From Brazilian Bum Lifts to oral hygiene concerns, Dr Jeff answers your health questions

Q) MY daughter wants to go to Turkey to have a Brazilian Bum Lift, and has to gain weight for a fat transfer from her torso to buttocks.

I’m terrified about this as I’ve read horror stories about this risky surgery. Is there any medical advice I can give to make her reconsider?

Jenny Cromer, Cheshire

A) I’m not familiar with the BBL procedure but alarm bells ring if someone books a voluntary surgical procedure you cannot get in the UK.

Doctors in the UK spend many years training and have to demonstrate every five years that they’re safe to practise, and that they are appropriately trained.

These same standards apply to private and NHS providers and make the UK one of the safest places in the world to be treated.

Aside from the safety of the procedure there are risks of scarring, deformity, abscesses etc.

Your daughter needs to research where it’s being performed, and is it safe?

What happens if it goes wrong or she is unhappy with it? A surgical mistake could be very costly.

Q) I HAVE always had bad breath and a bad taste in my mouth.

I have good oral hygiene, I’ve been to the dentist and hygienist and don’t eat any particularly smelly foods.

Could there be a medical reason?

Jarret Reade Orpington, Kent

A) Bad breath can be triggered by minor changes in lifestyle.
While it is important to check teeth and gums, oral hygiene is not the only cause.

Other triggers can be the food we eat – for example, garlic, onions – or having a dry mouth, smoking and alcohol consumption.

Less common causes include high-protein crash diets that cause the body to break down fat stores and release ketones, which can give the breath a strange smell.

Nasal conditions such as post-nasal drip or sinusitis can cause bad breath, and it can also affect people with foreign bodies up their nose.

Lung conditions such as chronic bronchitis can affect breath.
Although acid reflux is thought to be a common cause of bad breath, there is not a lot of evidence. But some patients improve with changes in diet and antacid medication.

Finally, poorly controlled diabetes or kidney disease can be another cause, as can some medications.

Potential explanations of bad breath are wide-spread. So speak to a doctor to identify and treat the underlying problem.