Playing tennis kept my anxiety under control... what should I do now?
Q
I’VE always been a bit of an anxious person but have generally been able to keep it under control by seeing friends and doing regular exercise with them, like a long walk in the country or playing tennis.
Now of course that’s impossible and I’m finding I’m constantly worrying and feeling on edge. I’ve always resisted taking medication for this but would it be advisable now?
A
WE are living in very trying times at the moment and while some are able just to keep calm and carry on, others are finding it very difficult to stop worrying.
Top of the list is the fear of either you or a loved one becoming seriously ill or dying of Covid-19 infection. But financial worries are also common too, with people worried about the drop in their pay or losing their job altogether.
If you have had anxiety before, you are especially at risk of having a more serious recurrence of it now. But it is good that you have recognised you have a problem and that there are things that can be done about it.
Though you cannot exercise with your friends, make sure you get outside for at least an hour a day and go for a brisk walk (I assume you are not shielding as you have not mentioned this).Try to have a regular daily routine, with meals at set times and avoid frequent sweet snacks or drinking alcohol.
And please, do contact your GP. The surgery is still open, it’s just that the way of making appointments has changed.Talking therapies are still available (many of these were done over the phone or online even before
Covid-19 reared its head) and your GP will be able to signpost how you can access this.
It may be that you would benefit from medication.The most common drugs we prescribe are SSRI antidepressants, such as citalopram or sertraline, which can also relieve anxiety.They are not addictive and often a low dose is all that is required to make life more bearable, especially now.
Q
I AM 78 years old and have arthritis in my left knee. My toe nails desperately need cutting. For a number of years I’ve had a pedicure done locally. I have tried and failed to find anywhere to have it done during the lockdown. Can you advise me where I can go?
A
I AM assuming that the arthritis in your knee makes it difficult for you to bend down to cut your own toe nails.There are NHS podiatry clinics that usually provide a foot care service, which includes cutting nails, but their services are limited due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It would still be worth phoning
your GP surgery and asking what is available and how you can be referred. But bearing in mind there is likely to be a long wait and your toe nails are going to keep on growing, I think you need another solution.
Cutting toe nails is not difficult and this is something that either someone in your family, or a willing local volunteer, can do.
Toe nails are quite thick and coarse and cutting them is best done with a nail clipper, not scissors. They should also be cut straight across and not curved down at the corners.
I realise in normal times you would not expect a stranger to come in and cut your nails but the current situation is exceptional and I’m sure there are a lot of people living near you who would be willing to help.
At my surgery we are co-ordinating requests such as this, so your surgery may be too. Alternatively, they can put you in touch with a local volunteer group or you could contact Age UK (0800 678 1602; ageuk.org. uk) who should be able to help.
QI’M 52 and for the past few weeks I’ve noticed a lump in my left groin. I think it came up after I’d been digging in the garden. It’s soft and I can push it back in, especially when I’m lying down, so I’m pretty sure it’s a hernia. My wife agrees.
How dangerous is this? Is it safe just to leave it? I know they can be treated by surgery but clearly this isn’t going to be available for ages and is it really necessary anyway?
AIT DOES sound as if it could be an inguinal hernia. This occurs when a weakness in the lower edge of the tummy wall where it meets the top of the leg allows some of the contents of the abdomen to bulge through. In small hernias this may just be fat but in slightly larger ones they commonly contain a loop of the small intestine as well. They are more common in men and often appear after physical activity or coughing, which increases the pressure inside the abdomen.
To begin with a small hernia can often be pushed back in, especially if you are lying down. But it usually pops out again, sometimes just on standing up.
Hernias can be uncomfortable but don’t usually hurt and are not usually a serious condition. Unfortunately it is possible for the loop of intestine to get squeezed at the point where it enters the hernia, blocking the bowel and also cutting off its blood supply – a strangulated hernia.
This can lead to severe pain and needs to be dealt with by emergency surgery. This is why normally people with a hernia are advised to have a simple repair operation.
At the moment this type of routine surgery is not being done and I suspect it won’t be for many months. Even so, I recommend you see your GP to check this lump is definitely a hernia and not something else.
You will not be wasting their time and GP surgeries are still open, though you will have to speak to the doctor first before you are seen.
If it is a hernia, it will be helpful for you to lose any excess weight (as this puts pressure on the abdomen) and if you lift any heavy objects, bend from your knees, not from your waist.
● If you have a health question for Dr Leonard, email her in confidence at yourhealth@express.co.uk. Dr Leonard regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence or reply to everyone.