Dr Rosemary Leonard

Q Q

I’VE always been scared of spiders, but it seems to be getting worse as I get older, and recently just a glimpse of one is enough to send me into a panic.

I’d like to sort this out but there’s no way I could do one of those courses where they make you look at spiders. Are there any other options?

AFEAR of spiders, or arachnophobia, is thought to affect at least three per cent of people. Like all phobias, this dread is out of all proportion to the reality.

Common symptoms include the sweating and feeling of panic you describe, and also a dry mouth, palpitations, shaking and feeling sick, and in some people these can occur at just the thought of seeing a spider.

Desensitisation or exposure therapy can be very helpful, but you are not thrown in at the deep end and expected to look at spiders straight away. Instead, first you will be taught relaxation techniques to help keep you calm, then you will be asked to think about situations involving spiders, and then look at pictures of them, starting with very small insects.

Only when you can cope with this would you look at a real spider.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, where you examine your thoughts and behaviours, can be beneficial. So I suggest you see your GP, who will be able to refer you to an appropriate psychological counsellor. Please be reassured, this is a common problem, and there are experts available on the NHS who will be able to help you. I HAVE IBS and diverticula. I do not know what to eat as I can’t eat eggs, milk, cheese, chicken, bacon, sauces, vegetables, fruit, wholemeal or wheatgerm without getting really bad stomach ache, developing terrible wind or having to make a mad dash to the toilet.

This is so embarrassing at work that I take just a little water all day and not much else because I am afraid of the wind, which I cannot control. I do not want to walk to the toilet in case I develop wind on the way and cannot hold it in. My stomach is also very noisy.

I feel like giving up work because of it. I cannot go on away days or evenings out as I cannot have a meal without rushing to the bathroom. Is there anything that could help me?

ADIVERTICULA are small pockets that develop in the wall of the large bowel and can cause discomfort in the lower abdomen, usually on the lower left side, along with bloating or constipation.

However, many diverticula sufferers have no symptoms, unless one or more of the pockets becomes inflamed, a condition known as diverticulitis. I suspect that most of your digestive problems are caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Normally, food is passed along the bowel by regular co-ordinated contractions of the muscles in the wall of the bowel. In IBS, parts of the muscle become abnormal, either relaxing or contracting too much, leading to constipation or diarrhoea