DR
GILL
IS
UNABLETO
OFFER
INDIVIDUAL
ADVICE
OR
SEE
INDIVIDUAL
PATIENTS. ADVICE GIVEN HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. PLEASE SEEK HELP FROM YOUR OWN GP IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL PROBLEM
HEALTH
2
Know
therules
Onlytakeup
toeight500mg
paracetamol
tabletsperday.
Discusswithyour
GPifyouhave
liverorkidney
problems,orare
onotherdrugs.1
Ibuprofen or
paracetamol?4
Don’t
usefor
chicken pox
Nevergive
ibuprofento
childrenwithpain
orfeverinchicken
pox– itincreasesthe
riskofanadverse
skinreaction.Give
paracetamolinstead.3
When
toavoid
Don’ttake
ibuprofenifyou’ve
allergiestoother
anti-inflammatories,
asthma,kidney
problems,a
stomachulcer,
heartfailureor
liverdisease.A runny nose
could be
caused by
an allergywomansweekly.com 31
Q
What can
I do about
my constantly
runny nose?
A
A persistently runny nose, known
as rhinitis, may be due to a series
of colds but it’s more likely to be a
result of allergy to pollen, grasses, mould,
house dust or animal proteins in hair, cells
and saliva. If it’s a response to a seasonal
factor, such as grass pollen, it will have a
seasonal pattern, for example improving
when pollen levels fall after the summer.
But some allergens may be present all
year round, such as house dust. Allergy
testing may be offered by your GP. Once
this would be a skin-patch testing, but now,
blood tests for allergy immunoglobulins
can be done for several hundred allergens.
Treatment includes avoidance where
possible, washing and changing clothes
when coming indoors to remove outdoor
allergens. Taking antihistamine tablets to
prevent a reaction, while decongestants,
such as capsules or nasal sprays, reduce the
reaction, but can only be used short-term
or they may make it worse. For severe
allergies, specialist immunotherapy
treatments may be useful.reduce stress and help the
brain to concentrate. Learn
to manage anxiety – negative
thoughts can actually affect
concentration, so talk to
a counsellor about how
to adopt a positive attitude.
What you can do
Strategies to help you
concentrate include dividing
up your workload, setting
goals so you don’t feel
overwhelmed, planning
ahead and tackling tasks
that need concentration,
when you’re most refreshed,
such as in the morning.
Regular breaks during a
task will help prevent feeling
jaded and losing focus.
Research shows we can only
deeply concentrate for about
20 minutes before we should
take a brief break.
Repeatedly saying out
loud and also writing things
down helps you to learn
and remember them, while
making lists of ideas really
does help.
TRUE
OR FALSE
Fingerprints
fade in the over-60s
True. As we age, especially over
60, research shows our fingerprints
fade – the collagen in the skin is less
elastic and stretches, so the skin sags
and the ridges are less prominent. This
may present a problem as fingerprints
are used in biometric devices to allow
secure log-in, such as mobiles and at
passport control. Other factors
include certain skin diseases,
and types of cancer
chemotherapy.4 FIXES FOR...
DECIDING ON A PAINKILLER
While both are
painkillers, ibuprofen
is an anti-inflammatory,
too, which is also
available as a gel
or spray for muscle
sprains, back pain
and arthritis.