When to see the GP about minor health issues
When a problem isn’t serious but doesn’t seem to be going away and is worrying, then it’s a good idea to see the GP. People often see their GP about minor short-term problems that have lasted longer than they expected or keep coming back.
A GP talks about the various minor health problems that patients can see them about that can’t be dealt with by pharmacists or nurses.
Ish went to see the GP about acne. He’d already tried several shop bought creams and lotions before he went to the doctor.
Vinay had pain around his lower back for a few weeks. After speaking to his parents, he decided to see a doctor. He had several appointments and tests, and was diagnosed with kidney stones a few months later.
Can I ask you about when the first time was when you went to see a doctor about acne?
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Mm. I think it was around when I was like thirteen, fourteen. So around then and it was continuous ’til I was about twenty. So nineteen, twenty, ’till it was actually still serious. I’m guessing I was more stressed about high school. That just put a lot onto it and made my acne even worse. That was the most time that I always went to the doctors about it.
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Nowadays it’s mostly likely under control unless there’s like huge amount of stress, then one or two still comes out. But now I can deal with it, you know, so... But you know it’s still took eight, nine years of experience finding out what are the things that are like making it worse.
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Mm. And before you first went to the doctor, did you sort of try over the counter shop bought treatments or face washes or moisturisers and things?
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Yeah, I did try several ones, like I did try the ones that would work for my mum, for example. But because she has a different skin tone, for me, some of it just made it worse. So then I was just like, “Yeah, I give up, let’s just go to the doctor and get it checked out. It’s a lot easier.”
