ADE WILLIAMS

Fight the fever

Ade Williams MBE, lead pharmacist at Bedminster Pharmacy and brilliant Bristol ambassador shares his knowledge on how best to curb your hay fever symtoms this summer...

Hay fever symptoms can turn warmer, sunnier weather into a siege. What is normally an uplifting and funfilled season with lots of opportunities for exploring the great outdoors and socialising in serene green spaces, can be spent seeking effective relief from the dreaded pollen. So, how can one win this battle using the most effective strategies and treatments available? Is honey the sweet remedy we need?

An ever-increasing number of Bristolians (1 in 4), including children, are suffering from common hay fever symptoms. These include: sneezing, having a runny nose, itchy eyes and throat, blocked and painful sinuses –which can even result in headaches and shortness of breath.

Hay fever is mainly an allergic reaction to pollen, and the resulting symptoms stem from the body’s immune response. However, it can also be triggered by other allergens such as dust mites, animals’ saliva and their shedded skin particles. Grass pollen is the most common trigger (May to July), but tree pollen (February to June) and weed pollen (June to September) can also cause the allergic reaction. Where the allergic symptoms continue all year round, they usually relate to indoor allergens, such as house dust mites, pets, including birds, and moulds.

A warmer UK climate and a rise in air pollution is not good news for hay fever sufferers. What’s more, like me, you can suffer from a combination of different types of pollen allergies, in addition to indoor triggers. Hay fever negatively impacts one’s quality of life, concentration and productivity as it results in days off school and work, sleep deprivation and tiredness –a loss of about £300 million to the UK economy every year. The distress caused by the condition may even cause people to seek help in the wrong places –GP practices and even A&E departments.

Many people develop hay fever for the first time as adults; most are lifelong sufferers. It usually begins in childhood or teenage years, more common in boys than girls. You are more likely to develop hay fever if you have a family history of allergies, particularly asthma or eczema.

Many people swear that a teaspoon of local honey will desensitise you to pollen, saving you from hay fever. This is sadly not true. Scientists have put this to the test to dispel the myth. Bees also don't pollinate grass and trees that cause hay fever; honey is, in fact, rich in heavy, flower-based pollen.

The good news is that it is possible to manage hay fever by taking some basic precautions: keep windows closed in homes and cars as much as possible during the pollen season; put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen; wear wraparound sunglasses outdoors to help prevent pollen from getting into the eyes; shower and change clothes after being outside and at night to wash pollen off; avoid drying clothes outdoors when the pollen count is high; vacuum regularly and use an air filter/purifier with a HEPA filter to extract and remove pollen and dust particles; tie hair up and wear a hat when outside to avoid trapping pollen; stay indoors and avoid grassy areas when the pollen count is high.

Regarding pollen forecasts – an established feature of the weather forecast, mobile apps are now increasingly available to download. These self-care tips will complement the expert advice at your local community pharmacy and the vast array of effective products and medicines on offer –antihistamine tablets, eye drops, nasal drops, sprays, eye and nasal washes – hence why your local pharmacy is the NHS-designated setting for hay fever relief. GP Surgeries and NHS 111 will also offer formal referrals as part of the NHS Community Pharmacy Consultation Service.

It is best to start antihistamines and other preventative treatments at least a month before the hay fever season starts. Nevertheless, if you need urgent fast-acting rescue relief, dash into a pharmacy –help is always available...

Ade Williams’ portrait as taken by acclaimed photographer Rankin

Are you struggling to book a GP appointment?

Although things are gradually returning to normal following the pandemic, you may still be finding it difficult to schedule a GP appointment. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital offers a private GP service, with minimal waiting times for appointments, prescriptions and referrals.

The GP service at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital offers patients the opportunity to see a GP face-to-face for 30 minutes in a relaxed environment. There are three GPs at the hospital, each working on different days to ensure cover across the week; Dr Claire Winstanley, Dr Gill Jenkins and Dr Sonia Mann.

Meet the team

Dr Claire Winstanley

has a diverse interest in medicine, and is fascinated by all aspects of health and wellbeing, with a particular interest in diet, lifestyle and alternative therapies. Having worked as a GP in the NHS for over 20 years, Dr Winstanley is experienced in treating a wide range of acute and chronic problems. She enjoys the variety that general practice offers, as well as its challenges, and continues to work in the NHS, based at the Whiteladies Health Centre in Clifton, and for 111.

Dr Gill Jenkins has over 35 years of medical experience, and a career that has spanned several areas of medicine. She has a particular interest in diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but has experience in family planning, accident and emergency, psychiatry, weight management and travel medicine. Dr Jenkins also works as a freelance medical writer and broadcaster, working with a variety of magazines, medical newspapers, websites and on local and national TV and radio. Dr Sonia Mann began her medical career in London before relocating to Bristol with her family in 2010. Her main areas of interest are women’s health, mental wellbeing and integrative medicine. Dr Mann’s travels abroad and study of alternative health systems has helped her develop a more holistic approach to care, where time is taken to work with a patient’s individual needs, especially incorporating mental wellness and how this relates to their physical health, and vice versa.

Seeing a GP at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital

Appointments with a GP at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital are usually available within 48 hours, and sometimes on the same day you call. Appointment slots are 30 minutes, giving you a good amount of time to discuss your concerns or your ongoing medical condition. Our GP will also review your medical history, examine you, and talk with you about medication and lifestyle changes that may be advisable.

With 30 minutes available to discuss your options, you can feel reassured that your GP appointment at Nuffield Health is providing the help you need. The GP team cannot access your NHS notes. Therefore, if you are able to bring along a summary page of your NHS GP notes (available from them on request), along with any blood test results, scans or letters from previous consultations relating to your condition, this can save time during the appointment. Our GP can also oversee and coordinate your healthcare if you need to see multiple consultants for multiple problems.

Diet is also very important to our health but we all have different dietary needs, which can be made more confusing with the knowledge and advice, often conflicting, available on the internet. Sometimes the internet can be very helpful for our health, but sometimes it can cause unnecessary worry. We are here to have those conversations and signpost you, if needed, to respected, evidence-based websites to help you get well and stay well.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us all more aware of the importance of our health, both physical and mental. As general practitioners, the team at Nuffield Health see a wide variety of acute and chronic problems, as well as those “odd problems” which might not be so straightforward. Dr Winstanley says: “Our job is to talk to you about your symptoms (we love a list!), examine you as needed, organise the appropriate investigations and prescribe the necessary medication. Gill, Sonia and I have a wealth of knowledge in all areas of medicine. While we are generalists, not specialists, we know what tests may be necessary and can refer you for diagnostics and then, if needed, to the appropriate specialist.”

A 30-minute GP appointment at Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital costs £110. If you would like to book an appointment with Dr Winstanley, Dr Jenkins or Dr Mann, call our Bookings team on 0117 911 6062, or visit our website: www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol/privategp-service

Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital 3 Clifton Hill, Bristol BS8 1BN nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bristol

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT

James Scrimshaw of CURA CLINICAL explains how new technologies are providing effective answers to people’s pain and suffering

At CURA we’re always striving to find new ways of effectively treating people’s injuries. After working for 26 years with people in pain, I identified a significant lack of options for many people for whom hands-on care/rehab was ineffective, yet who weren’t ready for, or suited to surgery or other invasive procedures.

In my search to solve this problem, my practice has adopted several cutting-edge non-invasive technologies that initiate healing, improve function and manage pain in the most chronic of conditions, be it arthritic, old injury or post-surgical pain.

We use a combination of MBST cell regeneration from Germany, Class IV Laser from the States, and new to market painmanagement device Biowave to provide a multilayered approach to healing and painmanagement. ■ CASE STUDY 1

I am delighted with the result for Lesley’s knee. 9 months after receiving MBST for her cartilage, she’s 90% better. Walking faster and for much longer. Her quality of life is much improved as she’s not in pain any more. MBST helps to initiate a healing process within specific tissues. It’s completely non invasive, safe and over time gets really good results in 80-90% of our patients. CASE STUDY 2

Rachel was suffering from significant pain and restrictions relating to OA of her left knee. She’s really active, a really keen golfer. She’s now 8 months post MBST for knee cartilage and has just got back from a golfing holiday, playing 11 times with no pain! It’s had an amazing effect on her. She’s off pain killers, no night pain and full mobility. Well done Rachael.

CASE STUDY 3

I treated Zoe, who is a Pilates instructor, for her arthritic thumbs in February this year: This is her take on MBST: “Just 4 days into the 9 day course I honestly felt as though I could already notice improvement, my thumbs felt different. By day 7 I was full of hope and by the end of it I was jumping for joy! I am now 3 months on and am completely pain free in one thumb and 90% more comfortable in the other (which had been significantly the worse). I can peg out laundry without feeling like the guy on the Skittles advert and hardly notice if I get kicked in the pool! I have recommended many friends and clients to James, I truly believe in it. James himself is kind, personable and fun. If you have joint pain - look no further”.

MBST is an award-winning innovation designed to manage long-term injury and osteoarthritis. To discuss your treatment, contact Cura’s Clinical Director, James Scrimshaw today 0117 959 6531 curaclinical.com