Dr G.C. Ackerley
& Partners
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Spring 2012 Newsletter
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Welcome to the Spring edition of our practice
newsletter.
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Dr Chu
We would like to welcome Dr Chu to our practice. Dr
Chu will be working with us every day except Thursday
and will be available at both our Astill Lodge and
Baxters Close surgeries.
Patient Participation Group and Practice Survey
We would like to thank our members of the patient
participation group who have recently been helping
patients to complete our practice survey for this year.
The results of the survey are currently being analysed
and will be available soon.
We are always looking for new members to join the
participation group. If you are interested please leave
your name and contact number at reception and
someone will contact you with the details of the next
meeting.
Website
The new Practice website is now up and running:-
“mydrssurgery.co.uk”
We hope to continue developing the website and would
like to hear your ideas.
Contraception Services!
Did you know that the practice also offers the following
long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) services?
1. Contraceptive Implant Fitting and Removal: - a
small tube (about the size of a hair grip) that is
put under the skin - it contains a progestogen
hormone.
Advantages:
You do not have to remember to take a pill
every day.
You only have to think about contraception
every three years.
It does not interfere with sex.
It can be used when breastfeeding.
Period pain is usually less than usual.
It can used by some women who cannot take
pills that contain oestrogen.
2. Depo-Provera Injection:an injectable
medicine (a “shot”) that prevents pregnancy for
up to 3 months with each injection.
Health Benefits:
 Low risk of ovarian or endometrium cancer
 Decreased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease
 Less menstrual cramping
 Fewer periods
 Lower chance of anaemia
Other Advantages:
 Easy to take; does not require daily ingestion or
application
 Private
 Effective within 24 hours
 Does not interfere with sex
 Can be used by breastfeeding mothers
 You can start using it as early as 6 weeks after
childbirth
 Has no oestrogen
 Effective for 12 weeks
3. IUD – Intrauterine Device Fitting and Removal:
- a small, T-shaped contraceptive device made
from plastic and copper that fits inside the
womb (uterus). It used to be called a coil or a
loop. It stops sperm from reaching the egg by
releasing copper, which changes the make-up of
the fluids in the womb and fallopian tubes.
Advantages:
 Most women can use an IUD, including women
who have never been pregnant.
 Once an IUD is fitted, it is immediately effective
at preventing pregnancy for up to 10 years or
until it's removed.
 It doesn't interrupt sex.
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It can be used when breastfeeding.
Your normal fertility returns as soon as
the IUD is taken out.
It's not affected by other medicines.
4. IUS – Intrauterine System Fitting and Removal:a small, T-shaped contraceptive device that fits
inside the womb (uterus) and releases the
female hormone progestogen into the body.
Advantages:
 It doesn't interfere with sex
 You can keep it in for five years
 It usually gets rid of your period pain
 After a few months, it should reduce
menstrual flow to little or nothing.
There are other forms of contraception available and it
is very important that you discuss the pros and cons of
all forms of contraception with your doctor.
Hay fever - Hay fever “season” will soon be upon us!
What causes hay fever?
In Britain, hay fever is mainly caused by grass pollen.
Increasingly, tree and shrub pollen, mould spores and
weeds cause it too. The pollens that cause hay fever
vary from person to person and region to region and
the amount of pollen in the air will affect how bad your
hay fever is. There is likely to be more pollen in the air
on hot, dry, windy days than on cool, damp, rainy days
and research shows that pollution, such as cigarette
smoke or car exhaust fumes, also makes some allergies
worse. The time of year at which you begin to
experience hay fever symptoms varies depending on
the types of pollen you are allergic to. Trees start to
release their pollen in April, grasses in mid-June and
weeds and certain shrubs in late summer. The hay fever
season can last from April to October, and some people
have symptoms as early as March. Therefore, you may
only have two or three months without symptoms in
the winter before the cycle starts again.
How can you reduce the risk of getting hay fever?
If you live in Britain, you have got around a one in five
chance of developing hay fever. If your parents are
allergic to something, you are more likely to develop an
allergy (although it doesn’t have to be the same allergy
as your parents). If you smoke while you are pregnant
and around your child, your child could be more likely
to develop an allergy. Not smoking and eating a healthy
diet can limit the chances of passing on the tendency to
your children.
Other tips
Avoiding exposure to pollen is the best way to reduce
the allergic symptoms of hay fever. To limit your
exposure to pollens, keep windows shut at night and
first thing in the morning, stay indoors when the pollen
count is high (between 50 and 150) and wear
wraparound sunglasses. Do not mow the grass or sit in
fields or large areas of grass and wash your hands and
face regularly.
Treatment
As with most allergies, the best way to control hay fever
is to avoid the triggers. However, it is difficult to avoid
pollen, particularly during the summer. Even
straightforward hay fever can be debilitating, causing
runny eyes, sleepless nights, bunged-up nose and
headaches. Some people with hay fever develop
asthma. A range of over-the-counter products can treat
the symptoms of hay fever, including tablets, nasal
sprays, eye drops and creams. Antihistamines
are the usual treatment for the main symptoms, such as
itchy, watery eyes and runny nose, while steroid nasal
sprays are the main treatment for a stuffy nose.
Hay fever during pregnancy can be a particular problem.
Hormonal changes make nasal congestion more
common during pregnancy and this often gets worse
during hay fever season. Pregnant women are also
advised not to take some hay fever medicines and you
should speak to your GP or pharmacist before you
decide on a hay fever treatment. It is also particularly
important to speak to your GP if you have asthma as
Hay fever often makes asthma symptoms worse. If this
happens, you may need to increase the dosage of your
asthma medication.o
Surgery Opening - Easter
Fri 6th April (Good Friday) - OPEN Baxters Close only
9.30-1.30
th
Sat 7 April OPEN Baxters Close only 9.30-1.30
Sun 8th April (Easter Sunday) – CLOSED
Mon 9th April (Bank Holiday Monday) OPEN
Baxters Close only 9.00-1.00
Should you require a copy of this Newsletter to take home then please ask at reception.