2020-05-01_Good_Health

Foryears,I’vehada

problemwithrecurrent

painfulboilsinmyarmpits

andgroin.Mydoctor

recentlydiagnoseditas

hidradenitissuppurativa,

butantibioticshaven’t

helped.WhatcanIdo?

Hiradenitis

suppurativa(HS)

isadistressingcondition

thatrequiresspecialist

treatmentbya

dermatologist.Somemajor

hospitalsrunHSclinics.

Treatmentcaninvolvelaser,

surgery and even corticosteroid

therapy. More recently, so-called

“biologics” – drugs that affect the

immune system are being trialled

for HS. Ask your GP for a referral to a

dermatologist who specialises in HS.

Ask the expert

DR PENNY ADAMS DISCUSSES B12 INJECTIONS AND

ENERGY LEVELS, TREATING RECURRENT PAINFUL BOILS,

AND THE TRUTH ABOUT OLDER MEN AND FERTILITY

Weoftenhear about fertility

decreasing for women as

theygetolder. Does the

samehappen to men?

Mencan father children well

intoolder age, however there

issomedecline in fertility,

especially after the age of 45.

Older biological fathers

may also have a higher risk

of offspring having some

neuropsychological,

such as autism, and

genetic problems.

VitaminB12isrequiredformakingredbloodcellsand

forthebrainandnervoussystemtofunctionproperly.

B12isfoundinanimalproducts,solowB12canoccurinvegans

andoralsupplementsareneeded.Somepeople,suchasthose

withtheautoimmuneconditionperniciousanaemiawhose

antibodiesblockB12absorption,cannotabsorbthisvitamin

fromthegut.ThesepeoplerequireB12injections.Feelingtired

canhavemanycausesandshouldbeinvestigatedbyyourGP

andthespecificproblemtreated.B12injectionsareoftengiven

asan“energyboost”,butthisisnotrecommendedunlessyou

haveaspecificB12deficiency.

‘Flin tire ca hav
an cause an

houl b nvestigateb ou GP’

I’m 55 yearsoldandhave
recentlybeenputon
Perindoprilforhighblood
pressure.Doesthis
medicationhaveside
effectsandwhatelsecan
IdotolowermyBP?

Perindoprilisinagroupofblood
pressuremedicationscalled
angiotensin-convertingenzyme(ACE)
inhibitors,whichblocktheenzymein
yourbodythatproducesangiotensin.
Thissubstancenarrowsyourblood
vesselsandmakesyourheartwork
harder.Thismedicationhasvery
fewsideeffects,althoughasmall
group of people may get a
persistent dry cough. Cutting
back on salt, losing weight and
exercising regularly can
all help to decrease
your blood pressure. PHOTOGRAPHY

GETTY IMAGES

A

A

A

A

there

is some

decline in

fertility seen

after the

age of 45

I’ve been feeling very tired

lately. Will B12 injections help?

If you’d like one of our experts to

answer your question, email it

to [email protected].

No personal correspondence

will be entered into.