GEORGE CROOKS
I’M going on holiday to a beach known to have jellyfish. Should I be worried? JELLYFISH are mushroom-shaped creatures that often float near the surface of the water and have long, thin tentacles on the underside of their bodies.
The tentacles are covered with small poisonous sacs called nematocysts, which, if touched, produce a nasty sting.
During the warmer months in recent years, large groups of jellyfish have become increasingly common in the seas around Europe.
The stings are painful and cause swelling, inflammation or raised areas of skin and nausea. Jellyfish often leave raised blisters on the skin in the shape of their own tentacles.
Seek medical assistance if you’ve been stung while in the sea and your symptoms are severe – for example: prolonged pain, chest pain or breathing problems, severe redness and swelling around the affected area and fits or seizures.
It’s rare to be stung in the seas around the UK, but there are precautions you can take to avoid being stung, including: observing beach warning signs, not touching or handling sea creatures that sting, wearing protective clothing, such as a wetsuit or waterproof footwear and scuffing your feet as you walk in shallow water to warn any sea creatures that you’re approaching. SHOULD I take laxatives for constipation? LAXATIVES are a type of medicine that can help you empty your bowels.
They’re widely used to treat constipation if lifestyle changes, such as increasing the amount of fibre in your diet, drinking plenty of fluid and taking regular exercise, haven’t helped.
Laxatives are available over the counter, without a prescription, from pharmacies and supermarkets, however they’re not suitable for everyone.
Laxatives aren’t usually recommended for children, unless advised by a doctor, and some types of laxatives may not be safe to use if you have certain conditions, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
For more information on how to treat constipation see www.nhsinform.scot or speak to your pharmacist. WHAT is scurvy? SCURVY is the term for a severe vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C can be found in a variety of fruit and vegetables especially oranges, lemons and grapefruits, broccoli and cabbage. It is also found in fresh milk.
Vitamin C is needed for healthy tissue, bones and teeth, as well as helping to heal any wounds. Scurvy is a rare disease now in the developed world, but those most at risk are people who do not eat a nutritious diet.
The symptoms of scurvy include a feeling of discomfort, tiredness, nausea, muscle and joint pain, easy bruising, swollen and bleeding gums, the loosening of teeth, dry skin and hair, and bleeding into muscles and joints.
Diagnosis of scurvy involves a simple blood test. A sample of blood will be taken from a vein and then tested to check the levels of vitamin C in the white blood cells.
Most people will improve very quickly simply by including fruit and vegetables in their diets and taking a vitamin supplement.