The Doc Replies
Our expert answers your medical questions
My child is a bit of a picky eater and we’d like to get her out of the habit. Do you have any tips?
Parents worried about their child’s picky eating aren’t uncommon in the surgery. Often they’re worried their son or daughter isn’t eating a varied enough diet and could be doing themselves some damage. Typically, toddlers stop growing quite so quickly at a certain point, and parents begin to worry they’re not getting the right kind of food, or enough of it.
Note, too, that children vary in body shapes. If mum and dad are slim built then likely so is their child. Some children turn mealtimes into a bit of a power struggle, but the trick is to avoid making the dinner table into a battleground. Avoid bribes or distractions such as the TV, but be positive about good food choices – might it help them to play for the national football team one day? People naturally prefer sweet and salty to bitter and sour. Mixing up these flavours can work – broccoli may go down easier if it’s got a bit of cheese on it, for instance.
Not too much, mind.
Why, after numerous blood tests, none show the reason why my body profusely sweats? It happens whether I’m exerting myself or not.
As individuals everyone is different when it comes to sweating and for some people this can be more of a problem than with others. Some medications can also cause this so it may be worth discussing further with your doctor.
If you have had thorough investigations done and everything is all clear then there is probably nothing to worry about.
I feel dizzy whenever I am lying down, or sitting. When I get up everything suddenly goes black, and sometimes I fall.
If this happens when you change your posture, then it may be your blood pressure is on the low side. Sometimes, when we stand up, blood pressure can drop which can result in us feeling faint.
The inner ear controls balance and sometimes this can lead us to feel unsteady especially with changes in posture.
The Doc Replies
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