What is Self Care?
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 practice or another health professional.
At the most basic level, Self Care is about two things: prevention and management:
- Prevention – looking after your health and wellbeing to help prevent illnesses from occurring
- Management – if you do get a minor illness, being able to manage the illness at home to reduce the risk of it developing into something more serious. It’s also about knowing where to seek help for advice for minor illnesses.
Self Care is recommended to treat conditions which don’t normally need medical care (from a doctor or nurse) or any prescribed treatment in order to get better.
See below a list of minor ailments and illnesses you could safely treat your symptoms at home. Keep your medicine cabinet stocked with remedies for these types of illnesses and ailments, or you could speak to a member of your pharmacy team for help and advice on other over-the-counter remedies.
Examples of common minor illnesses and ailments include:
- Hayfever
- Colds and flu
- Sore throat and headaches that last less than a week
- Earache
- Aches and pains
- Cuts and bruises
- Insect bites
- Tummy troubles that last less than a week
- Skin irritations/rashes
- Eye irritations
- Teething in babies
People in Norfolk and Waveney are encouraged to manage minor illnesses at home to reduce the number of unnecessary consultations with a doctor or nurse. That enables healthcare professionals to focus on caring for higher risk patients.
Preventing ill health
Keeping fit and healthy is important to keep your immune system working at its best. Some examples of ways you can improve or maintain your health are suggested below.
- Keep moving to maintain your health – All exercise and activity provides health benefits. It helps to keep muscles and joints supple, your heart and lungs fit and strong, and boosts your immune system. You can find a range of suggestions for indoor and outdoor activity ideas here.
- Stop smoking – Stopping smoking, or reducing how much you smoke, is one of the best ways you can improve your overall health and prevent illnesses. Find out more about smoking cessation services in Norfolk and Waveney here.
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet – This is important to help you maintain a healthy weight, improve brain and body function, reduce health complications, and boost your immune system. Find out more about the benefits of healthy eating and links to websites with information on foods you can swap for healthier choices, as well as some family-friendly recipes here.