DR ELLIE CANNON: What will prevent me from getting so many bad chest infections? –

I am 72 years old and recently spent two weeks in the hospital for pneumonia.

I had another chest infection after the antibiotics given to me ran out. It always seems to bother me.

Can I take anything to boost my immune system?

An endless list of foods and supplements seem to be marketed as immune boosters, but there’s little to suggest that they actually do much.

At best, they can help the immune system work as it should, but are nothing more than a healthy diet.

There are lifestyle factors associated with a well-functioning immune system: good sleep and low stress, and a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Exercise is also believed to be good for the immune system.

In their absence, people suffer from multiple infections, especially those related to weakened immunity.

Certain underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, can make you more prone to infections.

A primary care physician should check for these and other conditions, such as lung disease or medications that can make you vulnerable to respiratory infections.

Smoking or being a former smoker can also be a factor. Chest X-ray and pulmonary function test will help.

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016 and I have a persistent burning or crawling sensation under the skin in my upper body.

My doctor tried three different pain relievers to no avail.

It affects my sleep, as well as my wife’s.

People with Parkinson’s, a brain disease, often suffer from movement problems, tremors, and muscle stiffness.

But there are more than 40 other symptoms, including loss of smell, balance problems, dementia, and difficulty swallowing.

Nerve pain is something else – it’s a very specific type of pain sometimes called neuralgia or neuropathic pain.

People describe the sensations as burning sensations, numbness, stinging like cold and electric shock.

If a person with Parkinson’s has skin tenderness along with a crawling sensation, it may be related to the disease.

Neuropathic pains and sensations require specialized pain treatments, as the standard type of pain reliever often does not work.

We use nerve pain relievers called gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine or amitriptyline with varying degrees of success. They have no side effects, so they need to provide a good amount of help to be beneficial.

Capsaicin cream is a nerve analgesic made from cayenne pepper extracts: it can slightly warm or burn the skin. It is worth trying four times a day for two weeks, it should not be continued unless there is pain relief.

It can cause redness, which is another reason to stop. However, if it is useful, it can also be “taken” through a patch that adheres to the skin and slowly releases the active drug.

Pain that affects sleep is more debilitating than most, and this should be taken into account when choosing a pain reliever.

You may need to use something else to aid sleep, such as melatonin, along with nerve therapy. A good night’s sleep is very important for Parkinson’s patients.

I’ve had terrible headaches for the past three weeks. I have never suffered. I recently had an eye exam I thought my prescription might not be strong enough anymore.

I was told to do a scan called OCT to check for serious issues that might be causing my headaches. It was 50 pounds more expensive, so I declined.

Was this a bad idea?

OCT scans are offered by opticians to fully assess eye health, especially in people with diabetes or glaucoma or a family history of eye disease.

They are especially used to detect vision problems related to retina and eye structures instead of headaches.

However, a doctor’s appointment is necessary for a complete evaluation of the headache.

We all get headaches from time to time, but new and persistent headaches that last for about a month should be a reason to discuss the problem with a doctor.

May be migraine – regular one-sided headache, often associated with nausea and visual disturbances.

There are also tension-type headaches. Patients say it’s like having a band around the head with pressure on both sides. This often happens in times of stress.

There is also an unusual condition called cluster headache, where people experience excruciating headaches every day, usually for one to three months. This is a debilitating condition with very intense pain, usually on one side.

Other causes of a new and regular headache episode may not come from the beginning at all. They can be caused by poor posture – repeatedly bending the neck to look at the phone is a common problem – as well as poor vision.

Too much alcohol or high blood pressure causes regular headaches, and oddly enough, taking painkillers for headaches can cause headaches to worsen.

This is called a “drug overuse headache” and can occur with many different pain relievers, including codeine, migraine treatments, and even acetaminophen if taken often enough.

Frequent headaches are also associated with fluctuating hormone levels during menopause.

The calorie counts on the menus will appeal to those who eat wrong

The government’s latest anti-obesity measures are now in place, and major restaurants and cafes are required to display calorie counts on their menus.

I have long supported, but not supported, public health measures aimed at reducing the burden of lifestyle-related diseases by helping people lose weight and lose weight.

First, there is no data in the UK to suggest that counting calories on menus will reduce obesity.

The United States has been taking similar measures for years, and obesity rates continue to rise. First of all, the damage potential is huge.

In my experience, obese people are unlikely to watch or obsess about calories. But 1.2 million Brits with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia do.

We’ve seen a 50 percent increase in the number of people hospitalized with these illnesses since 2019 – do we really need to add fuel to the fire?