Dr Rosemary

MEDICAL ADVICE COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

help prevent dehydration which can increase the risk of crystal formation in joints.

It is also important to lose excess weight as the more fat you carry, the more uric acid is produced.

MY daughter has two sons aged eight and 10. When she puts them to bed she leaves them wearing tight- fitting underpants under their pyjamas.

I’m certain I read somewhere that this could affect fertility in the future. I may be wrong so please could you set my mind at rest?

ASPERM production works best at a temperature of one to two degrees centigrade lower than the rest of the body and this is why the testes are in the scrotum, outside the warmer inner cavity of the body.

However even in adults it is highly dubious whether wearing tight underwear can significantly affect sperm quality. It certainly isn’t relevant for boys who are not yet producing sperm. The main risk to sperm production in young boys is if the testes are not properly descended into the scrotum, which is why doctors examine the position of the testes during routine baby checks.

So, no, I do not think you need to be concerned about your grandsons wearing tight underpants.

ABOUT 10 weeks ago my wife woke in the middle of the night with itchy legs and later that day there was discharge from her skin.

Since then she’s had dressings which are changed by the nurse every day but fluid constantly seeps through the bandages.

The GP has given her five types of antibiotics but there is no improvement. Her legs are very sore and she is unable to sleep at night. What would you advise?

AWHENEVER I have come across this problem it has been in elderly patients who have swollen legs from fluid retention and this has often been