THE weather is still a bit hit and miss for May.
It might be switching from sunshine to clouds and showers but you still need to protect your skin.
Dr Zoe Williams answers some common questions sent in by readers
You can get sunburnt in the UK, even when it’s cloudy.
Yes, really!
Everyone should wear sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher daily on their faces and exposed skin.
You should also look for sunscreen with at least four-star UVA protection.
Get into the habit of slapping it on, so you are ready for summer.
Now, here is what readers have been asking me this week . . .
Q: I HAVE noticed an itchy sensation down below and was given ClobaDerm cream by my doctor.
I went to see a gynaecologist, too, and they gave me the same thing, telling me to use it for two months.
But I’m worried it could be cancer.
What shall I do?
A: I’m going to assume that by “down below” you mean your vulva, the external part of the female genitalia.
The clues were that you have seen a gynaecologist, so this means you must be writing about female “down below”, and you are using a cream applied externally.
I am spelling this out as a way of highlighting how it is really important to use the correct terminology, if we know it, to describe parts of our body, especially with the increase in e-consults and people searching for medical information online.
So, I am hoping that by writing this, people will feel more certain that using words such as vulva, vagina, penis, testicles and clitoris is the right thing to do.
There is no shame, and it is not rude.
ClobaDerm is a brand name for a strong steroid medicine called Clobetasol.
It is used on the skin to reduce swelling, itching and irritation associated with a number of conditions including eczema, psoriasis, lupus and lichen planus.
There is also a condition called lichen sclerosus, which most commonly affects genital skin.
Women with LS can experience severe itching of the skin of the vulva, the anus and the area connecting them, the perineum.
The skin can also be inflamed, or appear whitened or paler.
Sometimes it can become very sore due to scratching.
If this is what the doctors are treating, they should have told you the condition’s name.
The cause is unknown but the condition is not dangerous and not a cancer, though if left untreated, over time LS can cause scarring and tightening of the affected area.
The vulva may shrink, with the clitoral hood and labia minora (inner lips) around the opening of the vagina often affected.
This type of scarring and tightness can cause discomfort when peeing, pooing and during sex.
You may need to use the cream regularly for a few months to get your symptoms under control.
Two months is a good starting point to see how effective it has been.
If your symptoms keep coming back, you may have to keep using it every now and again.
Very rarely, women with LS can develop vulval skin cancer.
If detected early, treatment is very successful, so it is therefore important to report any lumps or unusual changes in your symptoms to your doctor.
In Sun Health last week we spoke to women dealing with gynaecological cancers, including Clare Baumhauer, who had vulval cancer caused by LS.
To read her story, visit Sun Health at thesun.co.uk/health/22212377/gynaecological-cancers-anothing-to-be-ashamed-of/.
Q: I’VE been referred to a long Covid clinic. I’m worried about what will happen.
A: The NHS has established 90 post-Covid syndrome (long Covid) services.
While all of them operate in different parts of the country, their aim is to offer suitable assessments, diagnostic tests and management or appropriate onward referral to post-Covid rehabilitation, treatment and other support.
They also do work to help us understand post-Covid syndrome better.
Usually, your first appointment will be with a doctor experienced in this field and it is nothing to worry about.
You will likely be offered a series of tests, on the same day, that are dependent on your individual physical and mental health symptoms — such as questionnaires, blood tests, blood pressure and fitness tests.
At a later date, the doctor will recommend an action plan.
There will be specialist doctors, nurses, psychologists, physios and other therapists working together to best help you.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s definition of post Covid-19 syndrome is: “Signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with Covid-19, continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.”
Common symptoms include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, muscle aches, shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, heart palpitations and heart rate changes.
Patients may also have pain in the joints, back or shoulders, brain fog, amnesia, hallucinations, headaches, dizziness, anxiety, depression, nausea, persistent cough and a sore throat.
Heart rate is dropping low
Q: I’VE always had a low heart rate (usually 40 bpm or upwards), and low blood pressure.
During the menopause I suffered from palpitations and still do occasionally.
Recently my heart rate has been dropping to 36bpm with an irregular heartbeat that sometimes takes my breath away.
I am 62. It’s so hard to get a doctor’s appointment.
Should I bother them or is it something I can live with?
A: What you are describing is called bradycardia, a slow heart rate with a pulse rate of less than 60 beats per minute.
We describe a normal rate as between 60 and 100.
Some people naturally have a low heart rate and this is often the case for elite athletes.
However, if the rate is below 40, or the blood pressure is low (systolic reading of less than 90) or if the person has symptoms, then it requires urgent medical attention.
Symptoms include chest pain, dizziness, confusion, shortness of breath, palpitations, feeling cold or fatigue.
There could be a problem with how the natural pacemaker in your heart is working.
The irregular heartbeat could be from “ectopic beats”, which is when the heart uses another process to make the heartbeat, in this case because the signal from the pacemaker is taking so long.
This condition is called sick sinus syndrome, but it can also be caused by heart block, or atrioventricular block.
You need an urgent ECG to determine the cause and my advice would be to speak to your GP or if you get any further symptoms, go to A&E.