Should I be worried about side-effects of Covid booster?

Q

I’ve received an invitation for a Covid vaccine booster. I had the Oxford AstraZeneca for my other jabs and I gather I’m likely to get Pfizer as my booster. Does this matter?

Also, what about side effects? I’ve heard of people feeling really rough for several days afterwards. Have you had a booster? If so, how did you feel? A People are being called for booster jabs six months after their second dose, which means many being called now, like you, had the Oxford AstraZeneca jab before.

The main vaccine being used for boosters is the Pfizer one, but this is safe and effective.

The aim of the booster jab, as its name suggests, is to increase your immunity to Covid-19.

It does not matter which type you have as the ones being given in the UK all work and are safe even if you mix different ones.

It seems that immunity to the virus does decline after six months in those who have been vaccinated, especially in older people.

So it is important that as many people as possible have a booster when they are invited to do so.

Side effects seem to vary from person to person, and while some people have just slight soreness at the injection site, others feel tired and have a mild fever for a day or two. In my experience, feeling really rough after the booster is fairly rare.

In answer to your final question, yes, I have had my booster jab and, being honest, my upper left arm did ache for a couple of days afterwards.

I also felt a bit tired the day after – but that could equally have been because I’d been working 12-hour days in my surgery and the vaccine clinic and just needed a bit of rest.

Q I am writing to you in desperation as I have been suffering with a nasal drip for years and I’m constantly blowing my nose. In May 2019 I visited my GP who arranged an appointment at my local hospital – the result of which was that I was told I had a “hole” in my nose and nothing could be done. Am I really a lost cause?

A

A hole in the nose normally refers to a small gap in the septum, a thin strip of cartilage that separates the two nostrils. This may not cause any symptoms but some people suffer from nosebleeds or say their nose feels a bit dry.

It can also cause a whistling nose when you breathe. However, it would be very unusual for a hole to cause a constant runny nose.

The most common reason for this tends to be inflammation of the lining of the nose, which is often due to an allergy of some sort, such as hay fever in the summer or an allergy to grass pollen, but some people suffer from allergic rhinitis all year round.

This can be due to an allergy to house dust mites, hidden mould in old houses and dogs or cats. But sometimes it’s not possible to identify the underlying cause. Treatment with a strong steroid nasal spray is usually very helpful, but this needs to be used regularly twice a day, long term, and can take two weeks or more to take effect. I have often had patients complain after a week or so that the spray isn’t working, but you really do have to be patient.

A nasal spray containing ipratropium can also help to dry up excess secretions and can be used in addition if needed. Both of these are available on prescription.

So no, you are not a lost cause – you just need to have another conversation with your GP.

Q I recently woke up unable to open my mouth and found it difficult to brush my teeth and drink water to swallow my angina tablets. It took a few hours to get my mouth moving again and the experience gave me a headache. I’m 80. Could you advise why this could have happened and suggest a quick way to treat it?

A

Angina is commonly felt as pain, pressure or heaviness in the chest and is due to a shortage of oxygen in the heart muscle, caused by a poor blood supply.

However, it can sometimes be felt as an ache or pain in the jaw, though this is more likely to occur during exercise, rather than after waking in the morning.

I would recommend you talk to your doctor, who can advise whether you should have further checks of your heart.

It is possible, however, that your symptoms were caused by spasm of the muscles that move the lower section of the jaw. This can happen if you grind your teeth at night, or if you have arthritis of either one or both the jaw joints, which sit in front of the ear on each side of your face.

Another common cause of jaw problems is poorly fitting dentures. Other symptoms of this can include discomfort when you try to open your mouth wide, and a clicking sensation when you chew, along with headaches.

The best person to diagnose and treat jaw joint problems is your dentist so, if your GP thinks angina is unlikely to be to blame, please arrange a dental check-up.

● 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.