Spring 2015 Newsletter Spring is finally in the air! We would like to welcome you to our first newsletter and hope that you find it informative. Unit 6 Ashbourne Retail Park You may have noticed that the flowers are beginning to bloom, the evenings are getting lighter and that can only mean that spring is upon us and summer is on the way! Ashbourne We have put together some bits of information that we thought you might find interesting and seasonal and might answer some of your queries or questions from a medical point of view. Co Meath Allergies 01 8351 444 www.rocdoc.ie [email protected] An allergy is a way of the body’s immune system responding to normally harmless substances and can include pollen, food, house dust, insect bites, medication, etc. If someone is allergic to something then it is their immune system identifying it as a ‘threat’. It is estimated that one in three children have an allergy and about 50% of all Europeans are anticipated to be affected by 2025. Closed Christmas Day Symptoms can vary from person to person and on the substance but can include a runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, itchy red eyes, rashes, wheezing, coughs, shortness of breath, tummy ache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, etc. Some people suffer from a severe reaction called anaphylaxis which includes throat swelling, severe asthma and a drop in blood pressure. These can be life threatening. GP service To try and manage an allergy reduce the risk of the allergy by avoiding what the cause if where possible and consider medical treatments. Test for allergies can be undertaken if you cannot find the source of the allergy and these are available at RocDoc. Open 7 days 8am—10pm Minor Emergency Department Private & Medical Card patients If someone has a severe allergy and is diagnosed as having anaphylaxis by a Doctor then they should have a Epipen with them at all times and an alert bracelet or something similar also. If someone suffers from a severe reaction then you should use their Epipen and call 999. If you are near to RocDoc then bring them into us immediately for treatment while waiting for the ambulance. Sinusitis Did you know? Sinusitis is when the lining of the sinuses becomes swollen and inflamed closing the opening into your nose. Sinusitis can cause pain in the forehead, mouth, between the eyes, top of the head and ears. Sinusitis can also cause a stuffy / blocked nose and you can loose your sense of smell and sometimes mucus can drain down the back of your throat (yuck!) Helpful tips Warm flannel on your face Salt water sprays / drops Steam inhalation (bath / shower) Menthol Crystal steam inhalation Decongestant medication for a maximum of 5 days To help reduce hay fever it is believed that unfiltered honey produced from the local area can help reduce the symptoms. For this to effective in any form this would need to be started in spring time. Local unfiltered honey will be available soon from RocDoc. Do you have one of our In Case of Emergency (ICE) cards? If you don’t yet have one then they are available from either reception or within our treatment area. These are a credit card sized card that you complete with all your important information such as personal details, emergency contact, medication, allergies, medical history and keep in your purse, wallet or even in your children’s school bag. If something happens and you aren’t with anyone then the emergency services such as the Ambulance / A&E can get this important information from this ICE card. Health Checks Focusing on the community Newsletter Date Since we launched our free medical provision at local events we have been proud to support the following events over the last few months. - Ratoath Community Festival on 14 September 2014 - Ashbourne Racing Day on 27 September 2014 - Ashbourne Craft & Trade Fair on 26 October 2014 - Cushionstown Fair on 7 December 2014 - Garristown Cross Country on 8 February 2015 - Windmill Run , Garristown on 1 March 2015 - Ratoath St Patrick’s Day Parade on 17 March 2015 - Ashbourne St Patrick’s Day Parade on 17 March 2015 - Cycle Against Suicide, Ashbourne on 21 March 2015 Not only have we provided this cover but we have also given talks at local schools, clubs and organisations. - Kilbride School on 22 October 2014 - Women’s Wellbeing evening on 17 November 2014 - RocDoc Cancer Awareness Day on 4 December 2014 - Ashbourne Community College Transition Year Students on 30 January 2015 - Cushionstown School on 26 February 2015 If you think we can assist or you would be interested in organising for us to come and give a talk then please get in touch. Urine infections (UTI) You should never use cotton buds to clean inside your It’s probably fair to say that at some point during a lifetime the vast majority of females will experience an urine infection; however anyone can get a urine infection including children, and males. ear. Ear wax cleans, lubricates and protects the lining of the ear by trapping dirt and repelling water. Physio corner This segment we will be focusing on Plantar fasciitis. This is a condition that affects the heel and can be quite painful and is often experienced by soccer players, runners, GAA players, walkers, etc. It is an inflammation of the thick band of tissue in the bottom of your foot (plantar fascia) that runs from the heel to the base of the toes. When placed under too much stress it can stretch too far and tear. If you suffer from pain at the base of your heel which can be more severe in the mornings on getting out of bed or at the beginning of a run. Causes can be stress, tension, over pronation, high arches, incorrect or worn shoes, overtraining, etc. There are things you can do yourself such as stop or reduce running, apply ice for 10 minutes every 2 hours, self massage, gradually return to running and taking anti-inflammatory medication. Full recovery can be 6-8 weeks. If after doing this you’re not getting any better then you might well need some physio who can provide specific treatment to include custom made orthotics. By Aidan Forde BSc Ph.th miapt Forde Clinic Based in RocDoc | 01 8351 444 This health check covers 56 different areas including a wide variety of blood tests, urine analysis, medical history & general examination, ear & throat examination, respiratory examination, cardiac examination including ECG, abdominal & genital examination and health promotion advice. We do the blood test first and then a separate appointment is made for the remainder of the health check which takes about 45 minutes. A report is then generated and available for collection from reception 2-3 weeks afterwards. From 1 April 2015 the price of this Advanced Health Check will be changing to €135 which is still very competitively priced compared to over €400 elsewhere. The symptoms can be mild or cause a lot of discomfort and can be any of the following: Physio corner www.rocdoc.ie We have been very impressed with the amount of people that have been in for an Advanced Health Check. | [email protected] - Urgency in needing to pass urine - Excessive urination - Pain on passing urine - A dull pain in the pubic region - Back pain - Cloudy urine - Blood in the urine - Fishy smelling urine - Temperature / fever There are some preventative measures that can be undertaken as below which can help. - Wiping from the front to the back (females) - Voiding (going to the toilet) after intercourse - Washing before intercourse - Cotton underwear - Cranberry juice / tablets - Good hygiene - Preventing constipation - Non spermicidal lubricants/condoms/diaphrams There are treatments below that you can do yourself but if this isn’t helping, you are suffering from repeat doses, you have blood in your urine (and you are not menstruating) or you are concerned then you do need to see a Doctor / Practitioner. Some treatments are: - Plenty of fluids - Paracetamol for pain relief - Prevention tips as above - Cystitis sachets - Cranberry juice / tablets - Loose fitting trousers - Baths that are not too hot - Sometimes antibiotics Workshops Did you know that periodically we hold Parent workshops in RocDoc? Because we know how important a healthy child is to you and how worried and upset you can be if they are ill we hold these Parent workshops. We say to allow 2-3 hours as such a wide variety of topics are included such as high temperatures, giving medication, rashes, cleaning cuts / grazes, infections, febrile convulsions, etc. A €25 deposit is required to confirm your place, if you or your child are a patient then this is refunded after the workshop. Our next Parent workshops are on: Sunday 29 March at 2pm Wednesday 22 April at 7pm Thursday 14 May at 7pm Call or email to book your place . T&C apply.
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