Dr Rosemary: Is it too late to give my child a flu jab?

Dr Rosemary: getting to the Heart of medical matters

 

Is it too late for a flu jab?

 

Q). MY three year-old son had a virus over the Christmas holidays which may or may not have been flu. I didn’t get around to taking him to the surgery to have the vaccine so is there any point in doing it now or is it too late?

A). THE number of cases of flu is now rising and I’m seeing a lot of patients with flu-like illnesses in my surgery. It’s not too late to have the vaccine although it does take a couple of weeks to take effect. However, check the supplies at your surgery when you make the appointment. The nasal flu vaccine, which is given to children, has a shorter shelf life than the injectable vaccine given to adults and the supply we had in our surgery expired at the end of December.

 

Verrucas can be more problematic in adults

 

Q). I HAVE had a verruca for many years. It started to annoy me and affect my walking and since then I have seen three different chiropodists. I must have had 10 cryotherapy treatments which didn’t get rid of it. I also had a needle treatment done to activate my immune system which made it bleed a lot but did not make it go away. Can it be surgically removed instead as I am at my wit’s end?

A). VERRUCAS in adults can be very resistant to treatment. They are caused by the wart virus which, because of the pressure on the foot, grows inwards rather than forming a lump on the skin like a wart. Unfortunately, they can be very deep set and this means they cannot simply be cut out as this leaves a large hole on the sole of the foot. In my experience cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen is the best treatment but I always pare away the hard dead skin on the top first, as this means the freezing can penetrate deeper.

It is common to need lots of treatment sessions, particularly with deep verrucas. I do these at two-weekly intervals which is long enough for the frozen tissue to have healed. Left any longer though the verruca can start to regrow and it may have been the gaps between your treatment sessions were too long. I suggest you see your GP and ask whether the treatment can either be done at the surgery or in your local dermatology clinic. 

 

Maybe not a cure for fungal toe infections...

 

Q). I HAVE read reports that Vicks Vaporub can clear fungal nail infections. Is there any evidence for this or is it a myth?

A). VICKS Vaporub contains small amounts of both camphor and eucalyptus oil. Both of these have been reported to have an antiseptic action which means they may help to stop the growth of bugs that cause infections. However I can find no evidence that either help to treat fungal nail infections. Rubbing it on your nails is unlikely to do much harm, although it could irritate your skin but I’m doubtful as to whether it will do any good. 

   

There's no cure for macular degeneration

 

Q). MY mum is 93 and suffers from macular degeneration. She takes drops three times a day and visits the hospital every month. They have told her there is no cure. Would stronger glasses help?

A). IN macular degeneration there is damage to the central part of the retina, the film at the back of the eye that detects light. The macula area has a very high concentration of photoreceptor cells and is the part of the retina used for looking at things that are straight ahead.

The most common type of macular degeneration, known as dry AMD, is caused by a build up of deposits within the macula. Why this happens is not known but it can run in families and is more common in smokers. Unfortunately there is no cure for dry AMD, and generally stronger glasses do not help.

However using a magnifying lens with bright reading lights can help vision. There is also some evidence that a diet high in vitamins A, C and E, as well as substances called lutein and zeaxanthin, can help slow the progression of AMD and these are available in supplements. Ask your pharmacist for advice on the best one to buy.

If you have a health question for Dr Rosemary please write to her in confidence at The Northern & Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN or email health@express.co.uk Dr Rosemary’s reply will appear in this column. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence and that, due to the volume of letters, she cannot reply to everyone. Find out more about Dr Rosemary at drrosemaryleonard.co.uk