Health Tips Your Doctors Want You to Know

Posted on: 25 September 2017

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Sometimes paying a visit to your doctor is unavoidable. At other times, simple health advice can prevent you from needing to attend a doctor's clinic. While there are lots of areas of medicine where you could take control of your health yourself, here are some top tips your doctor may want you to know. 

Sticking cotton buds in your ear isn't a good idea

The area inside your ear is sensitive, prone to infection, and easy to injure. It's for this reason that doctors generally recommend that you don't use a cotton bud to clean out your ear. If you do feel as though too much wax is in there, try using five drops of olive oil twice a day. This should soften the wax, making it easier to hear. If your problems continue, go and see your doctor. They may offer to suction out the wax.

Sometimes your body needs to do the hard work

Antibiotics aren't always the panacea you need when it comes to infections. Using standard ear infections as an example, you'll only shorten the infection period by a few hours. At the same time, antibiotic use can come with unnecessary side effects. For example, one of the antibiotics your doctor may prescribe for an ear infection is amoxicillin. This comes with side effects such as diarrhoea. However, if your earache is particularly severe or you are immunocompromised, you may want to ask your doctor whether antibiotics are right for you.

Rest isn't always good for injuries

While it's sometimes a good idea to rest an injury, doing so can make certain muscles stagnant. One example of this is back ache. Depending on the cause, your doctor may recommend walking or physiotherapy. When you follow their advice, you strengthen the muscles in your back and reduce the amount of pain you experience. Unless they recommend otherwise, try walking around to make your back better.

You need to take some 'me' time 

In a modern world, many people live hectic lives. Around 64% of Australians report that stress affects their mental health. This means you might want to take some 'me' time. Ways to factor rest and relaxation into your weekly routine include:

  • Exercising, which increases your endorphins and reduces stress hormones
  • Dedicating a day a week to not working
  • Removing yourself from situations that you know cause you to feel stress

Naturally, there may come a time when you don't feel comfortable with taking the self-help approach. If this happens, contact your doctors' clinic to see if they need to see you in person.