Many common aches and pains can be simply treated at home without the need to consult a doctor.
Bites from animals such as cats,dogs and horses can often become infected from bacteria on their teeth;therefore it is important to clean the wound with diluted disinfectant (egSavlon or TCP) as soon as possible. If you cannot control the bleeding or ifthe wound is large you should contact your doctor.
It will be necessary to have atetanus booster if it is more than 10 years since your last one, and it may benecessary to have a course of antibiotics.
Firstly a note on these commonlyprescribed and powerful medicines. They only work on bacteria and have noeffect on viruses. Unfortunately, this means that they will not help the common infections like coughs, colds and flu etc, at all.
The correct treatment is toapply the simple remedies outlined here. We only use antibiotics when we suspectthat there is a secondary bacterial infection. Overuse of antibiotics may leadto their not working in future and to more complications like thrush, skinrashes etc. It also interferes with your ability to build up resistance toinfections.
This is a rash of water blistersand is due to a virus. It lasts for 10 to 14 days and there is no cure for it,but applying calamine lotion to the affected areas can soothe the rash. If yourchild’s temperature is high give paracetamol (or Calpol / Disprol). Thisillness is infectious until the last scab drops off.
If your child is basically well, but has a rash, this isusually due to a virus and will settle down without treatment in a couple ofdays. However, if your child were illwith the rash, we would want to see him/her.
Take plenty of fluids,paracetamol or, if you are over 16 years old, aspirin. Inhalations with steamand menthol crystals/Olbas Oil/Friar’s Balsam etc can help to clear yourpassages. If they are very blocked you could use a decongestant such as Sudafed(available at the chemist) or Vicks Sinex etc. You should be feeling betterafter seven to ten days and we would want to see you if you are getting worseinstead of better after that time.
A drink made from honey andfreshly squeezed lemon juice (full of vitamins) in hot water can soothe these.If the cough is particularly irritating, steam inhalations can be worthwhile.You can also try your favourite cough medicine, but remember that while coughmedicine can soothe the cough, it will not make it get better more quickly.
A common cold and cough can lasttwo to three weeks. If you have any difficulty with breathing or if you haveany green or bloodstained phlegm, you should consult your doctor.
The symptoms of cystitis areusually pain and stinging on passing urine, and needing to pass urine moreoften than usual.
You should drink plenty offluids to flush out any infection from the kidneys. You can also drink a glassof water with a level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in it, three times a day,to reduce stinging on passing urine. If there is no improvement after two days,you should take a sample of urine to the surgery before 11:00am in the morningand make an appointment to see your doctor.
Gastroenteritis is usually dueto a virus inflaming the lining of the stomach and bowels. Food cannot beabsorbed by the body and is either vomited or passed straight through the bodyas diarrhoea.
Take plenty of clear fluids suchas squash, grape juice, apple juice, flat lemonade, etc to prevent dehydration.Eat only small amounts of bland, easily digested food if hungry. Hungry infantscan be given half strength milk until diarrhoea or vomiting ceases.
Most illnesses settle after oneto three days. If the illness is severe, special fluids (such as Dioralyte) canbe bought from the chemist and prevent the loss of too much salt and fluid fromthe body.
Blood in the stools may indicatefood poisoning and some cases need antibiotic treatment. You should consultyour doctor if this occurs.
This is common in children andis often due to a viral infection. It can often be settled by taking Calpol orDisprol, but it is wise to consult your doctor if there is no improvement after48 hours.
Ear wax can sometimes cause anuncomfortable feeling of “blocking” of the ear and deafness. If this occurs,try softening any wax with warm olive oil or eardrops (such as Cerumol) fromthe chemist, twice a day. If there is no improvement after two weeks, make anappointment to see the doctor.
Only occasionally do ears needsyringing and as this can cause damage to the ear drum, we try to avoidsyringing if possible.
This causes a temperature andaches and pains all over. There can often be a sore throat, cough and cold aswell. A nasty attack could last 10 to 14 days. Rest, fluids and aspirin (ifover the age of 16) help.
These insects prefer clean hairand are not a sign of poor personal hygiene. Wash your hair well and apply agood hair conditioner. Comb the hair with a ‘nit comb’ whilst it is still wet.The conditioner makes it difficult for the lice to cling to the hair and theywill be removed easily. Repeat this treatment daily or on alternate days fortwo weeks.
If any lice still remain afterthis time it may be necessary to use a medicated lotion, which can be obtainedwithout a prescription from the chemist. However, this is not recommended as afirst line of treatment and is not generally effective due to the high level ofresistance that has been built up to these lotions.
This is a nasty illness thatoften comes in epidemics in the latter months of the year and the early monthsof the New Year. It comes on acutely and is another viral illness for whichrest, fluids, aspirin and paracetamol are the standard treatment. If you areover 65 years of age, or have a serious medical condition like heart disease,lung disease, diabetes or kidney disease, we recommend that you be immunised againstinfluenza in October/November of each year.
Antihistamine tablets or a mildsteroid cream such as hydrocortisone can be obtained from the chemist withoutprescription and will usually relieve most symptoms. Note: bee stings should bescraped away rather than “plucked” in order to avoid squeezing the contents ofthe venom sac into the wound.
This is a hoarse voice caused bya virus. Try steam inhalations, resting your voice and avoiding smokysituations. If there is no improvement after 10 days you should consult yourdoctor.
Superficial burns can be safelytreated at home. They are very painful so treatment is aimed mainly atrelieving this pain. In the first instance, cool the burned area with coldwater for about 10 minutes or until the pain stops. If a blister forms DO NOTburst it, since this forms a protective cover allowing the skin to healunderneath. It is not usually necessary to apply any creams, as they do notspeed the healing process. If the burn is large eg the size of the patient’shand, or if it is not healing, then consult the doctor.
Wash the wound thoroughly withwater and a little soap. To stop any bleeding apply a clean handkerchief ordressing to the wound and press firmly for about five minutes. Cover with aclean dry dressing such as gauze or a plaster. Tetanus boosters are only neededif the wound is dirty and your last booster was more than 10 years ago.
The Minor Injuries Unit issituated in the Witney Community Hospitaland is open from 10:00am to 10:30pm every day. If you have sustained a minorinjury that might require an x-ray, it can often be quicker to go directly tothe Minor Injuries Unit than wait to see your doctor.
This is a viral infection thatcauses swelling of the glands in front of the ears. It can affect one or bothsides of the face. Mumps is infectious from two to three days before theswelling appears until about 10 days later. If the pain is severe you shouldconsult your doctor.
Sit upright on a chair andbreathe through your mouth. Pinch your nose firmly over the nostrils for about10 minutes, by which time the bleeding should have stopped.
Avoid hot drinks or hot food for24 hours. If the bleeding lasts longer than 30 minutes, consult your local Ear,Nose and Throat Department at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
A deep wound from a dirty objectsuch as a rusty nail occasionally needs antibiotics since the dirt is carriedunder the skin and is liable to cause infection. You should be seen by a doctoror a nurse, and you may need a tetanus booster.
Under normal circumstancesbleeding will stop after a few minutes; however, the flow may be so fast as toprevent a clot forming. If this happens, direct pressure should be applied tothe wound, which should also be raised if possible. You should then call adoctor.
If you are over the age of 16and are able to take aspirin, the best treatment is to gargle with two solubleaspirin in cold water (then swallow them) four times a day, after meals.Otherwise, taking paracetamol can help, drink plenty and use lozenges if theyhelp. TCP gargles or
salt-water gargles may also be useful.
Most sore throats will start toimprove after five to six days. If there is no response to treatment by then,or if you have severe difficulty in swallowing even cold drinks, you may needto consult the doctor.
Firstly apply a cold compress,containing ice if possible, for 15 - 30 minutes to reduce the swelling. Apply acrepe bandage firmly and rest the sprained area for a day, preferably restingthe arm or leg up on a pillow or stool. Then start to use the affected limbgently, avoiding strains.
StomachAche and Indigestion
Most attacks are not serious andare usually caused by indigestion or wind. A hot water bottle will oftenrelieve the symptoms and, in the case of indigestion, a teaspoon of bicarbonateof soda in half a glass of water may help. If the pain is prolonged or verysevere you should consult your doctor.
Prevention is the besttreatment. Treat as for other burns ie with cold water to remove the heat.Calamine lotion will relieve the irritation whilst paracetamol will also help.Children are particularly susceptible to sunburn, and great care should betaken to avoid overexposure to the harmful effects of the sun. It is a goodidea to use a water resistant HIGH factor sunscreen on children.
Children often run temperatureswith no other symptoms. They need to be cooled down and then will feel muchbetter. So do remove their clothes down to their vest and pants and keep theroom temperature down. Use Calpol, Disprol etc four times a day to bring hightemperatures down.
You can also sponge the childdown with lukewarm (not cold) water or blow them with a fan or cold hairdryer.A simple forehead thermometer from the chemist is useful to check theirtemperature from time to time. If there is no improvement after 48 hours, youshould consult your doctor.
Note: It is important to bringdown a high temperature, especially in a young child. This can prevent afebrile convulsion.