Dr Sharon de Bruyn

🍊Let's talk about why vitamins daily are essential!

Vitamins are the foundation of your health. They support immunity, keep your cells functioning optimally, and help bridge nutritional gaps in your diet 🍋

Getting enough daily vitamins can boost energy levels, support mood balance, and keep your skin, hair, and nails healthy and resilient ⚡️

The best part? Nature packages them beautifully - think colourful fruits and vegetables on your plate every day 🍎🥑🌽🍇🥕🍉

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🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

Want to support your weight loss goals? Start with your bedtime routine 🌙

Small changes can make a big difference:
📱 Limit screen time before bed.
🛏️ Create a consistent sleep schedule.
🌿 Prioritise rest as part of your health routine.
⏰ Aim for approximately 6–8 hours of quality sleep each night.

🌜Sustainable weight management isn't about quick fixes, it is about building healthy habits that support your body.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
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🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

💤 Sleep is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to weight management.

When you're sleep deprived:
• Leptin (the hormone that helps you feel full) decreases.
• Ghrelin (the hormone that stimulates hunger) increases.
• Cortisol levels can rise.
• Cravings and impulse eating become harder to control.

In other words, poor sleep can make healthy choices feel much more difficult.
😴 Good sleep supports good health, and a healthy weight.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
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🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

Trying everything to lose weight, but the scale won't budge? 👀🍎⚖️

Many people focus only on what they eat, but healthy weight management is influenced by so much more.

Sleep, stress, hormones, activity levels, medications, and even your daily routine can all play a role in weight gain or weight loss.

Healthy weight is about understanding your body, not fighting against it.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
📧 [email protected]
🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

🎒 Fever gone. Energy back. Ready for school?

One of the most common questions parents ask is: “When can my child go back?”

📚 In most cases, children can safely return to school when:
•They have been fever-free without medication
•Vomiting and diarrhoea have resolved
•They feel well enough to participate in normal activities
•They are no longer contagious

Sending children back too soon can prolong recovery and increase the risk of spreading illness to others.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
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🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

🤒 “But Mom, I feel fine!”

Knowing when to keep your child home from school can be tricky, especially when symptoms seem mild.

As a general guide, children should stay home if they have:
🌡️ A fever
🤢 Vomiting
💧 Diarrhoea
🦠 A contagious illness that could spread to others

Keeping sick children home helps protect classmates, teachers, and allows your child the time they need to recover properly.
Sometimes, one extra day of rest can make all the difference.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
📧 [email protected]
🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

🚨 Feeling exhausted no matter how much you sleep?

It might not be your busy schedule.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies, especially among women, and the symptoms can often be overlooked.

Keep an eye out for:
🔹 Persistent fatigue.
🔹 Dizziness.
🔹 Frequent headaches.
🔹 Hair loss.
🔹 Shortness of breath.

If these symptoms sound familiar, it may be worth discussing them with your doctor. A simple assessment can help identify the cause and get you feeling like yourself again.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
📧 [email protected]
🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

Have you noticed your asthma symptoms getting worse during winter? You're not imagining it.

Cold, dry winter air is one of the most common asthma triggers. As we breathe in cold air, our airways can become irritated and narrow, making symptoms more noticeable.

Common winter asthma symptoms include:
😮‍💨 Shortness of breath | 🫁 Wheezing.
😷 Persistent coughing | 🏃 Difficulty exercising or being active outdoors.

Some simple ways to help reduce winter flare-ups include:
🧣 Covering your mouth and nose with a scarf when outside.
💊 Taking your asthma medication exactly as prescribed.
🏠 Avoiding known triggers such as smoke and strong fumes.
📋 Making sure your asthma action plan is up to date.

🚨 Please seek medical attention if:
- Your reliever inhaler is needed more often than usual.
- Symptoms are becoming more frequent or severe.
- You are struggling to breathe or speak comfortably.

Asthma can usually be managed very effectively, but worsening symptoms should never be ignored.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
📧 [email protected]
🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

Not every winter illness is the same and sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between RSV, flu, and a common cold.

Many winter viruses can cause similar symptoms, including:
🤧 Runny or blocked nose | 😷 Coughing.
🌡️ Fever.
😴 Fatigue | 🤕 Sore throat.

While many viral infections improve on their own, there are some warning signs that should prompt medical assessment:
🚩 Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing.
🚩 Wheezing or struggling to catch a breath.
🚩 Dehydration (not drinking, dry mouth, fewer wet nappies in babies).
🚩 Persistent high fever.
🚩 Extreme lethargy or unusual sleepiness.

👶 If your child is breathing faster than normal, working hard to breathe, or simply doesn't seem like themselves, it's worth having them checked.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
📧 [email protected]
🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street

❄️ Sniffles, a sore throat, and a runny nose are common in winter, but how do you know when it's more than "just a cold"?

Please consider seeing your doctor if you experience:
🌡️ A fever that lasts more than a few days.
😮‍💨 Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
💔 Chest pain or tightness.
🗣️ A cough that is persistent, worsening, or not improving.
👶 Symptoms in young children, babies, or elderly family members that concern you.

Sometimes what seems like a simple cold can develop into something that requires medical attention, such as a chest infection, pneumonia, or complications from influenza.

If you're unsure whether your symptoms need assessment, it's always better to ask than to wait.

📲 072 419 1889 | 066 256 4243
📧 [email protected]
🏥 Off Duncan Medical Centre | 252 Grosvenor Street