- Antibiotics
- Colds and sinus pains
- Flu
- Sore throats
- Fever in children
- Diarrhoea and Vomiting
- Chickenpox
- Antibiotics only work on bacteria and have no effect on viruses. Unfortunately this means that antibiotics will not help common infections such as colds and flu.
- Unnecessary antibiotics may be harmful to your health and cause side-effects, e.g. vomiting and diarrhoea.
- By taking antibiotics when we don’t need them, the bacteria in our bodies build up a resistance against them.
- The more antibiotics we take, the less effective antibiotics are becoming at fighting more serious infections like pneumonia and bacterial meningitis.
- Drink plenty fluid, take paracetamol and try inhaling with steam and menthol crystals/olbas oil.
- You should be on the mend after seven to ten days and usually better after two weeks.
- We would want to see you if you are getting
- worse instead of better after two weeks.
- If you have a temperature and are aching a lot take paracetamol and/or ibuprofen and rest.
- NB: In some people ibuprofen is not recommended so check the ibuprofen safety leaflet or discuss with the pharmacist or doctor if unsure.
- Take plenty fluids, paracetamol and throat lozenges.
- Most sore throats will settle over three to five days but if you have increasing difficulties swallowing fluids or saliva see the doctor.
- Children may have a fever with no other symptoms and if they can be cooled down they will feel much better.
- Remove their clothes down to their vest and pants and keep the room temperature down.
- Use calpol/ junior paracetamol.
- Sponge them with luke-warm water.
- If there is no improvement in forty-eight hours see the doctor.
- Avoid all foods for twelve to twenty four hours but drink plenty of fluids in small amounts regularly.
- "Tummy colic" can be eased with paracetamol.
- Contact the doctor if there is any of the following
- Blood in the diarrhoea.
- Repeated vomiting immediately after drinking fluids.
- The symptoms show no sign of improvement after three days.
- This can be soothed by calamine lotion or, if it is extremely itchy by antihistamines like Piriton. (Available from chemists)
- The rash is infectious until five days after the last batch of spots has appeared.