The Doc Replies

Our expert answers your medical questions

What is seborrhoeic dermatitis?

The exact cause of seborrhoeic dermatitis is unknown, but it is thought yeast germs which live in sebum are involved and for that reason it occurs in the places you get sebum. For most people the germ does not cause any harm, but in some people it can cause inflammation. It tends to appear on the scalp, forehead, around the eyebrows, behind the ears as well as the chest, armpit and groin. In mild cases you only get dandruff, or even some flaky skin patches on the face, but if it gets worse you can get red scaly skin rashes in all or some of these areas.

For treatment, an antifungal shampoo for hairy areas and an antifungal cream for other areas would be given. If that does not work, the patient may in some cases be prescribed mild steroids, a course of antifungal tablets, perhaps an immune modulating cream, or even UVB light therapy.

If the condition recurs frequently, the doctor may prescribe other preventative treatments, such as an antifungal that is used once every few weeks.

My baby has tongue-tie and breastfeeding is difficult. What can be done?

Tongue-tie is when the bit of skin that connects the tongue and the bottom of the mouth restricts movement of the tongue. A baby should be evaluated by a breastfeeding expert who may be able to advice on positioning or other methods, but if that does not work the baby can be referred for surgery to have the piece of skin divided which can help the problem.

Do probiotic drinks work?

We can’t say for sure. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts which are promoted to have health benefits, and people sometimes describe them as “good bacteria”. They are thought to help restore bacteria in the gut but have to get past the stomach’s acids first.

There’s some evidence that probiotics may help prevent diarrhoea with antibiotics, and possibly such as like irritable bowel syndrome. Studies are usually done on official supplements and not probiotics bought in foods.

The Doc Replies

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