We would like to inform you that we are keeping a close eye on developments and are carefully following the policies and guidelines of the official authorities regarding the virus.

Did you recently visit one of the areas where Corona has been reported? Did you meet someone from one of these areas? And are you coughing or suffering from shortness of breath? Do not hesitate to call us. Definitely call us if and before you plan a visit: we can then take the appropriate measures in consultation with you.

It is always important to follow the standard measures that apply to all viruses that can cause the flu and colds:

Wash your hands regularly
Cough and sneeze in the inside of your elbow
Use paper tissues

The latest information about Corona in The Netherlands and about Dutch policies can be found on the websites below (some are only in Dutch).

https://www.rivm.nl/coronavirus/covid-19

https://www.nhg.org/veel-gestelde-vragen-over-het-coronavirus

https://www.ggd.amsterdam.nl/infectieziekten/infectieziekten/infectieziekten/nieuw-coronavirus/

We are very much aware that we must remain alert and uphold the hygiene standards that you are used to from us.

In 2018, the World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the sixth happiest country in the world, citing as criteria for selection: income (GDP per capita), healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom, absence of corruption and generosity. At the same time, numerous local and foreign researchers reported enormous increase in work related stress, anxiety and physical exhaustion. The term, known as burn-out, has become even more apparent lately, with figures showing that around 1 million people in the Netherlands suffer from burn-out related symptoms, topping another list, this time for most burn-out related complaints in Europe. Numerous Amsterdam healthcare professionals are talking more than ever about the long lasting effect stress related illnesses can have on our body, but in order to deal with it, you need to recognize it.

How To Recognize Burn-out?

Whether you’re working in Amsterdam healthcare as a doctor, as a teacher, vendor or driver, you can suffer from burn-out related issues. This implies a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one’s professional life. Once it becomes a regular condition, it can become a serious threat to one’s general health, and infect happiness, efficiency and even reflect their personal lives. Reasons that can cause this feeling of burn out are numerous, but some of the most common ones usually include professional tasks or goals that are difficult to reach or impossible, low levels of control at work, even mobbing and bad relationship with coworkers. Therefore, in order to deal with this issue that has, in the last couple of years, become one of the most prevailing when it comes to work health and work culture, modern health centers suggest to first recognize them and then ask for professional help with a trustworthy doctor.

Industries Most Affected By Burn-out

Research shows burn-out is especially common in the fast-paced, competitive environment of the tech industry, but many other industries are at the highest risk of it as well. CBS’ 2015 report singled out six sectors, with the educational sector taking the lead, while others including industry, business, ICT, financial and public administration. However, doctors are not protected from it either. In fact, many modern general practice professionals are well acquainted with the term “burnout among doctors”. First described in 1974, the work-related syndrome has quickly become a household term among colleagues. Today, it seems like more Amsterdam and Dutch health care professionals are suffering from it.

How Can You Help Yourself?

After we established that burn-out can happen to anyone and at any workplace, it’s time to look into several suggestions and advices anyone can do to help themselves at work and their employees. Start by recognizing there is a problem and then think about the ideal conditions you would need in your workplace and then start creating them. Think about non-work activities and, if none of this turns out to be useful, you might consider talking to your colleagues, bosses and, finally, find a trustworthy medical clinic and ask for professional help.

As the summer season has ended, the possibilities of getting the flu rise. Although the seasonal influenza (flu) can be detected throughout the whole year, the danger of the flu viruses is the highest during the fall and winter. Changing weather conditions and seasons cause enormous dryness and low humidity, which allows the virus to spread more efficiently. Although in most cases not life-threatening, the flu can be very persistent and tiring to the body, sticking you to the bed for days. However, if you already caught the virus and before you visit the nearest modern general practice and see your trustworthy doctor, here are some tips on how you can help your body deal with it in the fastest way possible.

Make Sure to Recognize It

In order to treat it properly, we must understand that the flu is very easily mistaken for the common cold, although the differences are many. Both flu and the common cold are respiratory illnesses, although caused by different viruses. However, the flu in most cases includes fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue (tiredness). On the other hand, typical symptoms of a cold are usually milder and take longer to develop.

How to Deal With Symptoms

One of the most important things you can do for yourself when you have the flu is to allow your body to rest and heal, fight off the infection and boost your immune system back to its previous condition. This assumes you need to stay hydrated with water and tea, healthy soups and stew that will keep your energy level high. However, even if you decided to rest and stay in bed until the symptoms are over, you also need to make sure you are in a healthy environment. If you are a smoker, stop it immediately, and if your friends smoke, kindly ask them not to smoke in front of you. Being around noxious chemicals in cigarettes will only worsen your respiratory symptoms and prolong the treatment. Another common mistake many patients make is try to ignore the symptoms, hoping they will go away. Going to work while in pain and feeling sick will not help your immune system nor your colleagues and it will, in fact, only prolong the process of healing. Most importantly, this way you are putting yourself at risk for longer-lasting and possibly even more severe symptoms. Do the symptoms persevere, don’t hesitate to visit your general practitioner.

Visit the Closest Trustworthy Medical Clinic

If you’re visiting the Netherlands and happen to feel sick and recognize some or maybe all of these symptoms, be sure to find the closest medical clinic in Amsterdam or a recommended specialized healthcare professional for tourists. After finding a trustworthy doctor, you are already one step ahead of getting back to your feet and battling the flu.

Everyone knows there is no manual on how to live long and stay healthy, especially in this day and age but, no matter your birth place, eating habits or genetics, all healthcare experts around the world agree that physical activity is one of the crucial preconditions for a quality life. But if it’s that simple and the key to long life and happiness is right in front of us, why aren’t we doing anything about it? The simple answer and probably the most honest one is that we are lazy. When you have to balance work, family, stress and free time, the last thing you want at the end of an exhausting day is to suffer even more. But, what if we go back to the definition of exercise and rethink it again?

Do I Need the Gym to Exercise?

As any trustworthy medical clinic and professionals at any modern health center will tell you, we define exercise as any movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories. This implies that there are varieties of physical activities that can help you burn calories, keep your body fit and feel better. For those who find going to the gym exhausting and not their cup of tea, think about swimming, running, jogging, walking or dancing. In fact, start with baby steps – instead of using the elevator, use stairs and when you’re not in a hurry, replace your car with a bike. For frequent travelers who still want to keep fit but have no time to hit the gym, there are plenty of doctors in Amsterdam for tourists who can provide you with simple advices and suggestions.

Benefits Are Endless

If you still think that exercising is hard, make sure to remember all the benefits of having a physically active life. Among many advantages, regular exercise is proven to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. Additionally, exercise can increase the amount of endorphins in your body, triggering positive feelings and reducing the perception of pain. Modern general practices all over the world, as well as the trustworthy medical services of Amsterdam see exercising as one of the essential factors in helping weight loss. The sooner you start exercising, the better; your body will thank you later in life. Among numerous benefits regular exercising can do for you, probably the most important one is regarding its effect on reducing your risk of chronic diseases. In fact, regular physical activity is proven to improve insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and body composition, while decreasing blood pressure and blood fat levels. It also helps your skin, brain health, memory, quality of sleep and overall health.

As you can see, benefits of regular exercising are endless. On top of that, exercising is probably one of the not-so-many things in life that have almost no disadvantages (if approached correctly), which leaves us to only one question – what are you waiting for? Start exercising today and do yourself and your body a favor, it will be forever grateful.

If there is one thing that is under constant dilemma in the healthcare, it is a healthy diet and our approach to it. For most people, it implies giving up on everything that gives you pleasure, a lot of working out and a general feeling of constant hunger and discontent. However, for healthcare professionals and trustworthy medical clinics there is no question about it – yes, you can definitely lose or maintain your weight in a healthy way without feeling miserable. The only question is how dedicated and committed you are.

What Is a Healthy Diet?

A healthy diet presumes a diet that helps you maintain or improve your overall health by starting with crucial nutrition. However, even modern health centers today still debate on what type of food and diet is considered to be really healthy. The one thing that most healthcare professionals and trustworthy doctors agree on is that one should eat what makes you feel energized, strong and happy. This article will try to provide you with some guidance and advice on what your daily eating routine should consist of.

Government Policy on Food

Even though the Dutch government’s food policy is focused on promotion of a healthy lifestyle and eating habits, suggesting reducing salt, saturated fats and sugar in food, this is very difficult to maintain in reality, especially when it comes to families with busy schedules, long working hours and no time for home cooking. However, raising awareness is definitely one of the essential foundations for a healthy life and the Netherlands are on the European top when it comes to diet consciousness and knowledge. Still, if you’re struggling to find the right measure and a perfect recipe that works for you, there are numerous advices and nutrition suggestions you can get by visiting the closest trustworthy medical clinic.

General Diet Advices

Before you book an appointment with a local modern general practice, there are several diet suggestions and tricks you can use, especially if you’re busy and do not have a lot of time to organize healthy meals.
No matter what your eating and weight plan is, never skip breakfast! Starting your day with an empty stomach is not only unhealthy, it sets your whole mood for the day. Breakfast is crucial in maintaining energy, it influences the way you think, work and manage the rest of the day.
When it comes to busy lifestyles, always think of a soup or stew as a much better alternative to a fast food option around the block. Soup is perfect for your digestive system, it’s very nutritive and, if you’re scared you’ll get bored eating the same food every day, don’t worry – healthy recipes and ideas are endless!
Finally, if you’re thirsty, a simple glass of water is a much better option that a juice. And for those addicted to coffee, the good news is that a daily dose of caffeine helps wake up your metabolism and provides a much needed energy boost.

To conclude, the best indicator of your overall health is right there – just listen to your body and you will be healthy and happy. In you’re still not sure what is the right measure and need professional help, book an appointment at a medical clinic in Amsterdam or, if you’re just visiting the Netherlands, find yourself a trustworthy doctor in Amsterdam for tourists.

Everyone knows the danger and consequences that smoking, drinking alcohol and not having physical activity can have on one’s organism. However, in the last couple of years especially, scientists and health professionals all around the world are paying more attention than ever to health risks that are caused by not so obvious factors. Healthy environment is one of the prerequisites for a healthy lifestyle and one of the reasons why they are not among our list of priorities is because we can’t see them and we can only rely on the information from media and experts. For those living in big cities, the chances of risking your health are getting even higher due to air pollution. The World Health Organization reports that in 2016, 91% of the world population was living in places where the WHO air quality guidelines levels were not met.

Alarming Statistics

Outdoor air pollution represents a major health risk that can affect anyone, regarding their income or birthplace. Even though many are still not aware of the effect it can have on one’s overall health, the statistics are rather worrying – only in 2016, air pollution in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide. Even though most countries suffer from this issue, countries in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions are facing biggest challenges. However, in 2015, Friends of the Earth Netherlands measured air pollution in 59 different Dutch cities and found that in 11 of them, air pollution exceeded the EU limit of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) of 40 µg/m3 a year. These statistics mean immediate action that is, unfortunately, not in the hands of individuals but local, national and regional level policy-makers working in sectors like transport, energy, waste management, urban planning, and agriculture.

A Direct Connection Between Pollution and Health

A 2013 assessment by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), along with numerous trustworthy doctors and modern health centers, concluded that outdoor air pollution is carcinogenic to humans, especially lung cancer. Additionally, research has shown that air pollution influences on occurrence of many other potential health problems such as stroke, heart disease and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. In fact, in 2016, around 58% of outdoor air pollution-related premature deaths occurred as a result of ischemic heart disease and strokes, while 18% of deaths were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections respectively, and 6% of deaths were due to lung cancer.

Be the Change You Want to See

Still, there are many positive examples around the world showing the different side to the story. In fact, Dutch startup TreeWiFi introduced one of these initiatives in Amsterdam – “the tree” that provides free Wi-Fi internet access will turn off the internet access when air pollution around a treehouse exceeds a predefined limit. Even though this might not prove as the best possible solution, it still shows us that change needs to start from your own community in order to reach global scales and it can at least inspire us to do the same.

According to the newest health monitor by Statistics Netherlands, and health institutes RIVM and GGD, half of the residents of the Netherlands are overweight. This statistic wouldn’t be so alarming if the percentage of obesity among the Dutch hadn’t increased in 25 percent since 2012. However, one of the biggest problems the country is still dealing with is the weight amongst children. In fact, only in 2016, Statistics Netherlands reported a 10 percent increase compared to the year before, with 13.4 percent of kids between the ages of 4 and 20 years being overweight. These circumstances induced Amsterdam healthcare primarily to take immediate action and work closely with modern health centers, trustworthy medical services and professionals to start creating smart and sustainable solutions.

Sugar Consumption Among Highest in the World

A Euromonitor study from 2015 found that Dutch sugar consumption is the third highest in the world, exceeded only by that of the United States and Germany. Unhealthy eating habits, along with poor physical activity, only deepens the problem. Obesity is not a rare problem among adults, but can be especially difficult for children for various reasons: unhealthy lifestyle from a very early age can in great measure influence the overall health of a person even later in life, it causes insecurities and low self-esteem but, more specifically, many obese children later develop health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. There are several ways we can determine for sure if a child is overweight or not but, before consulting with any trustworthy doctor, you can always measure one’s BMI (Body Mass Index) – nowadays, you can even calculate it online through various websites.

Check Your BMI

For measuring the index of obesity, BMI needs one’s weight, height and gender. The BMI calculator then uses a formula that creates a score which tells you whether someone is underweight, a normal weight, overweight, or obese. The BMI of children is age- and sex-specific, also known as the “BMI-for-age.” It uses growth charts created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical professionals, general doctors and healthcare workers use these charts to track a child’s growth. The charts use a number called a percentile to show how one’s BMI compares with the BMI of other children. The main BMI categories for children and teens are healthy weight (5th to 84th percentile), overweight (85th to 94th percentile) and obese (95th percentile or higher). Of course, these results are not 100% correct, but can serve as a good indicator and, depending on the result, can direct you to the doctor or calm you.

Consult Your Doctor

If you are still concerned about your child’s weight, the best possible solution is to visit your doctor or any trustworthy medical clinic and let them check your child’s overall health. Still, there are certain rules that can apply to anyone and be sure to implement them in your everyday life as much as possible: eat healthy, workout and get enough sleep. For everything else, consult your doctor.

If you’re constantly sneezing and can’t seem to catch breath, there is a good chance you have a condition that affects a large number of people all around the world which is called allergic rhinitis or hay fever. However, even though the name may imply it, one doesn’t have to be near hay in order to have symptoms and, despite what you may think, it’s usually not accompanied by fever. The condition, usually connected to allergies and changes in the season, includes symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, itchy, and watery eyes, and swelling around the eyes. However, not only does hay fever occur all year long, it can really influence your everyday life and mood. For many modern general practice professionals, allergic rhinitis can be quite a struggle to treat due to the constant existence of pollen in the air and the obvious impossibility for avoiding their presence. Still, there are many things you can do to protect yourself before visiting a trustworthy doctor.

Skin Test Can Help You in Diagnosis

If you recognized one or several of the symptoms mentioned above, you should go and see your family doctor. If you’re on vacation, there are numerous healthcare professionals specialized in treating tourists. The doctor should direct you towards an allergist, who is specialized in treating conditions that happen as a result of an allergy. Your allergist may recommend a skin test, during which small amounts of suspected allergens are introduced into your skin. Skin testing is the easiest way of identifying allergens and can be done in any modern health center. If the test confirms your doubts, the next step is finding the best treatment for your condition.

Avoidance and Treatment

When it comes to dealing with tricky health issues such as allergies, one should be careful and try avoiding the allergens that trigger symptoms. Some of the advice any trustworthy doctor will give is you is to avoid using window fans that can draw pollens and molds into the house; trying not to rub your eyes since it can irritate them and make your symptoms worse. Also, try reducing exposure to dust mites, especially in the room where you sleep. One of the advices anyone should follow, regarding health condition or not, is to limit exposure to mold, keep the humidity in your home low and make sure you keep the hygiene on a high level at all times. If you are a pet owner, this might aggravate the problem but, no worries, there are still several things you can do so that you stay healthy, one of the crucial ones is to wash your hands immediately after petting animals and wash your clothes after visiting friends with pets.

Ask for Professional Advice

If any of these advices prove not to be useful for you, the best solution is to visit the closest medical clinic in Amsterdam and wait for healthcare professionals to provide you with proper treatment. These mostly include medications that reduce nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing and itching and they are available in many forms — oral tablets, liquid medication, nasal sprays and eye drops. If you recognize any of the symptoms stated above, be sure to schedule a doctor appointment!

A link between music and its positive influence on the overall health of people is not a new idea; in fact, there are numerous scientific researches that prove this notion. Still, we do not need scientists to tell us that we feel better when we listen to some great beats – our body experiences happiness, excitement and almost a feverish feeling that, actually, has nothing to do with the actual fever. But, is there something more to music, aside from its apparent soul-healing and hip-activating effect?

Scientifically Proven

According to psychologist Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, from McGill University in Montreal, considering and understanding music as a cure for physical ailments is a relatively new domain. However, even though a rather fresh perspective, already a number of analyses showed that music does affect our bodies even more than we previously thought. In fact, the meta-analysis of 400 studies that was conducted by Levitin and his postgraduate research fellow Mona Lisa Chanda, PhD, showed that music improves the body’s immune system function and reduces stress. Some even argue that listening to music is even more effective than prescription drugs in lowering anxiety before surgery.

Music as Therapy

As a way of distracting attention, music proved to be extremely successful around children who are about to be exposed to a stressful event or surgery, but music can help adult patients as well. Nowadays, any modern health center should be open to discuss this topic with patients and offer music therapy as an additional or alternative method of medical treatment. For modern general practice, music therapy is one of the best and creative clinical interventions that were established to realize individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by using music. It is considered to be part of expressive therapy, also known as creative arts therapy, where creative arts are used as a form of therapy. Unlike traditional art expression, the process of creation is in focus rather than the final product. Foundation of the expressive therapy is the idea that people can heal through use of imagination and the various forms of creative expression.

Music as Cure in Modern Health Centers

Latest research regarding the role of music in medicine is going even one step further than before – their notion, which was recently supported by the scientific proof, tested groups of patients with Parkinson’s disease. The study conducted at Johns Hopkins came to the conclusion that group singing improved quality of life and voice strength and clarity in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The idea that music proved to be one of the key elements in someone’s wellbeing is not only exciting but also gives hope that there can be space for a lot more surprises from things, feelings and objects that constantly surround us. Let’s hope that we can be the generation that revolutionizes music and gives it a totally different meaning!

There is a generally accepted opinion that music is a cure for the soul, that a beautiful melody can make you at ease, help you relax and serve as a stress relief. However, for those who are producing and creating this melody, music can also be a serious pain stimulus, especially for professional musicians.

The lifestyle of an artist, musicians primarily, carries with it serious health consequences that we can attribute to specific positions they play their instruments in, long hours of practicing and noise they are often surrounded with. For some, professional careers require a serious care and responsibility towards their own health which, in some cases, can lead to health issues that require long breaks from performing or even end of career.

Performance Affecting Health Problems

Modern health centers nowadays are taking this matter seriously and putting extraordinary efforts to help musicians feel at ease when suffering from these disorders, which mainly include musculoskeletal disorders, skin disorders, respiratory disorders, and noise induced hearing impairment. A 1998 survey of symphony orchestras found that 64% to 76% of musicians were experiencing repetitive strain injury (RSI) that affected their performance. RSI, also known as Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders, is an injury to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that can be caused by numerous repetitive actions musicians do on a daily basis – repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression, or sustained or awkward positions.

The reasons that cause RSI are numerous, such as misuse or inefficient use of the body, lack of general fitness, chronic muscle tension, undeveloped upper-arm, shoulder and back muscles and many more such as stress. However, there are even more reasons that can lead to the injury sooner than you might expect and, in order to avoid these symptoms, try avoiding awkward or asymmetric postures, sustained or prolonged muscle contraction or deviated wrist positions. Unfortunately, these movements often cannot be avoided, if you are a professional musician but, if these injuries do occur, the most important step is to find a trustworthy doctor or medical clinic.

Preventing Injuries

Once you find a doctor you can trust, supported by a modern general practice, you are one step closer to treating your condition and finding the best exercises for your injury. In fact, any ​trustworthy doctor will advise you to try to prevent injuries in the first place by following the well-established routine and steps. These include always warming up and stretching prior to playing, which can save the musician from placing a huge amount of stress on the hands and the rest of the body.

Another important aspect is the psychological preparation for the activity in front of you – being present in your body and spirit can also influence you overall health even more than you think. Sitting or standing as well as breathing properly before and during the performance is also one of the crucial elements that allows the body to be and feel stress free and, therefore, in smaller risk of getting injured. Finally, as any doctor in Amsterdam will tell you, try releasing the stress, relaxing your body and focus only on the present. These simple, yet powerful advices are routines that should be applied and used on a daily basis and can help us live a better and quality life.