how to help yourself

You may not need to see the doctor for treatment of the more common ailments. You can buy some medicines over the counter. Here are some common sense measures you may find helpful.
 

You can also visit Patient Uk for more detailed information about many illnesses.

Burns and Scalds

Apply cold running water for at least 15 minutes as soon as possible. A loose dry dressing can be put on an unbroken area of skin. If the skin is broken or the burn larger than 4 inches ring the surgery for advice.

Colds and Influenza

Colds are caused by viruses. Take the recommended doses of paracetamol for the aches and to keep the temperature down. Drink plenty of fluids and do not worry if you don’t feel like eating. You will often feel much better in a few days. Antibiotics usually do not help.

Diarrhoea and Vomiting

This is often self-limiting and while unpleasant is in fact a natural way of clearing the virus from the system. It will usually get better on its own. If the patient is vomiting, avoid all food. Take plain fluids (not milk) and sachets of powder such as Dioralyte or Electrolade which help replace minerals and lost fluid. These are available from a chemist. If the condition continues or it affects a young child or baby the doctor will be happy to advise by phone whether you should visit the surgery.

Earache

This is often caused by a viral infection and can be coupled with a high temperature. In many cases paracetamol or ibuprofen in the recommended dose will alleviate the symptoms as will elevating the head of the bed. If the earache persists please contact the surgery in working hours for an appointment.

Headlice (Nits)

These are not a sign of poor hygiene as lice prefer clean hair but they can be treated with lotions available from the chemist. Please discuss with our Health Visitor if they do not clear with treatment.

Ibuprofen suspension

Ibuprofen suspension is very effective at lowering temperatures in children and is available over the counter at a chemist.

Nose Bleeds

Sit in a chair and lean forward with the mouth open. Pinch your nose just below the bone for up to 30 minutes until the bleeding stops. Rest afterwards, avoid hot food and drink, and alcohol. If the above measures do not work or the nose bleeds are persistent consult the surgery. Resist the temptation to stop squeezing to assess progress.

Strains and Sprains

Reduce the amount of swelling as soon as possible by applying a very cold dressing for 10-15 minutes (frozen peas are very useful). Keep the limb raised and rested. If you think the limb is broken go to your nearest accident unit.

Temperature

This is very common - even with mild infections. In a child it can be reduced with paracetamol elixir which can be bought over the counter. Fluids and a bath in tepid water can also help. A child or adult suffering from a temperature will come to no harm if brought to the surgery for examination.

TICK BITES AND LYME DISEASE

• Facts
  Ticks are found in grassy and woody areas. They live by sucking blood from passing mammals (in this area particularly deer) for a few days and then dropping off into the grass to wait for the next animal to come by. Some of these mammals are infected with the organism (Borrelia burgdorferi) that causes Lyme disease. If an infected tick becomes attached to a human it can pass the organism on and cause that person to develop Lyme disease. It needs to be attached for 12-48 hours to transmit the organism. Not all ticks are carriers of Lyme disease so being bitten does not mean you are going to be infected. Some ticks are so tiny that people do not know they have been bitten. Ticks are most active and you are therefore most at risk in spring, summer and early autumn.
   
• Prevention
  Cover your skin, wear long trousers and boots, and tuck trousers into socks, when walking in long grass.
  If you work in tick infested areas do not wear your work clothes in the home.
  Examine yourself and your children for ticks after exposure and remove all ticks as soon as possible. Remember some are no bigger than a pencil dot.
  Showering daily and drying with a towel help reduce incidence of tick bites.
   
• Removal
  Don’t squeeze tick as spirochaetes in gut and important not to squeeze gut contents into patient! Do not cover with petroleum jelly as this causes the tick to regurgitate its stomach contents. Remove tick by grasping as far forward as possible with forceps or fine tweezers. Twist anticlockwise and remove the tick taking care not to leave mouth parts in the skin.
  Disinfect the bite afterwards.
   
• See the Doctor
  If you get a red blotch at the site of the bite which starts to spread outwards, anything from 2 days to 1 month later.
  If you develop flu like symptoms, joint aches and a fever about the same time.
  If you get nerve pains or weakness weeks or months later.
  If you are pregnant or have a compromised immune system.
   
• Treatment and Tests
  Most tick bites do not cause Lyme disease. However if you develop symptoms and especially the characteristic rash your doctor will treat you without waiting to see the result of any tests. It is important to tell him if you have been in a tick infested area even if you don’t think you were bitten. Antibiotics are used for treatment and are very effective. They are not used for prevention in simple tick bites except in pregnant women or people who have seriously reduced immunity due to illness or drug treatment.
  The blood test for Lyme disease is not positive until at least 6 weeks after infection. It is a difficult test to do and to interpret. A slightly positive test does not necessarily mean that Lyme disease is the cause of your symptoms. It is also worth remembering that 25% of forestry workers and 4% of blood donors in the New Forest tested positive showing that they had been infected and developed immunity to Lyme disease without being ill.

Worms

Although unpleasant, worms are very common in school age children. The whole family requires treatment which can be obtained from a chemist.

TRIAGE CLINIC

The nurses and doctors are happy to give further advice. Please ring before 10am if you wish to speak to a doctor. You may be asked to leave your telephone number and someone will get back to you after surgery has finished. This may be later in the day so please tell us if you will not be near the telephone at certain times of the day.

On Monday mornings between 9.30 and 11.30 a telephone surgery operates. If you would like advice over the phone, have specific queries to ask the doctor or if there are no appointments on that day, the duty doctor will return your call and help you.