Q: I walk 3km a day and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Despite this, I often feel tired and lethargic.

A:Check if you are sleeping at least seven hours every night. Sleep deprivation tends to build up and cause fatigue.

Add weight exercises with dumbbells and stretching at least three times a week to your regular schedule. Also check your haemoglobin, blood sugar, thyroid functions and vitamin D3 levels. Derangement in any of these can cause fatigue.
 

Losing it

Q: I am 64 years old and have recently noticed difficulty in hearing. Sounds are distorted and I am unable to distinguish words. I can't hear what people are saying. Do you thing I need some sort of surgery?

A: An ENT surgeon will be able to arrange an audiogram for you to determine the exact frequency you are unable to hear. Also, you need to determine whether it is a "conduction" defect or "sensineural'' or "nerve" deafness. Most people are able to manage loss with hearing aids. Small, efficient inner-ear ones are now available which are practically invisible. If you are unable to manage with a hearing aid and are diagnosed with profound hearing loss, then an operation during which a cochlear implant is inserted may be feasible and beneficial.
 

Incense allergy?

Q: My mother has a hacking cough, which starts when she does her puja in the morning. It stays with her all day and, after a loud paroxysm when she lies down at night, it disappears till the next morning.

A: Check if she is exposed to allergens such as camphor or incense sticks during the puja, or passive smoking, room fresheners and vapourising mosquito repellents. Any of them will result in an allergic cough. Check with an ENT surgeon if she has nasal polyps or a post-nasal drip. Check her blood counts for eosinophilia. Have her heart evaluated.

If everything is normal, it is possible to tackle cough by taking steam inhalations several times a day, sucking on mentholated cough lozenges and sleeping with the head end of the bed elevated.
 

Slipper slap

Q: I wear flip-flops when I go for my morning walk. Recently, I developed a pain in the base of my foot.

A: Flip-flops should be worn to the bathroom or on the beach. They are not meant for prolonged walking, even though they may feel comfortable. As you walk in flip-flops, you have to subconsciously clench your feet to maintain balance. This places a certain amount of strain on the fascia and tendons of the foot, causing pain. Also, your foot can suddenly slip out of the slipper, causing loss of balance. It is better to walk in sports shoes or at least rubber soled canvas shoes.

Prostate problems

Q: I have an enlarged prostate. I take tablets as my PSA was normal and the doctor felt I did not have cancer. I used to get up frequently at night to pass urine but I do not do so any more. The doctor says I have to continue the tablets for the rest of my life. Will that have side effects?

A: The problem is that if you stop the tablets, your prostate will start to grow again and all your urine problems will return. You might even require surgery. The tablets given for prostate enlargement may cause mild side effects like nausea or giddiness when they are first given. The side effects are not serious or cumulative. Alternative medicine has some cures but they are not proven. Increasing your intake of soy products may help.

Coffee high

Q: I feel drowsy when I am studying and then I get nervous because I think I am not studying enough!

A: The first thing to do is probably to make sure you get enough sleep in the night. Once that is taken care of, you could try a cup of sweetened coffee. The caffeine and the sugar will wake you up. Too much of caffeine will make you jittery and negatively impact your concentration. Along with that get up and jump up and down 20 times.

 

Dr Gita Mathai is a paediatrician with a family practice at Vellore and author of Staying Healthy in Modern India. If you have any questions on health issues please write to yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in