Q: A few weeks ago, during my regular Zumba class, my heart started racing and I felt light-headed. Since then I’ve often felt a fluttering in my chest – and suffered indigestion. Should I be worried? I’m a slim, active woman of 70.
A: This catalogue of symptoms warrants a GP consultation, particularly in somebody aged 70. My instant thought is atrial fibrillation (AF).
This is a problem with the electrical impulses that keep the heart beating. It causes episodes of a rapid, irregular pulse.
Other symptoms include palpitations – being very aware of or able to feel the heart beating – chest pain, shortness of breath and feeling faint or light headed.
Chest pain linked to problems with the heart can sometimes be mistaken for indigestion.
AF can be diagnosed in hospital using a test called an electrocardiogram, better known as an ECG. It involves electrodes being attached to the chest to record the activity of the heart.
However, as episodes of AF aren’t constant – rather they come and go – patients are often given a portable version to wear out and about for couple of days.
This makes it more likely to record an ‘attack’.
A reader is concerned about experiencing light-headedness and a racing heart during a Zumba class – with the symptoms still persisting
It’s important to treat AF, because the abnormal heartbeat allows blood clots to form inside the heart. These can travel to the brain, causing a stroke.
These symptoms could also be the sign of a condition called POTS – postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
This causes the heart to race on standing up. Patients also say they feel dizzy and tired as a result. This can be particularly noticeable after exercise.
POTS is common and we have seen more cases of it since Covid, as it has been one of the features of people with long Covid, although it’s not clear why.
Q: About three months ago, I developed a bad cold and have been left with a dry, ticklish cough which shows no signs of going away. I have tried antibiotics, linctus and hot drinks, but nothing has worked. Can you help?
A: I see a lot of this sort of thing in my surgery, particularly at the moment. More often than not, it’s what we call a post-viral cough – where someone carries on coughing for a few weeks although their initial cold or flu infection has cleared up.
In some cases it can last for a couple of months and unfortunately there is little that can help to stop it.
Usually pharmacy remedies such as cough syrup and even honey are the best things to soothe the symptoms, but they will only ever provide very transient relief.
And if it’s whooping cough it can go on for even longer.
Also known as pertussis, it begins like a typical cold but then develops into a dreadful cough that can last for three months or more.
It causes terrible bouts of coughing which feel non-stop. There is no specific treatment for whooping cough, but a blood test can be done to confirm the diagnosis. If you have ever been a smoker, particularly if you are elderly, you should always speak to the GP about a cough that has lasted more than three weeks.
Likewise if you have any pain, weight loss or cough up any blood, a doctor consultation is essential. Often this results in a chest X-ray to ensure there is no underlying serious disease such as lung cancer. Persistent coughs may also be caused by allergies, acid reflux, or longer-term smoking-related lung diseases such as emphysema.
Q: I have suffered from sore, dry eyes for a while and have been given conflicting advice by doctors on what to do about them. One suggested eye drops, which just stung. Another said to wash my face with soap three times a day and always use separate face and hand towels. This didn’t help either. What do you think I should do?
A: Dry eyes are a common problem affecting up to a third of older people. Normally the eyes are protected by a film of moisture produced by the tear ducts. But in people with dry eyes, this doesn’t happen as well as it should.
The main symptom is a gritty, sore feeling in the eyes.
They can also water a lot – but they won’t usually look red and the vision isn’t affected.
There are a few options in terms of easing the discomfort.
At this time of year, central heating can make home environments very dry, so a humidifier may improve things. Artificial tears, which come as a gel or drops, are a treatment and there are many types.
At first you can use these multiple times a day and when things improve reduce this to three times a week.
You can also get a soothing ointment to use at bedtime which lubricates the eyes. Omega-3 fats, the type in oily fish, are thought to improve dry eyes. It is worth adding this to your diet once or twice a week or trying a fish oil supplement.
Paracetamol alert for elderly
Regularly taking paracetamol may increase the risk of heart, gut and kidney problems in over 65s, according to a study
Paracetamol may not be as safe for older people as we once thought. Regularly taking the painkiller may increase the risk of heart, gut and kidney problems in over 65s, a study has shown.
This is particularly concerning for patients with osteoarthritis – the painful joint problem which occurs in old age – as paracetamol can often be one of their only options.
We already advise this group against taking anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen because they can trigger stomach and kidney issues.
For now, there is nowhere near enough evidence to suggest people should stop taking the tablets. But it is a reminder that no medication is without risks. And no tablet, no matter how familiar, should be taken lightly.
GP appointment waits are getting worse
I was incredibly disappointed to read that, according to analysis by the Lib Dems, one million people were unable to contact their GP in the last month.
This means that – despite repeated attempts either by phone or via the internet – they were unable to get help.
Long waits for appointments were an issue even before the pandemic. But it seems things are getting worse.
It’s not universal and every practice is different. At my surgery, we are able to respond to most appointment requests in a matter of days – or within 24 hours if it is deemed urgent.
But elsewhere, things seem to be going very badly – and delays to diagnosis and treatment put lives at risk.
Have you waited more than a month to get a GP appointment? Please write and let me know.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .