OUR SERVICES

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DEAR CLIENTS,


Medical Specialties

General Medicine

General and Family Medicine plays a crucial role in the prevention of illness and promotion of health and well-being of EVERYONE. General and Family Medicine is a specialty dedicated to the provision of primary health care consisting of comprehensive medical interaction throughout our lifetime, centred on the individual circumstances of their familial, professional, social and cultural lifestyles.
 
The importance of a global and consistent approach to health issues, related to the specific characteristics of each person, is reflected in the role of the general physician. In effect the general physician should be the binding link between the patient and the health care network they may require. In this context, and reflecting in the project conceived by Luzdoc, the Family Medicine Department allows for direct access to all other available health care professionals in the Luzdoc network, as well as other health care providers that may be deemed necessary, providing for all clients who want personalised care, along with technical competence of reference.

Dermatology

Dermatology is a specialty that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of pathologies of the skin (acne, allergies, skin cancer, amongst others), hair, nails, mucosa (such as the mouth and external genitalia) and sexually transmitted diseases.

Diabetic Consultation

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease involving the glucose (sugar) metabolism which arises when the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin or the body cannot use the insulin produced efficiently causing an abnormal and excessive increase in blood sugar levels. This disease affects approximately 10% of the Portuguese population with the number of diabetics in Portugal having doubled within the last 20 years.
 
Diabetes is a chronic disease, often silent and at this time there is no cure. Over time it causes various complications in different organs of the body which leads to a reduction in lifespan as well as the quality of life of these patients. The Luzdoc network offers a personalised clinical service, that is vitally important in the management of this disease using a multidisciplinary approach.
 
 

General Surgery

General surgery is a specialty that is dedicated to the study, diagnosis and surgical treatment of diseases of various systems, namely diseases of the digestive system, endocrine system, breast pathology and hernias of the abdominal wall, amongst others.

The Luzdoc network provides a multidisciplinary approach to specialised treatment, co-ordinating between different specialties and, when necessary, referral, treatment and follow up in the hospital setting.

Occupational Health/Health and Safety in the Workplace

Personal and professional achievement relies on quality of life in the workplace, especially when supported by Safety, Hygiene and Health services, a fundamental combination essential for this development. As such the Portuguese legal-constitutional system has assigned very significant emphasis to this matter.
There are innumerous obligations currently facing companies with respect to Security, Hygiene and Health in the workplace. Recognition of the necessity for prevention of illness and accidents in the workplace has led to the adoption of diverse legislative measures, establishing guidelines on behalf of both the companies and their workforces.
In Portugal, the organisation and running of Safety, Hygiene and Health services is regulated by statute 3/2014 of the 28th of January, where the possibility of companies seeking outside services to carry out the development of these areas is considered.
 
Correct management of Safety, Hygiene and Health in the workplace has been considered as a factor in increased company productivity and consequent competitiveness due to:
 
– Reduction of workforce absenteeism.
– Reduction of sick leave due to accidents in the workplace.
– Creating a feeling of security and efficiency in the workforce:
– Decreasing payment of fines and other taxes arising from non-compliance of the various legal obligations.
– Reduction of paid insurance premiums in the area of labor insurance.
 
The employer should promote the carrying out of adequate health exams proving and evaluating the aptitude of the work force in performing professional activities.
 
The following exams should be carried out:
Employment exams – carried out before the worker is employed or within the first 15 days in the case of urgent employment.
Periodic exams: annual ( for minors and workers > 50 years of age ) and every two years (for workers with >18 and < 50 years of age); Occasional exams carried out when there are substantial alterations of the material components of the workplace or returning to work after an absence of more than 30 days due to sickness or accident.

Orthopaedics

Orthopaedics is a surgical speciality that is dedicated to the study, diagnosis and treatment of the musculoskeletal system (bone, muscles and joints). Concentrating essentially on two major groups of pathology: degenerative and traumatic. The group of degenerative diseases ranges from natural joint wear, as a consequence of the aging process (arthrosis) to destructive inflammatory pathologies, for example the most common being rheumatoid arthritis. In traumatic pathology lesions resulting from high-energy, traffic, work or sport accidents are dealt with.

Paediatrics

Paediatrics is a medical specialty that is dedicated to the monitoring of children and adolescents on various levels whether physical, social and / or emotional. Aiming for an approach that is not only curative but also preventative. During this precocious phase of life our aim is to continually monitor growth and development, in a healthy way, through actions such as breastfeeding, vaccinations and accident prevention, amongst others.


Travel Medicine

In this day and age travelling to faraway and exotic destinations is becoming ever easier meaning that it is also becoming easier for the transmission of diseases that once only existed in a limited geographical area. During a travel medicine consultation information will be given about the health risks related to your journey and guidance will be given about awareness and precautions which should be taken before, during and after the journey.
 
The consultation should also encompass topics relevant to education and counselling about the health risks related to the different locations throughout your travels and the most effective preventative measures; revision of up to date vaccination programmes and recommendations, with prescription of vaccinations indicated for the journey; information about the risk and prevention of malaria as well as prescribing a prophylaxis (preventative treatment) when indicated; information about the risk and prevention of diseases transmitted through drinking and eating contaminated food and water and the type of action that should be taken during a case of travel diarrhoea; recommending and prescribing a medical kit in accordance with the needs of each journey.
 

A travel medicine consultation should be carried out 4 to 6 weeks before the date of departure, but in the case of a lapse or impossibility, it can still be useful even on the day before departure. Do not forget to bring with you, when you have the consultation, an up to date vaccination register.

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EMERGENCY ADVICE - 24 HOURS

Emergency Advice - 24Hours

Domiciles

When considered that there is clinical justification a general practitioner and nurses are available to visit and, if possible, treat a client at home.

Referrals

Nowadays illness does not necessarily mean that you cannot holiday overseas and at Luzdoc we are aware that some clients will possibly need medical support during their stay in the Algarve. We have both the facilities and capabilities to deal with these situation.

Prevention / Health Screens / Well Woman

At Luzdoc we believe that prevention is better than cure – why wait until your body breaks down when there are simple ways of monitoring its condition and treating potential problems before they become an issue. We have a wide range of Health Screens which can be tailor made to personal requirements. Come and speak to one of our General Practitioners/Family Medicine Specialists about your individualised needs to stay healthy.

Hypertension Control

Blood pressure is never constant and depends on many internal and external factors such as age, weight, stress and even time of day. To a certain extent the body can adapt to these changes, even when they are quite large and marked damage can be done without notice until there is a major incident. Regardless of whether you are on treatment or not it is vital to monitor and control blood pressure regularly to prevent this damage.

Diabetic Control

Diabetes is a chronic condition that has to be monitored and treated every day and as such the patient needs constant support and education, which we can provide through our medical practitioners team and the Luzdoc Diabetic Clinic.

Vaccinations

There are various vaccination programmes available to our clients. The routine obligatory childhood vaccinations are carried out for free at a state facility. We do offer the following; Anti-tetanus, Hepatitis A and B, Flu, Pneumonia, Meningitis C. Please contact us if you require more information on which vaccinations you should keep up to date, and why.

Travel Medicine

There are so many new destinations available to the foreign traveller that this has made it much easier for contagious diseases to spread from one country to the next where once they were limited to a specific area. Due to this it is becoming increasingly more important to educate the traveller about health precautions and the appropriate preventative methods, including

vaccination. We are constantly updating our travel medicine data base to equip our clients with the most up to date knowledge on their destination.

Day Care Treatment

At times our clients need more intensive care with constant monitoring and invasive treatments, such as intravenous medication over a period of time, but do not require hospital admission. We have the facilities to offer this day care service to our clients.

Anticoagulation Control

Regular INR control is essential for all patients on Warfarin/Cumarin treatment. We provide this on the spot service to all our clients both resident and tourist

– Doctor to doctor continuous monitoring and regular detailed medical updates. Many times this is achieved through the strong professional and personal relationships our doctors have within the medical community in Portugal.

– Translation of medical reports / exam results.

– Liaison with the patient and his/her family.


OTHER HEALTH SERVICES

Complementary Therapies

Therapies such as Acupuncture, Phytotherapy and Tui Na Massage are used for the treatment of various diseases and disorders. It promotes physical and mental well-being without causing adverse effects and without using chemicals.

These therapies have been used for over 4000 years and its therapeutic efficacy is recognised around the world. Complementary Therapies treat disease by eliminating not only the symptoms but the cause of the disease or disorder by balancing the human being as a whole, enhancing their potential for health and vitality.

Complementary Therapies are used in the treatment of several diseases and disorders: Rheumatic Diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout, Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia. Autoimmune Diseases: Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes Mellitus, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Lupus. Pain: Lower Back Pain, Headache, Muscle, Bone and Joint Pain, Menstrual Cramps, Herniated Disc; Psychological Disorders: Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia, Emotional Problems, Phobias; Addictions: Smoking, Alcoholic and other addictions.
Complementary Therapies treat any diseases and disorders of any system: Nervous, Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Digestive among others.

Nutrition

Excess weight or an increase in weight, either recent or gradual, child or adult obesity, being underweight, an increase in muscle mass (especially important in sports), control of weight increase during pregnancy, food intolerance, flatulence (an increase in intestinal gases), constipation, diarrhoea, gastro-oesophageal reflux are all very common issues that can motivate clients to consult with a nutritionist.

Nutritional sciences consist of a clinical specialty that is dedicated to the assessment of nutritional needs and diet planning for various conditions. A nutrition consultation starts with an evaluation of the body mass index, % of body fat, % of lean mass (muscle), degree of visceral fat and of basal metabolism.

 
 

Many diseases, such as anaemia, dyslipidaemias (increase in blood cholesterol and/or triglycerides), diabetes, cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure for example), hormonal diseases (such as hypo or hyperthyroidism), irritable bowel syndrome and alterations in dietary behaviour (anorexia or bulimia), amongst others, benefit in regular monitoring by a nutritionist to establish goals and individual specific dietary plans for each client corresponding with their objectives and pre-existing illnesses.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy can be defined as a science aimed at prevention and treatment of health through physical resources such as body movement, radiation, electromagnetic currents and ultrasound amongst other means. Within the Luzdoc network our physiotherapist has the capacity to assess, re-assess, prescribe and carry out physiotherapeutic treatment, reaching a kinetic-functional diagnosis and establishing a prognosis.

Podiatry

Podiatry is one of the health care sciences specialising in investigation, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of alterations that affect the feet and the eventual repercussions on the human organism.
Feet are the fundamental base of support, balance and movement of the human organism. As they are found at the far end of the body, a long way from the heart, this means that they are more susceptible to trauma and diseases that can debilitate our lives!
Diabetes is a chronic condition that can affect your feet!

Some of these problems occur due to poor circulation and/or changes in the nerves and changes on the structure of your feet.

These can affect:

• The feelings of your feet (neuropathy): cramps, ice cold feet, numbness, pins and needles or burning hot.
• The circulation in your (feet-Ischaemia).

These changes are gradual and most of the time you don’t realize that these problems are developing, therefore is very important to have your feet checked at least once a year by a Podiatrist (Recommended by the British and Portuguese diabetes guidelines) to prevent the development of diabetic ulcers.