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Many who suspect their health has been damaged by pollution find it difficult to obtain informed, objective medical advice. The average GP is neither trained nor has the time to deal with these kinds on complex problems, and will almost certainly refer you to a consultant practising in your local area. Sometimes this may not be the best person, especially if a correct diagnosis has not been established, or with rare complaints where there may only be one or two experts in the country.
It is however most important to keep your GP on your side. The GP is the first point of contact, and is in a position to organise NHS referrals, write reports on your state of health before and after exposure to pollutants and so on. In fact, keeping accurate records of dates, times, places, symptoms, medication etc. is essential. Not only is this legal evidence - an accurate and detailed medical history is a vital tool for effective treatment.
If you are not confident that your doctors have the right experience and expertise, you are entitled to a second opinion, even if this means seeing someone in a different Health Authority. A frequent problem is that you might be shunted around a variety of specialists, none of whom are looking at the whole picture. Always make sure that a complete set of your medical notes, tests, X-rays and so on are made available to each person you see.
Beware! Under these circumstances it is easy to become labelled as a hysterical nuisance. Be calm, keep your own record of events, but above all inform yourself. If you consider your treatment is unsatisfactory, and your current advisors have run out of ideas, you must now find your own expert. Your aim is to locate one with appropriate experience and up-to-date, comprehensive knowledge of the causes and treatment of your condition. It is all too tempting when desperate to fall into the hands of quacks. This is not to say that all alternative therapies are to be discounted, bit extreme caution should be exercised, especially where significant amounts of money are involved. And never stop conventional treatments without consulting your doctor, it can be extremely dangerous.
The following checklist may help you locate appropriately qualified experts:
- Contact relevant charities, help-lines and self-help groups
- Read/watch/listen to items in the media, but be discriminating. The quality press is usually fairly accurate, but all tend to focus on the bizarre and the extreme. Surf the internet. Don't believe everything you are told, and don't clutch at straws.
- Compile a list of possible experts. Look up Health Which. CHECK THEM OUT IN THE MEDICAL DIRECTORY. (This will detail qualifications, previous jobs, experience etc. If they are not in, proceed with extreme caution or not at all.) Identify the most promising one.
- Go back to your current medical advisors. Give reasons why you want to be referred. You may or may not be able to wangle it on the NHS if you are not covered by private insurance. If a referral is refused, you can make a direct approach to your chosen expert. Be prepared to argue your case. Making sure your complete medical notes are made available is even more important if you have referred yourself.
- Check out your chosen expert before committing yourself. Interview them for the job of looking after you. Find out what they know, what their results are like. If they are going to be any help they must be willing to listen to your story.
And in conclusion, once you feel you might at last be in safe hands, try to trust your physicians. Give them the time and co-operation they need to get results. Follow their advice meticulously. Resist the temptation to try to sort out all sorts of remedies at once, or to abandon treatments impatiently when immediate improvements are not forthcoming.
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