Chat health
Don’t be shy – Chat’s Dr Martin Edwards is a family GP who’s seen it all before…
Scaly solution Q When I’m stressed, I get dandruff and scaly red skin down my forehead and the sides of my nose. Why? Mila, 27
ASounds like seborrheic dermatitis, inflamed skin due to a yeast infection which can be worse when you’re stressed or run down.
Ask your chemist for antifungal shampoo and cream, and use moisturiser. Your GP might suggest a mild steroid cream or scalp lotion.
What a drip! Q I had catarrh and a cough which the GP says is a postnasal drip. What is that? Pam, 52
ARepeated colds and flu, or allergy, cause excess mucus, which drips down the back of your throat causing irritation and a cough.
Treatment depends on the cause but might mean stopping smoking, steroid nose sprays, antihistamine tablets and nose washouts.
Is it serious? Q My husband has started grunting every time he breathes out and doesn’t seem to realise he’s doing it. Joanne, 68
ASome lung conditions, such as emphysema, cause the tiny air passages inside the lungs to collapse.
Sufferers learn to open them again by grunting, which increases pressure inside the air passages and forces them open. Your husband should see his GP.
Q Sex hurts my neck! And it can ache all day after. Zuzanna, 37
AMovements and faulty posture during sex could cause minor sprains of the muscles and ligaments in your neck.
Try different sexual positions, support your neck with a pillow when you’re on your back, start regular neck exercises and try a rubbing liniment.
‘Erm, it’s a bit... personal’ Pain in the neck