Pearls

School’s out for summer; more swimming, both home and overseas, may take place; and we may well see more calls about painful/itchy/discharging ears. Otitis externa may be one explanation!

OK, it’s not glamorous – it’s one of those ‘where else would you learn this but Red Whale’ topics. But worms/helminth infections was one of the most common unreturned searches on the Red Whale Knowledge site… so, we wrote you an article!

Familial hypercholesterolemia matters because, untreated, 50% of men and 30% of women with the condition will have had a myocardial infarction by the age of 60y. This is an area where we can make a big difference.

The sun is out. Wimbledon is on. It’s the perfect time of year to be more active. There are many benefits to physical training, but also some things we should be aware of – would you spot REDs?

Tight foreskins (phimosis) can be a source of concern for parents. They can also present for the first time in adulthood. In this week’s Pearl, we cover how to approach a consultation around phimosis.

Tomorrow is MND/ALS Global Awareness Day. To support earlier diagnosis and our confidence in supporting patients and families living with MND, we thought we would share an article on this important topic.

Acne is common, affecting more than 90% of teenagers, and persisting into their 20s for around half of those affected. It is one of those conditions where it is easy to think we know what we are doing – but an update rarely goes amiss!

Over the past decade, a LOT has changed in the management of hepatitis C. It is now curable in >95% of affected people. In the UK, we are aiming to eliminate the virus, and England is on track to achieve this in 2025 – with our help!

“Can you just have a look at this mole?” or being sent patient photos of varying quality of a wide variety of skin lesions are part of the bread and butter of general practice. Picking out those that are concerning and need further assessment can be a really tricky part of what we do.

Last week, we shared our GEMS on the management of allergic rhinitis and hay fever. In this week’s Pearl, we share the full article, which should answer any questions!

Allergic rhinitis and hay fever is increasingly prevalent in adults and children, thought to be partly due to climate change and longer pollen seasons. It may be tempting to see it as something fairly trivial, but it impacts quality of life and exam results.

For many of us, talking about dying can feel difficult in both our professional and personal lives. But normalising these conversations as health professionals and as a society is important.

In this week’s Pearl, we offer you a long read in celebration of all things lifestyle!