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Personal Physician and Home Visiting doctor. Private GP, in the Hertfordshire and Greater London areas, providing personalised health care and bespoke medical services to discerning clients.

medicine

politics

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Dr Suhail Hussain

in just over 2 weeks (22/3/23) the Holy month of Ramadan will begin where billions of Muslims the world over will fast from sunrise to sunset. This is primarily an act of religious devotion in accordance with Islamic law. It allows one to gain proximity to the creator, be more spiritual, engage in charity and fulfil one of the core tenets of our faith. However, it also has several health benefits which are less talked about. • weight loss and combating obesity • Control of hypertension (in a majority of cases) • Lowered serum cholesterol and triglycerides (reduces risk of heart attack and stroke • Fewer acute coronary events • Acute angina • Acute MI (heart attack) • Amelioration of various gastro-intestinal conditions • Irritable bowel syndrome • General dietary dysfunction (eg indigestion) • Better control of blood glucose (particularly in non-insulin diabetics (T2DM) • Decreased psychiatric morbidity • Fewer episodes of depression • Fewer emotional disorders • Increased family and social contact • Giving up of addictions - primarily smoking Precautions/Complications: • Careful monitoring of diabetic control required, particularly insulin dependent diabetics and if there is any concern they may become more ill they should NOT fast • Medication - dose and timing need careful monitoring • Risk of ketoacidosis (diabetic coma) • Medication to be taken under supervision • Sensible and balanced diet advisable&nbsp; • No gorging • More complex carbohydrates eg fibre. vegetables •&nbsp; Impaired cognitive function&nbsp; • Shift/night work advised • Take a vacation •&nbsp; Gastritis and peptic ulcer disease • Avoid very spicy foods • Consult your doctor • Medication - antacids etcmay be problems with constipation due to decreased fluid intake during the fastAt the end of the day, if you're Muslim and have any health issues talk to your GP about any special measures you may need to take dueing Ramadan &nbsp;<blockquote>Remember the health benefits of religious practices</blockquote>

medical benefits of ramadan

Why am I supporting the junior doctors’ strike? It may seem odd that an experienced private GP is supporting the junior doctors’ strike?! However, the very reasons that led me to leave the NHS and embark upon a career in private medicine are those that junior doctors are complaining about. Firstly, I’d like to dispel a myth that junior doctors are fresh behind the ears, newly scrubbed, inexperienced practitioners.&nbsp; Any doctor below the grade of consultant (or GP) is classed as a “junior” doctor. This could and does include doctors with well over 10-15 years post graduate experience. They are constrained by a system of bureaucracy and artificially concstructed bottle necks to remmain in training grades for many years, waiting for an elusive consultant role to become available. We complain of a shortage of doctors yet impose these arbitrary limits on a phalanx of highly qualified individuals preventing them from progressing to their final destination. In the course of this arduous and tortuous journey they are forced to embark upon and take highly expensive post graduate exams, undertake meaningless ‘higher’ degrees eg PhD and carry out (often useless) research simply to be considered for consultant post. Add to this the need to travel between hospital trusts – frequently at different ends of the country – uprooting all family ties and social connections.&nbsp; Pulling their children from schools, disrupting their spouse's career, finding a new house blah blah blah. And whilst they are doing all this they are paid a pittance! When they finally attain the goal of becoming consultant (aged anywhere between mid-30s to mid 40s) they still do not see a massive increase in pay or conditions. General practice is not much better.&nbsp; Whilst the training route is shorter the workload and pressures are often untenable. Angry ‘mobs’ of patients, disgruntled staff and interminable working hours. I have spoken to many GP colleagues who have either retired early, changed their working pattern (part time/locum etc) or left the NHS to work privately.&nbsp; This doesn’t even touch on the massive recruitment problem of new graduates not even entering general practice. So until and unless there is a drastic change in the status quo things are only going to get worse. &nbsp;<blockquote>Why we must fix doctors' pay and conditions for the benefit of all</blockquote>

Why is a private GP supporting the jnr Drs strike?

80 yr. old man with early onset dementia has cancerous skin lesion removed. You may have heard the news a few days ago that Joe Biden had a lesion removed from his chest wall. The lesion in question was a BCC (basal cell carcinoma). What is this, what does it mean and what other skin lesions should one be aware of? There are 3 common skin cancers that occur in individuals&nbsp; • Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) • Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) • Melanoma BCC commonly occurs on sun exposed areas of the body – nose/ear/cheek. It appears as a pearly/waxy lump, often flat and skin coloured. It may have a central crater. It is generally benign and does not spread anywhere.&nbsp; If found it will be removed and sent for analysis. There is normally no need for any other treatment. SCC also occurs on sun exposed areas. It can present as a firm red nodule, or a flat lesion with crusty surface. Often like rough thickened wart like lesions that can bleed easily. As for BCC they are generally locally confined and do not often spread to other regions/organs of the body. However, they are more locally aggressive and can grow on the area they are found causing damage to that area. If left then may extend to deeper layers of the skin, eventually spreading elsewhere.&nbsp; As for BCCs they can be removed locally, along with a margin of healthy tissue and no further treatment is necessary. Malignant melanoma is the one most people will be familiar with and worried about, rightly so. Melanomas can occur anywhere on the body but common places include on the back in men and on the legs in women. They present as a new/changed mole. They are irregularly shaped and not of uniform colour across the lesion – generally very dark brown or black. They tend to be larger than other moles or can grow rapidly. Itching and bleeding are also common features. They can be of several types – superficial spreading/nodular/lentigo maligna/acral and also amelanotic (i.e. not dark coloured). They can rapidly metastasise (spread to other parts of the body) hence any suspicious new mole requires urgent referral to a dermatologist who has an interest in skin cancers.&nbsp; Risk factors for melanoma include: • Having many moles or freckles • Pale skinned individuals or those with blond/red hair • Family history of melanoma&nbsp; The best cure is prevention. Covering up in the sun, high SPF sun cream, avoiding sun beds and tanning salons and regular self skin assessment.&nbsp; How to check your skin for abnormal lesions: Carry out regular (self) skin survey – in front of the mirror, for hard to see places eg back ask your partner to check. Take photos of moles when they are found so objective appearance can be documented, making it easier for any potential changes to be noted. If there is any uncertainty seek the advice of your GP or see a dermatologist. Use the ABCDE mnemonic to help you identify any cause for concern. A – asymmetrical appearance B – border irregular C – colour – darker or irregular colour&nbsp; D – diameter – increase in size (&gt;6mm) E – evolving – change in size/shape/colour Itching and bleeding are also (minor) characteristics to look out for. Follow this tips and advice and hopefully you should be ok. &nbsp;<blockquote>Skin cancer is common but if found early is easily treatable. Know what to look out for!</blockquote>

DECTECTING ABNORMAL SKIN LESIONS

In the last week or so we have seen a plethora of stories about Gp A Strep throat infection/scarlet fever and there has been (understandably) a hype around this. Let’s try to get some context Group A streptococcus is a common bacterium that live on our bodies – particularly throat and skin. Most of the time it is there and doesn’t cause any problems. However, sometimes it manifests in an active infection – this can range from things such as tonsilitis, cellulitis and scarlet fever. In the vast majority of cases these are very mild and easily treatable. However, sometimes more serious infections can occur due to invasive group A strep which can result in pneumonia (severe lung infection), empyema (build-up of pus in the pleural space – around the lungs), osteomyelitis (severe bone infection) and sepsis. The presentation of these infections has not changed, it is merely that we are seeing a greater prevalence of them currently. Scarlet fever -Things to look out for: • Fever • Sandpaper rash – feels rough to touch • Strawberry tongue • Pus on tonsils • Enlarge lymph glands • General fatigue, headache, nausea • It is important for you to seek medical advice if any of these symptoms are present OR if your child just “does not seem right” • Parents’’ intuition is a marvellous thing. When you see your doctor they will take a throat swab and send it off to the lab for analysis. If there is any suspicion that it may be group A strep they should start antibiotics immediately (normally penicillin based) and not wait for the swab result to come back. If your child is listless/hard to rouse (floppy if baby), having difficulty breathing, skin tongue or lips look blue call 999 or attend AE immediately.&nbsp; Like all respiratory disease this is spread via droplet – coughing, sneezing etc. I have seen a number of children with such symptoms and through early swabbing and antibiotic use been able to prevent any adverse consequences. https://drsuhailhussain.com/ &nbsp;<blockquote>Gp. A strep is very common and easily manageable. Make sure you seek advice before it gets worse</blockquote>

What's the score with Gp. A. Strep

Media coverage of Dr Suhail Hussain

Dr Suhail Hussain

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Media Coverage

Mental health referrals up 33% in 2023: “Mental health is too important to be left unregulated.”

Ozempic shortages leave clinics with ‘infinite waiting lists’ for weight loss jabs

‘I was NHS GP and went private for same reasons doctors strike today’

Everything you need to know about preventing blood clots on a long-haul flight

How to reduce your chances of getting DVT on a long flight

A Dating Guide for Living With Genital Herpes

Wellness during Spring - Design the Lifestyle YOU Desire

Bacterial vaginosis symptoms go unnoticed in most women: 3 obvious flags you have it

Thirteen ways to stay motivated while working from home

What IS Long Covid? What Are The Symptoms And When Will I Recover?

How to reduce your chances of getting DVT on a long flight

The golden health rules GPs live by, including why you should ditch your weekend lie-ins

Experts’ Advice To Help Beat The January Blues - My Weekly

Beating the January Blues — Helpful advice from clinical psychologists, GPs, wellness providers to beat those blues!

Beat those ‘Januworry’ blues with some positive thinking

Charities describe record alcohol deaths in 2021 as 'absolutely devastating'

NHS at 'breaking point'