My 48-year-old sister has recently been diagnosed with diabetes. No one else in my family has ever had it, but could I be at risk of developing it too? A new diagnosis of diabetes at 48 is almost certainly type 2 diabetes – the type that is usually treated with diet and tablets rather than insulin. Relatives of anyone with …
Bruises
I have unexplained bruises, normally on the backs of my hands. I don’t remember knocking myself before they appear. Should I be worried? I’m 62 years old. Probably not. Women bruise more easily than men and it often tends to get worse as we get older. Some drugs like steroids or anti-inflammatories make us more prone to bruising but if …
Pufffy Eyes
I have puffiness under my eyes when I wake up. I get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. What’s causing it? Unfortunately this has more to do with age and genetic predisposition than anything else. As we get older our eyeballs tend to sink deeper into their sockets squeezing the fat into the area below our eyes. The problem …
Food Poisoning
I ate chicken at a barbecue and when I got home I had stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. This lasted about four days. I saw my GP, who said it was food poisoning. I’m feeling better now, but I still get the occasional bout of cramps and gas. Are the bugs still in my system? What can I do to …
Sinusitis
I get sinusitis and nothing seems to shift it. Often my sinuses get infected and I have to get them drained. Is there anything I can do to stop it happening? It sounds like you are producing excess mucus. It will probably surprise you to hear that it is normal to make up to four pints of thin mucus every …
Heavy Periods
I’m 44 and I suffer from really heavy periods. My doctor has suggested a hysterectomy, but I’d rather not have one. Is there another solution? Absolutely! Over 30,000 hysterectomies are performed in the UK every year for period related problems, but with modern advances that number is starting to fall. It is worth talking to your doctor about a special …
MRSA
I’ve heard that some of us carry the superbug MRSA and I’m really worried about catching it. How do you know if you’ve got it? If one of my family has it, can they pass it on? MRSA or methicillin resistant staphylococcus is a bacteria which lives on the skin and in the nose of healthy individuals without causing any …
Asthma
My son’s asthma always seems to be worse in the winter and spring. Could he be allergic to the central heating? Asthma is a very individual disease – what triggers an attack in one person will not cause any problems for the next, but it is common to find asthmatics have more problems in winter. This is usually put down …
Chill Blains
I get chill blains in the winter but now my hands and fingers seem very cold too. A friend said I might have Raynaud’s Syndrome. What is that? Raynaud’s is a disease of the small blood vessels supplying the hands and feet, which go into spasm in response to a drop in temperature. It is very common. There are over …
I sweat too much
I’ve always sweated a lot, but it has started getting worse (I’m 62). I sweat a lot on my face, back and under my arms. If I’m somewhere hot my clothes can be soaking within half an hour. I have started carrying a spare top with me. Is there any I can do about it? Excessive sweating, also called hyperhidrosis, …