THE DOC REPLIES

CAN you get trigger finger on your thumb? My thumb is “locked” when I bend it, but I can straighten it out with my other hand.

You certainly can get a trigger finger on your thumb. This is usually caused by a nodule in the tendons on the palm side of the hand. This nodule can get caught in the tissues on the palm side of the hand and hence feel like the finger or thumb can be locked when you bend it. It is very typical that you have to use the other hand to then straighten out the finger or thumb. It’s worth seeing your doctor, as specialist hand surgeons can do relatively simple operations or indeed injections into this area to potentially cure this.

DO you have any experience with amisulpride? I’ve been given an ongoing prescription and wondered if there were side effects.

Amisulpride is a medication used to treat some mental health conditions, for example, schizophrenia. As with any medication there are always potential side effects. The main ones to look out for with this particular drug would be any increase in anxiety, or uncommonly slow pulse. If you are having any side effects from medication like this do not hesitate to discuss this with your doctor.

I HAVE developed a bad habit of yawning – I yawn once every couple of minutes.

Yawning is a body reflex generally associated with tiredness, stress, sleepiness and, potentially, boredom! It would be unusual to yawn as frequently as every couple of minutes but there are very few conditions that result in people yawning frequently. However this, especially if linked with other symptoms, could be important. As always, if you are very concerned, it may be worth speaking to your GP who will very likely be able to reassure you and ask about other relevant symptoms.

WHAT’S the best way to deal with a nosebleed?

The old-fashioned way of simply leaning forward and pinching the fleshy part of the nose is good. If any nose bleed is severe and persistent you should always seek medical attention because very occasionally these can be quite dangerous. If you get persistent nosebleeds that do settle fairly quickly but keep recurring it would be worth seeing your GP. Sometimes simple solutions such as creams that we prescribe can help. If this doesn’t settle things down or if something else is seen in the nose your GP may refer you to an ENT surgeon.

WHAT is mononucleosis and how do you treat it?

Infectious mononucleosis is also known as glandular fever – or sometimes “kissing disease” – as a viral infection. It is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It is most common in young adults and usually presents with fever, sore throat, enlarged lymph glands in the neck and tiredness. Often it’s confused with tonsillitis and, like most causes of sore throat, it is viral in nature. Due to the fact that it is a virus there is no specific treatment other than pain relief and keeping hydrated. The fever generally lasts longer than with other sore throats and is often mild. Often patients are left feeling tired after this infection for several months.

I OFTEN hear advice to eat

oily fish. What is oily fish?

Oily fish are fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and fresh tuna. They contain long chain omega-3 fatty acids which help to keep hearts healthy. We should try to include at least two portions of fish per week and one of these should be of oily fish.

WHY do we get hiccups?

Hiccups are muscle spasms within the diaphragm, a large muscle which sits under the lungs between the chest chamber and the abdominal chamber. It moves up and down to allow us to breathe. When the spasms happen we get hiccups. This can happen because of irritation because of some local pressure such as problems in the lung, the liver or other abdominal organs.