THE INIMITABLE STYLE OF GLORIA MIZZI - MaltaRightNow.com
THE INIMITABLE STYLE OF GLORIA MIZZI - MaltaRightNow.com
THE INIMITABLE STYLE OF GLORIA MIZZI - MaltaRightNow.com
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| HEALTH |<br />
D C Q&A<br />
John Cutajar M.D.<br />
(doctor of medicine and surgery)<br />
Contact us with your queries. If you have a medical question email us at : life&style@media.link.<strong>com</strong>.mt or write in<br />
to :DOC Q & A, , Life & Style, Media.Link Communications Co Ltd, Triq Herbert Ganado, Pieta HMR 08. Please<br />
state your age, sex, initials and town. A selection of questions will be answered in the magazine but our doctor cannot<br />
enter into personal correspondence.<br />
The answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you’re worried, see your GP.<br />
“ Bad breath is<br />
most <strong>com</strong>mon in<br />
smokers - if you<br />
smoke, you’ve got<br />
one more reason<br />
to quit.”<br />
Q I have very dark circles<br />
under my eyes. Someone<br />
told me that it may have<br />
something to do with my<br />
kidneys, as I’ve had kidney<br />
problems in the past.<br />
I’m worried that there may<br />
be an underlying problem.<br />
Is it true that they could<br />
be linked and should I<br />
see a doctor to have any<br />
particular tests performed<br />
to rule any kidney problems<br />
out I don’t suffer from any<br />
sleep depravation at all<br />
so it’s not through lack of<br />
sleep.<br />
Mrs. A. S - Zabbar<br />
A Dark circles under or around people’s eyes<br />
are unlikely to be caused by disease, especially<br />
if they have been there for ages. They are more<br />
often caused by lack of sleep or dehydration.<br />
However, some chronic kidney problems can<br />
sometimes be the cause. Thus, if this is noted as<br />
a recent change or if you’ve had kidney problems<br />
in the past, the only way to be reassured is by<br />
visiting your doctor to have your kidney function<br />
checked with some blood and urine tests.<br />
Q Over the last two years,<br />
my seven-year-old daughter<br />
has wet the bed almost<br />
every night. We never tell<br />
her off, but my husband<br />
and I find ourselves asking<br />
the question ‘why’ There<br />
are times when she has<br />
a month or so without<br />
bed-wetting. Then just<br />
as abruptly as it stops, it<br />
starts again. I have read<br />
that for it is normal for a<br />
child to wet the bed until<br />
the age of six. Please can<br />
you reassure me that one<br />
day my daughter will grow<br />
out of this<br />
Mr. M. S - Swieqi<br />
A Yes, it is highly likely that your daughter<br />
will grow out of it. Most children stop bedwetting<br />
by the age of six, though a few may<br />
keep doing so until they are eight or nine. Urine<br />
tests can exclude physical causes such as<br />
diabetes or urine infections. However, the pattern<br />
you describe, with times when she stays dry,<br />
suggests a psychological rather than a physical<br />
cause. It’s good not to tell her off, but dry nights<br />
can be rewarded. Ask her if there’s anything<br />
bothering her at school or at home. Ask about<br />
nightmares. You can also ask her teachers to<br />
watch out for problems at school. If no obvious<br />
cause is identifi ed, speak to your doctor to<br />
consider specialist referral.<br />
Q I suffer from bad body<br />
odour and bad breath, even<br />
though I am very particular<br />
about my hygiene. Are<br />
these odours related and is<br />
there anything I can do to<br />
rid myself of these smells<br />
My girlfriend keeps talking<br />
about a build up of toxins<br />
but I am not so sure.<br />
Mr. I. V - Valletta<br />
A It is unlikely that these two problems are<br />
directly related or be due to underlying disease.<br />
Unless you suffer from a medical condition or<br />
are on long-term medication, they are usually<br />
due to local causes. Bad breath is most <strong>com</strong>mon<br />
in smokers - if you smoke, you’ve got one more<br />
reason to quit (as if there weren’t enough!). A<br />
dental check-up is next on the cards, as chronic<br />
tooth or gum disease could also be the culprit.<br />
Body odour is also often localised and due to<br />
excessive sweating (hyperhydrosis). Some parts<br />
of your body might be sweatier than others. You<br />
could try different anti-perspirants, deodorants,<br />
perfumes and scented body washes, wearing<br />
loose fi tting clothes made of natural materials<br />
and shaving armpit or body hair. Finally, having<br />
a healthy balanced diet will help you discard<br />
the “toxins” idea… drink plenty of water, avoid<br />
excessive alcohol and coffee, and eat fresh rather<br />
than processed foods, avoiding fats. If these<br />
simple measures don’t help, seek medical advice<br />
as pharmaceutical products, surgery or botox<br />
injections might be needed in severe cases.<br />
“Most children stop bed-wetting by the age of six,<br />
though a few may keep doing so until they are<br />
eight or nine.”<br />
L&S | SEPTEMBER ’06 25