About one in 20 people in the UK will develop bowel cancer during their lifetime. It is the third most common cancer in the UK, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with over 16,000 people dying from it each year.Regular bowel cancer screening has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer.
Bowel cancer screening aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage (in people with no symptoms), when treatment is more likely to be effective.
Bowel cancer screening can also detect polyps. These are not cancers, but may develop into cancers over time. They can easily be removed, reducing the risk of bowel cancer developing.
Southdowns Private Healthcare offers a comprehensive Bowel Cancer Screening service. Our service includes the following: physical examination, blood tests (including tumor markers for bowel cancer) , stool test (look for microscopic traces of blood) , and finally flexible sigmoidoscopy. This final test has been much talked about in the press recently, as a “miracle” cure for bowel cancer. Actually this test has been around for decades, and known to be a very effective and safe way of excluding lower bowel cancers.
Health screening offers a quick and efficient way of giving you peace of mind, and we recommend this to all our clients aged 45 and over.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for
Wednesday 12 May 2010
Thursday 18 February 2010
Sexual Health
A recent report by the Health Protection Agency has shown that the number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the UK is still rising. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection, particularly affecting younger people under the age of 25.
Chlamydia is an infection caused by a bacterium (germ) called Chlamydia trachomatis. In women, chlamydial infection usually affects the cervix and uterus (the womb). In men, it usually affects the urethra in the penis.
The majority of people have no symptoms at all and therefore may spread the condition to sexual partners before eventually getting diagnosed themselves. If left untreated, Chlamydia can lead to pelvic pain and even permanent infertility.
It makes sense for any sexually active young person, boy or girl, to get tested for Chlamydia regularly. Treatment is a short course of antibiotics.
You should not feel anxious or embarrassed about having a test. It is reliable and very simply and painlessly administered via a urine sample. It can even be done by post from your own home.
Your sexual health is important. If you or anyone you know is at risk of Chlamydia, I suggest you get tested, either via your local GUM clinic, your NHS GP, or for postal tests, contact www.southdownsprivatehealthcare.co.uk.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for
Chlamydia is an infection caused by a bacterium (germ) called Chlamydia trachomatis. In women, chlamydial infection usually affects the cervix and uterus (the womb). In men, it usually affects the urethra in the penis.
The majority of people have no symptoms at all and therefore may spread the condition to sexual partners before eventually getting diagnosed themselves. If left untreated, Chlamydia can lead to pelvic pain and even permanent infertility.
It makes sense for any sexually active young person, boy or girl, to get tested for Chlamydia regularly. Treatment is a short course of antibiotics.
You should not feel anxious or embarrassed about having a test. It is reliable and very simply and painlessly administered via a urine sample. It can even be done by post from your own home.
Your sexual health is important. If you or anyone you know is at risk of Chlamydia, I suggest you get tested, either via your local GUM clinic, your NHS GP, or for postal tests, contact www.southdownsprivatehealthcare.co.uk.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for
Friday 6 November 2009
Swine Flu Vaccination Safety in Pregancy
The number of cases of swine flu is on the increase once again. This week many GP practices are also beginning their H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination programme, initially targeting those considered most at risk, including pregnant women.
As I wrote in my Blog “Swine Flu and Expecting Mums” in August 2009 see www.makingtimeforyourhealth.blogspot.com, pregnant women are more susceptible to the swine flu virus. The data is clear - pregnant women are up to 10 times more likely to suffer serious complications as a result of catching swine flu and 5-30% of worldwide deaths from swine flu have been young, healthy, pregnant women, according to the World Health Organisation
But how safe is H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy? In short, very safe. Get vaccinated as soon as possible and protect yourself and your unborn baby. Many people are worried that the vaccine has been rushed through and not properly tested, but this is not true.
Drug companies have been preparing a vaccine for pandemic flu for years and the basic vaccine for this strain of flu is known to be very safe. The H1N1 vaccine has undergone all the safety checks and clinical trials already and the European Medicines Agency has given a clear recommendation that the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine can be given safely to pregnant women.
Only one dose of vaccine is required to produce an adequate immune response that will protect the vast majority of women against swine flu. As a frontline health worker I am also offered the vaccination, which I had this week. Fiona, my wife, who is also a GP, had our first baby girl last week, and is planning to get herself vaccinated as soon as she is invited by her GP. The vaccine will not only protect her, but also preventing her from passing on any infection to our newborn.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for
As I wrote in my Blog “Swine Flu and Expecting Mums” in August 2009 see www.makingtimeforyourhealth.blogspot.com, pregnant women are more susceptible to the swine flu virus. The data is clear - pregnant women are up to 10 times more likely to suffer serious complications as a result of catching swine flu and 5-30% of worldwide deaths from swine flu have been young, healthy, pregnant women, according to the World Health Organisation
But how safe is H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy? In short, very safe. Get vaccinated as soon as possible and protect yourself and your unborn baby. Many people are worried that the vaccine has been rushed through and not properly tested, but this is not true.
Drug companies have been preparing a vaccine for pandemic flu for years and the basic vaccine for this strain of flu is known to be very safe. The H1N1 vaccine has undergone all the safety checks and clinical trials already and the European Medicines Agency has given a clear recommendation that the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine can be given safely to pregnant women.
Only one dose of vaccine is required to produce an adequate immune response that will protect the vast majority of women against swine flu. As a frontline health worker I am also offered the vaccination, which I had this week. Fiona, my wife, who is also a GP, had our first baby girl last week, and is planning to get herself vaccinated as soon as she is invited by her GP. The vaccine will not only protect her, but also preventing her from passing on any infection to our newborn.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for
Tuesday 1 September 2009
Swine Flu and your kids
Kids aged 1-5 are also viewed as being at higher risk, and as a father of two boys, aged one and three, I would definitely treat them if they became symptomatic with swine flu but only after my GP had examined them and concluded this as the diagnosis. The real risk currently to children is not so much swine flu itself but that their symptoms are mistaken for those of swine flu. Kids get temperatures for many reasons (tonsillitis, urine infections, tummy bugs, meningitis) and most of these often start of with flu-like symptoms.
I’ve been a doctor for more than 12 years and I still find it challenging to assess a child with a temperature. Usually, prior knowledge of the child’s medical history, of the parents and a thorough history and examination allow me to accurately diagnose a child. Therefore I am wary of children being diagnosed over the phone using the National Pandemic Flu Service – a telephone operator without medical training or access to the child’s medical notes cannot, in my opinion, be expected to make a safe diagnosis.
If you really are worried about your child, see your GP.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for.
I’ve been a doctor for more than 12 years and I still find it challenging to assess a child with a temperature. Usually, prior knowledge of the child’s medical history, of the parents and a thorough history and examination allow me to accurately diagnose a child. Therefore I am wary of children being diagnosed over the phone using the National Pandemic Flu Service – a telephone operator without medical training or access to the child’s medical notes cannot, in my opinion, be expected to make a safe diagnosis.
If you really are worried about your child, see your GP.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for.
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Swine Flu and expecting mums
Pregnant women do appear to be at greater risk of running into complications as a result of getting swine flu. The exact reason for this is unknown, but two pregnant women are thought to have died in the UK possibly as a result of swine flu and at least six are currently in intensive care with pandemic flu in Australia. My wife is currently 30 weeks pregnant and therefore this topic is particularly close to my heart.
Should she and other pregnant women stay at home and isolate themselves from society? What does “avoiding crowded places” (the advice from the Royal College of Midwives) actually mean? I think it’s up to individuals to make that decision. My wife continues to work as a doctor and has absolutely no intension of staying at home. She would however probably avoid being in the same room as someone who is clearly suffering from flu. She probably would take antivirals if she became ill but not purely as a precautionary measure. Again this is a personal choice as there is no rulebook - the safety of Ralenza in pregnancy is yet to be completely proven. And yes , she would accept vaccination if it were made available before our due date.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for.
Should she and other pregnant women stay at home and isolate themselves from society? What does “avoiding crowded places” (the advice from the Royal College of Midwives) actually mean? I think it’s up to individuals to make that decision. My wife continues to work as a doctor and has absolutely no intension of staying at home. She would however probably avoid being in the same room as someone who is clearly suffering from flu. She probably would take antivirals if she became ill but not purely as a precautionary measure. Again this is a personal choice as there is no rulebook - the safety of Ralenza in pregnancy is yet to be completely proven. And yes , she would accept vaccination if it were made available before our due date.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for.
Monday 10 August 2009
Swine Flu- don't panic
Hi, I’m Dr Abu Chinwala, a GP in Hampshire, and a founding partner of Southdowns Private Healthcare. Every month I will be writing a blog about topical, medical matters to offer advice based on my experience as a frontline GP dealing with patients’ concerns everyday in my surgery.
This month’s topic is unsurprisingly, Swine Flu. Much of my patients’ concerns and anxiety is fuelled unfortunately by imbalanced reporting in the media. When you read the papers, try to keep some perspective. Remember horror stories sell, an uncomplicated bout of flu does not. Every patient I have seen so far with Swine Flu has made a complete recovery within 7 to 10 days.
To help offer some perspective, I compare the current situation to an epidemic of ordinary seasonal flu in the winter of 1997, when I was working as a Medical Assessment Unit doctor in Cheltenham. The medical take jumped from an average of 25 patients per day to more than 40. It was mainly the lives of the elderly that were lost, often complicated by underlying heart or lung disease. The morgue was so busy that the hospital had to arrange for mobile refrigerators to store the deceased. Imagine rows of trucks forming a mobile morgue parked in a hospital car park - and Cheltenham was by no means an exception. But where were the press? Where were the horror stories? There were none. We’ve been through worse and though this winter may challenge that of 1997, life for most of us will go on as normal.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for.
This month’s topic is unsurprisingly, Swine Flu. Much of my patients’ concerns and anxiety is fuelled unfortunately by imbalanced reporting in the media. When you read the papers, try to keep some perspective. Remember horror stories sell, an uncomplicated bout of flu does not. Every patient I have seen so far with Swine Flu has made a complete recovery within 7 to 10 days.
To help offer some perspective, I compare the current situation to an epidemic of ordinary seasonal flu in the winter of 1997, when I was working as a Medical Assessment Unit doctor in Cheltenham. The medical take jumped from an average of 25 patients per day to more than 40. It was mainly the lives of the elderly that were lost, often complicated by underlying heart or lung disease. The morgue was so busy that the hospital had to arrange for mobile refrigerators to store the deceased. Imagine rows of trucks forming a mobile morgue parked in a hospital car park - and Cheltenham was by no means an exception. But where were the press? Where were the horror stories? There were none. We’ve been through worse and though this winter may challenge that of 1997, life for most of us will go on as normal.
The views expressed in this blog are those of Dr Abu-Talib Chinwala BM MRCGP and not of any organisation he works for.
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