The latest guidance from the Global Initiative for Asthma Control (GINA) 2022 is that your Ventolin or Salbutamol (blue inhaler) is probably not enough and almost no-one should be on this alone. The blue inhaler provides relief only. It does not prevent attacks. Most people need a preventor and a reliver, and traditionally this was […]
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All posts by Alexandra Ames
Could you have Glaucoma?
It is World Glaucoma Week Why do we care? Because Glaucoma is a preventable cause of blindness. Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease which affects the nerve at the back of the eye- the optic nerve. The damage is usually caused by increased pressure in the eye. Think of a candle which is burning: You […]
Do you think your Period Pain is Abnormal? You might have Endometriosis.
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month The endometrium is the lining of the womb. That’s the lining that is shed as a period every month if you are not pregnant. In some women, cells from the lining can seed somewhere outside of the womb causing the endometrium lining to build up where it is not supposed […]
Let Me De-Influence You
What don’t you need to do: We are bombarded by rubbish health claims on the internet or even by so called professionals. This is even more so on Insta, Tik Tok and Facebook where “Influencers” are paid big money to promote products and services. It is refreshing to hear of a new trend of “de-influencers” […]
Your Health Should be Part of Your Pension Plan
The old adage “Work hard, play hard is a good one…but not at the expense of your health. What is the point of killing yourself to pay into a pension plan, to drop dead of a heart attack when you retire at 65? Or worse, get a stroke and be bed bound and your pension […]
Gout: How to Avoid and Treat it this Holiday Season
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 […]
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