Minor Ailments Scheme

Athlete's foot is a common fungal infection that affects the feet. You can usually treat it with creams, sprays or powders from a pharmacy, but it can keep coming back.

Head lice and nits are very common in young children and their families. They do not have anything to do with dirty hair and are picked up by head-to-head contact.

Thrush is a common yeast infection that affects women. It's usually harmless but it can be uncomfortable and keep coming back. Symptoms include a white vaginal discharge (often like cottage cheese), which does not usually smell. Also, itching and irritation around the vagina.There can be soreness and stinging during sex or when you pee.

Diarrhoea and vomiting are common in adults, children and babies. They're often caused by a stomach bug and should stop in a few days.

You can usually treat yourself or your child at home. The most important thing is to have lots of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Speak to your pharmacist for advice and treatment.

Mouth ulcers are common and should clear up on their own within a week or 2. They're rarely a sign of anything serious, but may be uncomfortable to live with.

A pharmacist can recommend a treatment to speed up healing, prevent infection or reduce pain.

Earwax normally just falls out on its own. When it's blocking your ears, a pharmacist can help.

Speak to a pharmacist about earwax build-up. They can give advice and suggest treatments.

Acne is a common skin condition that affects most people at some point. It causes spots, oily skin and sometimes skin that's hot or painful to touch.

If you have mild acne, speak to a pharmacist about medicines to treat it.

Jock itch or ringworm is a common fungal infection. It's not caused by worms. You can usually buy medicine from a pharmacy to treat it.

The main symptom of ringworm is a rash. It may look red, silver or darker than surrounding skin, depending on your skin tone.

Speak to a pharmacist and they can look at the rash and recommend the best antifungal medicine. This might be a cream, gel or spray depending on where the rash is.

Piles (haemorrhoids) are lumps inside and around your bottom (anus). They often get better on their own after a few days. There are things you can do to treat and prevent piles.

Ask a pharmacist for advice and treatment of piles.

Oral thrush is usually harmless. It's common in babies and older people with dentures. It can be easily treated with medicines bought from a pharmacy.

Ask your pharmacist for advice and treatment

Threadworms (pinworms) are tiny worms in your poo. They're common in children and spread easily. You can treat them without seeing a GP.

You can buy medicine (mebandazole) for threadworms from pharmacies. This is usually a chewable tablet or liquid you swallow.

Treat everyone in your household, even if they do not have symptoms.

Tell the pharmacist if you need to treat a child under 2, or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Treatment might not be suitable and you may need to speak to a GP.

Scabies is common and anyone can get it. It should be treated quickly to stop it spreading.

The symptoms of scabies are:

intense itching, especially at night and a raised rash or spots.

Speak to your pharmacist for best advice and treatment.

Warts and verrucas are small lumps on the skin that most people have at some point in their life. They usually go away on their own but may take months or even years.

You can buy creams, plasters and sprays from pharmacies to treat warts and verrucas.

Your pharmacist can give you advice about the best treatment for you.