Looking after your Health at Home

Self-care is about keeping fit and healthy, understanding when you can look after yourself, when a pharmacist can help, and when to get advice from your GP or another health professional. If you have a long-term condition, self-care is about understanding that condition and how to live with it.

Common conditions and minor ailments such as colds and flu, upset stomachs, and aches and pains are generally not serious health problems for most patients. You can easily treat yourself at home, or with advice from a local pharmacist, helping you to feel better sooner and avoid unnecessary trips to your GP or A&E department.  

The NHS in Humber and North Yorkshire says there are some simple self-care steps everyone can follow: 

1. Keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet– we can make sure we have plenty of remedies to treat common ailments, such as paracetamol, cough syrup and throat lozenges. Most people suffering from colds and ‘flu can treat their symptoms at home without needing to make an appointment at their GP practice. Antibiotics do not work on cold and ‘flu viruses and most people will start to feel better in a few days, taking plenty of fluids, rest and an over-the-counter medication. All the above are available from your local pharmacy or supermarket at a low cost – no prescription or GP appointment required. Further information on medicine cabinet essentials can be found on the uk website.
2. Download The NHS App– it's a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet. You can use it to get health advice using the health A-Z on the NHS website, get advice about COVID-19, order repeat prescriptions, book appointments, find out what to do when you need help urgently, using NHS 111 online and much more.
3. Visit the Self Care Forum– it has produced a series of factsheets to help you take care of the most common conditions. These provide useful facts about your condition, what you can expect to happen, how to help yourself, when you should see your GP, and where to find out more information.
4. Check out the Humber and North Yorkshire Health Apps Library – brought to you by Orcha, the health apps library brings together every smartphone app you could possibly imagine to help you stay fit and healthy, or live your best life if you have a long-term medical condition.
5. Visit your local pharmacy if you have a minor health complaint – knowing what to do to treat a minor ailment is something our local pharmacy teams can help with, and they can provide information and advice on how best to treat a wide range of minor ailments and conditions
6. Be kind to your mind – search Every Mind Matters for help to deal with mental health and wellbeing worries. There are little things we can all do to help look after our mental health. Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more.