Doctors Surgery Website - About medical tests and how to get your results

Colds and Flu

Children

Adults

First Aid

Cold or Flu

Resources

Bupa - Colds & Flu
A factsheet on the causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention of colds & the flu

NHS Choices - is it the common cold or the flu?
Colds and flu can share some of the same symptoms (sneezing, coughing, sore throat) but are caused by different viruses, and flu can be much more serious. Find out more.

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Influenza – flu – is a highly infectious and potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses. Each year the make-up of the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the influenza viruses that the World Heal flujabs th Organization decide are most likely to be circulating in the coming winter.

Regular immunisation (vaccination) is given free of charge to the following at-risk people, to protect them from seasonal flu:

people aged 65 or over,
people with a serious medical condition (see box, right),
people living in a residential or nursing home,
the main carers for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer becomes ill,
healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care, and
those who work in close contact with poultry, such as chickens.

Resources

For more information on flu immunisation, including background information on the vaccine and how you can get the jab, see Seasonal flu jab.

There is a full guide on the NHS immunisation website or you can download the pdf guide here

HPA - Season Flu Guide

RCGP - The battle against flus and colds

BUPA - Seasonal Flu guide

Childrens Health

There is a good guide on the NHS website which desribes various conditions affecting children. There is advice on how to diagnose them, how to treat them and if further advice should be consulted

NHS childhood illness slideshow

Fevers

Most symptoms of a fever in young children can be managed at home with infant paracetamol. If the fever is very high, they may have an infection that needs treating with antibiotics.

Head Lice

Head lice are insects that live on the scalp and neck. They may make your head feel itchy. Although head lice may be embarrassing and sometimes uncomfortable, they don't usually cause illness. However, they won't clear up on their own and you need to treat them promptly

Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds (also known as epistaxis) are fairly common, especially in children, and can generally be easily treated.

HPA Childrens Vaccination Schedule

Click here for the recommended HPA vaccination schedule

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Diarrhoea

Acute diarrhoea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection and affects almost everyone from time to time.

NHS Choices
Symptoms, causes, treatment and information

Patient UK
Acute Diarrhoea in Adults

Athletes Foot

Athlete's foot is a very common condition, which affects many people at some point during their lives. It is caused by a fungal infection, which affects the skin on your feet. The infection is normally mild and is easy to treat. Athlete's foot usually affects the skin in between your toes, causing it to be red, flaky and itchy.

NHS Choices - Athletes Foot
Information on symptoms, causes and treatments of athlete's foot

Back Pain

Resources

Bupa - Back Pain
Factsheet on the causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention of back pain.

NHS Choices
NHS information on back pain

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

First Aid - MP3 Downloads

To save them on your computer, right-click on any of the links below and then click 'Save Target As..." . Click on any of the links below to play the audio files:

Burns - Explains the immediate treatment for burns and scalds.

Fits - How to deal with fits (convulsions/seizures) in adults and young children.

Wounds - Immediate actions for wounds, bleeding, and bleeding associated with fractures.

Unconscious patient who is breathing - How to deal with an unrousable patient who IS breathing (includes recovery position)

CPR for adults - Adults who have collapsed, unrousable and NOT breathing.

CPR for babies - Babies who are unrousable and NOT breathing.

Collapsed patient in detail - Explains the complete scenario including checks for breathing, circulation, etc.

These files have been prepared by Sussex Ambulance Service and comply with European Resuscitation Council Guidelines.