Should I be resting

QI TWISTED my ankle a few days ago and went to A&E, where it was confirmed it wasn’t broken and it was suggested I try to walk on it as much as possible.

This is very painful and I would rather rest it. I’m puzzled as to why I should be asked to walk on it though. Surely rest would be more beneficial?

ATWISTING your ankle can lead to damage to the ligaments that hold the bones together, medically known as a sprain. In a minor sprain, a ligament is just stretched. But in more severe injuries one or more ligaments are torn.

Symptoms can include swelling, bruising and pain, especially when you try to put weight on the affected side.

Sprains should be treated by following the PRICE acronym. This stands for Protection – strapping the ankle so you don’t make the damage worse, Rest – so not walking on it, and certainly not running, ICe – to help reduce swelling and inflammation, and Elevation – resting it with your ankle raised above your hip joint, which can also help reduce swelling.

So the advice you were given sounds a little unusual to me and I suggest you see your GP for a second opinion.

A FEW months ago I had a substantial bleed from the back passage. My GP referred me to hospital where they discovered I had multiple diverticuli. I have

increased the fibre in my diet but I’m worried it might happen again when I am out somewhere.

There was no warning last time and fortunately I was at home.

ADIVERTICULI are small pockets that stick out from the wall of the bowel. They can occur in any part of the gut but are usually found in the lower part of the large bowel.

They are caused by not having enough fibre in your diet which means the gut muscles have to work harder to move the stools to the back passage. This in turn increases the pressure inside the bowel.

Small areas of the inner lining then get pushed through the muscle wall, forming little pouches. Diverticuli are very common in the UK – about 50 per cent of people have them by the age of 50, rising to 70 per cent by the age of 80. In most people, they cause no symptoms.

However they can cause intermittent lower tummy pain and bloating. More serious pain and bleeding can occur if the pockets become inflamed which can happen if faeces gets trapped inside them, a condition known as diverticulitis.

This happens to about one in five people with diverticuli at some stage. Occasionally, heavy bleeding can also occur if a blood vessel inside one of the pockets ruptures and I suspect this is what happened to you.

It would be very unlucky to have it happen a second time. Unfortunately there is no way of getting rid of the diverticula but you can help prevent problems by eating plenty of fibre.

Aim to have at least 18g of fibre each day, and if you can’t manage this with wholewheat foods, then fibre supplements such as ispaghula are available.

Suddenly increasing your fibre intake can lead to bloating and discomfort, so add it in gradually.

EVERY now and then, especially at night, I have itchy feet, especially around the toes. What could be the cause?

AWITHOUT actually seeing your feet it is difficult to advise you as to why this is