WHAT WE TREAT
Video consultation allows our highly-qualified doctors to quickly and conveniently examine symptoms, provide diagnoses, make treatment recommendations and advise on required medications. Doctors working on Health at Hand are able to treat any urgent but non-emergency condition, providing immediate instructions to help you feel better today. If necessary, your doctor can also refer you to a specialist for further treatment or tests.
Below we have listed some of the most common conditions which prompt people to seek advice from a doctor. If your condition is not listed please do not worry, the highly qualified family doctors working on Health at Hand have experience in treating a wide variety of conditions and will still be able to give you advice about your complaint.
Most common minor non-emergency conditions
COLD
Unfortunately, we all know the symptoms of the common cold too well, including sinus congestion, sneezing, coughing, sore throat and tiredness. These symptoms can be very unpleasant and often do not go away on their own. Our doctors can give you advice on remedies and treatments to get you back up and running as quickly as possible.
COUGH
Common coughs affect us all from time to time and tend to linger for too long. Most often coughs are caused by infections of the upper respiratory tract, asthma, inflammation of the upper airways, the common cold, sore throats and chest infections. Our doctors can listen to your cough, discuss your symptoms and make a suitable treatment recommendation.
FLU-LIKE ILLNESS
The flu is more than just a cold, often making us bed-bound, feeling very unwell. Having a fever, coughing, sore throat, sinus congestion, body aches, headaches and tiredness are all common symptoms of flu. Often it is not advisable to wait it out, rather to get doctor’s advice on how to relieve your symptoms, ease your discomfort and prevent your flu escalating to further complications.
URINARY SYMPTOMS
If you experience burning when going to the bathroom, pain in your lower stomach, needing to pee more often, unable to empty your bladder properly, possibly associated with fever or fatigue, these symptoms are associated with a bacterial urinary tract infection. Our doctors can help relieve your UTI discomfort by making appropriate treatment recommendations which often includes a course of antibiotics.
HEADACHES
Headaches are extremely common and can be caused by many different factors. Different types of headaches include tension, migraine, cluster headache (feels like a piercing/stabbing behind the eyes), sinus congestion, premenstrual tension and pregnancy-related headaches. Our doctors can identify what has triggered your headache and recommend pain relief, as well as ruling out more concerning possible causes.
EARACHES
Earaches can be very painful and distressing particularly when they cause you to lose balance. Often associated with bacterial infections and viruses, it is very important to seek help as soon as possible when you have an earache. Our doctors will discuss your symptoms and make a treatment recommendation to help you feel better quickly.
VOMITING
Vomiting can be very uncomfortable and unpleasant to deal with. Often vomiting is caused by gastroenteritis and is very common amongst children and adults. Possible causes of gastroenteritis can be rotavirus, norovirus or food poisoning. Persistent vomiting could be a sign of something more serious. Our doctors can talk to you about your symptoms and make recommendations for treatment and medications.
SORE THROAT
Sore throats are very common and can be associated with viral infections or flu and the common cold. Often they do pass within a week, however bacterial streptococcus or ‘strep throat’ is very painful and can be hard to shift without a course of antibiotics. Check your symptoms with our doctors who can advise on suitable treatment and medication if necessary.
SINUS CONGESTION / ALLERGIES
Watery eyes and sinus congestion are commonly caused by hay fever, a cold or flu, acute or chronic sinusitis, allergy to household pets or dust irritation. Our doctors can help identify the cause of your symptoms, make suggestions to ease your discomfort and recommend medications. A severe allergic reaction affecting the whole body, including your breathing, is a medical emergency and needs immediate treatment.
RASHES
Most of us are affected by rashes and skin irritations at some point in our lives. Acute urticaria or hives, eczema, dry skin, acne, shingles, warts, impetigo, cold sores and ringworm are all common skin conditions. Our doctors are able to use video consultation to look at your symptoms and give you the right treatment and advice.
DIARRHOEA
Diarrhoea causes watery stools and stomach cramps. It is often caused by gastroenteritis secondary to food poisoning, viral infection, bacterial infection or irritable bowel syndrome. Often you will feel better within a day or two, however it is always a good idea to speak to a doctor about the underlying causes and to get appropriate advice on medication: never allow symptoms to persist for extended periods without seeking help.
INDIGESTION
Indigestion is a very common condition, experienced by all of us at some point. Symptoms include a burning sensation in your throat, bloating, increased expulsion of gas, usually caused by acid reflux from the stomach. Indigestion can be very unpleasant and hard to get rid of. Our doctors can diagnose the causes and advise on how to modify your lifestyle and, if necessary, give medication recommendations.
EYE INFECTIONS
With eye irritations, including redness, itchiness, pus oozing from your eye or mild blurring of vision it is always important to get help as early as possible. Conjunctivitis, or red eye can be bacterial or viral and is very contagious. Our doctors can diagnose your condition and advise the correct medication to get your eye cleared up quickly.
Get peace of mind: it is very common to be unsure whether or not you need to see a doctor. There will be times when your Health at Hand doctor will not be able to diagnose your condition using video consultation. See our Policies and Procedures for more information.
Doctors working on Health at Hand are always able to listen to your concerns, assess the urgency of your complaint and direct you to the appropriate specialty so you can receive the care you require.
WHEN TO GO TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM
Whilst doctors are able to use video consultation to treat 9 out of the 10 most common conditions, there are times when it is appropriate to go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
If you are experiencing any of the following we recommend you seek immediate emergency care:
Heavy bleeding
Potential broken bones
Significant head injury
Significant abdominal pain
Shortness of breath
Suspected stroke
Very high fever in babies or children
Chest pains
Pregnancy related concerns