From removing warts to under-active thyroid issues – Dr Jeff answers your health questions
DR JEFF FOSTER is The Sun on Sunday’s new resident doctor and is here to help YOU.
Dr Jeff, 43, splits his time between working as a GP in Leamington Spa, Warks, and running his clinic, H3 Health, which is the first of its kind in the UK to look at hormonal issues for both men and women.
See h3health.co.uk and email at drjeff@the-sun.co.uk.
Q) I HAVE two seborrhoeic warts on my hairline at the side of my head. I’ve been told they can be frozen, but the waiting time is so long.
Is there anything I can do to get rid of them myself?
Ron Williams, Manchester
A) These are historically referred to as senile warts due to the fact they tend to occur later in life. They are likely due to previous sunburn or excessive sun exposure but we don’t know why they appear decades later.
They are not cancerous or dangerous. Ninety per cent of adults over the age of 60 have at least one, and they typically appear as small crusty lesions, which can gradually expand over time.
They sometimes have a craggy or “cobblestone” appearance. There are no creams or pills that can remove seborrhoeic warts, and the only way to prevent them is to avoid excessive sun exposure, usually before the age of ten.
The only way to remove them is surgically via cryotherapy (freezing) or a minor surgery to cut away or cauterise the lesion. Even with that, a large number of seb warts will regrow again over time.
The waiting lists for these sorts of cosmetic procedures can be substantial in the NHS, but this largely because they are not considered dangerous.
Q) NINE months ago I was diagnosed with an under-active thyroid and am taking 25mcg of Levothyroxine daily.
I’ve put on 3st, am constantly cold, not sleeping and feel very depressed. My doctor said my last blood test showed everything was OK, but it can’t be.
I was at my target weight before this as I follow the Slimming World diet. I walk 5,000 to 10,000 steps a day but can’t do other exercises due to arthritis and a metal plate in my foot.
I’m also waiting for an operation on my toes. Do you have any advice?
Marion, Tonbridge, Kent
A) It is highly unlikely that 25mcg will make any real difference to metabolism and weight.
And if your thyroid levels are normal, then it is most likely this is not the cause of your symptoms either.
While walking up to 10,000 steps a day is good for you, unless you are quite elderly, it will not be sufficiently stimulating to be classed as intense exercise.
In younger people, for exercise to have a significant effect on your bodyweight, fat and muscle levels, it needs to be intense enough to either get your heart rate up, make you short of breath, or feel tired after (or all three).
My best advice would be to look at some other form of physical activity. Maybe swimming, cycling, joining a class or going to the gym.