Very last month I knowledgeable a dreadful agony on one aspect of my encounter – like an electric powered shock heading from my upper lip to my hairline. It lasted a couple seconds but stopped me in my tracks. I saw my GP who prompt it was trigeminal neuralgia, recommended pregabalin and organized an appointment with a neurologist. I’m frightened of the suffering returning. Will it?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a sudden and significant facial soreness. Attacks can very last wherever from seconds to a handful of minutes and can occur hundreds of instances a working day.

It’s connected to problems with one particular of the trigeminal nerves, which operate throughout both side of the confront, branching from just in entrance of the ear, around the eyes and across the brow and also the jaw. Typically just a person is influenced, so soreness is felt on only 1 aspect of the face.

Trigeminal nerves transmit sensations of contact and ache, but they can turn out to be compressed – normally by nearby blood vessels, for motives that are not always clear – resulting in episodic discomfort.

The attacks can be triggered by functions that require touching the confront, eating and brushing tooth. But a slight breeze or air conditioning, or movement of the experience or head, can also carry it on.

We’d ordinarily only diagnose it once there has been dependable or recurrent pain, but a GP might pick to prescribe a thing as a pre-emptive evaluate.

The most typically provided drug for trigeminal neuralgia is carbamazepine, which is effective to dull nerve ache. Pregabalin is also a nerve-ache drug, but isn’t commonly presented in these cases.

Looking for leads to is an essential next action – dental complications, for instance, can be connected. Individuals must expect a referral to a expert agony clinic – with ready lists as they are at the moment, building absolutely sure the appointment is designed could possibly contain staying persistent with the GP. In some extreme cases, operation is necessary.

A number of yrs in the past I was started off on statins as my cholesterol was really superior – 7.7. My levels didn’t come down sufficient, so I was switched on to one more statin but this appeared to set off extreme anxiety. A third sort brought on the same dilemma. I’m only able to tolerate a lower dose of the authentic statin, but this isn’t controlling my cholesterol. I have a family members historical past of heart assaults, so I’m wondering if I have other choices?

Really superior cholesterol merged with a family historical past of heart assaults is a dangerous condition to be in.

Bringing down the cholesterol amount would reduce the possibility of a coronary heart attack or stroke. But other factors will also be crucial, together with treating diabetes or lifted blood sugar and high blood pressure. Common exercising and producing sure you are a healthier excess weight – with a waistline measurement of a lot less than 37in for gentlemen and 31in for ladies – are vital to this.

Statins are extremely widespread medicine but there are side consequences for some people today. Anxiety is not a regular one particular we hear, but if it is a little something you are struggling then medical practitioners ought to present options. If only a reduced dose of statins is tolerable, there is the alternative of including one more sort of a cholesterol-lowering drug identified as ezetimibe. Collectively they could aid management cholesterol without the side results.

In lots of hospitals there are specialist lipid clinics that aim on folks who have extremely higher cholesterol that is complicated to treat, and it may be truly worth inquiring for a referral to a person as they can offer a variety of other drug treatment options that just can’t be initiated by a GP.

The charity Coronary heart United kingdom can offer you guidance (heartuk.org.uk).

My 6-thirty day period-aged grandson has an infected rash all above his physique. Our doctor has recommended an antihistamine, which only decreased the redness. He is unable to rest, which signifies neither can Mum and Dad. Can you offer you any advice?

The first thing I’d take into consideration is eczema. This triggers inflamed, dry and crimson skin with episodes flaring up and then subsiding.

It is frequent in infants, and we have pretty typical cure regimes that we would offer parents. A warning – sticking to these can be tiresome and dull. It definitely can enable a fantastic deal, but only if it is reliable.

The 1st move is keeping away from all irritants, these types of as tub goods and shampoos and matters that may possibly have an affect on the pores and skin, like fabric conditioner. Communicate to pharmacists about a suitable soap substitute – usually a cream or an oil rubbed on the pores and skin.

At minimum three or four situations just about every day (typically when switching a nappy) an emollient product should really be made use of – these are medically formulated moisturisers which hydrate and soften the pores and skin. 

There are a number of solutions on chemists’ cabinets and it might choose some trial and error to find a single that fits.

As very well as this, when eczema is particularly flared-up, a couple of times of a delicate steroid product could be utilized in the worst parts. 

This problems some sufferers, but these are exceptionally harmless and undoubtedly a improved solution than leaving a toddler in agony from the rash.

Antihistamines normally really do not assistance eczema.

It’s really worth considering a cow’s milk protein allergy. This can cause a serious eczema-type concern on the skin as nicely as digestive concerns, and frequently babies with extremely inflamed pores and skin basically have this, not eczema.

Temperature warnings aren’t so daft

I rolled my eyes when I read about the Government’s program to introduce a new method of colour-coded warnings to notify us when the weather conditions gets seriously very hot or genuinely cold.

I’m confident, like me, you assumed: ‘Well, I can perform that out for myself, thank you really considerably.’ But us Brits are not so good in the warmth. I know this since every single summertime I see sunburnt young ones and elderly people with heatstroke in my clinic. And each 12 months hundreds of individuals die from the heat in the United kingdom. It is a major trouble, specially in around-65s. Health concerns are an problem in wintertime, much too, when temperatures drop.

So I’ll be signing up to the emails. You can sign-up by means of the Government’s web site (gov.uk). The least difficult factor to do is to Google ‘Weather-Health and fitness Alerting System’ and it ought to come up as the major strike.

What women’s wellbeing challenges do YOU want tackled now? 

In August last year the Authorities launched its Women’s Wellness Method for England soon after paying a calendar year accumulating stories from gals about their health care activities.

There was a large quantity of responses, with quite a few telling tales of being overlooked, dismissed and improperly handled. The Mail on Sunday is passionate about shifting this – so we are assembling a Women’s Well being Panel to deal with the most important wellness challenges going through 51 for each cent of the populace.

It will characteristic the UK’s foremost authorities in a broad range of clinical specialities, from gynaecology and psychological health to physical fitness and dermatology. Now, we have one concern: What do YOU want us to converse about?

In the coming months, we’ll dedicate a full edition of Health to answering in depth the most pressing challenges you’re experiencing.

You can email me on [email protected] or write to me at: The Mail on Sunday, 9 Derry Avenue, London W8 5HY.