rockin'robin
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- Apr 22, 2007
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EVER had a problem you are too embarrassed to go to the doctor with?
Maybe a nasty itch, suspected sexually transmitted disease (STD), excess sweating or frustration over an impotent partner? You're not alone.
MODERATE
BLUSHING
WE all blush when put on the spot. But some people go bright red at the drop of a hat, sometimes for no apparent reason.
Cause: Hot flushes are typical of the menopause. Some people flush if they eat monosodium glutamate, a salt common in Chinese food. More lasting is rosacea, a type of acne.
Cure: If you're a teenager, you'll grow out of it. Otherwise cut down on spicy food, alcohol, hot drinks and heavy clothes.
BAD BREATH
BAD breath is common in the morning, especially if you sleep with your mouth open. But some people suffer from it on a regular basis, with an obvious impact on their social life.
Cause: Dehydration, bad teeth, infected gums or too much alcohol. Rarely, consequences include sinus or lung trouble.
Cure: Buy a new toothbrush and also brush your tongue. Improve saliva flow by not smoking and drinking less coffee and more water. If there's still no improvement, see your doc.
OBESITY
CHANCES are you know you need to shift a few pounds, but asking for help can be a stumbling block.
Cause: It's the age-old story about eating more calories than you burn. But there are sometimes underlying causes, such as steroid treatment or an underactive thyroid gland.
Cure: Try the practice nurse, your pharmacist, The Sun Fit Squad Diet site, or WeightWatchers.
SKIN PROBLEMS
YOU may feel like everyone is staring at you, but skin problems are less obvious to others than they are to you.
Acne and eczema are among the most common embarrassing skin conditions.
Cause: Spots, scaling or itchy skin.
Cure: Acne can respond to over-the-counter remedies - ask your pharmacist.
If it doesn't improve, or you are aged over 25, see your doctor because a prescribed treatment may work better. It's notoriously difficult to diagnose other skin conditions without seeing them, so check with your GP.
SEVERE
BOWEL PROBLEMS
HUMANS are a windy bunch - the average person breaks wind about 12 times a day. However, more frequent outbursts can signal an underlying medical problem.
Cause: If you pass wind often and have noisy bowels, it may be irritable bowel syndrome or an infection such as gastroenteritis.
As for diarrhoea, in young children infections such as rotavirus are the most common cause.
In adults, possibilities include food poisoning, "traveller's diarrhoea" and, more seriously, bowel cancer.
Cure: For wind, steer clear of fizzy drinks and eat more slowly to avoid swallowing air.
Try dimethicone capsules (such as Wind Setlers) which trap excess wind. See your doctor if symptoms persist, especially if you feel ill or have lost weight.
For diarrhoea, adults should try an over-the-counter remedy for a few days and see if things improve. But see your GP if symptoms persist or there's blood in the motion.
EXCESS SWEATING
THREE per cent of the population suffer from excess sweating.
Cause: Perspiration is usually heavier if you're overweight, drink heavily or eat a lot of spicy food - or if you're going through puberty.
Cure: Lose weight, cut back on booze and use a strong anti-perspirant (such as Driclor).
If this doesn't work and you feel unwell or have lost weight, see your doctor.
EXTREME
IMPOTENCE
OF all the symptoms patients get coy about, erectile dysfunction is the number one.
That is why many men trawl the internet instead of seeing their doc.
If it has only happened once or twice, it doesn't count. The problem is more significant if you no longer get erections at all.
Cause: If you are nervous before getting down to business, it could be a simple case of performance anxiety.
But chances are there is a physical element, such as furring up of the arteries in your old chap.
That is probably also happening in other vital organs, including the heart, so it is not just your sex life that is at risk.
Cure: See your doctor. Before you get a prescription for anything, your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels should be checked.
You can also help yourself by giving up smoking and cutting down on booze.
STDs
FEAR you may have picked up some unwanted guests on that boozy weekend to Bournemouth?
Although you may be glowing with embarrassment at the surgery or clinic, there is no need to be bashful - us medics have seen it all before. While rates for syphilis and gonorrhoea are fairly stable, some STDs such as chlamydia continue to rise.
Unfortunately, there's no foolproof way of knowing you have an STD - you have to get tested.
The symptoms are a burning sensation while urinating, a rash or warts, discharge and bleeding after sex.
Cause: There is a whole range of possibilities, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HPV (human papilloma virus).
The worse the itch, the more likely it is to be something mild such as thrush, which you can treat yourself. Ask your pharmacist.
Cure: Go to a sexual health or family planning clinic. If you are a woman with bleeding after intercourse, see your GP, especially if you are due a smear test.
OTHER PROBLEMS
BOTTOM OF THE LIST
THEY are common but no one likes to discuss bottom worries with their GPs.
Cause: Itching is common and usually resolves itself with better hygiene, but it could be piles.
Bleeding occurs with a fissure (crack) as well as with piles - but it can be a sign of bowel cancer.
Lumps can be piles, warts or boils.
Cure: For itches, try washing twice daily. A mild steroid cream can help. If you have lumps or are bleeding see your doctor.
Doctor, I've got itchy skin, STDs, sweating and my man is impotent | Sun health | The Sun |Woman|Health|Health
Maybe a nasty itch, suspected sexually transmitted disease (STD), excess sweating or frustration over an impotent partner? You're not alone.
MODERATE
BLUSHING
WE all blush when put on the spot. But some people go bright red at the drop of a hat, sometimes for no apparent reason.
Cause: Hot flushes are typical of the menopause. Some people flush if they eat monosodium glutamate, a salt common in Chinese food. More lasting is rosacea, a type of acne.
Cure: If you're a teenager, you'll grow out of it. Otherwise cut down on spicy food, alcohol, hot drinks and heavy clothes.
BAD BREATH
BAD breath is common in the morning, especially if you sleep with your mouth open. But some people suffer from it on a regular basis, with an obvious impact on their social life.
Cause: Dehydration, bad teeth, infected gums or too much alcohol. Rarely, consequences include sinus or lung trouble.
Cure: Buy a new toothbrush and also brush your tongue. Improve saliva flow by not smoking and drinking less coffee and more water. If there's still no improvement, see your doc.
OBESITY
CHANCES are you know you need to shift a few pounds, but asking for help can be a stumbling block.
Cause: It's the age-old story about eating more calories than you burn. But there are sometimes underlying causes, such as steroid treatment or an underactive thyroid gland.
Cure: Try the practice nurse, your pharmacist, The Sun Fit Squad Diet site, or WeightWatchers.
SKIN PROBLEMS
YOU may feel like everyone is staring at you, but skin problems are less obvious to others than they are to you.
Acne and eczema are among the most common embarrassing skin conditions.
Cause: Spots, scaling or itchy skin.
Cure: Acne can respond to over-the-counter remedies - ask your pharmacist.
If it doesn't improve, or you are aged over 25, see your doctor because a prescribed treatment may work better. It's notoriously difficult to diagnose other skin conditions without seeing them, so check with your GP.
SEVERE
BOWEL PROBLEMS
HUMANS are a windy bunch - the average person breaks wind about 12 times a day. However, more frequent outbursts can signal an underlying medical problem.
Cause: If you pass wind often and have noisy bowels, it may be irritable bowel syndrome or an infection such as gastroenteritis.
As for diarrhoea, in young children infections such as rotavirus are the most common cause.
In adults, possibilities include food poisoning, "traveller's diarrhoea" and, more seriously, bowel cancer.
Cure: For wind, steer clear of fizzy drinks and eat more slowly to avoid swallowing air.
Try dimethicone capsules (such as Wind Setlers) which trap excess wind. See your doctor if symptoms persist, especially if you feel ill or have lost weight.
For diarrhoea, adults should try an over-the-counter remedy for a few days and see if things improve. But see your GP if symptoms persist or there's blood in the motion.
EXCESS SWEATING
THREE per cent of the population suffer from excess sweating.
Cause: Perspiration is usually heavier if you're overweight, drink heavily or eat a lot of spicy food - or if you're going through puberty.
Cure: Lose weight, cut back on booze and use a strong anti-perspirant (such as Driclor).
If this doesn't work and you feel unwell or have lost weight, see your doctor.
EXTREME
IMPOTENCE
OF all the symptoms patients get coy about, erectile dysfunction is the number one.
That is why many men trawl the internet instead of seeing their doc.
If it has only happened once or twice, it doesn't count. The problem is more significant if you no longer get erections at all.
Cause: If you are nervous before getting down to business, it could be a simple case of performance anxiety.
But chances are there is a physical element, such as furring up of the arteries in your old chap.
That is probably also happening in other vital organs, including the heart, so it is not just your sex life that is at risk.
Cure: See your doctor. Before you get a prescription for anything, your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels should be checked.
You can also help yourself by giving up smoking and cutting down on booze.
STDs
FEAR you may have picked up some unwanted guests on that boozy weekend to Bournemouth?
Although you may be glowing with embarrassment at the surgery or clinic, there is no need to be bashful - us medics have seen it all before. While rates for syphilis and gonorrhoea are fairly stable, some STDs such as chlamydia continue to rise.
Unfortunately, there's no foolproof way of knowing you have an STD - you have to get tested.
The symptoms are a burning sensation while urinating, a rash or warts, discharge and bleeding after sex.
Cause: There is a whole range of possibilities, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HPV (human papilloma virus).
The worse the itch, the more likely it is to be something mild such as thrush, which you can treat yourself. Ask your pharmacist.
Cure: Go to a sexual health or family planning clinic. If you are a woman with bleeding after intercourse, see your GP, especially if you are due a smear test.
OTHER PROBLEMS
BOTTOM OF THE LIST
THEY are common but no one likes to discuss bottom worries with their GPs.
Cause: Itching is common and usually resolves itself with better hygiene, but it could be piles.
Bleeding occurs with a fissure (crack) as well as with piles - but it can be a sign of bowel cancer.
Lumps can be piles, warts or boils.
Cure: For itches, try washing twice daily. A mild steroid cream can help. If you have lumps or are bleeding see your doctor.
Doctor, I've got itchy skin, STDs, sweating and my man is impotent | Sun health | The Sun |Woman|Health|Health
Blushing - I am a naturally red person so people often assume I'm embarrassed when I'm not and I have to point out that I'm "always like that." 