From health checks to vaccines – 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 .
Q) I’M a 41-year-old estate agent with an active lifestyle and healthy diet.
My dad died from cancer in his 40s and I’ve always had anxiety over my health.
I have no obvious health issues, but one of my friends said he had booked a health check, so now I think I should do this too.
What do they check for and with whom do I arrange it?
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Matt Read, Banbury, Oxon
A) Health checks can be useful for diagnosing illnesses and reducing the risk of future issues.
The NHS offers one to every person without a significant pre-existing chronic disease at the age of 40.
The downside is it is limited by funds and time.
For a more in-depth assessment, you will need to pay privately.
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Costs vary from £500 to £8,000. I would advise following these principles to get the best assessment for you: Make sure it is done by a doctor, that the tests performed are unique to you, and that the follow-up chat is by the same person.
Make sure the health-check firm takes responsibility for the test – if you need treatment they should do it, not turf it to someone else.
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Q) I’M a 43-year-old mum of three who has chosen not to have my teen sons vaccinated against Covid.
I’m concerned about myocarditis.
My husband had a very high resting heart rate and palpitations 48 hours after his Covid booster, which made me fear for my sons.
Am I making a mistake?
Kelly Cane, Walthamstow, North London
A) It is natural for any parent to have concerns about a new vaccine.
Myocarditis means inflammation of the heart muscle, usually caused after catching a virus.
Most cases are mild, but in severe cases, it can lead to damage to heart function.
Symptoms include breathing difficulty, nausea and palpitations.
Most vaccines can cause a temporary rise in heart rate and can even cause palpitations, but this would not be an indication of myocarditis.
Cases after the Covid vaccine are incredibly rare.
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In the UK, even in the highest risk group (aged 18-29), there are only 29 cases per million vaccines given.
The evidence is so overwhelming it is even advised that children with heart conditions should be vaccinated to reduce their risk of serious illness.