FROM MY SURGERY

FLOWER POWER

I worry about unproven “alternative” medicines. But I’m a great fan of complementary medicines, taken alongside prescribed ones, if they relieve side effects and minor ailments. Tender, scabbed, bleeding nostrils are a common side effect of cancer chemotherapy. A new study suggests Rose geranium oil in spray form may help. I’ll be suggesting my patients give it a try.

DIAGNOSTIBOTS?

With so many complex medical conditions out there, there’s huge interest in how AI, or Artificial Intelligence, may help diagnosis. A new study proves computers can process data, and learn, at a speed we humans can only dream of. They’re also not biased by what they’ve seen before. But if you need reassurance, nothing beats someone you can trust.

NOT A GP’S PROBLEM!

Research from ColdZyme suggests the older generation are more used to just getting on with it when they’re under the weather. Over half of 1835-year-olds have been to the GP with a cold, compared to 1 in 4 over-35s. And only 1 in 8 over-65s would bother their GP with a virus that will get better on its own. So spread the word to the younger generation – see a pharmacist, not a doctor, for a cold!