SOMETIMES it can seem as though you’ve been dealing with a condition for so long, you can’t remember what life was like before the symptoms appeared.
Going back and forth to the GP and pharmacist can be time- consuming, and getting the answers you want and need to feel better might begin to feel impossible.
The SunExpert advice from Dr Zoe Williams, our very own resident specialist and practising NHS GP[/caption]
But I urge you to keep persevering and ask for a second opinion if needed – especially if your symptoms are affecting your quality of life.
And as always, you can ask me any questions about your health too, and I will do my best to help get to the bottom of your issue.
Here’s a sample of what readers have asked me this week.
Got a question for Dr Zoe? Email her at [email protected]
Q) I GET a lot of body itching, more now when I’m in bed. I am 69 – what’s going on?
A: Body itching, or “pruritis” as it’s called within the medical field, can have many, many causes.
Some are quite easy to try to rectify, with measures such as drinking more water and moisturising the skin with an emollient to combat dehydration or mild eczema.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are much more rare but serious causes such as liver disease and some types of cancer that can cause pruritus.
So, if this is a symptom that has persisted for more than a few weeks, it is worth discussing it with your GP, who can take the rest of the information required to determine what the possible causes could be and decide if any tests are needed.
Even if there is no concern about an underlying cause, pruritus is something that should be taken seriously as it can interfere with a person’s quality of life, for example preventing normal sleep and the ability to concentrate.
If your GP gives you the all-clear, then your pharmacist may be helpful in recommending creams for the skin, such as aqueous cream containing menthol.
Q) I WONDER if you could help me please. I woke up one morning with blurred and cloudy vision. I went to the hospital and they said I’d had a mini-stroke.
I still have no vision in my left eye. I was wondering, will I ever get my vision back? Or is there any medication or treatment I can have to help? I suffer from high blood pressure – was this the cause of it?
A) A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or “mini-stroke” is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain. This disruption results in a lack of oxygen to part of the brain.
It can cause sudden symptoms similar to a stroke, such as speech and visual disturbance, and numbness or weakness in the face, arms and legs.
But in a TIA, the symptoms always recover completely within 24 hours. If they continue for longer than that, as in your case, this is a stroke.
Blurred vision is possible in any type of stroke but it’s especially common with an “eye stroke”, where the disruption in blood supply is to the artery supplying the eye itself, rather than the brain. The medical term for an eye stroke is a retinal artery occlusion — “occlusion” means blockage.
I can’t say for certain what caused your stroke without seeing your medical notes, but high blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke.
Another significant cause of stroke is atrial fibrillation — which causes an irregular heartbeat and increases the risk of blood clots forming.
In fact, AF makes you five times more likely to have a stroke.
It usually has no symptoms, so the only way to know if you have AF is to have the rhythm of your pulse checked.
If you’re over 65 it’s a good idea to ask your doctor to check your pulse for AF while you are seeing them for a routine medical check, or anything else. An ECG test is then required to confirm AF.
There are now apps on smartphones that can help you to check for a normal pulse rhythm yourself. Some examples are FibriCheck and Cardiio.
The Stroke Association says around two- thirds of people have vision problems after a stroke. You should have been offered a vision assessment before you left hospital and, if you weren’t, your GP can refer you or you can visit your optician and explain what’s happened.
You should also have had a referral to an orthoptist or ophthalmologist specialising in stroke and brain injury, who can assess you.
The Stroke Association has a helpline you can call: 0303 3033 100.
But please make sure you pursue help and treatment, as in many cases stroke symptoms can lessen or disappear with the right therapies and help.
‘SWEATS ARE UNBEARABLE’
Q) IS it normal to still be going through the menopause for 20 years? I’ve tried everything and the doctor can’t help me. The day and night sweats are unbearable.
A) I’m glad you decided to write to me for help as I’m sure there are many women out there who are struggling with this too.
While the average length of time for symptoms to last is four years after menopause, for some they can continue for decades, and sweating is a very common symptom.
I’m assuming your GP will have already ruled out other causes for the sweating, such as abnormal thyroid function and blood-cell abnormalities.
If the sweating has persisted for 20 years, it is likely it is due to your hormones, and HRT should be considered.
For the majority of women who start taking HRT under 60, the benefits outweigh the risks.
Above the age of 60, HRT does have more risk associated with taking it, but this must be balanced against the benefits, and in a person whose symptoms are affecting quality of life, then there is a reasonable chance the benefits will still outweigh those risks.
Of course, I do not know your full medical history, such as whether you have ever had breast cancer, so am unable to help you establish if it would be suitable for you.
There are also non-hormonal treatments that can be used such as clonidine and gabapentin. If your GP says they can’t help you, ask if there’s another doctor at the practice with a special interest in menopause, or if one of the nurses is a menopause expert.
If there isn’t anyone at the practice, you can ask to be referred to a menopause specialist, but there may be a long waiting time.