I have bad breath for many years. I only knew the reason a few years ago, when I was transferred to the hospital for a sore tongue. The tongue has healed but is still left with fissures that mean food will collect in the grooves.
The answer is to hit my tongue. How common are cracked tongue and how often do they cause bad breath?
Congressman, Nottingham.
Over the years, I have seen many patients with cracked tongue. Unfortunately, we don’t know what causes it, although in my experience bad breath (or halitosis, as it’s medically known) is very unusual.
However, this may be because those patients were asked to brush their tongues, removing food debris from the fissures.
Unfortunately, we don’t know what causes it, although in my experience, very unusual bad breath (or halitosis, as medically known) has something to do with it.
As well as doing this, I recommend addressing other potential factors – our breath is affected by the oral microbiome, the billions of bacteria that live inside the mouth, so you need to take care. They are like cracked tongues.
First of all, I recommend using a liquid probiotic mouthwash, which contains healthy microorganisms.
There are several such products available over the counter – choose one that contains Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Unlike regular dental mouthwashes, this one you swallow (usually used two to three times a day).
The second suggestion is to floss nightly with a product impregnated with the antiseptic chlorhexidine – which is available at any drugstore.
Sticking to this routine can further improve your symptoms – possibly over a period of two or three months.
First, I recommend using a liquid probiotic mouthwash, which contains healthy microorganisms
I had a very nasty fall last year that hit my head very hard. Since then, I have had headaches, ringing in my ears, spasms, and when I close my eyes in bed, I see flashing lights. Is there anything I can do about this and is it dangerous to drive my grandchild?
Anne McGhee, East Kilbride.
The symptoms you describe are certainly terrifying – but not out of the ordinary given the severity of the head wound, leaving you unconscious for a few minutes.
First, I want to reassure you that you cannot endanger your grandchildren while behind the wheel. However, I advise you to drive only if you are sure that your sense of balance and visual disturbances do not affect you.
I recommend a CT scan to rule out any bleeding in the skull (which can lead to compression of brain tissue causing symptoms like headaches and intermittent confusion).
In the longer letter, you mention the sensation of the scalp being hot to the touch. This can be alarming but since this is the soft tissue outside the skull it will eventually heal.
Most importantly, you must consult your GP again: make sure you highlight your ongoing symptoms and ask for a referral for a CT scan.
I have drug-induced dyskinesia and am taking diazepam for treatment. One of the side effects is loss of appetite. I didn’t feel hungry at all and the only symptom I got was suddenly feeling tired and fainting. Will this get better in time?
Anne Milne, York.
While there are ways to address your anorexia, I’ve found that changing your medication for one that doesn’t have these side effects can be the most helpful first step.
Most involuntary movement disorders, such as essential tremor, are not caused by medication, but a small number are related to taking medication for another condition. Drug-induced forms include akathisia, which is an irresistible urge to move around.
Chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic, is one of the drugs that can cause this condition. Essentially, these drugs block receptors for the brain chemical dopamine, which controls muscle activity throughout the body, causing movement disorders.
The treatment for this side effect is more medication, but to my knowledge, diazepam is not commonly prescribed for this. It’s a benzodiazepine, which is used for essential tremor (not a drug-induced involuntary movement disorder).
Therefore, I recommend that you talk to your doctor about changing your medication – especially the feeling of fatigue and feeling weak as you describe are almost certainly side effects of diazepam. Your loss of appetite could also be caused by medication.
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Write to Dr Scurr at Good Health, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email: [email protected] – include contact details. Dr. Scurr cannot import private correspondence. The answers should be taken in the general context. Consult your own doctor in case of any health concerns.
In my opinion: You don’t have to be ‘sad’ when you’re depressed and need help
Author Margaret Atwood was recently interviewed on Radio 4 discussing the difference between depression and ‘sadness’ in the face of loss.
It’s an important distinction that is misunderstood and can lead to people mistaking antidepressants for what is essentially a longstanding human problem: grief.
You don’t have to be unhappy or sad when you’re depressed.
We have a similar problem with post-viral conditions, such as persistent Covid.
Depression is one of the most poorly recognized and understood consequences of viral infections like the flu.
The difficulty in diagnosis is that not all depressed patients feel sad, so accurate conclusions are often not drawn.
Covid is no exception and the problem for GPs is to filter out patients with post-viral depression due to Covid and get the right treatment.
Since there is no test to diagnose depression, GPs must use their own judgment and experience. Fatigue despite rest, loss of interest in usual activities, trouble sleeping, and anxiety (including panic attacks) are obvious signs of this condition.
We should not simply assume that these symptoms will appear after Covid-19 and do nothing to help them.
Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk
