THE DOC REPLIES

I’m 40 years old and have a great husband and two wonderful children. I enjoy my job and don’t have any money worries – but I constantly live under a dark cloud and often think about self-harming. Despite this I can’t bring myself to speak to my GP as I don’t want to go on to tablets.

It sounds as though you maybe suffering from a depressive illness. Often people feel guilty about this especially when their life appears to be going well. I think it would be important to share this with your GP. This does not necessarily mean that you would have to go on to medication. There are many ways of dealing with depression and issues surrounding self-harming. Your GP maybe able to refer you to a counsellor or a listening service. Sometimes discussing your problems with others who are unconnected with your life can help put things into perspective and perhaps signpost you to places where you can seek help. There are many websites available which offer advice such as Moodjuice and Breathing Space which might be of use to you.

Is there a medicine to improve height? My nephew is 12 but he’s only 4ft tall and is constantly mocked for it.

Children grow at different stages and their height is often determined by their genetic make-up and whether their parents are short or tall. It may well be that he has not reached his growth spurt yet. Girls tend to reach this sooner than boys and often there is quite a height discrepancy for some time until the boys catch up. If his parents are concerned then they should speak to a professional to make sure there aren’t any hormonal problems.

For the second time in a year I have an ulcer at the corner of my eyelid. What could be causing it?

It maybe that you have a small cyst here which becomes inflamed or it may be becoming irritated with make-up. Your GP can have a look at this to make sure there is nothing else going on.

Does skimmed milk contain as much calcium as full-fat milk? My wife has started buying the low fat stuff but I was wondering if it gave bones the same protection.

The calcium content of skimmed and full fat milk is roughly the same. The main difference is just the fat content.

My 18-month-old granddaughter’s favourite activity is watching Peppa Pig. But she loves getting really close to the telly. I keep her away – is there a chance she could damage her eyes?

Children can often be entranced with their favourite television programme and want to get up close. Although this is unlikely to cause damage to her eyes, it would be worth checking whether there is any problem with her vision or hearing that makes it necessary for her to get up close. Watching television for long periods of time is not ideal and often distracting with a book or other activities would be a healthier option.

What can cause large bags under the eyes? I developed them very suddenly.

This is often caused by lack of sleep. As we get older our skin becomes thinner and so puffy eyes or dark circles become noticeable. Making sure you get adequate sleep, reducing alcohol and caffeine intake and cutting back on salt can help. Cool compresses can help improve skin. Traditionally using cucumber slices has been a good home remedy.

In recent hot weather I reached into the freezer to get an ice lolly – my hands went white and very painful. What could this be?

Some people have very sensitive small blood vessels in their extremities and have a condition called Raynaud’s Disease. In response to the cold these small blood vessels tend to contract which makes the skin very pale. When the hands warm up again this can become very painful and often become quite red.

Unfortunately The Doc can’t directly reply to individual letters. When in doubt speak to your GP