U-MED Clinic

19/03/2020

18/03/2020

In keeping with established protocols in light of the Novel Corona Virus pandemic, U-MED CLINIC wishes to inform, THAT EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, your care will be managed as follows;
• Firstly, patients are required to call 730 3636 for consultation with the doctor, who will then determine whether an appointment is required. If so, a scheduled date and time will be given.
• Secondly, patients will be seen by appointments only. No walkins will be allowed.
• We urge you to keep within the scheduled appointment time given, in keeping with these new established protocols.
• Thirdly, all other medical care to include advice, prescription refill, routine follow up etc. and if required, redirection to the appropriate medical facility will be provided via phone consultation or other platforms (Whatsapp, google hangouts, skype etc.).
• Fourthly, the appropriate mechanisms have been put in place with the respective medical support agencies (Labs, X-ray departments, Pharmacies etc) to ensure the highest quality of care with minimal social contact.
• These new procedures are designed to safeguard the well-being of the patients, staff and community at large.

THIS WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

05/06/2019

Patient education: Lupus (The Basics)
Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate
What is Lupus? When it is working normally, the body’s immune system kills germs and "bad" cells that could turn into cancer. Sometimes, instead of killing only bad cells, something goes wrong and the immune system starts to attack healthy cells. That is called an autoimmune response. It is what happens in lupus. In other words, if you have lupus, your body is attacking itself.
What are the symptoms of Lupus? People with Lupus can:
●Feel tired or weak
●Lose or gain weight
●Get fevers
●Get headaches
●Get a rash on their nose and cheeks shaped like a butterfly, especially if they spend time in the sun
●Lose some hair
●Get chest pain
●Have trouble breathing
●Bruise easily
●Have joint pain and stiffness
●Have swelling in the hands, feet, belly, or around the eyes
●Have urine that looks brown (tea-coloured) or foamy
●Get sores in the mouth
●Get cold fingers or toes that turn pale or blue
Lupus can also make it hard to think clearly, and it can make people feel anxious and sad. That is partly because the disease attacks the brain, and partly because the disease is hard to deal with.
Can I do anything on my own to feel better? Yes. It can help to eat a healthy diet, full of fruits and vegetables. It's also important to stay active, even if you do not feel well. If you rest too much, your muscles will get weak and you might feel even worse later. Also, any time a doctor or nurse gives you medicine, make sure he or she knows you have lupus. Some medicines make lupus worse. It is important that you not take them.
How will Lupus affect my life? You will have lupus for the rest of your life. It might be severe, or it might be mild. Either way, doctors and nurses today know a lot about how to handle the disease. You are likely to live a long time. And you might even find that your symptoms go away for long periods.

10/05/2019

Patient education: Endometriosis (The Basics)
Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate
What is Endometriosis? It is a condition that affects women. It can cause pain in the lower part of the belly and trouble getting pregnant.
In endometriosis, cells that are similar to the inner lining of the uterus grow outside of the uterus. It is not known exactly how or why this happens. This tissue, which does not belong outside the uterus, can then break down, bleed, and cause symptoms.
What are the symptoms of Endometriosis? Some women with endometriosis have no symptoms. But most have pain in the lower part of the belly that can occur:
●Before or during monthly periods
●Between monthly periods
●During or after s*x
●When urinating or having a bowel movement (often during monthly periods)
Other symptoms of endometriosis can include:
●Trouble getting pregnant
●Growths on the ovaries that a doctor can feel during an exam
All of these symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not endometriosis. But if you have any of these symptoms, tell your doctor or nurse.
Is there a test for Endometriosis? The only way to know for sure if you have endometriosis is for a doctor to do surgery and look for endometriosis tissue outside the uterus.
How is Endometriosis treated? It can be treated in different ways. The right treatment for you will depend on your symptoms and on whether you want to be able to get pregnant in the future.
Doctors can use medicines to treat endometriosis. These include:
●Pain medicines – There are medicines that can treat the pain caused by endometriosis. But these medicines do not make the endometriosis go away.
●Birth control medicines – Certain birth control medicines can help reduce pain symptoms. This treatment is not appropriate for women who are trying to get pregnant.
●Medicines that stop monthly periods – These medicines stop the body from producing certain hormones. They can be helpful for women who do not improve with birth control medicines. For women who need to take them for longer than 6 months, doctors add treatment with other hormones.
Some women choose to have surgery to treat endometriosis. Different types of surgery can include:
●Laparoscopy – In this type of surgery, a doctor will make a small cut in the belly and put a tube with a camera inside the body. Then he or she can see and remove endometriosis tissue.
●Hysterectomy – If no other treatments work, doctors might suggest a hysterectomy. This is surgery to remove a woman's uterus. Sometimes, the doctor will also remove the ovaries and tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus (fallopian tubes). A woman cannot get pregnant after her uterus is removed.
What if I am having trouble getting pregnant? If so, talk with your doctor or nurse. There are different medicines and treatments that can help a woman get pregnant.

18/04/2019

Patient education: Meningitis in children (The Basics)
WHAT IS MENINGITIS? Meningitis is a condition that can cause fever, headache, and a
stiff neck. Meningitis happens when the tissues that surround the brain and spinal cord (called the "meninges") get infected. This can occur after a child has an infection in another part of the body. The germs can travel through the blood to the tissues that surround the brain and spinal cord. There are 2 main types of meningitis, depending on which germs are causing the infection. "Bacterial meningitis" is caused by bacteria. "Viral meningitis" is caused by viruses. It is important that doctors figure out if a child has bacterial or viral meningitis. This is because bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency. If bacterial meningitis is not treated quickly, it can lead to brain problems such as deafness or learning problems. Bacterial meningitis can even lead to death. Viral meningitis is usually less serious, and does not usually lead to long-term brain problems or death.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MENINGITIS?
●Fever
●Headache
●Stiff neck
●Nausea or vomiting
●Acting confused, or being hard to wake up
●Having light bother a person's eyes
New-born babies can also have other symptoms that include:
●Not feeding well
●Diarrhoea
●A bulging soft spot on the skull
●Being sleepier or acting more upset than usual
IS THERE A TEST FOR MENINGITIS? Yes.
●Blood tests
●"Lumbar puncture," also known as a spinal tap
●CT scan, or other imaging tests
HOW IS MENINGITIS TREATED?
Bacterial meningitis is treated in the hospital with:
●Antibiotic medicines that go into a child's vein
●Other treatments, such as medicines to keep the blood pressure normal
Treatment for viral meningitis includes:
●Rest
●Drinking fluids
●Medicine to reduce the fever and headache
CAN IT BE SPREAD FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER? Yes.
CAN MENINGITIS BE PREVENTED?
●Make sure that your child gets the recommended vaccines
●Avoid spreading germs

10/04/2019

Patient education: Fibromyalgia (The Basics)
WHAT IS FIBROMYALGIA? Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes people to
feel pain in the muscles all over their body. People with fibromyalgia also have "tender points," places on their body that hurt when they are touched. No one knows what causes fibromyalgia.
CAN FIBROMYALGIA BE CURED? Some people seem to get over fibromyalgia. But in most people, it cannot be cured. Even so, people can learn to deal with the condition and lead fairly normal lives.
DOES FIBROMYALGIA CAUSE SYMPTOMS BESIDES MUSCLE PAIN? Yes, people with fibromyalgia often say they feel tired all the time and that sleep does not help them feel rested. They can also have:
●Trouble thinking clearly
●Flu-like symptoms
●Headaches
●Depression and anxiety
●Stomach pain
●Too many or too few bowel movements (diarrhoea or constipation)
●Pain in the bladder or the need to urinate in a hurry or often
●Problems with the jaw
HOW IS FIBROMYALGIA TREATED. There are medicines and strategies to help with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. But there is no one treatment that works for everyone. You and your health care team will need to work together to find the right mix of treatments for you. In general, treatment can include:
●Medicines to relieve pain, improve sleep, or improve mood
●Physical therapy to learn exercises and stretches
●Relaxation therapy
●Working with a counsellor
WHAT CAN I DO ON MY OWN? It is really important that you stay active. Walking, swimming, or biking can all help ease muscle pain. If you have not been active, it might hurt a little more when you start. But being active can help improve your symptoms.

19/03/2019

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11/02/2019

Patient education: Tetralogy of Fallot (The Basics)
Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate
What is tetralogy of Fallot? Tetralogy of Fallot (also called “TOF”) is a serious heart condition made up of 4 related heart problems:
●There is a hole between the 2 lower chambers (the "ventricles")
●The main blood vessel that brings blood to the body (the "aorta") lies over the hole between the ventricles
●The main blood vessel that goes to the lungs (the "pulmonary artery") is narrowed
●The muscle of the lower right ventricle is thickened
These problems cause babies with TOF to have less oxygen in their blood than is normal. This can make the skin, lips, fingernails, and toenails look blue. Sometimes – for example, when the baby is upset or crying – the baby might turn very blue and even go limp or unconscious. This is called a "Tet spell."
Most people who have TOF have a heart murmur. This is an extra sound doctors and nurses can hear when they listen to the heart with a stethoscope.
A person who has TOF is born with it. Most babies born with TOF only have that condition. But some people with TOF have other heart problems or health conditions.
How do doctors usually find TOF?
●Before the baby is born, with a test called an "ultrasound" – This test uses sound waves to create pictures of the fetus. Doctors and nurses do this test to see if the baby is healthy and growing normally. It can show TOF and other problems.
●Just after the baby is born, if:
•The baby's skin, lips, fingernails, or toenails look blue
•A routine test called "pulse oximetry" shows the baby does not have enough oxygen in his or her blood – This test measures oxygen in the blood with a small device that goes on a finger.
●When the baby or child is older, if:
•The baby's skin looks blue
•The baby has "tet spells"
•The baby has a heart murmur
Will my child need tests? Yes. If the doctor or nurse thinks your baby or child has TOF, he or she will order tests. These include:
●An echocardiogram
●An electrocardiogram (ECG)
●A chest X-ray – A chest X-ray can show changes in the shape of the heart from TOF.
How is TOF treated? Almost all children with TOF need surgery to fix the heart problems. Doctors usually do surgery before a baby is 1 year old. Even if your child does not have symptoms, he or she needs surgery. This is because TOF can cause problems if the heart is not fixed. Doctors do not find TOF in some people until they are adults. Adults who have TOF also need surgery.
What will my child’s life be like? Many children who have surgery for TOF can live normal lives. But they still have a risk of heart problems and other health problems later. For example, some children who had surgery for TOF can have problems learning or growing normally. They need regular check-ups and tests to make sure the heart is working correctly and to help with any other problems.

04/02/2019

Patient education: Endometrial cancer diagnosis and staging (Beyond the Basics)
INTRODUCTION — Endometrial cancer is a type of uterine cancer that involves the lining of the uterus (the endometrium). Endometrial cancer can occur in a woman of any age, although it is much more common after menopause.
THE UTERUS — To understand how endometrial cancer develops, it is helpful to understand the structure of the uterus. The uterus is a pear-shaped organ located between the bladder and the re**um. The cervix connects the uterus to the va**na. The inside of the uterus has two layers. The thin inner layer is called the endometrium. The thick outer layer is composed of muscle and is called the myometrium.
In women who menstruate, the endometrium thickens every month in preparation for pregnancy. If the woman does not become pregnant, the endometrial lining is shed during the menstrual period. After menopause, when menstrual periods stop, the endometrial lining normally stops growing and shedding. In women who have endometrial cancer, the uterine lining develops abnormal cells.
ENDOMETRIAL CANCER SYMPTOMS — The most common sign of endometrial cancer is abnormal va**nal bleeding.
ENDOMETRIAL CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND STAGING — Your doctor or nurse might recommend testing for endometrial cancer if you have abnormal bleeding. These tests take a sample of tissue from the lining of the uterus, called the endometrium. A doctor will examine the tissue with a microscope to see if there are signs of cancer.
Tumour staging — Once endometrial cancer is diagnosed; the next step is to determine its stage. Staging is a system used to describe the spread of a cancer. Endometrial cancer's stage is based on:
●How deeply the cancer has invaded the muscle wall of the uterus
●Whether there are signs that the cancer has spread to other organs on a physical exam, MRI of the abdomen and pelvis, chest X-ray, or other imaging tests
Endometrial cancer stages range from stage I (cancer has not invaded beyond the lining of the uterus) to stage IV (the cancer has spread to distant organs, such as the liver). In general, lower stage cancers are less aggressive and require less treatment than do higher stage cancers.
FACTORS THAT GUIDE TREATMENT OF ENDOMETRIAL CANCER — The treatment of endometrial cancer depends on how likely it is that the cancer will come back after treatment. This risk is based on:
●The stage of the cancer, which is based on what is found during surgery.
●How aggressive the tumour appears (called the tumour grade) when the tissue is examined under a microscope. High-grade tumours are usually faster growing and more likely to spread than low-grade tumours.
●What type of cells make up the tumour (called cell histology). Some cell types have a higher risk of coming back after treatment.
Depending on these characteristics, the cancer is said to have a low, intermediate, or high risk of coming back after surgery. These designations are used to decide which treatments, if any, are needed after surgery to decrease the risk of the cancer coming back.