NOW the sun is out, your SPF should be too.
Did you know we are recommended to use two shot glasses worth of suncream to cover our body?
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It might seem excessive, but no patch should be left uncovered.
In fact, it’s the little areas – the tops of the ears, back of the hands, tip of the nose – that are high-risk spots for skin cancer.
Melanoma skin cancer has been increasing in frequency.
Cancer Research UK analysis shows rates rose by almost a third between 2009 and 2019.
But 86 per cent of cases are preventable by protecting skin from UV rays.
You can reduce risk by applying suncream but also wearing a hat and staying in the shade . . . in the UK as well as holiday hotspots.
Reapply suncream every few hours to protect your skin.
Five or more sunburns more than doubles your risk of developing potentially deadly melanoma, warns the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Here’s what readers have been asking me this week . . .
SWEAT MARKS THE PITS
Q: FOR years, I’ve had huge sweat marks under my armpits.
It’s affecting my confidence because I mainly wear black clothing that shows it up less, when I would love to wear different colours.
I have tried everything and nothing seems to work.
Please help.
A: The medical word for excessive sweating is hyperhidrosis and it affects at least one per cent of people.
It can be an embarrassing condition but is not an illness – rather it’s the extreme end of the spectrum of normal sweating.
Armpits are a common place for it to occur, as well as on the hands, feet or face.
The symptoms tend to be prominent in the daytime most days but absent at night.
More rarely there can be an underlying cause or disease causing the sweating.
But this would normally be obvious because there would be other symptoms, or an unusual pattern of sweating more at night.
While it is not dangerous to health, hyperhidrosis can terribly affect a person’s life.
Aluminium chloride (20 per cent) is advised as a first treatment. It is available from the pharmacy without prescription.
The correct way to use it is by applying it at night just before sleep, then washing it off in the morning.
Apply every one to two days, until symptoms improve.
Following this, use as required, which may be up to every six weeks.
A major downside of aluminium chloride is that it can cause irritation.
To reduce risk of this, use an emollient to moisturise the skin, and gentle soap for washing (or use emollient as a soap substitute).
If irritation does happen you can reduce the frequency to maybe just twice a week, and use a one-per-cent hydrocortisone steroid cream, which again can be bought directly from the pharmacy.
By day, use an antiperspirant rather than a deodorant. The former reduces sweat, but the latter masks odour.
Other treatments include iontophoresis, which uses a low-voltage electric current to calm the sweat glands; it is a little impractical for armpits but can work when using specially designed pads.
And Botox injections into the armpit skin can give relief from excessive sweating for six to nine months, but this can be expensive and may lead to compensatory sweating elsewhere.
The International Hyperhidrosis Society (sweathelp.org) can be a useful resource.
Q: I AM a woman who is 74 years young.
I had a hysterectomy at age 47 and since then have suffered with ongoing UTIs.
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I had my bladder stretched ten years ago which did help for two years, but the problem is back.
Three years ago I got referred to another consultant and had a bladder camera check, plus a scan, which didn’t find anything.
I was put on Hiprex, 1g, for six months but it didn’t work.
Then I was put on nitrofurantoin, 50mg, for six months.
One every night did work but apparently I cannot stay on them as they could make my stomach bleed.
I read that there is a uromone vaccine I could possibly try, but how do I get it?
In the past I’ve had numerous antibiotics, and have started to have a probiotic every morning to help my gut.
Please help.
A: There are various types of UTI vaccine being developed to treat recurrent UTIs.
They include ones that can be swallowed, injected, applied to the vagina and sprayed under the tongue.
All work by training the body’s natural immune system to fight off a UTI before it can take hold.
In the UK, UTI vaccines are not currently licensed for routine use but the hope is they may provide a potential alternative to antibiotics for recurrent UTIs in the near future.
I find it interesting that your symptoms started when you had the hysterectomy.
Were your ovaries removed as well as the womb?
If so this would have put you into immediate menopause and I do wonder how much your symptoms may be helped by using topical oestrogen.
This means using a tablet, pessary, cream, gel or ring that you insert into your vagina, which can help with urinary symptoms (including recurrent UTIs) linked to lack of oestrogen.
Whilst this is a type of HRT, it does not have any of the risks associated with systemic HRT, so there is no reason not to give it a try.
Another suggestion would be D-Mannose, which is an over-the-counter treatment that can be used if the infection is caused by the E.coli bacteria.
Research suggests success rates of this treatment can be as high as 45 per cent at six months, but care needs to be taken in those who have or are at risk of diabetes, as D-Mannose is a sugar.
How can I relieve kneecap pain?
Q: I AM an 85-year-old man and worked in the marble and granite industry all my life.
I consider myself fortunate to have had no illnesses at all.
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But three years ago I went to my GP with a painful kneecap, which caused me to fall.
I was sent for physio and tried different exercises, to no avail.
Finally, I asked about an injection but was told they don’t always work.
I also asked about an op but was told there is a two-year wait, and that by then I might not be fit enough for surgery.
I was given co-codamol and a gel to apply – all of which is doing no good.
I have now resorted to wearing a knee brace, which helps a little. But is there anything else I can try?
A: Try to get referred back to the musculoskeletal team at the hospital for more information about these two potential treatments.
If surgery could help, I’d opt to get on the list and work towards improving your fitness to prepare for the surgery.
And yes, it is true that steroid injections don’t always work, but sometimes they do.
So I’d be saying “let’s try it” because you might be one of the ones it does work for.
It could give you the relief you need to get moving more – which brings me on to what you can do for yourself, and that is exercise.
This is the number one therapy for osteoarthritis.
Exercise can strengthen the muscles around the knee, and alleviate symptoms, but I understand that this may seem a little counter-intuitive if a joint is painful.
So use painkillers and don’t be afraid to gradually increase movement.
Studies have shown conclusively that improving strength can alleviate symptoms, even if you need to use painkillers.
In some areas of the UK there are exercise programmes such as Escape Pain (escape-pain.org) designed to help lessen pain and rehabilitate.
Things like cycling and swimming are also beneficial for pain.
Exercise can be done at home and the NHS website has some useful videos.
Tip of the week
Avoid using cotton buds to clean ears as they can worsen earwax build-up.
For impacted earwax that is causing pain or hearing issues, you should consider professional removal services offered by the likes of Superdrug and Specsavers
BRUSHING WITH DANGER
HALF of us go to bed without brushing our teeth at least once a week, a survey found.
The Oral Health Foundation warns millions are at risk of tooth rot due to laziness.
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One in three fail to brush “a few times a week”, with that figure rising to 43 per cent for under-25s.
The OHF said it increases the chance of tooth decay as most people say they eat sugary snacks before bed.
A third snack every night after dinner, of whom 68 per cent opt for sugary treats such as chocolate, sweets and biscuits.
Three quarters of adults are missing at least one tooth and almost nine in ten have fillings.
Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, says: “The UK is becoming a nation of late-night snackers and our teeth are paying the price.
“Snacking on sugary treats every night and then skipping brushing before bed is a recipe for disaster.
“When you don’t brush, sugar and bacteria stay on your teeth all night, producing acids that eat away at the enamel.
“Over time, this can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss.
“If you do choose to snack, pick options that won’t harm your teeth.
“Savoury choices such as cheese, nuts or breadsticks are much better for your oral health.
“Brushing your teeth before bed is essential. It’s your last line of defence against tooth decay.”
FAT LINK TO SCALY SKIN
BELLY fat increases your risk of the skin condition psoriasis, a study warns.
Psoriasis, which affects one in 50 people, causes scaly patches of skin usually around the scalp, knees and elbows.
Researchers at King’s College London analysed data from over 330,000 Brits, including more than 9,000 people with psoriasis.
They found that abdominal fat was strongly linked to the likelihood of having the condition, particularly for women.
Study author Dr Ravi Ramessur said: “Our research shows that where fat is stored in the body matters when it comes to psoriasis risk.
“Central fat, especially around the waist, seems to play a key role.
“This has important implications for how we identify individuals who may be more likely to develop psoriasis or experience more severe disease, and how we approach prevention and treatment strategies.”
Psoriasis typically begins in a person’s 20s or 50s.
It is thought that a problem with the immune system causes the skin cells to replace faster than they should.
Experts reckon Ozempic-style fat jabs, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, may help people with psoriasis.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Dr Joel Gelfand, from the University of Pennsylvania, said: “The strong relationship between psoriasis and obesity, and the emerging promise of GLP-1 RAs, is a call to action for clinical trials.”
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