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| Sun, 11th December 2011 |
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Trudging hot pavements, walking around stores, hard unrelenting floors, as the shoes become tighter and feet swell a bit from the heat. Know the feeling? Here are a few simple tips. With constant "on your feet" chores, take a break. Sit down and relax for five minutes. Put down your bundles, and give the shopping trolley a break too. Arriving home, kick off shoes, stockings or socks. Plonk the feet in a bucket of nice hot water for a couple of minutes. Then suddenly reverse this, and place in cold water. Heat dilates blood vessels (so the feet turn red), cold shrinks them, forcing the blood along its passageways. Repeat this for 5-10 minutes. End with cold. RUB and MASSAGE Then dry vigorously with a rough towel. This further helps flow. Toxins from body metabolism (lactic acid, CO2 and unwanted chemicals) are swept along and eliminated by the liver and kidney systems. Now give your feet a lovely massage. If lucky, your partner or friend may do this for you. Use a simple moisturising cream, or plain olive oil. Also sweep upwards towards the heart. Pinch, punch, slap, the feet and calves. UP THE WALL Now lie on your back and place feet at right angles up the wall! Looks stupid, but this again helps blood from lower limbs return to the body, and recycle through heart and lungs. More lovely oxygen. The feet will love you for it and tingle. Then it's time for a nice cool drink I go for boring old tap water at room temperature. But cold fruit juices are OK. Best squeezed by yourself, for most commercial ones are high in kJs. In turn this heats rather than cools the blood. And always adds a bit more unwanted weight around the middle and rump! |
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| BELCHING |
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I seem to belch a lot. Any simple tips to avoid this vulgar habit? | |
A: | Each time we swallow, some air enters the stomach. With no ready escape route, it accumulates until finally the valve at the end of the food tube opens with the gushing release and noise. Avoid fizz drinks, avoid chewing gum. Don't drink with meals. Chew food well before swallowing. Chew with the mouth closed. Mylanta II (antacid with simethicone) may help. About 1000mL of gas and air are trapped each day in the gut system. It must go somewhere! | |
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| HEPATITIS C |
Q: |
We know about hepatitis A and B, but how do you catch C and is it preventable? | |
A: | Hepatitis C is a serious liver infection, often with few symptoms becoming chronic and may lead to liver cancer. Frequent in those into illicit drugs, using anothers infected needle. Numbers are increasing exponentially. Sometimes occurs if tattooed with infected needles. No vaccination, as with A and B. Modern medication including interferon and ribavarin at specialised centres can cure, but often unpleasant side effects occur diagnosed by blood tests. | |
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| CLUSTER HEADACHE |
Q: |
What is meant by "cluster headache", and is it treatable? | |
A: | This is very severe pain on one side of the head, mainly in men, usually early morning, and it keeps recurring. Like a migraine only worse. Sometimes there are tears, runny nose and drooping eyelid. Giving 100% oxygen by mask for 15 minutes helps many with recurring attacks. The anti-migraine medication ("triptans" such as sumatriptan and others), best via the nose is very effective. A variety of medications is available to prevent, such as pizotifen, methysergide, ergotamine (old timer). Avoid alcohol. | |
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| CANCER TEST |
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What are current views on the cancer screening kit? | |
A: | It is useful, but only of value if result is "positive". A negative response does not exclude bowel cancer. A colonoscopy is the gold standard. This should be carried out in those 65 and over. Or as early as 40 if there is a bowel cancer family history where risk increases from 1 in 25 to 1 in 5. Usually there are no symptoms till it's too late. It is good "health investment". | |
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| SKIN AND BONES |
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Skin doctors say "avoid sun and avoid skin cancer". The bone doctors say "get some sun to avoid weak brittle bones and fractures". Who do we believe? | |
A: | Believe both. Vitamin D, for strong bones, is manufactured by the skin exposed to the sun. So some sun (preferably early morning and for short periods). Also, taking vitamin D (Ostelin), and calcium each day also helps, plus calcium rich foods (dairy products head the list). Avoid skin burning from the sun, as this is always the pre-runner to skin cancer. | |
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