The NHS website is full of information to help you to manage your health. Please visit www.nhs.uk
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If you have any of the symptoms below, please use the service shown...
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If you need advice or medication for a minor self-limiting condition, please consider seeking advice and support from your community pharmacy that would be able to advise on self-care and appropriate purchase of over-the-counter medicines. You could also visit:If you feel however that your condition is worsening despite over-the-counter treatment, please contact us on 01726 75555 or use our online consultation form.
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Social prescribing
Improving your lifestyle can be very challenging and people often feel daunted at the prospect of change and not sure where to start.
There is a fantastic range of activities and organisation in the local community and social prescribing is all about linking you to these opportunities with the aim of improving your health. Find out more about the social prescribing opportunities available. |
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MSK Self-Management Resources
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy website provides a range of online resources to help you to manage your bone, joint or muscle pain. Visit www.csp.org.uk/conditions/managing-pain-home |
The NNT website provides quick summaries of evidence-based medicine. It has been developed by physicians and provides:
- A rating system to evaluate therapies based on their patient-important benefits and harms
- A system to evaluate diagnostics by patient sign, symptom, lab test or study.
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You can contact Healthy Cornwall, online or via telephone, for help in making health changes to your life. Healthy Cornwall provide help with things such as weight loss and stopping smoking. For more information please visit the Healthy Cornwall website.
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Diabetes education
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PSA testing and prostate cancer
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Nutrition advice for increasing calorie intake
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A dozen simple things that may help your sleep (Guide written by Dr Abraham)
Sleep problems are much more common than most people realise and are a frequent cause for tiredness, headaches and fatigue. Research shows that the ideal sleep duration is 7-9h for nearly every person. However our modern lifestyles have resulted in only 60% of people getting this amount of sleep in the UK and only a third in the US and Japan.
The following may help with improving your sleep.
THE BEDROOM
YOUR ACTIONS
Reference
Matthew Walker. (2017). Why we sleep. The new science of sleeps and dreams. New York: Scribner.
Sleep problems are much more common than most people realise and are a frequent cause for tiredness, headaches and fatigue. Research shows that the ideal sleep duration is 7-9h for nearly every person. However our modern lifestyles have resulted in only 60% of people getting this amount of sleep in the UK and only a third in the US and Japan.
The following may help with improving your sleep.
THE BEDROOM
- It is normal for the body temperature to decrease by 1C when we sleep – like a mild form of hibernation. Our modern housing and central heating often prevent this happening. It is important to check your bedroom is not too hot. The recommended temperature for a bedroom is 18C, if not slightly lower. Counter-intuitively a warm bath at bed time can help lower your core temperature as well as relaxing your muscles.
- Light can wake you up so get outside into the light during the morning and afternoon. However light can prevent you sleeping at night. Black out blinds and thick curtains that fit the window properly are all important things to think about when preventing too much light in the bedroom. Also during the evening prepare your brain by avoiding bright lights and use rooms with low lighting.
- Noise is another issue. Is there noise coming from somewhere? This may be from outside or even inside the room – noise in the street, noise from within the house (eg TV), a snoring partner etc
- Are you comfortable? Low grade pain or even dry eyes may stop you sleeping. Paracetamol or moisturising eye drops may help. Also make sure your bed is comfortable – not too hard and not too soft. Everyone likes something different as we all sleep in different positions – go for what suits you best rather than sticking rigidly to what others (including bed companies) may tell you!
YOUR ACTIONS
- It is an urban myth that alcohol helps you sleep. In fact alcohol disrupts your sleep resulting in poor sleep quality and insomnia. If you are having sleep problems probably the less alcohol you take the better, and if you do drink some alcohol try and do it 5h before sleep.
- Caffeine can stop you sleeping. There is caffeine or caffeine equivalents in coffee, tea, chocolate and colas. Avoid all such drinks after 5pm. Nicotine also acts as a stimulant and should ideally be avoided before going to bed.
- Blue light is particularly activating to the human brain. Again it is best to avoid blue light after 6pm at night, or at least try to minimise your exposure in the hours before bed. This includes computer screens, i-pads, tablets, game consoles and TV screens.
- Exercise can help promote sleep quality. This may not have an immediate effect ie you may not sleep better the day you exercise. However over the long-term it probably does have a mild benefit on sleep. However avoid exercising 2-3 hours before you go to sleep as in the short term it can stimulate you.
- Spending sometime outside in the fresh air may help sleep. Spending a minimum of 10-15 mins outside just before you go to bed may help sleep
- Avoid having “cat-naps” during the later part of the day (after 3pm); they can stop you sleeping at night.
- Try to “unwind” before you go to bed. Take time for yourself and relax during the last 30-60min before bed. Reading a book or a magazine or listening to music is often helpful, or spending sometime in your garden etc – avoid screens though!!!
- Avoid large meals before bed time. This can make you feel bloated and also increase your metabolic rate making it difficult to sleep. Also avoid drinking large volumes of fluid as you will wake up with a full bladder
Reference
Matthew Walker. (2017). Why we sleep. The new science of sleeps and dreams. New York: Scribner.
