’Tis the season for food poisoning
The hot weather, preparing meals for large family gatherings, a crowd of people in the kitchen, cooking and eating outdoors, and an overcrowded fridge can all lead to slip-ups with food safety.
10 ways to keep your kids sun safe
Summer is coming, and so is the dangerous time of year when UV levels are high. Here are 10 things to remember about sun protection, and keeping your kids sun safe.
Is your child continually sick? Here are some possible reasons why.
The majority of the patients I see when I’m making home visits in the after hours are children. And parents often say to me, “Doctor, he seems to have a cough all the time”, or “She’s always got a blocked nose”.
Doctor, there’s something in my eye…
When practising medicine in the after hours, as I have done for more than twenty five years now, it always surprises me how many patients I am called to see with acute eye complaints or injuries.
It’s not just a headache, it’s a migraine
As an after hours Doctor, I am often called out to see patients suffering from migraine. It is one of the most common acute conditions requiring urgent medical care – with 7% of men and 18% of women in the population suffering from migraines.
5 ways to banish the blues!
As Keith Urban says, “Life is a rollercoaster, you’ve just gotta ride it.” But what happens when you feel stuck, locked in and overwhelmed that you can’t get off? Life’s not always an easy ride and we all feel blue sometimes, but how do keep going through the low times and keep the blues at bay?
Hay fever season has sprung
Allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, can be triggered by pollen from grasses, weeds and trees.
Babies and their sleep cycles…don’t expect your baby to sleep like you!
Understanding the sleep cycles of infants will go a long way to helping you cope with the first few months with your new baby. It’s important to realise their sleeping patterns are quite different from ours.
What do I do if I develop symptoms of coronavirus?
If you develop symptoms (fever, a cough, sore throat, tiredness or shortness of breath) within 14 days of leaving a country or region that is at higher risk for COVID-19, or within 14 days of last contact of a confirmed case, you should arrange to see your doctor for urgent assessment.
When it’s a virus, antibiotics won’t help.
In my many years practising as a GP and after hours home doctor, I have seen thousands and thousands of cases of acute respiratory infections (e.g. colds and flu). When treating this type of illness, there is one question patients ask more than any other.
The common infection women hate the most
Without doubt the illness that causes my female patients the most grief (albeit temporarily) is when they contract a urinary tract infection. With cries like, “Doctor, it really, really hurts!”, “It’s really stinging when I pee”, or “I have the urge to ‘go’ 20 times a day!” – it really is the infection that women hate the most.
Influenza 2019 – 5 ways to protect your family
While thanks to social distancing and improved hygiene, the number of reported Influenza cases is currently at a record low, it remains a significant risk, especially to those in vulnerable groups or age brackets.