THE weather has been a bit iffy considering it’s meant to be summer, but you should still make sure you are well-hydrated – especially if you are heading off on your holidays in sweltering southern Europe.
However, knocking back alcoholic drinks doesn’t count, and be careful with energy drinks too, which have been in the news lately, with a focus on their potentially dangerously high caffeine and sugar levels.
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Most of us need six to eight glasses of fluid a day – but this can be significantly more in hot weather, if exercising or when pregnant or breastfeeding. You can hydrate by drinking lots of cool, fresh water or eating foods with a lot of water.
Add watermelon to your daily diet. It’s in season.
Here’s a selection of what readers have asked me this week . . .
Q) I’VE noticed I’m getting tiny spider veins under my skin. Do I have to be concerned about these spider veins? They’re mainly on my chest.
A) Spider veins — sometimes called thread veins — are small, damaged veins that appear as thin blue, purple or brown lines or branched webs, usually on the legs.
They are very common and are not usually cause for concern.
If they are mostly on your chest then it may be spider-telangiectasia. These tend to have a spider-like appearance, with a central red blob (the body of the “spider”) from which fine red lines (the spider legs) extend out.
You can test for them: if you press on the centre, the whole “spider” should disappear, and then when you release the pressure it will fill again from the centre outwards.
Normal is that ten to fifteen percent of individuals will develop a spider telangiectasia. You should consult your GP if several appear.
The condition can be caused by normal circulating levels of oestrogen or oral contraceptives or liver disease. You may need a liver blood test from your GP.
Other signs or symptoms of liver disease include jaundice, red palms and bright white nails, or a past history of liver problems, hepatitis, or excess alcohol consumption.
Some people opt to pay private money for treatments which permanently destroy the tiny blood vessels.
Q) There are small, red spots on my upper arm from my biceps to my wrists and just above my eyebrows. Touching it feels very hot. It helped to use E45. I’ve had it for ten weeks but my doctor cannot see me till October.
A)The term to describe inflammation of the skin is “dermatitis”.
In fact any medical word ending with “itis” means inflammation.
Eczema can also be described as an inflammation of skin.
Allergic reactions or skin irritations can cause eczema.
Atopic eczema is a skin condition that can be caused by allergies to things like animal fur and house dust mites.
Even the coldest weather can cause eczema.
It is more common for people with atopic skin eczema to have asthma, and also hayfever. This condition is more common in children and tends to be inherited.
The eczema may appear anywhere but it is most common behind the knees or inside the elbows. It can also occur around the neck and face.
There is another type of allergic dermatitis called contact dermatitis, where the skin gets inflamed in response to an allergic reaction that occurs when it comes into contact with an allergen (the thing causing the allergy).
Some examples include latex rubber gloves and certain chemicals used in products such as cleaning agents or toiletries.
It is more common for this type of allergic reaction to occur on the part of the body that was in the closest contact with the allergen. This type of allergy is more common to occur in older people and less likely to run through families.
From the distribution of your rash I wonder if this is the most likely cause and whether the allergen could be something that you have used on your forearms — perhaps a new cream or perfume, or did you wear some long rubber gloves?
Have you ever touched your forehead above the eyebrows before?
I’m wondering if you may have spread the allergen to that area this way?
I obviously cannot diagnose you based on the information available, but if it is a contact allergy, the treatment would be lots of emollient — such as E45 and a steroid cream.
In order to prevent future allergies, it is important to identify the allergen. Patch testing can be used to determine this.
I’d suggest calling your GP back to see if you can email over some photographs of the rash, or ask if you can make an appointment with the nurse practitioner.
Your pharmacist can provide you with emollients or mild steroids creams.
RAYNAUD IS CAUSING PAIN
Q) FOR the past two years my husband has suffered with Raynaud’s disease, which causes numbness and a cold feeling in some of his body areas.
In December, he will turn 80 years old. He is still very active. He’s spoken to the doctor who has confirmed the condition.
Our silver socks do work.
However, in the hot weather he doesn’t want to wear them. When he doesn’t, he wakes up with pain in his toes.
What else can he use?
A) Raynaud’s is a condition that affects circulation.
Spasms of blood vessels happen in response to cold, stress, or emotional upset.
It’s usually the fingers and toes that are affected, although ears, nose, lips and nipples can be affected too.
As blood circulation is reduced, the skin may turn blue or white. Darker skin may look paler.
Your husband is already looking after himself by being active, which is fantastic – and using silver socks to reduce heat loss when appropriate is great.
A medication called nifedipine can help with the circulation, which your GP may consider.
For certain people with the condition, emotional stress can trigger it.
If your husband seems to be tense, try supporting him by recommending calming techniques, such as mindfulness.
The condition is also exacerbated if you smoke. Look into NHS services to help him quit smoking if he’s a smoker.