I’m 47 and constantly suffer with constipation and diarrhoea, I’ve tried everything and don’t know what to do

IT’S nary concealed that your fare plays a large relation successful your wide health.

Whether you are trying to lose weight, support your representation oregon boost your bosom health, it’s captious to ticker what you eat.

A survey past week showed radical who follow “the Mind diet” had a lower hazard of cognitive decline implicit 10 years.

It’s a operation of the Mediterranean and Dash diet, which is designed to little humor pressure.

The Mind approach recommends you devour 5 servings of nuts, 1 serving of oily fish, 2 portions of thin poultry, 4 of beans and 2 of berries per week.

Each day, you should purpose for 3 servings of full grains, specified arsenic quinoa, brownish atom oregon oats, and astatine slightest 2 servings of veg.

Adopting a healthier fare tin beryllium challenging, but the grounds does suggest the Mind fare mightiness beryllium worthy a try.

Meanwhile, here’s a enactment of what readers person asked maine this week . . . 

FEAR I’M MENOPAUSAL

Q: I’M astir 55 and the lone play I person had since January was a precise dense 1 past month.

I look to beryllium experiencing each the accustomed menopause symptoms isolated from the blistery sweats.

I endure from chronic aches and pains and, past night, portion having sex, I experienced a achy burning feeling.

Do you deliberation these symptoms are hormone-related?

I person asked my doc astir HRT (hormone replacement therapy) but helium seems reluctant to prescribe it arsenic I’m not having the sweats.

Any proposal would beryllium overmuch appreciated.

 A: You are describing classical symptoms of the menopause or, strictly speaking, perimenopause arsenic you are inactive having immoderate periods.

Not everyone has blistery sweats.

We each acquisition a antithetic array of symptoms during the menopause modulation and immoderate are fortunate to acquisition nary astatine all.

I wanted to marque definite this question was included successful the file arsenic I perceive versions of your communicative each the time.

Your GP oregon signifier caregiver SHOULD person a speech with you astir your symptoms and research the options for managing them, which should see the assorted forms of HRT.

It whitethorn beryllium indispensable to regularisation retired immoderate of the different imaginable causes.

Abnormal thyroid function is an illustration of thing that tin origin changes to periods and different symptoms, but it tin beryllium checked for with humor tests if your clinician deems it to beryllium necessary.

One happening I would accidental is that the taxable of menopause does necessitate its ain protected appointment.

I’m not saying that you did this, but sometimes women volition notation it successful passing astatine the extremity of a consultation.

This is often due to the fact that they consciousness a small spot embarrassed oregon uncertain, but this makes it intolerable for your GP to past woody with the taxable properly.

So beryllium upfront that the crushed you are determination is to sermon menopause.

It’s a bully thought to talk to reception to inquire their proposal connected which doc oregon caregiver would beryllium champion to see.

And if you person to hold a spot longer for an assignment with that person, it volition beryllium worthy it.

In the meantime, support a log of your symptoms and sojourn Women’s Health Concern and Menopause Matters websites for much information.

WHY’S MUM GETTING BALD PATCHES? 

Q: MY mum’s hairsbreadth is usually bully and thick, but it’s present starting to bladed out, leaving immoderate bald patches.

She is 68 years aged and she has tried Plantur 39 hairsbreadth tonic for a mates of months, but it hasn’t truly done thing to help.

Please tin you suggest thing she tin try?

She is connected aspirin, atorvastatin, bisoprolol and takes folic acid.

 A: Unfortunately, immoderate hair nonaccomplishment is inevitable with ageing.

That said, you person mentioned bald patches and typically, with age-related hairsbreadth loss, we’d spot a thinning retired alternatively than bald patches.

Aspirin tin origin hairsbreadth loss, but it’s reasonably unusual.

You don’t notation however agelong your mum has been connected her medication, but it mightiness beryllium worthy seeing if determination is simply a correlation betwixt the magnitude of clip she’s been prescribed a cause and erstwhile the hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment started.

According to studies, astir 1 per cent of radical study hairsbreadth nonaccomplishment erstwhile prescribed statins specified arsenic atorvastatin, truthful it’s improbable to beryllium that – but there’s a slim chance.

Your mum is besides connected folic acid, which is prescribed for B9 deficiencies.
B9 and different nutritional deficiencies, successful themselves, tin origin hairsbreadth loss, truthful it could beryllium that present your mum is connected folic acid, the thinning and the bald patches volition lessen.

Hormonal changes tin besides effect successful the thinning of hair.

Female signifier hairsbreadth loss (which is linked to hormones) is caused by our genetics.

And it tends to travel a peculiar signifier which is antithetic to the 1 that we spot successful men.

It typically involves thinning of the hairsbreadth implicit the crown and a widening of the cardinal parting.

It tends to commencement astatine a younger property than your mum, though, with the archetypal signs usually noticeable earlier the property of 40.

Whatever the cause, it’s decidedly worthy your mum seeing a GP.

Q: WHEN I was a baby, I had occupation going for a poo. My mum had to usage suppositories to marque maine go.

I americium present 47 years aged and, implicit the years, things look to person got worse and I americium suffering with diarrhoea and constipation.

I person been to the doctors to person tests for blockages, Crohn’s disease and bowel cancer, and they person travel backmost negative.

But I inactive acquisition constipation and diarrhoea each 3 oregon 4 weeks.

I devour arsenic overmuch veg arsenic I tin and besides plentifulness of beans and lentils.

So acold I person tried medications similar Fybogel, Senna and Lactulose, but thing seems to work.

I spell for walks arsenic overmuch arsenic I can.

I person tried making a program of what is upsetting my tummy and I person tried the FODMAP diet, but that doesn’t enactment either.

I don’t cognize what other to do. Is determination thing that you tin suggest?

A: You person already done a batch of the things I’d usually suggest for idiosyncratic presenting with the issues you’ve got.

You person intelligibly researched it good and person been thorough successful doing what you tin to effort to assistance yourself.

You’ve had aesculapian tests too, which person ruled retired the superior conditions that it would beryllium highly important to diagnose and treat.

The information that your occupation has been contiguous since you were a babe would bespeak that your bowel has always, and whitethorn always, conflict to relation well.

But I perceive you erstwhile you accidental that these symptoms are causing you suffering, and truthful I don’t deliberation you should conscionable person to judge it, unless each avenue to assistance you has been explored.

If you person ruled retired putting a statement connected what you person successful the discourse of disease, it’s apt that it’s IBS-M, which is irritable bowel syndrome with mixed bowel habits.

There aren’t immoderate circumstantial medications for IBS-M, but determination are medications to dainty the symptoms, disposable some implicit the antagonistic and connected prescription.

Moving forwards, a dietician whitethorn beryllium capable to usher you further or, failing that, a intelligence attack whitethorn help. Cognitive behavioural therapy for IBS is clinically proven to amended symptoms successful 2 thirds of patients.

CARING READERS’ TIPS TO HELP EASE WOMAN’S ITCHY RED SKIN

EVERY truthful often, a reader’s wellness occupation truly resonates.

Earlier this month, a 65-year-old pistillate wrote to Dr Zoe seeking assistance for a tegument information that was causing reddish and itchy outbreaks connected her face.

She said she had spent hundreds of pounds connected assorted creams, cleansers and moisturisers, but seemed to endure a absorption to everything.

Dr Zoe replied: “It sounds from your statement arsenic though it could perchance beryllium eczema oregon rosacea.”

After learning of the woman’s plight, 2 different readers shared their experiences and advice, having been successful akin situations themselves.

Fiona wrote: “I, too, suffered from this and, nary substance what I utilized merchandise wise, my look would beryllium itchy and red. It started successful my aboriginal 40s. I tried each the creams for rosacea.

"However, aft extended research, I americium present utilizing a marque called MooGoo, which was primitively designed for babies with eczema.

“I nary longer person the itchiness oregon reddish face.

"I besides noticed that if I utilized SPF connected my face, it would irritate my skin, truthful I usage MooGoo pick past Boots’ No.7 Protect and Perfect Intense origin 50 look cream.

“I volition ne'er again bargain immoderate different cream. These 2 brands truly saved my skin.

“It’s besides worthy checking your shampoo and conditioner. If that seeps onto your face, it could origin redness, too.

“I switched brands and present usage Garnier Ultimate Blends. I truly anticipation this helps.”

Meanwhile, a 2nd reader, Sharon, wrote: “I americium 54 and, successful 2019, I started experiencing problems with my tegument – but lone connected my face.

"I besides had a occupation with 1 of the glands successful my eye.

"My GP initially treated maine for seborrheic dermatitis.

"However, aft seeing an NHS dermatologist, they diagnosed maine with pustular rosacea and ocular rosacea.

"Like the pistillate who wrote in, I spent hundreds of pounds trying antithetic skincare products.

“In 2021, I yet recovered a scope by a institution called Image Skincare UK.

“It has been a game-changer for me. I was capable to halt utilizing the prescribed medicine and my tegument has remained nether power and unchangeable ever since then.

“I besides usage La Roche-Posay Invisible Fluid origin 50 each twelvemonth round. Image Skincare products are a spot pricer than the precocious street, but past maine months.

“The betterment to my tegument is worthy each penny. I besides discovered Boots are truly bully astatine offering refunds if a merchandise has been utilized and a lawsuit has reacted to it.

“I truly anticipation the pistillate successful question finds what works for her.”