Health Advice

At Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgery, we endeavor to provide as much information to our patients as possible. We hope that you will find the information available on the subsequent tabs useful.

Below are useful links that may help you decide if you need to book an appointment.

You can also access health advice, book some appointments, order repeat medication and view your test results online- We prefer the NHS app to do this – its advert free and simple to use.

When should I worry about my child’s symptoms?
Gastroenteritis Advice Sheet
Bronchiolitis Advice Sheet
Hay-Fever advice leaflet

Contraception Advice

Contraceptive Choices- Table

High Blood Pressure

BHF Statin Advice

Your GP has requested that you record your Blood Pressure at home, please use the form below and return it to the surgery, thank you.

Home Blood Pressure Record Chart

Hypertension Treatment – Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes are advocated as first-line therapy for hypertension treatment. Dietary and exercise interventions have been shown to reduce blood pressure by at least 10 mmHg in about a quarter of people with high blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure is one of a number of risk factors that increase your chance of developing heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions.

The higher your blood pressure, the greater the risk.

Lifestyle Changes to Lower HIgh Blood Pressure

  • Lose weight if overweight

Blood pressure often increases as weight increases. In general, the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure. Blood pressure can decrease by 2.5/1.5mmHg for every excess kilogram lost. Losing weight does not only benefit blood pressure, but has lots of other health benefits too.

It is best for you and your doctor to determine your target weight and the best way for you to achieve it.

  • Exercise regularly

Regular physical activity – at least  30 minutes of vigorous exercise on most days of the week – can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 mmHg. If you previously did little exercise, results can be seen in a few weeks. Examples of good physical activities include brisk walking, swimming, cycling, dancing and jogging.

Your doctor will determine if you have any exercise restrictions and can develop an exercise program tailored to your needs.

  • Eat a healthy diet

Eating a varied diet rich in whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables and low-fat dairy products, and low in saturated fat and cholesterol has been shown to lower blood pressure. Eat at least 5 portions (ideally 7-9 portions) of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables a day. The bulk of most meals must be starch based (cereals, whole grain bread, potatoes, rice and pasta) together with fresh fruit and vegetables. Reduce intake of fatty foods like fatty meat, cheese, fried food and butter. Use low fat, unsaturated fats as an alternative.

If you eat meat, it is best to eat lean meat or chicken. Include 2-3 portions of fish into your diet each week (one of which should be oily fish like herring, mackerel, sardines or salmon). Reduce salt intake. Following a healthy diet has numerous additional benefits including lowering cholesterol and reducing weight.  

Even a modest reduction in salt intake can lower your blood pressure. It is recommended that we should not consume more than 5-6g of salt daily. Unfortunately most people consume more than this. Avoiding processed foods, which are often high in sodium, can reduce your daily intake. Always read food labels – you might be surprised how much sodium /salt a product contains. Rather choose foods labeled “no salt added” or “low in salt”. Limit the amount of salt used in cooking.

  • Limit alcohol consumption

Alcohol in small amounts (1-2 units* per day) can be good for your health by protecting against heart attacks and coronary artery disease, however this protective effect is lost if you drink too much alcohol. If you drink alcohol in moderate amounts, it can raise blood pressure by several points as well as reducing the effectiveness of blood pressure medication. Men should not drink more than 21 units of alcohol per week (and no more than 4 units in any one day) Women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week (and no more than 3 units in any one day).

Avoid binge drinking as this can cause a large and sudden increase in blood pressure, in addition to other health problems. 

*One unit of alcohol equates to half a pint of normal strength beer, or 2/3 small glass of wine or one measure of spirits.

  • Restrict caffeine consumption

Caffeine is thought to have a modest effect on blood pressure, but this is still debatable. Consumption of caffeinated beverages has been shown to cause a temporary spike in blood pressure. Regular caffeine consumption can cause higher than average blood pressure, therefore it is advised to restrict caffeine consumption to fewer than 5 cups per day.

  • Smoking 

Smoking adds a health risk if your blood pressure is already raised. Every effort should be made to stop smoking. If you experience difficulty consult your doctor or practice nurse for help and advice.

  • Reduce stress

Stress or anxiety can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure. Try reducing daily stress by identifying the cause of stress and considering ways to reduce or eliminate it.

  •  Home Blood Pressure recordings

Please use this form to record your blood pressure at home, thank you.

Home Blood Pressure Record Chart

Reference:

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Lifestyle treatments to lower high blood pressure. Yaxley Group Practice, Peterborough 2009. Used with permission.

The content provided in this leaflet is for information purposes only. It is not designed to diagnose or treat a condition or otherwise provide medical advice. Information contained in this leaflet is also subject to personal interpretation and can become obsolete, thus accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Please consult your own healthcare provider regarding any medical issues.

  • Copyright © 2013, DXS Ltd.All Rights Reserved

 Also see the ‘Useful websites’ tab

Physiotherapy Leaflets

This is a link to an external website. Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgery provides this link to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgery or the Website.

Sexual Health

Local Specialist Sexual Health Services are Available at:

Buckinghamshire Sexual Health Information

Tel: 0300 303 2880

and

Luton and Dunstable Clinic

Please click on the links to find further information.

Getting Tested for Chlamydia 

The only way to find out if you have chlamydia is to get tested. You can get tested whether or not you have symptoms.

If you live in England, you’re under 25 and you’re sexually active, it is recommended that you get tested every year or when you change sexual partner, as you’re more likely to catch chlamydia.

The surgery has free self testing postal kits available.

You will find these in each toilet in both surgeries.

For more information please ask at reception or click the link below

Vaccination Schedule

Please be aware that there is a nationwide shortage of a number of vaccines. Please complete our travel form as early as possible and we will discuss your needs with you.

The NHS vaccination schedule 

Here’s a checklist of the vaccines that are routinely offered to everyone in the UK for free on the NHS, and the ages at which they should ideally be given.

If you’re not sure whether you or your child have had all your routine vaccinations, ask your GP or practice nurse to find out for you. It may be possible to ‘catch up’ later in life.

The leaflet for the Meningitis B vaccination being introduced in September 2015 can be found at:

Meningitis B Leaflet for Parents

2 Months

  • 6-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib/ Hep B) vaccine – this single jab contains vaccines to protect against five separate diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib, a bacterial infection that can cause severe pneumonia or meningitis in young children).

3 months

4 months

Between 12 and 13 months

  • Hib/Men C booster, given as a single jab containing meningitis C (second dose) and Hib (fourth dose)

3 years and 4 months, or soon after

Around 12-13 years

HPV vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer (girls only) – three jabs given within six months.

Around 13-18 years

3-in-1 (Td/IPV) teenage booster, given as a single jab which contains vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and polio

Also …

Menigitis ACWY

65 and over

Flu (every year)

Pneumococcal (PPV) vaccine

Seasonal Flu Vaccination

Influenza – flu – is a highly infectious and potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses. Each year the make-up of the seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the influenza viruses that the World Health Organization decide are most likely to be circulating in the coming winter.

Regular immunisation (vaccination) is given free of charge to the following at-risk people, to protect them from seasonal flu:

  • people aged 65 or over
  • people with a serious medical condition
  • people living in a residential or nursing home
  • the main carers for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer becomes ill
  • healthcare or social care professionals directly involved in patient care
  • those who work in close contact with poultry, such as chickens.

Pregnant women & Vaccinations

It is recommended that all pregnant women should have the flu vaccine, whatever stage of pregnancy they are in. This is because there is good evidence that pregnant women have an increased risk of developing complications if they get flu.

Studies have shown that the flu vaccine can be safely and effectively given during any trimester of pregnancy. The vaccine does not carry risks for either the mother or baby. In fact, studies have shown that mothers who have had the vaccine while pregnant pass some protection to their babies, which lasts for the first few months of their lives.  

Whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy

Pregnant women can help protect their babies by getting vaccinated

Whooping cough (Pertussis) vaccination

Vaccines for special groups

There are some vaccines that are not routinely available to everyone on the NHS but which are available for people who fall into certain risk groups, such as pregnant women, people with long term health conditions and healthcare workers.

These extra vaccines include hepatitis B vaccination, TB vaccination and chickenpox vaccination.

Travel vaccines

There are some travel vaccines that you should be able to have free on the NHS from your local surgery. These include the hepatitis A vaccine, the typhoid vaccine and the cholera vaccine. Other travel vaccines, such as yellow fever vaccination, are not available at the surgery, but may be available elsewhere privately. Find out more from our section on Travel Health or the NHS website on travel vaccinations.

Your Health

For further information and advice on a variety of subjects and conditions, click on the links below:

Useful Websites

Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgery cannot and has not reviewed all pages of the Websites linked to this Site and therefore cannot be liable for their content. Users link to other Websites at their own risk and use such sites according to the terms and conditions of use of such sites. 

Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgery provides links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgery or the Website.

On occasion we may embed content from another website. Using a page with such content you may be presented with cookies from the third party website. Edlesborough and Pitstone Surgery does not control the dissemination of these cookies. You should check the third party websites for more information about these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saxy4r0Qet4 Beat the sneezes: Your ultimate Hay Fever guide.