The 41-year old Irish medical expert Dr Pixie McKenna, has seen just
about every kind of strange bodily problem and ailment during her four
years on Embarrassing Illnesses and its sister series, Embarrassing
Bodies. The focus of the programs is primarily to speak to people with a
wide range of issues that they are uncomfortable discussing with their
own GP.
This week Dr McKenna spoke out and explained ten of the most regular
problems she gets quizzed about, and her advice on how to try and best
tackle them. Here we give a run down on the ten common health issues:
1) Flatulence
Also known as ‘passing wind’ or ‘farting’. Sometimes linked to a number of
stomach and bowel
conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, excessive flatulence can
be distressful for the sufferer. Some people find medications such as
Mebeverine can be effective in treating their symptoms.
Dr Pixie says: “Keep a food diary and correlate your ‘windy episodes’
with your food intake. Foods with sulphides, like eggs, are a big issue
for people. You should also try to eat slowly. You can trap a lot of
air when you eat and that creates a lot of gas. If your flatulence is
really bad, see a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions.”
2) Bad breath
This is also known as ‘halitosis’ and it is thought that persistent
bad breath affects up to 50% of us. Dentists can usually give good
advice on better oral health and may refer you for further tests if the
problem persists.
Dr Pixie says: “Everyone should brush their teeth for two minutes a
day and floss. Food can get jammed in between your teeth and you need to
remove it. If you smell the floss afterwards, it stinks! Also, invest
in an electric toothbrush. It’s like using a Dyson versus a broom to
clean your mouth.”
3) Painful sex
Often thought that this just affects women, surprisingly the problem
can affect both sexes. For women, when the pain is located in the
vagina, this is most commonly due to sexually transmitted infection such
as
chlamydia, gonorrhoea or
genital herpes.
Pains deep in the pelvis could be because of pelvic inflammatory
disease, irritable bowel syndrome or endometriosis (when womb lining
grows outside the womb). Men’s problems are typically due to tight
foreskins, inflammation of the prostate gland, or because of sexually
transmitted infection.
Dr Pixie says: “There can be other gynaecological reasons for painful
sex – it could be down to a fibroid or cervical polyp. Or there could
be a psychological element. But by not actively exploring your symptoms
further you could be missing a significant diagnosis. The other easily
treatable common condition is chlamydia, which has no symptoms.”
4) Snoring
It is estimated that 40% of people in England snore, so the problem
is very common. Health professionals usually grade a person’s snoring
problems on a scale of 1 to 3. Grade 1 is where snoring is not regular
and breathing is unaffected. Grade 2 snoring is usually occasions of
more than three days a week with mild breathing difficulties. Grade 3
sufferers are usually diagnosed with ‘obstructive sleep apnoea’, where
the airways become partly or completely blocked for about 10 seconds.
Dr Pixie says: “Snoring can be caused by having very large tonsils or
a floppy larynx. When you lie down, the muscles that keep your airways
open relax and become limp, causing the airways to narrow and vibrate
more. Sleep apnoea can be brought on by weight gain but a CPAP machine, a
little device you wear at night, which makes the airwaves stay open,
can help.”
Nasal blockage or swelling of the nasal passage can lead to snoring,
as the person often opens their mouth to try and breathe better, which
leads to snoring. Regular use of a nasal spray such as
Nasonex and the taking of an anti-histamine tablet such as
Loratadine can relieve these symptoms.
5) Stretch marks
Stretch marks are common and either sex can get them, but are more
frequently seen in nearly all women (9/10) during pregnancy. The
abdomen, thighs and buttocks and thighs are the areas usually affected.
Dr Pixie says: “Laser treatment is not available on the NHS but your
GP can refer you to the Red Cross, which provides a skin camouflage
make-up service. They match your skin tone, and your GP can then
prescribe that cream on an NHS prescription. Then, when you go on
holiday and you want to cover the stretch marks on your body, you have
something to camouflage them with.”
6) Erectile dysfunction
Also known as male impotence, this is a very common problem amongst
men and is thought that four in 10 men over the age of 40 years old
suffer from it.
Erectile dysfunction
(ED) can sometimes have a detrimental impact on a man’s self-esteem and
cause stress to his health and the relationship with his partner.
Erectile Dysfunction therapy is very effective and the three medications
available to treat ED are
Viagra,
Cialis and
Levitra.
Dr Pixie says: “Any man suffering from erectile dysfunction should
see their GP and have a blood pressure check and their blood tested for
things like diabetes and high cholesterol. If you are on medication,
like anti-depressants or blood pressure medication, that may be causing
the problem. See a counsellor if stress is the reason.”
7) Acne
Acne is especially common in teenagers and young adults. Estimates
say 80% of people between the ages of 11 and 30 will be affected by
acne. Sometimes acne can continue into adult life. About 5% of women and
1% of men over the age of 25 suffer from
acne. In severe cases, medication such as
Dianette has been shown to help combat the problem.
Dr Pixie says: “Women should go to their GP for antibiotics or the
contraceptive pill, or they can see a gynaecologist. Men can also get
antibiotics and for adults who have rosacea (a skin condition that
causes facial redness and spots), this can be cleared with antibiotic
treatment.”
8) Obesity
To be classified as being ‘obese’, you must have a body mass index of
30 or more. As more people as generally less physically active than
years gone by, and we are over indulging on fast foods, the problem has
become massive. In 2008 (the last year with available figures), it was
found that nearly quarter of adults (over 16 years of age) in England
were obese.
Dr Pixie says: “The majority of those overweight are that way because
of a combination of lifestyle and lack of exercise. They often say they
are too busy to go running or to go to the gym. But I say to them, “If
Barack Obama can always find time to go jogging then you certainly can.”
We watch 22 hours of television a week on average so there is no
excuse.”
9) Bunions
A bunion is a deformity of the base joint of the big toe, usually
appearing as a lump. They can be incredibly painful, and effect a
person’s walking. The skin over the lump can become red, blistered or
infected. Wearing appropriate shoes and taking painkillers may lessen
the symptoms to some degree, but surgery is usually required to correct
the problem.
Dr Pixie says: “If you don’t treat bunions as you get older, you can
get arthritis in them and run the risk of becoming immobile. So try not
to get them in the first place. If they get bad, surgical removal is the
only alternative but a podiatrist would be the best person to ask about
your options. They would look at your gait, how you walk, advise you on
what shoes to wear and also give you a special device to put in your
footwear, which takes the pressure off the bunion.”
10) Incontinence
Urinary incontinence is the unintentional passing of urine. It is
believed to affect more than 50 million people in developed nations. It
is particularly a big problem amongst women over the age of 40, with
some believing it to be even more common than hay fever. It affects men
too though, with products now available such as
Tena for Men, which can provide a discreet method of protection with a variety of absorption levels.
Dr Pixie says: “I would definitely go and see your GP. Usually,
incontinence is a physical problem and not normally neurological. But
you do need to check that it’s not MS or something more serious. I would
suggest bringing along a diary to your GP to show how many times a day
you pee and how many accidents you have because it is far easier for
them to see how it is impacting on daily life. They might suggest pelvic
floor muscle training, bladder training or reducing your caffeine
intake.”
Medical Specialists always recommend that you talk to your GP about
any health problems or issues. It is always advisable to have regular
check-ups with your GP and know how to check certain parts of your body
yourself. Medical Specialists realise that not everybody is happy taking
to their GP about every problem, and that is why we offer a discreet
and confidential online consultation service with our Doctors for
certain embarrassing conditions like Erectile Dysfunction,
Premature Ejaculation, Obesity, Stomach and Bowel (IBS etc), bladder problems (incontinence), Acne,
Asthma and many more problems.
You can be assured of a private and confidential online consultation
with one of our Doctors and if suitable, they will write you a
prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists, and dispensed
and sent to you at your home, your place of work, or where ever you
choose, discreetly within 24 hours.
