Dr Rosemary

MEDICAL ADVICE COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR

in the section for patients). Your optician should also be able to give you more advice.

Laser eye surgery is generally not available on the NHS, so as with all procedures you are going to pay for, shop around on price and on the skills of the surgeon.

MY daughter is pregnant and has just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I don’t fully understand it and am worried about the risks. Can you explain what this is and how dangerous it is? I want to help as much as I can.

AIN gestational diabetes, blood sugar levels are raised above normal because the body cannot produce enough of the hormone insulin to meet the extra needs in pregnancy.

In most women it usually disappears once the baby is born. It can occur in any women but those who are overweight (with a body mass index over 30) or have a close family relative with diabetes are more at risk.

It tends to occur in the second half of pregnancy and in many cases causes no symptoms. It is picked up on a routine screening blood test. High blood sugar levels during pregnancy can cause problems such as the baby growing larger than usual and the production of too much amniotic fluid, both of which can cause premature labour or problems at delivery.

There is also a risk of preeclampsia. Treatment is to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range and although in most women this can be done by eating a careful diet, occasional insulin injections are required. The growth of the baby is also usually more carefully monitored with regular ultrasound scans.

Although this all may sound a bit alarming, most women with gestational diabetes have otherwise normal pregnancies and perfectly normal, healthy babies.

I AM nearly 70 and my husband and I have always had what I feel is a healthy sex life but over the past year my sex drive has disappeared. My husband has been very patient so far but I know he is getting very frustrated with the situation and I fear we will grow apart. Why do