Holidays are upon us, but keeping track of your children can seem like an endless task.
The whole family may feel worse off at this time due to sunburns, wasp bites, sand on the eyelids, and late night bedtimes.
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Sticking to a routine is tricky when there’s no school to get up for.
But a good night’s sleep and regular, balanced meals can cure many ills, such as irritability and grumpiness, making for a happier and healthier summer break for all of you.
Here’s a selection of what readers have asked this week . . .
Q: About six weeks ago, I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Other than that, I have no symptoms. However, my menopause is getting worse.
A blood test or an electrocardiogram have revealed nothing.
My doctor prescribed me hormone therapy patches. The patches have not made any difference to my hair or head.
My eyes were also scanned in 3D and I had an eye examination.
If my blood pressure is low, I might need to adjust the medication. I’m just really looking for some advice as to your thoughts.
A) These questions are important.
Writing to your doctor and talking to them about symptoms is important. Many women will not seek help if they have symptoms.
While a normal ECG is somewhat reassuring and certainly rules out lots of significant heart conditions, it doesn’t tell you if there are any temporary changes to your heart rhythm at the time you have symptoms.
You should ask your GP about a Holter Test. This can be done for 24 or even 7-days.
This is a little monitor about the size of a mobile phone that is designed to pick up if your heart rhythm changes — going too slow, too fast, or irregular — at the time of symptoms, so in your case when you have light-headedness/dizziness.
Being lightheaded and dizzy are recognised symptoms of menopause and it’s not unusual to get new symptoms as you journey through the menopause transition.
You have a GP who is proactive. Trialling hormone replacement therapy is a sensible option, but two weeks isn’t really long enough to decide if it has helped or not.
It’s usually advised to give it at least two months, unless it is giving you unwanted side-effects.
Also, HRT isn’t a “one size fits all” medication.
You may have to adjust your dosage and type of medication over six months or longer.
You’re only six weeks into your new symptoms too, so keep a diary of when you feel worse or better and see if that correlates with sleep, what you eat or what’s going on in terms of stress levels at home or work.
It sounds like you have a good dialogue with your GP, so feed all that information back to them and they can help you analyse the findings.
HRT is the gold-standard treatment for menopausal symptoms but it’s always worth looking at the holistic side of things too.
How do you sleep? What is your diet like?
What is your average intake of ultra-processed or processed food? How long do you work out each week?
Has there been a stressful experience in the past six months?
Chinese people view menopause positively.
It is referred to as the “second spring”, which means it’s a time in life to focus on yourself and adapt lifestyle patterns to help you feel nourished, calm and healthy.
I know that might sound unachievable right now, but it’s what women should be aiming for in this chapter of their lives.
Please keep looking for answers. It sounds like you’re very much in the driving seat with your menopause and that’s where we want everyone to be.
Q) There is a black hard bit under my bellybutton. What’s it called and do I need to see my doctor about it?
A) Belly buttons are one of those parts of our bodies that a lot of us don’t even think about, let alone take care of.
It is generally recommended that you clean your bellybutton once a weekly, since it may harbour bacteria and dead skin cells.
In reality, very few people pay any attention to this part of the body.
Rarely skin cells can form in the navel. Hair, oil, even fabric, may also collect and create an omphalolith.
Your dermatologist can remove these by removing the scabs.
They’re mostly harmless but they can be uncomfortable and you’re much better off treating them, as they can continue to grow and become more uncomfortable.
First, you should make an appointment at the GP’s surgery with a nurse.
Tummy bloat gets my goat
My stomach feels gassy and bloated all the time. When I go for a poo it’s urgent and soft
It’s true, I also have some blood. But it’s all been checked and it’s not diverticula.
Everything is fine after a colonoscopy. I am 70. I asked my doctor to test me for lactose insensitivity.
Do you have any suggestions for me? I’ve started to omit dairy but would love to get a lactose test.
A) The fact you’ve had a colonoscopy is reassuring, as that is the best test to rule out colorectal (bowel) cancer.
I assume a full set of blood tests has been done too, to rule out other conditions such as Crohn’s, colitis and coeliac disease, and also a CA125 test for ovarian cancer – if you are female?
It is best to do a two-week lactose diet to see if you are lactose intolerant.
Diagnosed if symptoms disappear but return after reintroduction to lactose containing foods.
If you’ve not checked labels to cut out all lactose-containing food, start the two-week trial over.
Keep track of how you are feeling and whether symptoms return when lactose is reintroduced.
It isn’t advisable to not reintroduce the food because, if there was no intolerance present, it would limit your diet and nutrition without any good reason.
Your GP will diagnose irritable bowel disease if this test comes back negative, and if everything else is ruled-out.
The British Dietetics Association (BDA) website has IBS resources.bda.uk. com/resource/irritable-bowel-syndrome-diet.html).
If things do not improve, try to see a dietitian/nutritionist.