Q. Every year I get prickly heat rash – it got so bad recently that I was
unable to leave my hotel room while I was on holiday. I’m going abroad in
September and I’m worried this will happen again. I’ve heard that frequent
sunbed sessions can be helpful. Is there anything I can do? Anna-Louise, 25
A. Prickly heat is caused by your sweat glands becoming blocked, irritating
the skin. It’s not serious, and the rash should disappear on its own in a
few days, but you can soothe it with calamine lotion. The same symptoms can
also be the result of an allergic reaction to sunlight, known as polymorphic
light eruption, or PLE. Specialist skin hospitals can treat this with
regular exposure to particular frequencies of ultraviolet light, but the
sessions are time-consuming. Sunbeds emit a wide range of different light
frequencies, so are therefore unlikely to be of great use – and as they can
expose you to unnecessary radiation, they can be potentially harmful. I
recommend using a high SPF sunscreen, and then later applying a cream
containing one per cent hydrocortisone such as E45 Hc45. An antihistamine
could prove helpful too.
Q. My five-year-old daughter keeps getting really bad ear infections. She
loves going swimming – could this be what’s triggering them? Nicole, 36
A. Your daughter almost certainly has a condition known as swimmer’s ear,
caused by constant moisture in the ear canal. It’s very common in children
and can lead to swelling and soreness. The best solution is to prevent water
getting in the ear in the first place, and since your daughter is a frequent
swimmer, I suggest you have some bespoke ear moulds made. You can buy
earplugs over the counter, but unless they provide a completely tight seal,
they’re not effective. For existing discomfort, some combination antibiotic
drops from the doctor, to treat both infection and inflammation, will do the
trick.
HEALTH HERO: LAUGHING
We all know that a good giggle is a brilliant stress-buster, but did you know
it can help you lose weight too? Experts at Vanderbilt University in
Nashville found that laughing for just 15 minutes a day can use up the same
energy as walking half a mile – during one year this translates into a
weight loss of 5lb. Cardiologists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore,
have also proved that laughing can help to protect against heart attacks.
When we laugh, our blood flow increases and gets the heart pumping, keeping
it strong and bringing new meaning to the phrase ‘laughter is the best
medicine’.
FACT vs FICTION
Carrots help you see in the dark: FICTION
This idea is thought
to come from advice given to pilots during WW2 who were told to eat carrots
to help them see in the dark. There is an element of truth in it, in that
beta carotene, which is found in carrots, plays an essential role in
providing nutrients to the light-sensitive membrane in the back of the eye.
However on a normal diet, eating carrots will not give you better night-time
vision than someone who avoids them.
COMPILED BY: JO UPCRAFT, SARAH-JANE
CORFIELD-SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY: MEDIABLITZ, MASTERFILE
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