Blackheath Medical Centre

read moreMany people enjoy a drink. Alcohol however is not without significant health & social risks. Even in our small practice we have seen deaths directly due to alcohol and see a lot of disease related to alcohol such as liver disease, stomach problems and high blood pressure. Alcohol also causes social problems such as marital problems, problems with the law and employment issues.

read moreWhile we believe these links may be useful to you, we cannot be responsible for any advice offered on any of these sites. The web carries a lot of useful and accurate information but it also carries a lot of rubbish. There is no official 'kite marking' for web sites but perhaps the best known code of practice comes from the Health On the Net Foundation. While you should always apply your judgment when browsing the web, seeing the "HONCODE" symbol (see right) suggests that the site should be more reliable than most.

read moreTo make your consultation more informative for the doctor and more producive for you, we ask you to complete a questionnaire on eConsult. There are questionnaires for anxiety, depression, low mood, and panic attacks. Each tool will ask your about other symptoms. Fill in as many questionnaires as are appropriate for you - many people with mental health issues have more than one symptom. The commonest mental health issue is the dual problem of anxiety & depression. Select "I want treatment and advice from my GP" to start the online process which will ask apropriate questions.

read moreDiabetes is a key topic for us at Blackheath. As a disease it is becoming more common and there are now over twice as many diabetics than there were 10-15 years ago. As a practice we aim to diagnose diabetes as early as possible and to ensure that our patients with diabetes receive the best possible care and advice. Diabetes is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing heart disease (heart attacks & angina), stroke, blocked leg arteries (leading to a risk of amputation), severe eye problems including blindness and serious kidney problems.

read moreYou can use this little program to work out your expected date of confinement (EDC) - an estimate of when you are going to have your baby. To use the calculator, enter the date of the first day of your last period (LMP). If you have to estimate your LMP date, then it makes the EDC calculation even more of an estimate. If your pregnancy is not yet confirmed then your local pharmacist can advise you regarding appropriate pregnancy testing kits. Once your pregnancy is confirmed you should consult your doctor who will arrange your ante-natal care.

read moreThis calculator estimates your risk of developing coronary heart disease during the next 10 years. As well as estimating your current risk, you can also use it to play "what if". What would your risk be if you stop smoking? Maybe you have a family history of diabetes - what would happen to your risk if you develop it? Could it be time to start that exercise program & lose some weight? Think about the future! If you are a male smoker in your 30's you may well have a low risk of heart disease so put the age up to 55 or 60 (the age at which heart disease is more common) and see what happens to your risk.