Hay fever symptoms are particularly troublesome this year, with many people finding that their usual treatments are not working as well for them.

There are lots of things you can do to help yourself and your family; here is some advice you can try before contacting the practice:

• Take an antihistamine tablet daily – if you find one is not working you can try an alternative, this can often make a difference
• If you suffer with eye and nose symptoms (itchy eyes, sneezing etc.) then also use a steroid nose spray once or twice a day and regular eye drops 2-4 times a day
• Speak to a community pharmacist for advice on trying different brands and doses – they are experienced in this
• If your symptoms are still not controlled you can increase the antihistamine tablet to twice daily
• You can find advice on other measures to reduce your hay fever symptoms such as Vaseline around your nose, wraparound sunglasses, and frequent showers to get rid of pollen, here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hay-fever/
• If you have tried all of the above and your symptoms are still bad, then please make contact with the practice either by phone or by email and our team will be happy to give you further advice.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed below, please do NOT come into the practice. Call NHS 111.

Monkey pox is a rare illness caused by the monkey pox virus. It is associated with travel to central and west Africa but cases are occurring in England with no travel links.

Symptoms

The symptoms of monkey pox begin 5-21 days (average 6-16 days) after exposure with initial clinical presentation of

• Fever
• Malaise
• Lymphadenopathy
• Headache
• Rash

The rash changes and goes through different stages before finally forming a scab which later falls off. The rash may be maculopapular initially, typically starting on the face before spreading peripherally, particularly to the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.

For more information, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/monkeypox/

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please do not come into the practice. If you feel you need to speak to a GP.