Is open Christmas Day 1pm – 2pm for any emergency queries, prescriptions and Over the Counter Medications.

Call in and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Don’t forget we’re not open all day so check our opening times
1pm – 2pm.

All the best over the holidays, have a very Merry Christmas.

As well as preventing Chlamydia Jaysons in Wollaton offers free Chlamydia Screening, so if you’re aged between 16 and 24, worried you may have caught it, had unprotected sex or are experiencing symptoms call in and pick up a free kit. It’s confidential and discrete.

Not all Jaysons Pharmacy’s services are to do with STI’s we also offer Emergency Hormonal Contraception (The morning after pill). Don’t get caught out over the holiday period. Remember that although it is best to use other forms of contraception if you have unprotected sex the Morning after Pill is always an option and can be taken up to 72 hours after intercourse.

Finally Jaysons Pharmacy Wollaton offer their customers free, confidential pregnancy testing. If you require any of these services call in to the store or give us a ring.

Jaysons Pharmacy

97 Arleston Drive Wollaton Nottingham

NG8 2GB

0115 928 4563

Have a very Merry Christmas. Wishing you all the best.

Sexually Transmitted diseases (STIs) are on the rise and people need to be aware of the dangers and the risks that can come from being unsafe during sexual intercourse and contact, as it’s not just unwanted pregnancies that can come from unprotected sex.

Different STIs infect people in different ways such as viral, fungal, bacterial and parasitic. All have their own threats to health and wellbeing of a person. This blog focuses on Bacterial Infections and what can be done to prevent and treat them.

Bacterial Infections:

Chlamydia: One of the most common STIs in the UK, it is a bacterial infection that is passed on from one person to another by having unprotected sex. The most dangerous thing about Chlamydia is that a large percentage of sufferers, 50% of men and 70-80% of women, don’t get symptoms at all with chlamydia infection.

The symptoms can be mild to severe including infertility, scrotal enlargement, and blindness.

The screening process is private, confidential and simple. The treatment, if infected is also very effective. Doctors, Nurses and Pharmacists recommend having a test done especially if unprotected intercourse has occurred with a new partner who could be an asymptomatic carrier.

Gonorrhea: Another bacterial infection which is spread by having unprotected Vaginal and Anal sex and sharing sexual aids like Vibrators etc. which haven’t been properly cleaned or equipped with a new, clean condom.

Symptoms of Gonorrhea include discharge from the end of the penis or vagina, pain when urinating and irregular bleeding in women. 1 in 10 men and 50% of women however do not suffer from any symptoms.

Gonorrhea is an infection that can be transferred from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.

Syphilis: This bacterial infection is spread again by having unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex and by sharing sex aids. However syphilis can also be spread by sharing needles with someone who is infected when injecting drugs into the body.

Pregnant women who suffer from syphilis can pass the infection on to their unborn child which can cause the baby to be stillborn or to die soon after birth.

The bacteria: Treponema pallidum survive only momentarily outside of the body so spreading by sharing clothing, towels or toilets with someone who is infected is not possible.

There are three stages of syphilis which get more severe as the infection progresses and develops.

Primary Syphilis: Painless and highly infectious sores appear on the genitals and/or around the mouth, lasting 2 – 6 weeks.

Secondary Syphilis: Skin rashes and sore throat develop which can take a few weeks to clear up.

Tertiary Syphilis: If untreated this can cause serious damage the body but may not become apparent until years after secondary syphilis symptoms have occurred.

If you think you have any of the symptoms relating to syphilis it is important that you see your GP or go to a GUM clinic as the earlier it’s detected the easier it is to treat and less damage will be done by the disease.

Prevention:

The most successful way to prevent catching and spreading Bacterial STIs is to abstain from all sexual contact, but as this is an extremely unlikely, difficult and some might say unhealthy preventative measure, try and follow these easy to follow steps:

• Do not have unprotected sex
• Get tested regularly for STIs at GUM clinics or with your GP
• If you notice any changes in your genitals or pubic areas consult with your GP

Remember, it’s ok to have fun but make sure you are always safe.

Most common are: Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 Diabetes is caused by too much glucose in the blood as the body is not producing insulin. This is also known as Insulin-Dependent Diabetes. With this type of diabetes insulin injections have to be administered for life and sugar levels have to be controlled and regularly checked.

Type 2 Diabetes is the more common. This type of diabetes is caused by the body not producing enough insulin. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and is responsible for taking glucose out of the blood and converting it into energy or storing it for future use. However it can also be caused by the pancreas producing enough insulin but the cells are unable to use the insulin as they have insulin resistance. Both of these create irregular blood glucose levels as the glucose isn’t being processed correctly.

Type 2 diabetes is most common in people over 40 years of age but is increasingly becoming a problem in younger people. It is closely related to increasing obesity and sedatory life style in society. It is also more common in people with South Asian, African-Caribbean or Middle Eastern descent.

Common symptoms to look out for if you are in this at risk group or if you are worried about your health are:

• Excessive thirst
• Frequent urinating, especially at night
• Feeling very tired
• Loss of muscle mass
• Weight loss
• Itchiness around the genitals
• Regular bouts of thrush (a yeast infection)
• Blurred vision
• Cramps
• Constipation
• Skin infections

Not everyone will suffer these symptoms and they are usually not severe and easy to ignore, but if you do suffer them you must see your doctor to make sure you are tested and given the appropriate treatment.

Type 2 Diabetes is treated in many different ways however it cannot be cured, and catching it as early as possible is vital, as the earlier it’s caught the less damage it can do later in life. Treatment varies from adjusting your lifestyle, eating a healthier diet, controlling your weight, quitting smoking and taking regular exercise. However depending on the severity of the condition medical treatment may have to be taken. All treatment for Type 2 Diabetes is administered to keep blood glucose levels regular and help alleviate symptoms to avoid health problems in later life.

If you are worried about anything to do with diabetes see your local pharmacist or GP for more information and advice.

Finding a prescriber is usually quite simple as they are part of the Healthcare sector, usually, Doctors, Dentists, Independent Prescribing nurses, Optometrists, and Pharmacists.

Independent prescribers are responsible for assessing the patients’ needs and health, these prescribers make clinical decisions about this assessment and choose which medication is appropriate and necessary for your condition.

Supplementary prescribers work closely with Independent prescribers to continue their work with the patient by making a Clinical Management Plan agreed by both prescribers and the independent assessment.

At Jaysons Pharmacy we have in-house Independent Prescribers that offer a wide variety of medication. For pharmacists however they are not allowed to prescribe control medicines. Private Prescriptions available at Jaysons are:

Impotence: Viagra and Cialis

Anti-Malarial medication: Avloclor, Malarone, Doxycycline, Paludrine, Amoxicillin and Erythromycin.

Quitting Smoking: Champix

Urinary Tract Infections: Trimethoprim

Hairloss: Regaine lotion.

For more information about private prescriptions Jaysons Pharmacy visit www.jaysonspharmacy.com

With the cold weather comes the dreaded colds and flues. So it’s time to get prepared.

Colds and Influenza are viral infections that can be passed from person to person in a number of ways. In the flu season it is important to take precautions to reduce your chances of getting it and spreading it if you’ve got it. Precautions that you can take are:

• Coughing or sneezing into a tissue
• Throwing used tissues away as soon as possible – binning it.
• Washing your hands as soon as possible
• Having a flu jab once a year if you are an at risk patient.

When it comes to Cold and Flu it is important to familiarise yourself with the symptoms as to get the appropriate treatment.

The most common symptoms of a common cold are:

• Runny nose, either clear or green mucus
• Blocked nose
• Sore throat
• Sneezing
• A cough

Other symptoms such as headaches are quite common with a cold, but of the symptoms take 2-3 days to develop and you tend to gradually get better in a few days.

For Flu the symptoms vary from a common cold and the onset of them is a lot quicker. Look out for:

• Sudden fever
• Muscular aches and pains
• Sweating
• Exhaustions
• Dry or chesty cough
• Sneezing

Flu symptoms usually take a week or so to recover fully from, however other people take longer.

Because the symptoms of both colds and flu can be similar it is difficult sometimes to differentiate between the two. For either a cold or flu it is advised that you seek medical help if you have a chronic condition such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, as you may be eligible for a flu jab and you may need to be monitored.

There are many different treatments for cold and flu but most if not all only help alleviate the symptoms rather than dealing with the infection. This is because the infection is viral and the only way to get rid of it is for your body to produce antibodies that will eradicate the virus. Antibiotics will not help.

If you are ever worried about your health or would like a flu jab, speak to your GP or local pharmacist for advice.

This condition is more common in people over 60 but can affect younger people and it is also more common in women than men. Dry eyes can also be one of the symptoms of inflammatory condition in the body like Arthritis or Colitis.

There are many symptoms of Dry Eyes and you should see your GP if you suffer from any of the following:

• Dry or sore eyes
• Feeling like something is in them
• Blurred vision
• Burning
• Watering

For simple Dry Eyes, treatment usually involves either an eye drop or ointment. Common eye drops that are prescribed are:

• Hypromellose 0.3%
• Hypromellose 0.5%
• Tears Naturale
• Sno*tears

These aren’t all the drops available but they are commonly prescribed and available to buy over the counter. These drops are usually classed as artificial tears, which moisten the eyes and help ease the discomfort that comes with dry eyes.

Ointments are another popular treatment for Dry Eyes and are used to lubricate the eyes, again to ease the discomfort and pain of Dry Eyes. Look out for:

• Lacri-Lube
• Viscotears / Carbomer Gel
• Simple Eye Ointment

These are common eye ointments used to treat Dry Eyes and are easy to administer and offer almost instant relief.

These are examples of treatments of dry eyes but there are many preventative measures that can be taken and to be aware of especially in this modern era. Follow these tips and you should find you’ll be at a lower risk of suffering from Dry Eyes.

• Keep your eyes and eyelids clean and protect them from the environment, i.e. sunglasses and goggles.
• Use your computer or laptop correctly to avoid eye strain.
• Avoid dry air such as air conditioned environments, in front of fires etc. for prolonged periods of time. Try an air humidifier to moisten the air.
• Include flaxseed oil and omega-3 fats in your diet.

With these simple steps, controlling Dry Eyes can be made a lot simpler, but don’t forget for most, Dry Eyes is part of getting older, and comes naturally to most.

The most common pets that people keep are cats and dogs, and these domesticated animals become loved and essential parts of the family. We bathe them, feed them, take them walks, take them to the vets when they are unwell, and spend a fortune doing it.

When it comes to pet care the most common complaints for cats and dogs are fleas, ticks and worms.

Fleas and ticks are possibly the easiest problems to treat as long you take preventative measures to avoid infestation. There are many treatments on the market which can help to reduce the number of fleas in your home and on your pet, which are easy to administer and quite harmless to your pet.

‘Spot-On’ Treatments for Cats and Dogs

This is the most common way of treating your pet for fleas and ticks. This method of treating is done by clearing the hair on the nape of the neck with your fingers and squirting the liquid directly on to the skin of you pet. Not the most pleasant experience for your pet, but definitely the easiest and most effective. Make sure the treatment is administered where the animal cannot lick the solution off.

The active ingredient of most Spot-On treatments is Fipronil.

Fipronil can be found in products like Frontline, Ectoline and Bob Martin Flea Clear, and comes in individually packaged pipettes which can be easily opened and squirted on to your pets’ skin. The active ingredients usually keep working for around 5 weeks. This is because the Fipronil in the Spot-On treatments get into the sebaceous glands of the skin and spread across the animal’s body. Once the fleas and ticks get contaminated with the Fipronil they become confused, dazed and eventually die. A Flea infestation can be eradicated in 24 hours and a Tick infestation takes 48 hours to clear.

When it comes to worms the treatment options are extensive. Again spot on treatments are available, but you can also use tablets, and granules. It is advisable that you find a treatment that you can administer safely and what you and your pets find most comfortable, for example some cats will swallow a tablet when it is in their food where as others need to be force fed it.

No one treatment treats all species of worms but it is important to keep your pets, in the main, well treated against the most common worms. The most common worms for domesticate animals that go outside are Roundworms and Tapeworms, and these are the worms that most over the counter treatments eradicate and protect against.

Common treatments usually contain ingredients such as: Praziquante, pyrantel embonate, nitroscanate and fenbendazole. Other ingredients may be available and different forms will have different strengths depending on the size of your pet.

Don’t forget that as well as ridding your pets of parasites, just like humans, animals need a healthy diet and exercise to keep fit. Take your dogs for regular walk and play with them to get them moving and limbering up their joints. Play with your cats, get them low on the ground and hunting and attacking their toys, if they are indoor cats try to do this regularly to make sure they get enough exercise.

Diet is essential for a healthy animal, try to stick to the recommended allowance on the packaging of the food. Remember, cats may not eat as regularly as you’d like and may not eat the recommended amounts; dogs on the other hand can be compulsive eaters and will eat until they’re sick. Try to keep an eye on this, and keep the feeding regular. Also try not to forget your pets’ teeth and try to incorporate treats and dry food which will help keep your animal’s oral hygiene up to scratch.

Also try to make regular/annual visits to your vet for a check up and all the necessary jabs and medicines they may need. If you are worried about your pets health get in touch with you vet and make an appointment.

There are many symptoms that you have to look out for in children that suffer from asthma, but not all children suffer the same symptoms. The most common symptoms are:

• Wheezing (or a whistling sound when your child breathes)
• Breathlessness
• Excessive coughing, more so at night time
• Feeling of tightness in the chest

Recognising your child’s symptoms is a big help when it comes to controlling your child’s asthma, if you notice that the symptoms worsen during the night or whilst exercising, the asthma may not be well controlled and a visit to the GP would be advised.

Asthma Attacks

If you notice any of the following symptoms your child may be having a serious asthma attack and an ambulance should be called if the symptoms are severe.

• The reliever inhaler is having no effect.
• Normal asthma symptoms (wheezing, breathlessness, coughing, tight chest) become more severe and constant.
• Breathing becomes very fast and shallow, cannot catch breath enough to say a full sentence in one breath.
• A racing pulse.
• Feeling agitated or restless.
• Lips or fingernails looking blue.

Triggers and Causes

Children most likely to suffer from asthma are those that:

• Have a family history of asthma or other allergic conditions
• Children with food allergies, hay fever and eczema
• Children that suffer from acute bronchiolitis (common condition in babies)
• Premature babies
• Children exposed to tobacco smoke

The most common triggers of asthma are:

• Upper respiratory tract infections
• Exercise
• Allergens
• Airborne Irritants
• Tobacco Smoke
• Weather conditions e.g. wind, heat, humidity and cold etc.
• Indoor conditions e.g. damp, mould and chemicals
• Emotional factors like stress and laughter
• Foods containing sulphites
• Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

As there are many different triggers of asthma, understanding what triggers asthma in your children is imperative to controlling it. However every child is different and so are their triggers.

To control the likelihood of asthma attacks and suffering of asthma try to prevent your child from being exposed to these triggers, or teach your child what to do when they feel the onset of asthma coming on.

One of the most important things that will help your child control their asthma is to not smoke cigarettes around them and to not expose them to second hand smoke.

Inhalers

Inhalers fall into 2 categories:

Relievers:

These inhalers are used to relieve asthma symptoms when they develop and become apparent by your child. They need to administered when the child starts wheezing or becomes breathless. They help to open the airways in the child’s chest as it relaxes the muscles. The two main reliever drugs are Salbutamol and Terbutaline, and these drugs are Bronchodilators, because they widen the airways.

If you need to use a reliever more than 3 times a week then a Preventer would be advised.

Preventer inhalers:

These are used everyday to prevent symptoms from developing. These inhalers contain steroids that reduce inflammation in the airways. These inhalers take 7-14 days to start working, and do not give instant gratification like the Relievers do. But once they do work and inflammation is controlled, symptoms such as wheezing and breathlessness should become less common and therefore less need to rely on the reliever inhalers.

What can your GP and Asthma Nurses do?

When you initially visit your GP or asthma nurse you should be offered professional advice.

They should offer you lifestyle advice that will help to control your child’s asthma.

Offer you vaccinations to reduce respiratory infections e.g. Flu Jab.

Offer you a written asthma care plan.

Remember if you are ever worried about your child’s asthma and health always get into contact with an asthma nurse or your GP.

There are both natural and artificial cures for this disease. Nevertheless, seeing the fact that natural cures have lesser or zero side effects as compared to the artificial ones, its better to go through some natural remedies for cold sores.

Lysine’s one of the most successful remedies of cold sores. Because of the fact that it is an amino acid, it produces proteins that are necessary to produce various essential products like enzymes, antibodies, and hormones that are all vital in combating different kinds of infections caused by viruses. In this way, lysine that is found in food items such as red meat and egg helps in curing cold sores.

On the other hand it has been discovered that the lemon has certain antiviral properties that heal the cold sores in only a matter of five to six days. Not only does it cure the blisters, but also prevents the cold sores from occurring again. It does sting a little, but facing a little stinging is better than the horrid cold sores getting us down.

Another natural remedy is a type of mushroom known as Reishi (Ganoderms Lucidum) which stops the Herpes Simplex virus from spreading within the human body and as a result prevents the acute type of cold sores. One important point that needs to be taken into consideration when using Reishi is that it can delay clotting of blood which can be a severe issue, therefore proper consultation with the doctor is required before it is used.

Peppermint oil is also one of the natural remedies for cold sores as it acts against the Herpes Simplex virus because of its virucidal effect if applied on the body. It also acts against a certain strain of the Herpes Simplex known as the acyclovir-resistant, therefore prevents it from causing further damage to the human body. It should be kept in mind that peppermint oil can be toxic for the human body in some cases and should not be used until it is diluted to safe levels.

The natural remedies have always been more beneficial to the human body in terms of their impact and also the fact that they have little side effects as compared to the artificial cures that are prepared using various types of chemicals and materials that can be harmful for health in one way or the other.

These natural remedies for cold sores can help you a great deal in the prevention and cure of this disease without suffering from adverse side effects