Asthma – affecting millions around the globe

Today is World Asthma Day. Asthma is a very common respiratory condition, with 300 million people affected globally.  And the numbers of asthma sufferers is increasing each year.

At Fleet Street Clinic we deal with asthma-related complaints on a regular basis and stock medication for dealing with symptoms.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is caused by inflammation in the airways, which narrow and can become blocked with mucus, leading to breathing difficulties.

Some may grow out of asthma, whilst others will have to manage the condition for life.

Asthma sufferers may notice wheezing, coughing, breathlessness and a tight chest. Severe symptoms may leave sufferers struggling to breathe which results in an asthma attack.

Treatment can be provided with inhalers and various steps can be taken to deal with asthma triggers to lessen symptoms.

Managing Your Asthma

Managing your asthma is very important to maintaining your health. Keep a diary of asthma flare-ups to see if you notice any particular triggers and visit your doctor regularly for check-ups. If your symptoms worsen, make sure to seek medical help without delay.

Travel and Asthma

If you are travelling, make sure to check you have the medication necessary for your trip. Remember hayfever seasons can vary around the world. Fleet Street Clinic stock necessary medication to cover any last-minute requirements.

If you think you may have asthma, book a GP appointment today.

The Fleet Street Clinic is committed to keeping journalists safe and well in high risk environments abroad.

The aim of this seminar is to provide a briefing for newsgatherers on the current crisis in West Africa, plus a hands-on training in biohazard protection.

Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, London W2 1QJ
Thursday 2nd October 2014
9:30 – 14:30

The current outbreak of Ebola virus disease is unprecedented in scale and severity. The affected countries of West Africa do not have the resources or the public health infrastructure necessary to bring the outbreak under control, and massive external intervention will be needed.  How long might it continue? How will it be covered as a news story? Will the need for news put newsgatherers at risk, and if so, how can risks be minimised? How should Ebola be reported upon? What impact is news reporting having upon the regional economy, and the global response?

These are some of the questions we hope to address in a special seminar aimed at print and broadcast media: bureaux chiefs, health & safety managers, and frontline news crew themselves, with a briefing from an internationally renowned expert in the field, and a practical, hands-on training session conducted by an expert in biohazard protection.

The event is free to attend, but places are limited, so please let us know if you would like to attend.

Programme

Speakers:

Professor David Heymann, CBE

David is Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; head of the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House, London; and chairman of Public Health England, UK. He has frontline experience of working with Ebola in Africa, having personally investigated some of the original outbreaks in central Africa going back to 1976. He is actively involved in the current international response.

Ian Samson

Ian is the EMEA Regional Training Specialist for DuPont Personal Protection. DuPont is currently supplying personal protective equipment to the WHO, MSF and other public health and aid agencies, including tens of thousands of coveralls. Ian’s expertise in this field is well known, and he has previously trained news media personnel during other public health emergencies, such as during news coverage of avian flu in Asia, in 2005/6.

Dr Richard Dawood

Richard is the medical director of the Fleet Street Clinic, a specialist in Travel Medicine, and a consultant to several news media organisations.

Personal Protective equipment will be available for delegate training, supplied by courtesy of DuPont and CES Ltd.

Recent media reports have raised awareness of the effects of Meningitis B and the importance of the meningitis vaccine (if your child is aged under 12 months, the vaccine still readily available via your NHS doctor). Less well-known is the fact that there are different strains of Meningitis, with different vaccines protecting against them. Some of the recent cases reported in the media have actually been caused by Meningitis W or Meningitis C rather than the B strain, and it is important to know that vaccine protection is still widely available against those strains.

Strains and Meningitis Vaccines:

• Meningitis B: the protective single-strain meningitis B vaccine is Bexsero
• Meningitis A C W Y: the 4-strain vaccines Menveo and Nimenrix offer protection.

Meningococcal Meningitis and its Symptoms

Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can affect people of any age, but those most commonly affected are children under 5, and  teenagers and young adults heading off to university.

Initial symptoms may be similar to flu, progressing to:

• A high temperature/fever, with cold hands and feet
• Vomiting
• Refusal to eat
• Drowsiness
• Floppy and unresponsive
• Rapid breathing
• Neck stiffness
• Bright light sensitivity
• Pale, blotchy skin, and a red rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it
• Convulsions or seizures

Further information: https://www.meningitisnow.org/meningitis-explained/

The specialists at the Fleet Street Clinic recommend getting your children vaccinated not just against Meningitis B, but against Meningitis A,C,W & Y strains as well (the vaccine is currently available and in stock).

Meningitis B Vaccines Availability

We currently do have a limited supply of Meningitis B vaccine, available on a first come, first served basis. You can book a Meningitis B vaccination appointment online.