Health Advice
- Weight Management
- Quit Smoking
- Acne
- Child Health
- Pain
- Oral Care & Hygiene
- Aneurysm, abdominal aortic
- Tummy ache
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- First aid
- Reflux
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- Acupuncture
- Gallbladder, inflammation
- Leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic
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- Addiction
- Addison's disease
- Adenoids and adenoidectomy
- Frozen shoulder
- Agoraphobia
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- Alcohol misuse
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- Alexander technique
- Rhinitis, allergic
- Indoor allergy
- Mountain sickness
- Alzheimer's disease
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- Amniocentesis
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- Motor neurone disease
- Steroid misuse
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia
- Anaesthesia
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- Angelman syndrome
- Anger management
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- Arteriography
- Stent insertion
- Dog bites
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- Smell sense, loss of
- Antacid medicines
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- Antisocial personality disorder
- Hypochondria
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- Stress
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- Wrist, broken
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- Hearing tests
- Bird flu
- B12 vitamin deficiency
- Skin rashes in babies
- Weaning
- Lumbago (low back pain)
- Septic arthritis
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Weight loss surgery
- Barium enema
- Bartholin's cyst
- Pressure ulcers
- Bedbugs
- Nocturnal enuresis
- Behçet’s disease
- Facial paralysis
- Tongue pain or soreness
- Prostate enlargement
- Beta-blockers
- Bicarbonate test
- Binge eating
- Biopsy
- Bipolar disorder
- Spider bite
- Eye, black
- Bladder cancer
- Cystitis
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- Blood donation
- Blood gases test
- Blood groups
- Coughing up blood
- Semen, bloody
- Urine, blood in the
- Vomiting blood
- Septicaemia
- Hypertension
- Low blood pressure
- Blood tests
- Blood transfusion
- Blushing
- Bromhidrosis (body odour)
- Bone cyst
- DXA scan
- Bone marrow donation
- Stem cell transplant
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bottle feeding
- Botulism
- Rectal cancer
- Polyps, bowel
- Leaky gut syndrome
- Orthodontics
- Brain abscess
- Head injury, severe
- Brain tumour, benign (non-cancerous)
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- Brain tumours
- Breast abscess
- Breast cancer
- Male breast cancer
- Screening for breast cancer
- Nipple discharge
- Mastitis
- Breast lump
- Breastfeeding
- Shortness of breath
- Osteoporosis
- Fractured collarbone
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- Leg, broken
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- Tooth, broken or knocked out
- Smelly feet (bromodosis)
- Bronchitis
- Teeth grinding
- Thyroid eye disease
- Bulimia
- Burns and scalds
- Heart bypass
- Caesarean section
- Food poisoning
- Cancer
- Thrush
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- Thrush, oral - adults
- Thrush, oral - babies
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cartilage damage
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- Rib, cervical
- Smear test
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- Chemotherapy
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- Chest pain
- Herpes zoster virus
- Statins
- Kidney disease, chronic
- Leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic
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- Cirrhosis
- Claustrophobia
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- White coated tongue
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- Combined contraceptive pill
- Pneumonia
- CT scan
- Concussion
- Hole in the heart
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- Conjunctivitis
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- Coronary heart disease
- Vegetative state
- Topical corticosteroids
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- Undescended testicles
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- Date rape drugs
- Thyroiditis
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- Fluoride
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- Depression
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- Nutrition
- Rectal examination
- Double vision
- Nummular eczema
- Shoulder dislocation
- Diverticular disease and diverticulitis
- Lightheadedness
- Down's syndrome
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- Indigestion
- Swallowing problems
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- Swimmer's ear
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- Ebola virus disease
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- Epidural
- Epilepsy
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- Nosebleed
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- Wind
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- Foot pain
- Frostbite
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- Iron overload disorder
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- Ingrown hairs
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- Tendon repair, hand
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- Nits
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- Hearing and vision tests for children
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- Heart transplant
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- Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
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- Periods, heavy
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- Hernia, femoral
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- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Painkillers, ibuprofen
- Shoulder tendon, trapped
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- Inquest
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- knee-pain
- Knee replacement
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- Rubeola
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- Mumps
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- Selective mutism
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- Nose and sinus cancer
- Polyps, nose
- Nasopharyngeal cancer
- Natural family planning
- Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Night sweats
- Nightmares
- Rhinitis, non-allergic
- Type 2 diabetes
- Winter vomiting disease
- Obesity
- OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
- Sleep apnoea
- Occupational therapy
- Swollen ankles
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- Periods, irregular
- Organ donation
- Orthopaedics (orthopaedic surgery)
- Osteoarthritis
- Rickets
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- Paracetamol
- Ulcerative colitis
- Pancreas transplant
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- Panic disorder
- Pins and needles
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- Pelvic pain
- Ulcer, peptic
- Ruptured eardrum
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- Periods
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- Whooping cough
- Strep throat
- Phobias
- Physiotherapy
- Pilonidal sinus
- Plastic surgery
- Pleurisy
- Pneumococcal infections
- Poisoning
- Reflux in babies
- Potassium test
- Pre-eclampsia
- Slipped disc
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- Radiation
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- Red blood cell count
- Rheumatic fever
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Root canal treatment
- Roundworm
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Salivary stones
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- Sexual health clinics
- STIs
- Shingles
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
- Vomiting in children and babies
- Sinus headache
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- Skin rashes in children
- Sleep paralysis
- Sleepwalking
- Urine, smelly
- Snake bites
- Snoring
- Spina bifida
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- Squint
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- Stroke
- Stye
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- Swollen glands
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- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Tension-type headaches
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- Testicular lumps and swellings
- Thyroid cancer
- Tics
- Tinnitus
- Tongue-tie
- Tonsillitis
- Toothache
- Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC or transferrin) test
- Total protein test
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- Traction
- Travel vaccines
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- Urinary tract infection, children
- Urinary tract infection
- Vaginitis
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- Varicose eczema
- Varicose veins
- Warts and verrucas
- Vertigo
- Vitamins, minerals and supplements
- Vomiting in adults
- Warfarin
- Weight loss (unexpected and unplanned)
- Whiplash
- Wisdom tooth removal
- X-ray
- Yellow fever
- Bowel cancer screening
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Read moreNHS Choices - Frequently asked questions
(24/07/2014)
Below are the answers to some common questions about taking warfarin.
What do I do if I have a nosebleed?
If you have a nosebleed, carry out normal first aid:
- lean your head forward
- pinch just below the bridge of your nose firmly for at least 10 minutes
If the nosebleed lasts longer than 15 minutes or you have regular nosebleeds, contact your GP surgery or anticoagulant clinic to get your international normalisation ratio (INR) checked. INR is a measure of how long it takes your blood to clot.
What happens if I need an operation or teeth taken out?
Because of the risk of bleeding, your dose of warfarin may have to be lowered or stopped a few days before an operation or removal of teeth.
You must tell the surgeon or dentist you are on warfarin. Also, tell your anticoagulant nurse if you need an operation as soon as possible, so they can make arrangements.
However, if your INR is under four you probably won’t need to have your warfarin dose adjusted.
Can I have normal vaccinations?
Yes, but all injections and vaccinations must:
- be given under the skin
- have firm pressure applied to the site for 10 minutes afterwards
- not be given into the muscle as this may cause bruising
Can I play sports?
Yes, but because of the risk of bleeding:
- contact sports that could lead to a head injury, such as football, rugby, cricket and hockey, are best avoided if played competitively
- martial arts and kickboxing must be avoided
Non-contact sports such as running, athletics, cycling and racquet sports can be played. Wear the right protective clothing, such as cycle helmets and knee padding.
Try to lead as normal a life as possible.
Do I need to tell my school?
You must tell your school if you are on warfarin so that they know:
- that you should avoid contact sports
- how to care for you if you start bleeding
- when to contact your parents or guardian
Can I have a body piercing?
It is not a good idea to have a body piercing because of the increased risk of bleeding and the risk of infection.
Can I still go on holiday?
If you are going on holiday, in this country or abroad, tell your anticoagulant nurse and arrange to have your INR checked just before you go.
If you are away for longer than a month, you may need to arrange to have your INR checked locally.
Make sure you have enough warfarin tablets to last your trip.
Will girls have problems with periods and pregnancy?
Because of the risk of bleeding, periods may be heavy and last longer than normal. There are drugs that can help reduce blood loss during these times.
It is important that all girls taking warfarin are told about the importance of contraception as warfarin can be harmful to a baby, especially in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
If you are planning a family in the future, you must discuss it with your doctor. Special arrangements will be made for anticoagulant care.