I suddenly started talking utter gibberish to my wife

QLAST night, I was reading to my wife and I found it came out as slurred gibberish, which frightened me. It lasted for about five minutes and then my speech returned to normal. Should I be worried?

Name and address supplied.

AWhen something unexpected such as this happens, understandably you fear that it might happen again, but rest assured there is an explanation and treatment.

I suspect your loss of speech (or aphasia) was caused by a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), which is when, for a brief moment, part of your brain doesn’t receive an adequate blood and oxygen supply.

There was no permanent damage, your recovery is testimony to that, so we can conclude this episode was not a full stroke. It was most likely caused by a small blood clot, which could have travelled from anywhere from the heart upwards, although most TIAs occur as a result of narrowing in the carotid arteries in the neck.

TIAs can also cause nausea, confusion and loss of movement on one side. The full list of symptoms is extensive, but crucially they last only minutes, or at most a few hours.

It’s vital you see your GP promptly, who will arrange tests and then probably prescribe a daily dose of aspirin to prevent further clots.

QI’VE just bought a pulse oximeter and would like to know about the readings. I believe the device can tell if a person has Covid-19. Jane Lucas, Knebworth, Herts.

AThAnk you for raising this question about a gadget that I think should be present in all households. A pulse oximeter measures the level of oxygen in the blood.

It’s a simple device — you can buy one for around £20 — which you clip on to your fingertip or ear lobe. It works by passing l i ght through the skin; the absorption of different wavelengths of light as the beam passes through the blood i ndicates the amount of oxygen present.

The test is accurate and can be used to monitor lung function in patients with severe asthma and other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia and heart disorders.

Typically, a person’s oxygen saturation is more than 95 per cent. Levels below 92 per cent indicate a problem.

A pulse oximeter cannot be used to diagnose Covid-19. however, if someone who was previously well developed symptoms of a respiratory illness — raised temperature, cough, shortness of breath — the readings could indicate how severe this is.

If their reading was less than 90 per cent, they’d feel slightly breathless but could otherwise seem Ok (what we call happy hypoxia — hypoxia referring to the lack of oxygen).

If regular monitoring (every two to three hours) showed levels were declining, medical expertise would be needed.

Along with a thermometer and an automatic blood pressure monitor, a pulse oximeter is a useful bit of kit I believe all households should own.