342 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
342 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
health
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healthadvice
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lifecoach
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8153805
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# Lifecoach: Stop suffering in the cold
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## Our panel of experts answers questions on everything from sports drinks to
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spatial awareness
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![Cold feet and hands can be linked to many conditions][1]
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Cold feet and hands can be linked to many conditions
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12:11PM GMT 23 Nov 2010
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[Comments][2]
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**Q **_For some years now, as the weather gets colder, I have suffered from a
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cold` left foot. This tends to occur when I have been sitting down for a
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period of time. My left foot does not feel any colder to the touch, but the
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sensation I have is that it is much colder. Massaging the foot does not make
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any significant difference. If I stand up and walk around the cold sensation
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is reduced. Sometimes it stops me from sleeping. I also suffer from arthritic
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pain in my left hip and wonder if there is a connection? My GP has not been
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able to come up with any explanation or remedy for this condition. _**P
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Carter, Bedford**
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**DR DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES: **
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**A **Impairment of the main circulation to your left foot seems unlikely, as
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it is no cooler to the touch than the right foot.
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Additionally, one would expect the cold sensation to get worse with exercise
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if blood was finding it hard to get through, not the reverse. This suggests
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two main possibilities to me. One is that you have a type of "neuralgia", an
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abnormal sensation arising from the nerves going down the leg to the foot.
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Possibly there is irritation of these nerves from pressure from a bulging disc
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in the spine - a problem similar to sciatica but not causing the more common
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symptom of pain that one gets with sciatica.
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Alternatively, you might be getting temporary spells of spasm of the small
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arteries that supply blood to the foot - a condition like [Raynaud's][3] but
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which is not severe enough to cause the skin to go white and become cold - the
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classic signs of Raynaud's.
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## Related Articles
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* [Lifecoach: Coping with migraines][4]
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16 Nov 2010
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* [Underactive thyroid][5]
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01 Nov 2010
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* [Painful sciatica][6]
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27 Oct 2010
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* [Stress fractures][7]
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11 Oct 2010
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* [Dealing with weight loss][8]
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07 Sep 2010
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* [LifeCoach: workplace health][9]
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31 Aug 2010
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Your GP can check that the main pulses in your left foot are normal. If they
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are reduced, then further investigation is needed to see if there is some
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blockage higher up. If the pulses feel fine, as seems likely, then it is a bit
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more difficult to think what to do next.
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Sometimes a bit of experimentation is needed to work out a diagnosis, so for
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example it could be worth trying the effect of one of the medicines that we
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use to relieve the symptoms of Raynaud's to see if it helps.
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One of these is nifedipine, which works by encouraging small blood vessels to
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open up. If that is no use then one might need to go back to the neuralgia
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possibility and do some specialised tests of nerve function.
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How far one tries to take the investigation depends a lot on how much this
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problem bothers you and it may be difficult to come up with a definite
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explanation.
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**SARA STANNER WRITES: **
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**A **Cold feet and hands can be linked to many conditions, including a poor
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functioning thyroid, anaemia, Raynaud's, diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis
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and high blood pressure, so it is always important to seek individual advice
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from your doctor to rule out these problems.
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Poor circulation is common, particularly among older people and those who
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smoke, are overweight or physically inactive. Do any of these apply to you? If
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so, dietary changes that might help include swapping foods containing a high
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proportion of saturated fatty acids - which can raise blood cholesterol and
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cause fatty deposits to build up on the artery walls and reduce blood flow -
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with foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids.
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This means opting for leaner meats, lower-fat dairy products, reduced-fat
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spreads and oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids (olive, rapeseed oil or
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sunflower oils). Watch out for salt, as a high intake can cause high blood
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pressure.
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Omega-3 fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA, can help to improve blood flow.
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Supplements of these fatty acids have been shown to improve symptoms in
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sufferers of Raynaud's, as well as those with inflammatory conditions such as
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rheumatoid arthritis.
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If you don't like oily fish, the best source of these fatty acids, you can buy
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omega 3-enriched eggs. Meat contributes to our intake of the long chain
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omega-3 fatty acids but vegetarians can get omega-3 in the form of alpha-
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linolenic acid in rapeseed and linseed oils, walnuts, soya, tofu and green
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leafy vegetables (supplements of DHA and EPA are also available for
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vegetarians). Many vitamins and minerals are important for a healthy
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circulation including calcium, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin C and
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E.
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Eating a varied diet that contains plenty of wholegrains and fruit and
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vegetables, as well as some low fat dairy products, lean meat, nuts, eggs
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and/or pulses will provide all of these.
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Some studies have shown garlic supplements improve blood flow and some people
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report benefits from Ginkgo biloba, too.
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**TONY GALLAGHER WRITES:**
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**A **If your doctor has thoroughly examined you and been unable to come up
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with any explanation or remedy for your condition then presumably he/she has
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ruled out known possibilities including your arthritis contributing to your
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cold foot.
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Another possibility is Raynaud's disease, where temperature decreases, or
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stress increases, causing small blood vessels in the body's extremities to
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spasm. This affects circulation to the feet.
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Also ruled out presumably is hypothyroidism, a condition caused by an
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underactive thyroid. Another possibility, known as peripheral vascular
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disease, is a form of diabetes, and reduces blood sugar and blood flow to the
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extremities. I don't know if you smoke but obviously this could damage blood
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vessels.
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Some people just have cold hands and feet, and it isn't always classed as a
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medical condition as such. In many cases, it means nothing.
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You have said that if you stand up and walk around it helps. I don't know if
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you exercise regularly or not but if you don't, it would be a good idea to
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start. Walking or cycling indoors at this time of the year should help you
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raise your core temperature and improve general circulation.
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Although you have massaged your feet with little success, try massaging from
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the calf muscles to the feet and this may help. Try also to massage your toes
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with a circular motion and point and flex the feet too.
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If you are someone who needs to sit or stand in one position for long periods,
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make sure to get up and stretch periodically.
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**Q **_Are sports drinks any better than water when you're exercising?_
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**Kathy P, by email**
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**TONY GALLAGHER WRITES: **
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**A** Generally, water is perfectly adequate for keeping you hydrated during
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exercise.
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The main causes of dehydration are inadequate fluid intake, excessive
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sweating, and not replacing fluid lost during and after exercise. If just two
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per cent of body weight is lost as sweat it can impair performance.
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Some people don't find water appealing, so they don't consume enough of it. A
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way around this may be to eat water-filled snacks like grapefruit, carrots or
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apples during the day.
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Drinking water a couple of hours before a workout will give your kidneys time
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to dispose of excess fluid. The recommended rate is a slow consumption of 5ml-
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7ml per kilogram of body mass.
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Sports drinks or energy drinks contain electrolytes, usually in the form of
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sodium, chloride, and potassium, along with carbohydrates (sugars) and
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calories. If you are exercising and sweat profusely you will lose a lot of
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electrolytes.
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While normal electrolyte loss can be replaced by drinking plenty of water and
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an adequate diet, if you sweat buckets you may lose electrolytes that can't be
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replaced by this alone. In such cases, aim to consume fluids with sodium to
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help you stimulate thirst and retain the fluid. You may also need some
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additional carbohydrate.
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Sports drinks usually have a concentration of five to seven per cent. To make
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your own, mix five tablespoons of table sugar with each litre of water. Add a
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bit of sodium to boost absorption (1/3 of a teaspoon of salt per litre). Post
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workout, aim to consume 1.5 litres for each kilogram of body mass lost as
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sweat.
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**Q **_I'm always banging my head on things - hanging lights, low ceilings,
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cupboard doors. I do this even in my own (familiar) environment. I think my
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eyesight is fine. Could I have a spatial awareness problem?_ **Peter F,
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Maidstone**
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**DR DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES: **
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Assuming that you mean more than a chance run of accident proneness then yes,
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it is possible. If it is a recent problem then one needs to think of an
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underlying cause, although I must say the possibilities are not obvious!
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First, get a proper eye check by an optometrist to ensure that there are no
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gaps in your peripheral vision. Such blind spots may not be apparent if your
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straight-ahead vision is normal. In glaucoma for example, loss of peripheral
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vision is an early sign of the condition. If your vision is not the problem
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then clinical examination of your nervous system would be the next step.
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Send your questions and comments to The Sunday Telegraph, Life Coach, 111
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Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT; or email lifecoach@telegraph.co.uk
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**SECOND OPINION ... A cough can be a ticklish thing **
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The purpose of coughing, obviously enough, is to dislodge some irritant such
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as the mucous and inflammatory cells associated with a chest infection. And
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very effective it is, too.
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The problem is what to do for those unfortunate people whose chronic cough has
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persisted for weeks, or even months, and for whom there is no obvious
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explanation and whose investigations, including a chest X-ray, reveal no
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underlying cause.
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This is no trivial matter, as I was recently reminded by a heavily pregnant
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woman naturally concerned that her chronic cough of several weeks duration
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might be harming her baby - or even induce premature labour.
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It was striking, reflecting on her case, just how many possible culprits there
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might be. Pregnancy predisposes to heartburn with acid reflux that can tip
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over into the airways to irritate the lungs. She was taking medication for
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raised blood pressure, the treatment of which includes a class of drugs known
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as ACE inhibitors, notorious for causing a chronic cough as a side effect.
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She had recently had some dental treatment - perhaps she inhaled some
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microscopic debris into her lungs. Or had she developed some asthma- like
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allergy resulting in chronic spasm of the airways?
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Still, common things occur commonly and the commonest cause of a chronic cough
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is persistent inflammation of the airways following a viral infection - for
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which the treatment is a hefty dose of steroids. This did the trick and she
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returned a few days later, effusively grateful.
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There is a salutary lesson for anyone troubled by this - it may be necessary
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to overturn many stones to get at the underlying cause.
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* Contact: James.LeFanu@telegraph.co.uk
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* Share: [Share][10] [ ][12] [ ][13]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthadvice/lifecoach/8153805/Lifecoach-
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Stop-suffering-in-the-cold.html
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Telegraph
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## [LifeCoach][15]
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* ### [Lifestyle »][16]
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* ### [Health »][17]
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* ### [Health Advice »][18]
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[![Telegraph Medical Insurance][19]][20]
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### [Telegraph Medical Insurance][20]
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In health
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[!['Picky eating' can be common in childhood, but most grow out of it][21]
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][22]
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### [Lifecoach: My son won't finish his meals][22]
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[![The side-effects of medication can feel as bad as the original illness][23]
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][24]
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### [Lifecoach: I'm fed up with feeling ill][24]
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[![Changes to diet and exercise can give you more energy ][25] ][26]
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### [Lifecoach: How to spring clean your diet][26]
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[![Best of all when you have a cold is to keep up a high fluid intake and keep
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the illness to yourself ][27] ][28]
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### [Lifecoach: Cold and flu cures][28]
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[X][10] Share & bookmark
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][11]
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Share:
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* [ ][10]
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* [ ][12]
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* [ ][13]
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* [Tweet][14]
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* Advertisement
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![][29]
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][30] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][31]
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Advertisement
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[TELEGRAPH MEDICAL INSURANCE »][32]
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* [Calculators][33]
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* [Advice][34]
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