More than 13 million working days are lost every year in the UK due
to back pain.
Back pain is often brought on by awkward movement and more likely in those who are
overweight or take little exercise, most cases get better by themselves.
Only very occasionally is a trapped nerve involved, although the pain
caused by acute muscle spasm (the most common) can be very severe
indeed. If the pain is intense, rest in bed for up to two days but avoid
bed rest for longer spells because this will stiffen your muscles. Use a
hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and ask your pharmacist for a muscle
rub preparation. If attacks occur regularly, try to identify whether you
have a habit of sitting or standing awkwardly. Try gentle sporting
exercise, yoga or swimming. Try to avoid being overweight. Do regular
exercise to strengthen your stomach and back muscles.
Contact your doctor if
- you have pain or numbness in one or both legs, and/or the pain
goes on longer than a week
- the pain is severe on coughing, straining or sneezing
Contact your doctor immediately if
- your back problem is stopping you opening your bowels or passing
water
- you have numbness around your bottom
- Superficial- red, painful marks on burnt skin.
- Partial thickness - as above with blisters. Very painful.
- Full thickness - white or charred skin. Often numb.
Immediately apply large quantities of cold water to the burnt
area (use a cold running tap, shower or cold bath). Continue for
at least 20 minutes.
- Do not prick any blisters.
- Only if the skin is broken, cover with a first aid bandage.
- See the practice nurse if there is more than one blister, or if
the area of redness spreads or becomes more painful.
Go to casualty if
- you have blisters on face
- there are any full thickness burns
- any burn is larger than the burnt person's hand size
On the first day a rash appears as small red patches about 3-4mm
across. Within a few hours of these developing, small blisters appear in
the centre of these patches. During the next three to four days further
patches will appear and the earlier ones will turn crusty and fall off.
Calamine lotion may be applied to soothe the often severe itching. Cool
baths may also help. The most infectious period is from two to three
days before the rash appears and up to five days after this date.
Children may return to school as soon as the last crusts have dropped
off.
Caused by a virus, a cold begins with feeling tired or irritable
followed by sniffing and a runny or blocked nose. After one or two days
the nosebegins to run with watery, clear fluid which soon becomes thick and
green. A high temperature may occur, especially in children. The cold
may spread to the ears, sinuses and throat, and ear infections can then
result, especially in children. A frequent and annoying cough can start
due to mucus running into the throat. There are more than 1000 types of
cold virus and immunisation is impossible. There are no medicines
against the viruses; however, it is possible to treat the symptoms. Ask
your pharmacist for advice. Colds usually last 5-10 days, though the
cough may last longer. If there is no fever, you may go out of doors as
usual.
- Use paracetamol for a temperature or achiness.
- Gargle soluble aspirin (over 16 years) for a sore throat.
- Cover the mouth and nose when you sneeze and wash hands regularly.
- In babies, nose drops of warm, previously boiled water may help with
feeding.
Warm or hot drinks are soothing.
Contact your doctor if
- you have a severe pain in the ears or on the face, upper teeth
or behind the eyes
- you have a fever lasting more than three days
- you think that a child is in pain and hasn't been helped by
paracetamol in the full recommended dose
- green/yellow mucus comes out of the nose for more than 10 days
Contact your doctor immediately
if
- a baby refuses or cannot take feeds on two occasions
To best way to avoid constipation is to use a high fibre diet, drink
plenty of fluids and exercise.
It is recommended that your diet includes wholemeal bread, brown rice,
green vegetables and fruit. You should also try to drink between 1.5
litres to 2.5 litres of water a day.
You should contact your doctor if there is any blood when opening your
bowels or there is alteration in the frequency/consistency of the
stools.
This is your body's way of cleaning air passages.
Try sipping hot drinks with lemon.
Don't smoke
Use extra pillows or, with children, prop up the head of the mattress by
four inches.
Try inhaling steam over a bowl of hot water or, for children, sit them
in a steamy bathroom for five minutes.
Contact your doctor if
- you cough up any blood
- breathing is painful
- a cough lasts more than two weeks
- you have a high temperature with the cough lasting more than
five days (three days in children)
Contact your doctor immediately if
- your breathing is very fast (panting) or you are having
difficulty breathing
Infection of the bladder is more common in women. You will feel the need
to urinate often, with small volumes and a burning feeling.
Sometimes the urine has a strong odour.
Avoid cystitis by drinking plenty of fluids to keep the bladder rinsed
clean. Pass water as soon as you feel the need, whenever possible. Try
drinking lemon barley squash or cranberry juice or use potassium citrate
mixture from the chemist.
Contact your doctor if
- symptoms do not go away after one day
- there is blood in your urine (bring a fresh sample of urine with
you)
- you have these symptoms when pregnant
In adults, diarrhoea is usually caused by a viral infection and
cannot therefore be treated directly. The systems can usually be eased
by medicines available from the pharmacist.
In very young children and babies, diarrhoea needs very careful
attention as it can cause dehydration.
Symptoms: three or more liquid motions in one day, often with weakness,
vomiting and a high temperature. Usually caused by viruses, but
may be picked up from infected food.
Diarrhoea can cause dehydration in babies.
Avoid eating dairy products. It is not necessary to avoid solid food
altogether.
Use a proprietary oral rehydration solution (ORS), a mixture of salt and
glucose available from the pharmacist.
As the diarrhoea lessens try gradually reintroducing a normal diet.
Contact your doctor if
- diarrhoea goes on for longer than a week (adults) or two days
(children)
- there is blood in the diarrhoea
- a baby is drowsy or lethargic or refuses fluids and/or is being
sick all the time
- your baby has a high temperature
If caused by a middle ear infection, earache occurs with a feeling of
ear blockage and a temperature. Sometimes fluid runs out of the ear.
When the link between the ears and the throat becomes blocked due to
swelling of its lining (often during a cold), the pressure drops behind
the eardrum, stretching the eardrum and causing pain. After a few days
the swelling goes down and the pressure equalises with a popping
sensation.
Sometimes bacteria lodge behind the eardrum and then the pain can be
intense and yellow discharge may run from the ear. Try raising the
head a little higher in bed and use paracetamol, particularly just
before bedtime.
Use steam inhalation or sip warm/hot drinks.
As a rule, middle ear infection without discharge does not require
antibiotics.
Contact your doctor if
- a child still has earache after three days
- a child gets a runny ear
- the area surrounding the ear is painful
- a child's hearing seems poor for more than two weeks after an
earache
Contact your doctor immediately if
- a child has a runny ear with a high fever
- a child becomes drowsy with earache
Symptoms are often diarrhoea, sickness and stomach ache.
Large quantities of water, orange juice or thin soup should be taken to
avoid the effects of dehydration.
Consult you doctor if symptoms persist for more than a day, or in the
case of babies six hours.
The rash appears during the first day and usually covers the body,
arms and legs in small pink patches about 2-4mm and will not itch. No
other symptoms are usually present apart from the occasional aching of
joints.
It is infectious from two days before the rash appears, until the rash
disappears in about four to five days from that date.
The only danger is to unborn babies and, therefore, it is important that
all contacts are informed in order that anyone who may be pregnant can
contact their doctor.
These are small insects which live close to the scalp and lay tiny eggs
(less than 2mm long) on the hair shafts. Lice cannot jump and are spread
when the louse walks from one head to another. Outbreaks occur just as
frequently on clean hair. The condition is harmless but may cause
itching and poor sleep. Head lice do not spread other diseases.
Prevention
Avoid sharing hats, brushes and combs.
Comb hair regularly with a fine-toothed comb.
Watch carefully for nits and lice and treat the whole family if any are
seen.
Treatment
Shampoo the hair every day.
Use large amounts of an ordinary conditioner (this makes the hair
slippery).
Whilst the conditioner is on the hair, comb thoroughly with a nit comb
(from the chemist). The adult lice will fall off.
Repeat the process every day for two weeks. This should clear any
infestation.
If the above fails, use the scalp lotion recommended by your chemist.
Follow the instructions carefully. A single application is usually
sufficient. Dead eggs will need to be combed out after the treatment is
complete.
Normal body temperature is 37oC or 98.4°F.
A raised temperature occurs
with colds and flu. People with a temperature feel hot or cold,
sweaty or shivering and unwell. Children may be miserable, listless or
flushed. Fever is a part of a body's fight against infection.
Drink
plenty
of fluids (water or weak squash) and keep fresh air circulating. Paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin can be taken by adults. For children
under 16,
use paracetamol and/or ibuprofen. (Ibuprofen and aspirin should be
avoided if there is a history of asthma or stomach ulcers.)
Contact your doctor if
- the fever lasts for more than three days and there is no obvious
cause
- the fever comes back after a few days of feeling normal
Contact your doctor immediately if
- a child is confused, drowsy or being sick all the time
- the soft spot on your baby's head (fontanelle) is tight or bulging
- your baby moans when you lift its legs to change a nappy
- your baby has a fit
- your baby has a fever lasting two days or more
- the temperature exceeds 40"C or 104°F
- you cannot bend the head forwards
Usually due to stress or tension, headaches may occur with any
temperature including things like influenza and colds. Occasionally due
to
sinusitis or tooth infections.
Very rarely (usually only in pregnant women) they may be due to raised
blood pressure.
Stress/tension headaches
Due to spasm of muscles in the scalp, neck and shoulders. Usually feels
like a tight band around the forehead.
Migraines
Occur in attacks. Often preceded by warning signs - flashing lights,
disturbed vision, dizziness. Often affects only one side of the head.
Usually throbbing and accompanied by sickness and vomiting. May be
induced by chocolate, cheese, tiredness, overwork or stress, heavy
smoking or drinking, or menstruation.
There are now medicines which can stop a migraine attack.
Try simple painkillers. Avoid smoking and make sure rooms are well
ventilated. Get enough rest at night. Have your eyes checked if you have
visual problems. Go to the dentist regularly if you have problems with
your teeth.
Make sure your posture at work is not putting stress on neck or shoulder
muscles (check height of chair at work is comfortable).
Contact your doctor if
- you suspect migraines
- a headache lasts more than five days and is worsening
- a pain in the forehead persists after you have had a cold
Contact your doctor immediately if
- you have a bad headache, suddenly with no apparent cause
- you have a bad headache with a stiff neck and no apparent cause
- you have a headache following a blow to the head
Most stings are harmless in themselves, unless you are stung on the
tongue or in the throat by a bee or wasp. If you are allergic to stings
they
may be harmful on any area of the body.
Signs of a severe allergic reaction are:
- becoming generally unwell after a sting
- swollen lips and eyes
- itching all over and/or a rash
- fainting
- difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness
Use antiseptic ointments from the pharmacy.
Avoid ointments containing antihistamines (may be irritant).
Apply vinegar to wasp stings and sodium bicarbonate to bee stings.
Carefully remove bee stings with tweezers.
Ticks can be removed by smearing with Vaseline or butter (stops the tick
breathing) but may take several hours.
Contact your doctor if
- you cannot remove a tick or bee sting
- the red area around the bite or sting spreads
- you become unwell or feverish
Contact your doctor immediately if
- there is a bite or sting on your tongue or in your throat
- you suspect an allergic reaction (see above)
The rash is blotchy and red and appears on the face and body around
the fourth day of illness. It is at its most infectious from two or
three days before the rash appears until eight to ten days after that
date.
Wash the wound thoroughly with water and a little soap. To stop
bleeding, apply a clean handkerchief or dressing firmly to the wound for
about five minutes. Cover with a clean dry dressing.
Everybody has some moles. They may be present at birth or appear later
in life. It is normal for some moles to change slowly or increase
gradually in size.
Contact your doctor if you notice any of the following danger signals:
- mole changes colour
- mole enlarges rapidly
- mole becomes thicker
- mole itches
- mole bleeds easily
Symptoms are swelling of the gland in front of one ear often
followed, after a couple of days by swelling in front of the other ear.
It is infectious from two to three days before the swelling appears
until eight to ten days after that date. If the pain is severe you
should consult your doctor.
Sit in a chair (leaning forward with your mouth open) and pinch your
nose just below the bone for at least 10 minutes, by which time the
bleeding should have stopped. You can also apply an icepack over the
bridge of the nose or the forehead. If symptoms persist, consult your
doctor.
Rashes occur for all sorts of reasons, many of them not at all serious.
They are part of the body's reaction to illness or other factors. Some
rashes appear as an illness is getting better.
Consult the doctor if
- the person seems unwell or develops a fever as the rash appears
Consult the doctor immediately if
- the person or child is very unwell with vomiting or a headache
- the rash consists of purplish spots which do not fade if pressed
Sprains occur when too much force is applied across a joint and the fibrous
ligaments holding it together are partly torn. Muscles acting across the
joint may also be partially torn and bruised. The pain is usually worse
a few days after the accident and settles over several weeks.
Prevention
Try to stay in shape.
Stretch and warm up before exercise.
Avoid being overweight.
Treatment
Apply a cold compress (such as frozen peas wrapped in a damp cloth).
Wrap an elastic bandage around the affected joint and lift it above the
level of your heart. Massage the bruised muscles gently from time to
time to relieve painful spasm.
Use aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce inflammation.
Consult the doctor if
- a joint is still very stiff and painful after five days
Consult the doctor immediately if
- you cannot put any weight on the sprained joint after a few
minutes or the joint swells up straight away
Most attacks are not serious and are usually caused by indigestion or
wind. A hot water bottle will often help to relieve the symptoms.
If the pain lasts longer than eight hours or increase in intensity you
should contact your doctor.
Treat as for other burns with cold water to remove heat. Calamine
lotion will relieve the irritation whilst paracetamol will also help.
Children are particularly susceptible to sunburn and great care should
be taken to avoid over- exposure to the harmful effects of the sun.
Always use a sun block.
These need not be treated at all unless painful. Treatment is with wart
paint or ointment, available from the chemist, and requires daily
treatment for a period of up to six months. Treatment of warts and
verrucas is itself usually painful. Persistent warts and verrucas can
now be
treated by cryotherapy (freezing) - ask any of the doctors about this.
|
PDF