THE DOC REPLIES
MY granddaughter is a fitness fanatic and is eating protein supplements. Are they safe?
Protein supplements have become increasingly popular. Many people use them along with a fitness programme to help build muscle. As long as they are taken according to manufacturer’s instructions, there shouldn’t be a problem. However, in most cases eating a healthy protein-rich diet is just as good.
CAN certain food or drink aggravate cystitis? I’m troubled occasionally by it.
With cystitis it is important to drink plenty of fluids to help flush out any infection and dilute the urine. Patients often report that different foods can cause irritation to the bladder but in general the main culprits would be caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods. Cranberry juice or capsules can help improve symptoms.
I’VE noticed when I’m angry or stressed I start to experience a pain in my chest. Is this normal or should I be having my heart or airways checked? I’m a 55-year-old male.
If you are having pain in your chest it’s important to have this checked out, especially if you have any family history of heart disease. Angina, which is chest pain often brought on by exercise, can also occur with stress. Increased heart-rate associated with this can sometimes bring on the pain. It may, of course, be nothing to worry about but you would be best to see your GP and perhaps have your cholesterol checked.
MY daughter has a skin tag on her neck that’s quite large. She’s 4, I was wondering if we should look into having it removed or if we should wait until she’s older?
If the skin tag is not bothering her then I would probably leave it well alone. If she is keen to have it removed when she is a bit older this can be done fairly easily under local anaesthetic.
I’M taking aspirin for rheumatism, but is it alright to also take ibuprofen to relieve pain for other conditions like headaches?
If you are already taking aspirin then I would suggest that you use paracetamol for other conditions such as headache. Ibuprofen is in the same class of drugs as Aspirin and taking both together can increase your risk of gastric irritation.
IS it safe for me to donate blood? I’ve previously been diagnosed with anaemia, but that was 30 years ago.
The previous diagnosis of anaemia would not exclude you from donating blood as long as you are not currently anaemic. When you attend they will test this by a finger prick blood test. If you are in good health there shouldn’t be a problem. You can check out the website as there is more information about any other reasons why you may be excluded.
WHAT causes colon cancer? My father had it and I’m curious to know if I’m therefore likely to get it.
There are multiple factors which can be involved with colon cancer. Age and family history, for instance. People who have benign polyps in the bowel can be at slightly increased risk as sometimes these polyps can develop abnormalities. Inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s are linked with a slightly increased risk if the condition has been present for a long time. There are certain lifestyle factors which may increase the risk such as smoking, excess alcohol intake, poor diet and being overweight. Just because your father had bowel cancer doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be more prone to it. A screening programme takes place every two years from the age of 50 and it is important that you take part in this.
WHAT causes a bruise to form?
Bruises form as a result of trauma to the blood vessels. This causes a little bit of leakage of blood from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissues – which then turns into a bruise.