SPRING brings warnings about various health threats, including tick bites.
While in most cases they are harmless, around one in ten of the mites may carry Lyme disease.
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In humans, this can cause long-term symptoms, including pain and swelling in joints, difficulty concentrating and problems with nerves, memory and the heart.
See a GP if you have been bitten by a tick and you develop flu-like symptoms and a rash between three and 30 days later.
The rash is circular around the bite, often looking like a bull’s-eye.
Ticks are found mainly in wooded areas, and can bury themselves under the skin.
To remove one safely, use a tick-removal tool found in pharmacies, or tweezers.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and slowly pull upwards without applying pressure to the mite itself, as squeezing can release germs.
If some of the tick remains embedded, leave it to fall out naturally.
It’s best to remove them quickly to prevent disease.
Here’s a selection of what readers asked this week.
CAN’T GET RID OF COLDS
Q) WHY do I keep getting colds and flu non-stop? Are there foods or even drinks that would boost my immunity?
I’m in my 40s, a non-smoker and I don’t have other medical conditions.
A) It’s considered normal for adults to have up to four upper respiratory viral infections each year (for children it’s up to 12), so if you’re suffering more, it’s important to get checked by your GP.
Undiagnosed illnesses including lung disease, structural abnormalities of the airways, exposure to second-hand smoke and allergens can make you more susceptible.
Medical conditions can also affect the functioning of the immune system, so your GP will likely do blood tests.
Assuming you get the all-clear, it’s worth looking at your diet overall, rather than identifying specific foods that have immune system-supporting benefits.
That’s because you need a wide variety of nutrients (eg. vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iron) and the best way to get that is to eat a very healthy and varied diet.
Did you know that fruit and veg of different colours tend to have different nutrients? That’s why it is advised to “eat the rainbow”.
Red tomatoes have lots of lycopene, orange carrots are rich in beta-carotene, green broccoli has sulforaphane and purple cabbage has antioxidants called anthocyanins.
Protein, such as lean poultry, fish, eggs, beans and lentils, is important for a healthy immune system, too.
You want to limit ultra-processed foods (those that have five or more ingredients on the packet).
Add berries, leafy greens like spinach, oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines, nuts and seeds to your trolley.
You can buy packets of mixed seeds in the supermarket, which are easy to sprinkle on meals.
Our immune systems aren’t just fuelled by food, though. They are affected by many aspects of our health and lifestyle.
If you’re under stress, try breathing techniques, mindfulness and exercise.
GPs are prescribing time in nature for its plentiful health benefits so give it a go if you’re mostly indoors and inactive.
If you drink alcohol, cut down for a few weeks and see if you feel the benefit.
Poor sleep and anxiety also affects our immune system so try and get plenty of rest.
If you spend a few weeks dedicating yourself to being the healthiest version of yourself, you should feel the benefits.
Q) I FIND walking uphill a struggle but do not experience any pain. An ECG and CT scan came back fine.
The cardiac nurse asked if I wanted to go for research at the hospital but I couldn’t see any reason as I am not climbing hills every day, so we left it at that.
I am 65 years old, female, a non-smoker and in good health.
Could I have microvascular angina?
And do I need to declare it on my travel insurance if it’s not been confirmed?
A) It is important to inform travel insurance companies of all pre-existing health conditions.
But it sounds to me as though no diagnosis of angina has been made.
If the tests were normal, and you’re feeling well, likely you don’t need to inform them.
However, I do not have the full details of your case, so my best advice is, if in doubt, give them a call and let them know so they can decide and reassure you.
Thank you for raising the topic of microvascular angina – there is a lack of awareness of this condition, even by many medics.
It’s a condition which tends to affect more women than men, where the tiny arteries in the heart muscle become narrow or spasm – rather than the larger coronary arteries in typical angina.
Chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, heartburn-like discomfort, and arm ache can all be potential symptoms.
Often they will come on when exerting yourself, but can also happen at rest.
If any women out there are experiencing this, it’s important to get it checked out and don’t be afraid to mention microvascular angina to your doctor or nurse.
One of the major setbacks is that an angiogram – the test used to diagnose angina – is not very good at seeing these tiny blood vessels, so sometimes it remains undiagnosed and women are dismissed.
Heart disease is one of the biggest killers of women.
Each year, more than twice as many females die of heart disease than breast cancer, so best keep this at the back of our minds.
It is possible that your struggle with walking uphill is caused by microvascular angina, or it could be that you are less fit than you used to be.
If in doubt, I advise returning to the GP for a follow-up chat now that you have completed initial investigations at the cardiology clinic.
Tip of the week
ARE you a late-night snacker?
If you find it hard to cut the habit, try a peppermint or berry tea instead.
It is comforting and distracts the brain from cravings.
Journaling can help reduce stress, if you consider yourself an emotional eater.
Fears over dizzy spells
Q) I’VE recently had three episodes of feeling dizzy, sick and faint, always in the evening or at night.
The first time I did pass out, although the second and third times I managed not to.
During the daytime, I sometimes feel like the floor is moving away from me or I’m floating.
Could these symptoms be related? Could it be linked to anxiety or panic?
There doesn’t seem to be a trigger or pattern. I am 29.
A) Three times or more of anything new and unusual warrants further investigation.
To go from not fainting at all to it almost happening a few times suggests to me you need to be checked out by a GP or nurse practitioner to find out a bit more and see if tests are required.
Fainting and dizziness can be because of pregnancy so if you could be pregnant, take a test to see.
It can also be caused by low blood pressure.
Many GP surgeries and pharmacies have blood pressure machines you could use for a few days or buy your own if you wish.
Fainting can be a sign of a heart condition too and seizures can sometimes be mistaken as fainting, so it’s important to not ignore it.
It’s rare for panic attacks to cause fainting but it’s not unheard of.
But it sounds as though your instinct is telling you that it’s not anxiety or panic-related.
SUMMER is just around the corner, and if you are looking to shape up before a holiday, buy a home workout kit.
For a fraction of the price of a gym membership, you can get your heart rate up with cardio-based exercise, or tone the muscles with a resistance band set.
THREE OF THE BEST… HOME WORKOUT KIT
DOMYOS 500 Foam skipping rope , £7.99, Decathlon: Sales of skipping ropes boomed in the lockdowns and the weight-loss transformations spoke for themselves.
This form of cardio is an all-round body workout. It just takes some patience to start with.
The rope has foam handles for comfort and can be used on indoor floors, too. The length can be adjusted for height.
Gritin resistance bands, set of five, £9.99, Amazon: Small and compact but with a lot of possibilities, these resistance bands can be used to train any part of the body.
There are five levels of resistance, from light to XX-heavy.
Check YouTube for resistance-band workouts. You will definitely get a muscle burn.
OPTI 20kg adjustable barbell set, £40, Argos: To build a stronger body, weights are essential.
Dumbbell sets are easy to get hold of.
But this barbell set allows for exercises such as chest press, overhead press and squats as well as lunges with a bar on the back, with weight of up to 20kg.
The price is just a fraction of other brands.