7 times you may not need to see a doctor

Do you know the health problems or symptoms you need to see a doctor about? Here are 7 times you may not need to see a doctor. 



If so, you're not alone. 

The majority of visits we all make to see the doctor are unnecessary because they are often for minor health problems that we can look after ourselves. In fact, a study of the medical records of UK general practices found that 90% of doctor’s consultations were for minor ailments and 88% of those could have been managed by the patient - a practice known as self-care. 

There’s no official list of conditions you should care for at home, but the image below is a good starting point. It outlines 7 health problems you may not need to see a doctor for. 

But you don’t have to do it all by yourself. If you have a minor condition that causes uncomfortable symptoms, your local pharmacist can be a useful source of advice on how to best manage these symptoms. 

If a minor complaint becomes worse or doesn’t improve with self-care, you should see a doctor or another health professional.

![your.md-7-times-GFX1 - cropped](//images.ctfassets.net/iqo3fk8od6t9/6vV2omYNqJRWjj0PKXjdOP/acbb37b6a84c8cac6ec3275f34c1774e/your.md-7-times-GFX1_-_cropped.png)

Got a symptom you’re concerned about? Use our [Self-Assessment Tool](/app) to find out if you need to see a doctor.

::: body-ad-desktop
zones:: 232632,232625,232640
types:: 163
disclaimer:: AD
typeFilter:: native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::


error

 There was an error when submitting your feedback – have a screen break then try again in a few minutes.

Oh no, something’s gone wrong

ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?

initial

This isn’t helpful

This isn’t relevant

Something is wrong

This isn’t accurate

Please select one.

loading

success

We're listening – we use your feedback to improve your experience, and make our content more helpful.

Thank you for your feedback

References

Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

It's not always easy to tell when you need to see a doctor for a health problem. Here are 7 times you should see a doctor. 