Some helpful Tips for Cold, Cough, Sore throat etc.

Lot of people are suffering from Cold, Cough, Sore throat or nasal congestions at the moment. So I thought I would share with you some helpful tips from your Pharmacists at East Hill Pharmacy about how to treat yourself better if you are unfortunate enough to suffer from any of the symptoms.

 

 

Most symptoms of a cold, cough ,sore throat or nasal congestion will get better between 4 days and 3 weeks and won't be a sign of something more serious.  You can treat yourself better within this time without  needing to see your GP and remember that antibiotics will not help with these symptoms. If however you notice any of the signs below please speak with  your Pharmacist or  contact  your  Doctors' surgery. 

 

What do I need to look out for?UGH

Coughing up blood: You cough up blood for no obvious reason. 

 

Duration: Your cough is not getting better within three to four weeks. 

 

Chest or shoulder pain: In addition to your cough, you have chest and/or shoulder pain. 

 

Breathlessness: You also find it difficult to breathe.

 

Weight loss: You’re losing weight for no apparent reason over a period of six weeks or more.  

Voice changes: Your voice becomes hoarse for longer than three weeks, and the hoarseness persists after the cough has settled.  

New lumps or swellings: You notice new swellings anywhere in the neck or above your collarbones.

Symptoms start after you’ve choked on something . D

High fever: You develop a high temperature (above 39°C), which can be a sign of a more serious type of infection. 

Confused: You’re feeling confused or disorientated .  

Chest pain: You notice a sharp pain in your chest. 

Phlegm: You cough up blood-stained phlegm (thick mucus) . 

Breathing: You find it difficult to breathe.  

Swelling: You notice a marked swelling of the glands in your neck and/or armpits. 

Duration: Your symptoms last longer than three weeks. SORE THROAT

Duration: Your symptoms are no better after two weeks . 

Frequency: You have frequent sore throats that do not respond to painkillers . 

High fever: You have a persistent high temperature over 38°C for more than three days that does not come down even if you take ibuprofen and/or paracetamol. 

Glandular fever: A sore throat that doesn’t get better within 10 to 14 days or that gets worse rather than better may suggest glandular fever.  

Breathing: You find it hard to breathe in, and your throat feels like it’s closing up.

Drooling and swallowing: You’re drooling and find it difficult to swallow – this is an emergency. 

Severity: Your pain is severe and does not respond to over the counter painkillers.  

Voice changes: Your voice becomes muffled. 

Fluid intake: You find it difficult to drink enough fluids and become dehydrated..  

Effect on day to day life: Your symptoms are so bad that they severely affect your quality of life and prevent you from functioning normally.  

HIV/AIDS or other causes of reduced immunity: If you  suffer from a sore throat and have a deficient immune system because, for example, you have HIV/AIDS or you take certain medication (such as chemotherapy, high dose steroids disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or a drug called carbimazole). NASAL CONGESTION

High fever: You develop a high temperature (above 39°C), which can be a sign of a more serious type of infection.  

Confused: You’re confused or disorientated.  

Other medical conditions: You’re at high risk of complications because you suffer other medical

conditions.

Facial pain: You suffer severe pain or discomfort in your face.  

Green/yellow fluid: Your nose produces lots of thick green/ yellow fluid. 

Antibiotics aren't an effective treatment for winter symptoms such as cold, cough, flu, sore throat or nasal congestion. These symptoms are caused viruses and antibiotics only work against bacteria. If you take antibiotics unnecessarily then they might not work when you need them to treat a bacterial infection. Why not save yourself a trip to your Doctors' surgery and pop in to your local Pharmacy for some expert advice?  Most symptoms of a cough, cold, sore throat or

asal congestion will normally get better between
4Over the counter medicines are available to help to relieve your symptoms. Speak to your pharmacist who can help you choose the medicine that will work best for you, advise you on whether you need to see a doctor and provide guidance on selfcare and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  

We are better during this time without needing to see your GP, and remember antibiotics will not work for these symptoms.

If however, you notice any of the signs below, speak

to your pharmacist or call www.easthillpharmacy.com

Happy New Year from all of us at East Hill Pharmacy

Best wishes for the new year from all of us at East Hill Pharmacy. This year we will bring you more useful information on various health issues. Please do get in touch if you need specific information on any topic. We will try our best to help you. You can of course come in any time to speak face to face with one of our Pharmacists. We are at 53, east Hill, Wandsworth, SW18 2QE.
As we are in the middle of winter now and daylight hours are short so we think talking about Vitamin D would be very appropriate now(our body produces vitamin with the help of Sunlight).
So please read the article about Vitamin D below.
   

Is Your Vitamin D level too low?    

Vitamin D occurs naturally in the body following exposure to UVB sunlight. Normal summer sunshine exposure should be sufficient for most people to provide adequate levels, however, for certain groups of people sunlight exposure may not provide adequate levels of vitamin D.

Due to being at risk of vitamin D deficiency, the current guidance from the UK Health Departments1 is that daily vitamin D supplementation should be taken by the following:

all pregnant and breastfeeding women

breastfed infants from one month of age if mother did not take vitamin D supplementation through pregnancy

all children aged six months to five years old (except those who are receiving more than 500ml of formula milk, which is fortified with vitamin D)

people aged 65 and over

people who are not exposed to much sun, such as those who cover up their skin for cultural reasons or those who are housebound or confined indoors for long periods.

 

Other patients at risk of deficiency2 include:

people with darker skins such as people of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian origin

those with medical conditions that alter how the body handles vitamin D including those with Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease and certain liver and kidney diseases

those taking medicines that put them at risk including carbamazepine, phenytoin, primidone, barbiturates and some anti-HIV medicines.

 

Sunscreen

Sunscreens provide important protection from UV skin damage, however, they reduce the body’s exposure to sun, which is the body’s main source of vitamin D. The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) states3 that there is not a precise level of sun exposure that safely provides adequate levels of vitamin D because of the number of variables involved, including individual skin type, geographical location, time of year, time of day and weather conditions. They advise that once the body has produced the maximum level of vitamin D, further exposure to sunlight does not increase production and will result in skin damage. BAD do not advise deliberate exposure to the sun to increase vitamin D levels.

A “consensus vitamin D position statement” published in 20104 by BAD along with a number of other health organisations advises: “The time required to make sufficient vitamin D is typically short and less that the amount of time needed for the skin to redden and burn. Regularly going outside for a matter of minutes around the middle of the day without sunscreen should be enough.”

The organisations advise that little and often is the best method for sun exposure as well as increasing the amount of skin exposed. 

 

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency

Many people have no symptoms. Low levels of vitamin D (defined by the Department of Health as a plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of less than 25nmol/l) can lead to increased disease risk. Persistently low levels (below 25nmol/l) are associated with an increased risk of rickets and osteomalacia . The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance also states that levels below 25nmol/l indicate a risk of deficiency.

 Dietary sources

Dietary sources of vitamin D include oily fish and eggs. Infant formula milk is fortified with vitamin D, and some manufacturers of breakfast cereals, dairy products and low-fat spreads add small amounts to their products5. However, it is difficult to get adequate levels of vitamin D from diet alone. www.easthillpharmacy.com

Season's Greetings

We  at East Hill Pharmacy wish you and your family a very happy holidays.

We also wanted to THANK YOU for supporting us
and our business  this past year.

We  want you to know that we truly appreciate you and your
custom.

 We hope you enjoy a very special holiday with
your family and loves ones. We look forward to
growing together in 2015.

Wishing you nothing but the best this holiday
season.

Alcohol interactions with medication

It's the time of the year when everybody is in Party mood and you are bound to go to a party or two. When you are out with your friends or colleagues It's easy to get carried away and drink more than you should.

If you are on medication then it's important to know your limits and what effect would your alcohol consumption have on your health. That's why we are giving out the following information on the related topic. You may find it useful.

 

Alcohol interactions with medication

Over the festive period, it is likely that many patients may increase their alcohol intake. It is important to know the dangers of binge drinking and increased alcohol intake during this time. You should be aware about your alcohol intake and the effect this may have on your health.

As well as the dangers of increased alcohol intake, there are a number of drugs listed below which interact with alcohol. Whilst this list is not exhaustive, it gives examples of the more common drugs which can interact with alcohol which the pharmacist may want to counsel patients about.

• Metronidazole – You should  not  drink alcohol whilst taking metronidazole orally and for at least 48 hours after stopping it
•  
• Warfarin – Binge drinking of alcohol may inhibit the metabolism of warfarin and increase INR levels. However, long term heavy drinking can induce warfarin metabolism
•  
• Paracetamol – In chronic or heavy drinkers, alcohol may induce the enzymes that convert paracetamol to its hepatotoxic metabolite - so heavy drinkers may be at increased risk of liver damage even after moderate doses of paracetamol. However there does appear to be differing views on the use of paracetamol in alcoholics
•  
• Verapamil – Alcohol levels in the blood may be increased for longer period of time than usual in patients taking verapamil. Verapamil delays the elimination of alcohol and prolongs the feeling of intoxication. Patients should be warned they may be "Over the limit" for driving for longer than usual after drinking alcohol
•  
• Phenytoin and carbamazepine – Moderate or occasional drinking appears to have little or no effect on serum phenytoin and carbamazepine levels. Chronic heavy drinking reduces serum phenytoin levels so higher doses of phenytoin may be required. The metabolism of carbamazepine may be increased by heavy drinking.
•  
• Other antibiotics – Alcohol should not be taken with certain antibiotics such as metronidazole, ketoconazole and griseofulvin as patients may develop a disulfiram-like reaction

For further information on this or any other query, please contact East Hill Pharmacy on 0208 874 1636 or NPA Pharmacy Services Team on 01727 891800 / 0844 7364201

Why You should visit East Hill Pharmacy

We also stock children's toys and greeting Cards and beautiful wrapping papers at East Hill Pharmacy. So if you are busy and need to find something interesting to buy as a gift or need some inspiration, come in and have a look at the uncommon and sophisticated items we stock at the Pharmacy.

You can also pick up other day to day items like bay oil, lotions, creams, vitamins, Herbal medicine, baby food, nappies, toiletries etc. at East Hill Pharmacy.

Apart from prescription drugs you can also get over the counter medicine for minor illnesses like allergy, cough and cold, pain killers, antacids, inhalers etc at East Hill Pharmacy.

If you take a lot of medication daily and you need to organise the items neatly, we can arrange Dausset Box for you and deliver your medication to your home to make it easier for you. Just come in and tell your pharmacist about your requirement and we will arrange everything for you.

We are at 53 East Hill in Wandsworth(next to Co Op). You can also phone us on 02088741636 or email us at
pharmacyeasthill@gmail.com

Visit our Website for further helpful information : Click the link below :
          www.easthillpharmacy.com

Some Precautions you should take in Winter

We at East Hill Pharmacy(53, East Hill, Wandsworth, SW18 2QE) aim to make the community aware of certain risks to people of different age groups or people suffering from certain conditions.

Since Winter's almost here now and the days are getting shorter, temperature's dropping and it's been raining, let's talk about some conditions which can get worse in Winter.

Things will get worse before it gets any better. In this damp and cold condition it's important to look after yourself; specially if you are in a certain age group or at risk due to other medical condition/s.

We have talked about getting your flu jab before. Hopefully you have taken that and thus reduced the risk to yourself. If not, you can still come in to the Pharmacy and get it as soon as possible. It's not too late yet.

Some conditions like Asthma can get worse in Winter. So if you suffer from or are prone to Asthma, take extra care. Take your inhalers as prescribed by the Doctor. You can also come in and get advice from your Pharmacists at East Hill Pharmacy.
You can also phone the Pharmacy on 0208 874 1636 or email us at
pharmacyeasthill@gmail.com

Minor Ailments Scheme

We at East Hill Pharmacy are always trying to bring you useful information to make you aware about different things which are available to save you time and frustration and make life easier for you. So today we will talk about the Minor Ailments Scheme.

These days the Doctors are really very busy and under a lot of pressure. It's often quite difficult to get an appointment with your GP early enough or at a time suitable to you. So to make life easier for you the National Health Service provides this service called Minor Ailments Scheme through your local Pharmacy.
Under this scheme, you can get advice and treatment from your local Pharmacy without having to wait for an appointment(which could be few days  or even longer than a week in some cases).
Your Pharmacist is qualified to give you advice and offer you the right treatment. They can also dispense you any medication that is necessary. If it is for your child, it would be free. Also if you are over 60 or are exempt from paying prescription charges, then its also free for you.
Please find a list of conditions which are covered by this scheme below.     

Acne Vulgaris	Athlete’s Foot	Back Pain	Colic	Cold Sores
Conjunctivitis Infected	Constipation	Contact  Dermatitis	Cystitis	Diarrhoea
Earache	Ear Wax	Fever	Haemorrhoids	Hay fever & Allergies
Head Lice	Headache	Indigestion/Dyspepsia	Insect Bites/Stings	Mouth Ulcers/Oral care
Nappy Rash	Scabies	Sprains & Strains	Teething	Threadworm
Toothache	Vaginal Thrush	Viral upper respiratory tract infection(Common cold, sore throat & cough)	Coughs	Vomiting/Travel sickness
Warts & verrucas

I hope you found this helpful. You can contact us for more information about this or other related topics. If you want information about other health related matter, you can also contact us. We will either be able to give you the proper answer or guide you to the right direction.
East Hill Pharmacy
53, East Hill
Wandsworth
London SW18 2QE
Tel: 02088741636
email: pharmacyeasthill@gmail.com