Can you take pain relief before seeing a Doctor? Yes you can!
Often when an urgent visit to a doctor is needed, the problem or condition can be very uncomfortable. This could include an injury to yourself or your child; or an illness during which you experience a sore throat or headache, or a high fever, making you feel absolutely miserable.
It is understandable that you hesitate to “mask” the symptoms, and strong medications can indeed risk this; BUT it is always safe, acceptable and desirable to take the recommended dose of Paracetamol before you come to see us.
Just remember to tell our triage nurse what dose you have already taken; or given to your child and the time it was taken. If possible, keep a note of the temperature you recorded before the medicine was given and give our nurse this information.
Serious conditions will still be reliably diagnosed and the whole experience of being assessed, waiting to see the doctor and then moving about during a thorough examination, will be much less painful and stressful e.g. a sprained ankle or thumb needs to be pulled in various ways to assess the damaged ligament to find out if the joint is still stable; a small feverish child needs their ears checked and will be frightened if the ear is very painful.
Even if the problem turns out to serious and you are told you should be “nil by mouth”; because you may need surgery, taking Paracetamol will not delay your treatment.
Please stick to the recommended dose and do not take it more frequently than every 4 hours.
Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
Auckland Harbour Bridge summer works
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is carrying out essential maintenance on the Auckland Harbour Bridge this December and January. The southbound clip-on lanes will be closed (24/7) from 26 December to 5 January for road resurfacing. Night-time lane restrictions will be in place throughout the summer for recoating work on the bridge. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions at all times.
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