What is Self-Care?
What is Self-Care?
Self-Care is about making improvements in your life to protect your physical health and mental wellbeing.
Some examples can be to make time for exercise, eating well, reducing, or stopping bad habits such as smoking and ensuring you get enough rest and sleep.
During winter, self-care can mean getting the free flu jab and COVID-19 booster if you live with a long-term condition such as diabetes or COPD or are aged 65 years and older.
If you're concerned about smoking or weight issues, your local community pharmacy may have programmes to help you with this. They can also provide advice on common winter ailments such as coughs, sore throats and colds, which can be treated with over-the counter medicines.
NHS Choices provides a wide range of useful information
Health A-Z
Provides a complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help. Click here
Medicines A to Z
Find out how your medicine works, how and when to take it, possible side effects and answers to your common questions. Click here
Live Well
NHS advice about healthy living, including eating a balanced diet, healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol.
Mental Health
Find information and support for your mental health. Click here
Social Care and Support Guide
If you or someone you know needs help with day-to-day living because of illness or disability, this website explains your options and where you can get support. Click here
Planning a pregnancy /Pregnancy
Click here for what you need to know about trying for a baby, pregnancy, labour and birth.
Local Services
Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing : South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust Local information Click here
Looking after Yourself and Others
Carers Advice
Click here for a range of advice for Carers.
Minor Illnesses
Health A-Z
Provides a complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help.
For the full range of conditions Click here
Example of common conditions;
Colds, Coughs and Ear Infections in Children
Useful information
When will I get better? What can I do to get better this winter?
This leaflet provides advice on how you can self-treat common winter ailments, how long symptoms usually last for and what warning signs to look out for.
Taking ANTIBIOTICS when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk
Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. This means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them, putting you and your family at risk of a more severe or longer illness.
REMEMBER IF YOU’RE FEELING UNWELL ANTIBIOTICS AREN’T ALWAYS NEEDED.
This leaflet provides some information on how to look after yourself and your family.
- Antibiotic Guardian (A UK wide initiative led by Public Health England)
Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing us today. Choose one simple pledge about how you’ll make better use of antibiotics and help save this vital medicine from becoming obsolete.
Children's Health
Children's Symptom Checker – Click here
If your child is unwell, you may find this online 'Symptom Checker' tool helpful.
It has been developed by the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and will provide you with guidance on how to deal with common conditions and symptoms.
This booklet, developed by researchers at Cardiff University, provides information for parents (and older children) about the management of respiratory tract infections such as coughs, colds, sore throats and earaches in children.
It deals with common infections in children who are normally healthy. It is not meant for children who have ongoing health problems such as asthma, heart, or kidney problems. You should not rely on the advice in this leaflet for children who are less than 3 months old. Babies younger than this can respond differently to infections.
How your Pharmacy can help
It is estimated that every year, 50 million GP appointments are made for minor ailments which could be easily managed by a Community Pharmacist.
Community Pharmacists offer professional free health advice on everyday illnesses, such as cough, colds, mild eczema, athlete`s foot, aches and pains. They can also advise about prescribed and over-the-counter medicines. They may signpost you to speak to a GP if they feel this is more appropriate.
Always read instructions carefully and consult your doctor if the illness continues or becomes more severe.
Pharmacists can also offer expertise on healthy eating, obesity and giving up smoking.
Common conditions
Health A-Z
Provides a complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help.
For the full range of conditions Click here
Self-Care FACT SHEETS provide patients with information on:
- Useful facts
- What people can expect to happen (the natural history)
- What people can do to help themselves – now and in the future
- When to seek medical help (the ‘red flags’)
- Where to find out more
www.selfcareforum.org/fact-sheets
- Back pain / Eczema / Heartburn and indigestion / Fever in children /Constipation / Headache and migraine / Cough / Acne / Strains and sprains / Urine symptoms in men / Venous disease - looking after your legs / Self Care - Boosting your mood / Menopause / Urinary incontinence (leakage) in adults / Long COVID and Post COVID Syndrome / POWER of self-care (wellbeing) / Conjunctivitis / Vitamin D / Folic acid / Winter wellness / Winter illness
Screening Services
Screening is a way of finding out if people have a higher chance of having a health problem, so that early treatment can be offered or information given to help them make informed decisions. Click here for general information about screening.
Links are given below to the different types of screening currently offered by the NHS in Northern Ireland.