is taken after a bath and you catch the middle of the stream. That is that you pee a little, then put the specimen bottle in the way  to collect the urine. And avoid the end of the pee. Unless you do this, the specimen that is sent to hospital risks coming back as 'contaminated' and tells us nothing.
We may have a clue as to whether it is a urine infection by dipping the urine in surgery with our testing strips, but they are not accurate.
The best answer is to send your carefully collected clean MidStreamUrine to StHeliers lab for analysis. They will grown which particular germs are causing the urine infection and will tell us which antibiotics to use. We will usually have guessed and given you an antibiotic whilst we wait for the definitive test result which will either confirm the correct antibiotic has been used, or sometimes even tell us that it wasn't an urine infection at all (?thrush or even Sexually transmitted disease).
Usually the doctor reading the results will only ring if you have been given the wrong antibiotic,  so if symptoms persist, do contact us

Upper Respiratory Tract Infections  (URTIs)
steamer can save you a fortune in cough linctus! These are basically 'colds' which can also cause coughing, but which antibiotics do not help. Taking antibiotics 'just in case' weakens your immune system, which in turn makes you prone to infections in future.
Your immune system is your defence against germs. VitaminC+zinc tablets 2grams/day whilst you have the cold has been proven to boost your immune system. But generally, looking after yourself by eating fresh fruit and veg, and exercising regularly, is the only real way to keep your immune system strong.
Examination of the chest/lungs is useful to exclude chest infections that may require antibiotics.
The difference between colds and influenza is not easy to make: patients often think that they have the influenza.
Patients traditionally at risk, who should have had the Flu Vaccine in any case, should see the doctor for an examination.

Chest infections

Skin Infections

BedBugs

People will often hurt themselves, causing muscle, ligament or bony problems.

back exercises   injury prevention         ankle (&others)      sports injuries

Osteopath local  

Flat Feet  many people have fallen arches, which cause ankle, knee and back pain. Do ask your GP to examine your arches. Trying good solid support arches will make a big difference.eBay

Lots of patients present to us with problems of the Digestive Tract.

stool chart

Bowel Cancer Information About one in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime with the risk increasing with age. If bowel cancer is detected at the earliest stage, there is over a 90% chance of survival and it is one of the most successful cancers to treat.  Symptoms include -

·         a change in your normal bowel habit lasting 3 weeks or more. E.G. Loose stools, diarrhoea, increased frequency

·         Bleeding from the bottom (rectum) and/or blood in your stools lasting 3 weeks or more

·         Unexplained extreme tiredness and/or weight loss

·         A pain or lump in your abdomen and/or back passage

Most symptoms won't be bowel cancer but sometimes it is easy to dismiss or leave them for longer than you should. If you have any symptoms and are over 50 , call us and ask for a bowel check at the surgery. For further information go to www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk or visit www.swlcn.nhs.uk

Symptom Checker eyes

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Vitamin D deficiency
very common. patients need to buy their own vitamin D cheaply .
Mild deficiency ( blood levels 30-50) dose is 1000iu VitD, 2 tabs daily for 4-6months. 
Severe deficiency(levels 15-30), dose is 1000iu but 4tabs daily for 3months then  recheck Blood levels.

Patients with slow kidneys or kidney stones should be checked sooner.

Fatigue

People often present Tired All the Time. Often the reason is stress: stress at home or stress at work. Or perhaps a viral infection that lasts a few weeks. Or perhaps one virus after another. It is important to see the doctor, as there may be other reasons, and the GP may ask you to go for blood tests.

Hypoglycaemia  rebound low blood sugar,due to bad eating is common, and makes people feel faint.
Carbon Monoxide from poorly serviced boilers can give fatigue, even kill!
Wheat  can make people feel tired. A fortnight off wheat or dairy can make you feel great. Try it!
Lack of physical exercise ("I walk everywhere" doesn't really count) causes fatigue.
Being overweight makes people tired.
Stimulants like coffee, tea, cocacola, and nicotine(smoking) can have a rebound effect of fatigue, after they've stimulated you.
Depression, even low grade, often presents as fatigue.

EARS
People often feel their ears are blocked and assume it is wax, and they put acid drops bought from the chemist in their ears. This can result in severe burns on the ear drum if there is infact no wax at all, and it's just catarrh behind the ear drum due to colds. Best to use room temperature olive oil 4x per day applied with a dropper or medicine syringe for 2weeks until the black wax, if any, comes out. Don't be tempted to compact down the wax with ear buds!! If it's no better, book in for a syringing with Barbara (she or a doc will check the ears for wax first). See attached leaflet, syringing can perforate your eardrum! Some patients have their partners check their ears carefully with otoscope to see if wax is building up.

EYES

EyeTests    a regular eye test, for both spectacle users or not, is important to exclude other diseases of the body that show themselves in they eyes,  even brain tumours! Make sure you ask for a full Field Test too: this is where you are asked if you see various dots on the edges of your vision left and right.  
The larger chains are cheaper, but sometimes use opticians who are training and switch every few months. So it is helpful to stick with one family optician, if you have chronic problems with your eyes.  Glasses for children aren't always free, please note.
 Optique at Rosehill  8641 6665    and  Beeches Opticians 86425966 are well known to us.    Blindness

Hair Loss
Mostly due to stress, occasionally due to underactive Thyroid or Anaemia. If patchy, maybe due to fungal infections.
If no cause found, why not visit Belgravia which has proven popular with patients as the assessment only costs about £15-20.   No NHS provision for hair problems.

NHS UK  tabs down Right side for different age groups  reference

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