Did you know that many GP visits are for common conditions, such as backache, headache or cough?

For most people, they are not serious health problem – you just want to know how to relieve it and you want a treatment that acts fast. You also want to know how long you’re going to suffer or what you should do if your symptoms change.

The good news is that self care can help you manage most of these problems. It may mean you don’t have to spend time waiting to see your GP but can get on and start tackling your symptoms. Self care for common conditions can also help free up some of your GP’s time, making it easier to get an appointment when you have a more serious condition.

These provide useful facts about your condition, what you can expect to happen, how to help yourself, when you should see your GP and where to find out more information. Research shows people using these Factsheets felt more able to manage their common condition.

Click on the link for the Factsheet you need:

For information on other common conditions, visit the NHS Choices or Patient UK websites. If you are not sure about your symptoms, click here for the NHS Choices symptom checker where you can get advice on what to do next.

If you need more advice or you are unsure what the right thing for you to do is, ask your pharmacist for advice or call the surgery to speak to a doctor or make an appointment to discuss your problem further.

Check you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet and be prepared for common health problems or those illnesses that take you by surprise. 

The NHS recommends keeping a stock of a wide range of different products such as painkillers, antihistamines, indigestion tablets and sunscreen, but this can also be dependent on each household and their medical history.

It can cost less than you think to fill your cabinet with recommended medicines and be prepared if you or a loved one fall ill.  

Visit NHS.UK or 111 Online if you need some further advice.

Prescription medication can also sit in medicine cabinets for months or even years after they are prescribed, and with online pharmacies offering easier ways to get prescriptions to you it is imperative that you check use-by dates and dispose of unused medication correctly.