He was pacing in my waiting room, holding his red, swollen wrist and roaring at everyone like a wounded bear. This normally jovial and mild mannered gentleman was suffering from an extremely painful joint affliction called “Gout.” As it was the week before Christmas, I doubted he would be the last patient with Gout this […]
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All posts by Alexandra Ames
The History of “Botox”: How a Deadly Poison became a Mainstream Beauty Treatment
You asked and I listened: I just returned from the UK where I completed an Advanced Botox and Filler Course. It was fascinating. So thank you for the suggestion. So, what did I learn? Well, I always knew that “Botox” had some medical uses. But the story of how a deadly poison became the darling […]
Deworming Debunked.
It’s August and we’ve begun to hear the ads on the radio and Tv for “de-worming medicine” Here’s Dr Solomon on the evidence about why we should or should not be giving worm medicine to our children if they are well and do not have symptoms.”How many of us Trinidadians are accustomed to our grandmother, […]
It’s Lung Cancer Awareness Day If you have symptoms of Lung cancer like a persistent unexplained cough, unexplained weight loss or unexplained hoarseness then it’s fine for your Doctor to do a Chest X-ray to see if you might have lung cancer, but if it’s normal, you should go on to have a CT Scan […]
Wound Care with Nurse Charlene Teloka
It’s the summer holidays and I hope all your kids are outside (without masks yay!) getting muddy, falling from trees and getting scraped knees….That’s so much better than sitting rivetted to a screen getting a Thumb sprain from a remote control or joystick!
But really, when is one of those cuts/scrapes serious? It’s been so long since we’ve been normal we may have forgotten! So here is Nurse Teloka to remind you how to treat minor wounds and when you need to see her.
“Your skin is the largest organ in your body and as it covers such a large surface it’s not unusual to get an occasional scrape or cut.
Our skin is our first defense to infection and in just minutes after sustaining an injury the body starts healing itself.
However, larger or deeper wounds that may affect nerves, vessels, bones and tissue may become infected or take longer to heal or cause further damage or disability if not treated appropriately.
Minor cuts and scrapes may need only basic wound care at home.
This involves:
- Washing immediately and thoroughly with clean water and mild soap, removing any debris.
- Gentle pressure to stop any bleeding
- Covering with a non-adhesive (a dressing that does not stick) dressing and secure with a bandage.
- Monitoring by cleaning twice a day with soap and water and covering until fully healed.
For Minor burn wounds: immediately run cool water over the area for 20 minutes. If blisters form do not pop or drain. Do not apply butter or oil! Then come to see us for an assessment.
But When do you need to see us anyway?
- Wounds on the face or reaching the bone even if only ¼ inch deep.
- Deep wounds or gaping wounds when you can’t bring the edges together so you need stitches. We can stitch them here
- Animal or Human bite- to clean properly, asses for tetanus and need for antibiotics
- An injury caused by a rusty object,
- People with Type 2 Diabetes especially if the wound involves the feet.
- If bleeding persists after 10mins and is heavy call 811.
- If you cannot feel or move the injured area. Call 811″
For More information on when to ask about Tetanus see our You Tube or IG channel
What Tests Shouldn’t you do as part of your Executive/Annual Medical?
So we’re all crawling out from under our rocks and thinking about all the things we neglected during the Pandemic. Our health included. That means Annual and Executive Medicals. “The bigger the better Doc. Give me every test you got. Take me up to my insurance limit. “ Whoa, hold up there! Everything in moderation, […]
Why I’ll (probably) never suggest you do a Herpes blood test.
Herpes blood tests are a complete waste of time and money. They can even destroy relationships. Here’s why: If I had a dollar for the number of couples I have had in my office at breaking point because some other doctor recommended Herpes blood tests as part of a sexual health screen ….or worse yet […]
The Science of Aging Part 2: The Free Radical Theory
Are Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Antioxidants the “Fountain of Youth”? The Free Radical Theory of Aging has been around for a while. We’ve all seen the adds for “antioxidants “. But what is a Free Radical, how can it age me and are vitamins the answer? A free radical is an unstable molecule that has an oxygen […]
The Silent Cause of Infertility in Young People
Why should I care about Chlamydia? I have no symptoms. Worldwide Chlamydia is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI), and it is more common in young people. The problem can often cause no symptoms at all, so you may not know you have it. If it is around for long enough causing inflammation of your pelvis, […]
Lifespan vs Healthspan: The Science of Aging Part 1
Science has allowed us to keep you alive for longer but at what cost? I have had many conversations with my patients about this over the years, and everyone has a different perspective. From the fatalist 50 year old man with chronic disease: “Doc I feel I will die soon, because my father died at […]