Health Booklet
My Health Booklet Getting help in an emergency Page 2 Going to the Doctor Pages 3-4 Going to the Pharmacy Page 5 Going to the Dentist Pages 6-7 Going to the Opticians Pages 8-9 Hearing Tests Pages 10-11 Health Screening Pages 12-16 Flu Vaccines Page 17 Health Action Plans Pages 18-19 Where to get more information Page 20 1
Getting help in an emergency Sometimes you need to get help with a health problem in a hurry. Here are some things you can do: Get some advice from your pharmacist Between 8am and 6pm, you can ask your doctor for an emergency appointment You could ring 111 (an NHS helpline) to ask for advice In some towns there are NHS walk in centres that you can go to any time for health care You might have to go to a hospital Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) if you are hurt very badly If someone has a bad accident, or a sudden bad illness like a heart attack or a stroke, phone or text 999 for an ambulance. GOOD IDEA - save the telephone number of your emergency contact as ICE on your mobile phone. This means In Case of Emergencies. Ambulance staff and police all know what this means. 2
Going to the Doctor You can get a free health check every year from your family doctor and practice nurse. This is a good idea to help you keep healthy. You can ask for a health check if you have not had one. A health check includes things like: checking how tall you are and how much you weigh tests for common health problems like high blood pressure checking for different illnesses checking what medicines you take. 3
Going to the Doctor My Doctor is: My Practice Nurse is: Phone: Address: Website: 4
Going to the Pharmacy Your local pharmacist can give you advice about minor health conditions and your medication, without making an appointment. My Pharmacist is: Phone: Address: Website: 5
Going to the Dentist Looking after your teeth. It is important to look after your teeth. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day with toothpaste: In the morning Before you go to bed Using dental floss helps get food out from between your teeth. You should use this every day. Your dentist will advise you how often you need to attend to check that your teeth and gums are healthy. What to expect. You will sit in a big chair that can move up and down. The dentist will look in your mouth with a small mirror and check your teeth The dentist might take an x-ray of your mouth to check your teeth. 6
Going to the Dentist The dentist might clean your teeth and give you advice on how to look after your teeth. My Dentist is: Phone: Address: Website: 7
Going to the Optician What to expect. The optician will look into your eyes to check your vision and the health of your eyes. To do this, they may shine a light into your eyes. The optician will ask you to read letters from far away to see how well you can see. They will put glasses on you and change the lenses. Things may look blurred. You may need to wear glasses so you can see better. The optician may put drops into your eyes to make them better. 8
Going to the Optician My Optician is: Phone: Address: Website: 9
Hearing Tests What to expect. The audiologist will look into your ears. To do this, they shine a light into your ears. They check for ear wax and any sign of infection or blockage. The audiologist or a Nurse may remove the wax from your ears. The audiologist may wish to test your hearing. They will put headphones on you and ask you to press a button when you hear a noise. Or they may put you in a different room to press buttons. You may need to wear a hearing aid so you can hear better. 10
Hearing Tests My Audiologist is: Phone: Address: Website: 11
Health Screening The NHS checks people for a range of common illnesses. This is a really good idea to help you keep healthy. Bowel Cancer Screening is offered every 2 years to all men and women aged 60 to 69. Breast Cancer Screening is offered every 3 years to all women aged 47-73. Cervical Cancer Screening is offered every 3 years to all women aged 25 to 49 and every 5 years for women aged 50 to 64. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening is offered to men when they turn 65. For more info, visit: www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk 12
Health Screening Bowel Cancer Screening what to expect People aged 60 to 69 are sent a kit through the post. This happens every 2 years. When you go to the toilet, you need to take a sample of your poo You use a spatula to put a sample into the kit. You do this on 3 separate days then post the kit back. They look at the samples very carefully. You get a letter to tell you the results. 13
Health Screening Breast Screening what to expect Women aged 47-73 get a letter inviting you to come for breast screening. This happens every 3 years. You go to a screening van or a hospital for the test. You need to take off your top. A nurse will put you into a machine which takes an image of your breast. They look at the image very carefully. You get a letter to tell you the results. 14
Health Screening Cervical Screening what to expect Women over 25 get a letter inviting you to come for cervical screening. This happens every 3 years, or every 5 years when you turn 50. You will need to lie on a bed and take off your pants. A doctor or nurse will take a sample from down below. They look at the sample very carefully. You will get a letter to tell you the results. 15
Health Screening AAA Screening what to expect The aorta is a big blood vessel that takes blood from your heart around your body. As some people get older, the aorta can get weak and swell up - this is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Men aged 65 and older are most likely to get this sort of aneurysm. Men will receive an invitation for AAA screening the year they turn 65. They then ask you to lie down and lift up or unbutton your shirt. The technician will put a cool jelly on your abdomen and then move a small scanner over the skin. The scan will show a picture of the aorta on a screen. You will be told your result straight away. 16
Flu Vaccines Flu is an illness caused by germs. It spreads through coughs and sneezes. It can make you very ill, especially if you have other health problems. The main symptoms are: Fever, (you feel very hot and sweaty) Chills Headache Aching muscles Cough and a sore throat Your doctor or nurse will give you a flu vaccine every year to protect you. They give it to you by a jab in your arm. You should get your flu jab in the Autumn before the flu germs come. You should have a flu jab if you are: Over 65 Live in a care home Have a serious medical condition You should not have a flu jab if: You have been seriously ill after a flu jab Hen s eggs make you ill You have a fever wait until you are better to have the jab. 17
Health Action Plans A Health Action Plan is a good way to: Identify your health problems What help you need to improve And plan what you will do to stay healthy. Your main carer or health facilitator will help you develop a plan that is right for you. Here are some examples of Health Action Plans: 18
Health Action Plans 19
More information If you have any worries about your health, speak to: your GP or practice nurse your local Pharmacist your main carer our your Social Worker. If you would like more information on health conditions, go to: www.nhs.uk For information on support available in Stockport for staying healthy, visit: www.healthystockport.co.uk/ For information about social care services in Stockport, go to: www.mycaremychoice.org.uk/ For health information in an Easy Read format, go to: www.easyhealth.org.uk/ 20