Dr. Rabab Rizvi, Specialist in Family Medicine, Welcare Ambulatory Care Centre responds:

Dear Doctor,
My husband is 24yrs old, 6ft tall and weighs between 85-90kg. He has been complaining of chest pain recently. Is this a sign of a heart problem? Please advise.  Mrs.Turk, Sharjah

Your husband should loose about 4-5 kg in weight. Any chest pain should be fully evaluated. 

We need to know if he has any other risk factors for disease, like does he have a family history, does he smoke? What is his cholesterol level? He needs to have his blood pressure checked, his cholesterol level assessed, and have an ECG. 

But, it is unlikely for him to have heart problems at this age.

Dear Doctor,
I am a 39-year-old male. My sleep patterns have become very poor lately. Smallest of noise wakes me up. I sleep approximately for about 4 hours now, which I would gradually like to increase to 6 or 7hrs. It would be of great help for any information to find me a suitable remedy for a good night’s rest.  Khan Shawkat, Dubai

Insomnia is a common problem, affecting people at different time of their lives. Try going to bed at the same time every night; do not oversleep, even if you have slept poorly, as that interferes with sleep the next day.

Avoid napping in the day, do not watch the clock as this makes you anxious, relax before bedtime, exercise daily and clear your mind of worries or plans before sleep time. Refrain from coffee and cola after lunch. Medication for sleeplessness is available but it can lead to over reliance and should be generally avoided.

Dear Doctor,
My hips legs and back always hurt. What could be wrong?  Rahela, Abu Dhabi


The most common causes of pain in these areas are muscular pain, but you should see your doctor to rule out nerve compression. Gentle exercises of the back, along with massage help, sometimes an anti inflammatory medication can be given to alleviate the pain.

Dear Doctor,
My two daughters aged 9 and 4 suffer from cold and runny nose. They also usually vomit before leaving for school. Please advise. Vesper, Dubai


Constant colds in children are often due to allergy. It usually presents with runny nose, mild cough, worse in the mornings and at change of season, and not associated with fever or any other features of an infection. Vomiting in the mornings can be a part of the same if there is a lot of phlegm that they need to clear out. Do get them checked out to make sure they don’t have a viral or bacterial infection.

Dear Doctor,
My daughter 13 yr old daughter had a RTA in 1997. It has left a deep dark scar on her forehead & also soft tissues on her head, where there is no hair growth. Doctors say she can go for the surgery only after 16 yrs. of age. Please advice & also suggest if there is any medicine or cream available in the market to lessen the scars. Naheed, Sharjah


Surgical correction would be her best option. There are products available in the market that claim to reduce scars but their effectively is not established. You may want to consult a dermatologist.

Dear Doctor,
I am a 32 year old male. I feel extremely giddy early mornings. Please advice.  Rajeev, Dubai


There can be many reasons for early morning giddiness. If it is associated with nausea and heartburn it could be due to hyperacidity, it may be associated with sinus problems, blood pressure problems, or inner ear imbalance. You need to have it checked and treated according to the cause.

Dear Doctor,
I have a problem of nose bleeding for the past 5 yrs, Please clarify what could be the cause of the problem and how it can be cured. Muhammed Ikram, Muscat


You need to have your blood pressure checked and have a blood test done to make sure your blood clotting mechanism is normal. If these are normal, then nosebleed are fairly common manifestations of local scabbing in the nose. 

You need to pinch the nose at the bottom for 5 minutes, apply ice packs to the forehead, and avoid blowing the nose for up to 48 hours after the nosebleed. If it is not settling, you should see an ENT specialist for treating the vessel that is bleeding.

 

DISCLAIMER Answers provided in this section are not medical prescriptions. They are just preliminary advice, given by doctors of Welcare Hospital on the basis of readers' queries. Readers are advised to visit their doctors for specific diagnosis and treatment. Khaleej Times Online and WomenOne do not hold themselves responsible for any answers to readers' queries.