The Doc Replies
Our expert answers your medical questions
What are shingles?
Shingles is a rash caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same one that causes chickenpox. Once you have had chickenpox, the virus effectively hides in a nerve root for the rest of your life. Shingles happens when that virus is reactivated but only in the area of the body that the nerve supplies. It most commonly appears on the chest, abdomen or face, classically on only one side of the affected body part. There may be pain a couple of days before a rash appears – red blotches which turn into fluid-filled blisters. Sometimes a person can experience post-herpetic neuralgia, which is pain after the rash has gone. This can be very unpleasant, but there are different tablets which can help. One in four people over 50 will experience shingles. It is contagious but only to those who have not had chickenpox. A vaccine is available to over-70s but antivirals and painkillers can be used to treat it if you do develop shingles.
I keep getting mouth ulcers. What is going on?
Mouth ulcers are very common and usually clear up within a week or two. They can be unpleasant, but are not usually serious. They can happen more if a person is stressed or tired, or has braces or a sharp tooth rubbing against the inside of the mouth. Some medicines can cause them too. Taking cool drinks through a straw and avoiding hard foods and/ or anything too acidic can help reduce the pain. Your pharmacist can recommend treatments.
My leg keeps cramping up at inconvenient times, like when I’m trying to sleep or even when I’m driving. How can I prevent it?
A leg cramp is when the muscle shortens and causes pain, and it usually lasts less than 10 minutes. It most commonly happens in the calf muscle but can also happen in the thigh or foot. Pregnancy can make cramping more common, as can overdoing exercise in hot weather, or dehydration. Certain cholesterol or blood-pressure medicines can also cause it. During cramp, you want to stretch and massage the muscle. Your GP may carry out some blood tests, and they may recommend certain stretching exercises and/ or quinine tablets.