Dr. Larab Ahmed – Family Doctor | Bolton, ON

Dr. Larab Ahmed is a Family Doctor. Practicing at Sun City Family Medical in Bolton, ON, she is dedicated to providing high-quality, comprehensive, and patient-centered family medical care. She is registered with The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and practices in accordance with the standards set by this regulatory body and the principles of modern family medicine. Her focus is providing continuous and comprehensive primary medical care for individuals and families across all ages and stages of life. This includes preventative care, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses, and management of ongoing health needs, serving as the central point for patient care. She serves patients of all ages, from newborns and infants through to children, adolescents, adults, and seniors.

Dr. Larab Ahmed completed her Medical Degree. She brings valuable clinical experience to the practice. She has developed skills or a strong interest in areas such as comprehensive primary care within family practice. She is also dedicated to ongoing professional development to stay current with the latest advancements in family medicine.

Key aspects of her practice philosophy include fostering continuity of care and building long-term relationships with patients and their families, providing a trusted medical home; a strong belief in patient-centered care, ensuring that treatment plans are tailored to individual needs, values, and circumstances; empowering patients through clear communication, comprehensive health education, and fostering active participation in their own health decisions. She provides consultations in English.

Dr. Larab Ahmed provides comprehensive family medical care for a wide variety of health concerns affecting patients of all ages, including but not limited to:

Common Acute Conditions

• Gastrointestinal Infections (Gastroenteritis, Food Poisoning): Managing acute episodes of vomiting and diarrhea to support recovery, ensure adequate hydration, and rule out more serious underlying causes.
• Headaches (Tension-type, Migraine - Acute Symptomatic Relief): Assessment of acute headaches to differentiate types (e.g., tension headache, migraine, cervicogenic), provide initial pain relief strategies (analgesics, NSAIDs, triptans for migraine), identify potential triggers, and rule out serious underlying causes requiring urgent investigation.
• Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (Acute Bronchitis, Community-Acquired Pneumonia): Managing lower respiratory tract infections that cause persistent cough (productive or non-productive), chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and fever.

Dermatological Skin Conditions

• Bacterial Skin Infections (Impetigo, Folliculitis, Cellulitis - uncomplicated): Effective antimicrobial therapy for common bacterial skin infections to resolve infection, prevent spread, and alleviate associated symptoms.
• Benign Skin Lesion Assessment & Management (Skin Tags, Seborrheic Keratoses, Cysts, Lipomas): Evaluating common benign (non-cancerous) skin growths like skin tags (acrochordons), seborrheic keratoses ('age spots'), cherry angiomas, dermatofibromas, epidermal cysts, and lipomas. Providing reassurance regarding their benign nature and offering in-office removal (e.g., cryotherapy, snip excision, curettage, simple excision for cysts/lipomas if trained/equipped) for cosmetic reasons, if causing irritation, or for diagnostic certainty if there's any ambiguity.
• Viral Skin Infections (Common Warts, Molluscum Contagiosum, Herpes Simplex, Herpes Zoster/Shingles): Providing effective treatment for various viral skin conditions to alleviate symptoms, shorten duration of outbreaks, prevent complications (like PHN or secondary bacterial infection), and reduce transmission where applicable.
• Fungal Skin, Nail & Hair Infections (Tinea species, Candidiasis, Onychomycosis): Diagnosis (clinical, skin scraping/KOH preparation, fungal culture if needed) and treatment of common superficial fungal infections including tinea corporis (ringworm), tinea pedis (athlete's foot), tinea cruris (jock itch), tinea capitis (scalp ringworm - requires oral therapy), tinea versicolor (pityriasis versicolor), cutaneous candidiasis (e.g., intertrigo, diaper rash), and onychomycosis (fungal nail infections). Treatment involves topical antifungal creams/lotions/shampoos (e.g., clotrimazole, miconazole, terbinafine, ketoconazole) or oral antifungal medications (e.g., terbinafine, itraconazole, fluconazole) for more extensive, resistant, or nail/hair infections.

Joint Muscle Pain

• Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) - Diagnosis, Management & Monitoring (Often with Rheumatology Co-Management): Often co-managed with or referred to rheumatology, especially for atypical presentations, diagnostic uncertainty, difficulty tapering corticosteroids, frequent relapses, or suspected GCA. Primary care plays a key role in ongoing monitoring, patient education, and supportive care for PMR.
• Gout & Pseudogout (Crystal Arthropathies) - Acute Attack Management & Chronic Prevention Strategies: Providing long-term management strategies for chronic gout to prevent recurrent attacks and complications (e.g., tophi, chronic gouty arthropathy, kidney stones), including detailed lifestyle advice (dietary modifications - reducing purine-rich foods such as red meat/organ meats/shellfish, limiting alcohol especially beer and spirits, avoiding sugary drinks/high-fructose corn syrup; hydration; weight management if overweight/obese) and initiating/managing urate-lowering therapy (ULT) such as allopurinol or febuxostat to achieve and maintain target serum uric acid levels (typically <360 µmol/L or <300 µmol/L if tophi present). Monitoring for medication side effects, adherence, and regular serum uric acid levels.
• Fibromyalgia & Other Widespread Chronic Pain Syndromes - Primary Care Diagnosis & Multimodal Management: Initial assessment and diagnosis of fibromyalgia or other widespread chronic pain syndromes based on established clinical criteria (e.g., ACR criteria for fibromyalgia), after appropriate investigation to rule out other underlying systemic inflammatory or medical conditions. Developing a comprehensive, multimodal management plan focusing on patient education about the condition (central sensitization, pain neurophysiology), promoting self-management, graded exercise therapy (low-impact aerobic, strength, flexibility, aquatic therapy), optimizing sleep hygiene, stress management techniques (mindfulness, relaxation, CBT principles), pain coping strategies, and judicious use of medications targeting central sensitization and associated symptoms (e.g., tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, SNRIs like duloxetine/venlafaxine, gabapentinoids like gabapentin/pregabalin). Avoidance of long-term opioid therapy is generally emphasized.

This list offers some examples of common conditions managed in family practice. A diagnosis is always based on an individual assessment by Dr. Ahmed. If your specific health concern isn't listed, please contact the clinic to discuss your needs.

• Stress Management, Burnout & Adjustment Disorder Support: Supportive counseling and problem-solving for stress-related symptoms, promoting well-being and preventing escalation to more severe mental health conditions.
• Assessment & Management of Anxiety, Depression & Mood Disorders: Supporting individuals experiencing persistent worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, low mood, loss of interest, or other mood disturbances with a patient-centered and collaborative approach.
• Routine Health Check-ups & Physicals for Adults: Comprehensive care focused on health promotion and disease prevention throughout adulthood.
• Cancer Screening Coordination (Cervical, Breast, Colorectal, Prostate, Lung - as per guidelines): Coordinating appropriate cancer screening tests tailored to your age, gender, family history, and individual risk factors, facilitating early detection.
• Occupational Health Aspects & Work-Related Health Concerns (Initial Assessment): Initial evaluation of the impact of work on health and vice-versa.

Note: This list highlights some of the key services offered by Dr. Ahmed. For a comprehensive understanding of all services, or to discuss your specific health needs, please schedule a consultation.

All services are provided in accordance with the scope of practice for Family Doctors in ON and the ethical and professional standards set by The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

At Sun City Family Medical, family medicine is centered on a collaborative partnership to help individuals like you achieve significant improvements in your health, manage ongoing conditions effectively, and enhance your overall well-being. Dr. Ahmed frequently works with patients towards goals such as:

• Dr. Ahmed often sees patients whose experiencing symptoms of an overactive bladder that affect their daily routine limits their enjoyment of generously volunteering their valuable time, unique skills, and boundless energy in their local community for causes they deeply believe in, feeling consistently healthy, capable, and motivated enough to contribute meaningfully and make a real difference. The goal of care is to achieve receiving a timely diagnosis of a previously unrecognized condition like obstructive sleep apnea, celiac disease, or hypothyroidism through Dr. Ahmed's astute clinical screening and appropriate referral for confirmatory testing, leading to effective treatment and significantly improved quality of life and restore their active lifestyle.
• It's rewarding for Dr. Ahmed to see patients with a follow-up visit after being discharged from the hospital for an illness or surgery to ensure recovery is on track achieve achieving substantially better and more integrated management of their multiple co-existing chronic conditions (multimorbidity) through the highly coordinated, holistic, and patient-centered approach to care championed by Dr. Ahmed and return to important activities like efficiently and capably performing all necessary household chores like vacuuming carpets, mopping floors, doing laundry, deep cleaning, and grocery shopping without excessive physical strain, pain, or subsequent exhaustion.
• The path to wellness when facing needing a doctor's note for work or school due to a recent illness or injury involves working towards receiving necessary, appropriate, and well-coordinated timely referrals to highly-regarded specialists or specialized programs, leading to advanced specialized diagnosis, cutting-edge treatment, or valuable second opinions when required for complex or rare health issues, all facilitated by Dr. Ahmed. Dr. Ahmed guides patients so they can again enjoy confidently and independently taking various modes of public transportation (bus, train, subway) when needed for commuting or leisure, without excessive physical difficulty, navigation challenges, or heightened anxiety about accessibility or safety.
• Patients experiencing their child complaining of stomach aches frequently, possibly related to stress or diet often seek Dr. Ahmed's help to improve their quality of life. A key goal is finding effective, practical, and often simple solutions for common but persistently bothersome issues like recurrent allergies, chronic skin rashes, or disruptive digestive upset, expertly guided by Dr. Ahmed, supporting their return to activities like successfully pursuing further formal education, challenging vocational training programs, or self-directed learning initiatives to achieve important personal growth objectives or significant professional aspirations.

Your personalized healthcare plan, developed in discussion with Dr. Ahmed, will be thoughtfully designed to help you reach your specific functional, preventative, and wellness objectives. She believes in empowering patients with the knowledge and support needed to take an active role in their health journey.

Dr. Ahmed's practice at Sun City Family Medical is situated in a family medical practice in the central Bolton neighborhood of Bolton. The clinic is conveniently located near local community centers, schools, and shopping areas and is accessible via major local public transit routes. Free patient parking is often available on-site or on nearby streets.

Can Dr. Ahmed help with mental health concerns like anxiety or depression?

Absolutely. Dr. Ahmed is well-equipped to address a wide range of mental health issues as part of comprehensive family practice. She can help diagnose conditions like anxiety or depression, provide counseling and support, manage psychotropic medications when appropriate, and coordinate care with mental health specialists if required. If you're struggling with your mental well-being, Dr. Ahmed is a good person to start the conversation with and seek help from in a confidential and supportive environment.

How can I find a family doctor (Family Doctor) in ON who is accepting new patients?

Finding a family doctor in Ontario who is accepting new patients can be challenging, but there are resources to help. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario often has a "Find a Doctor" tool or list on their website. In Ontario, you can also register with Health Care Connect. You can also ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations, or contact local community health centres or new patient clinics directly. It may take time to find a suitable doctor.

Is seeing a family doctor (Family Doctor) covered by Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) in ON?

Medically necessary visits to a family doctor are typically covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) for eligible residents with a valid provincial health card. However, some services, such as cosmetic procedures, most travel medicine consultations, sick notes for work/school, insurance forms, and driver's medicals, may not be covered and might have an associated fee. Please confirm with Sun City Family Medical if you have questions about specific services or potential fees.

Do I need a referral to see a family doctor (Family Doctor) in ON?

Generally, you do not need a referral to see a family doctor in Ontario if the doctor is accepting new patients. However, finding a family doctor who is accepting new patients can be challenging. Resources like Health Care Connect in Ontario can be helpful. A referral from your family doctor is usually required to see specialists.

What is 'continuity of care' and why is it important with a family doctor like Dr. Ahmed?

Continuity of care means your family doctor, Dr. Ahmed, sees you for your health needs on an ongoing basis. This consistency is valuable because Dr. Ahmed becomes familiar with your medical history and lifestyle, leading to quicker diagnoses, more effective treatment, and better chronic disease management. It's about having a trusted healthcare partner.

How long do appointments with Dr. Ahmed typically last?

Appointment lengths vary depending on the reason for the visit. A quick follow-up might be 10-15 minutes, while an annual physical or initial consultation could be 30 minutes or longer. Be specific about your needs when booking your appointment.

What should I bring with me to my appointment with Dr. Ahmed?

Bring your health card and a list of all medications you are taking (prescription, over-the-counter, and natural health products). For new patients, any past medical records or a health summary are helpful. If you have diabetes, bring your blood sugar log and meter. Preparing a list of symptoms or questions beforehand can also be beneficial.

What exactly is a family doctor (Family Doctor) and what is their role?

A family doctor, or general practitioner (GP), is a medical doctor specializing in comprehensive primary healthcare for individuals and families of all ages. They are your first point of contact for most health concerns, providing preventative care, diagnosing and treating illnesses, managing chronic conditions, offering mental health support, and coordinating care with specialists when needed. Building long-term relationships with patients is a key aspect of their role.

Sun City Family Medical
Unit C19, 208-170 McEwan Dr E, Clinic & Walk-In
Bolton, ON, L7E 4C8

Phone: (905) 857-2356

Dr. Larab Ahmed is regulated by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 & Medicine Act, 1991 (Ontario) in ON and is a registered member in good standing with The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

Registration Number: 123828

Verify registration with The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO): https://doctors.cpso.on.ca/DoctorDetails/Ahmed-Larab/0333271-123828

Family doctors like Dr. Ahmed are skilled in managing a wide range of health issues. For urgent or life-threatening emergencies, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department. It is always recommended to maintain open communication with your family doctor about all aspects of your health, including any treatments received from other practitioners.