From flu that won’t shift to orgasm problems, Dr Jeff answers your health questions
DR JEFF FOSTER is The Sun on Sunday’s new resident doctor and is here to help YOU.
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 and email at [email protected].
Q) SIX weeks ago I had the nasty flu that has been going around.
I’m a 44-year-old man and am usually in good health but I felt awful and was in bed for more than a week.
The worst of it has gone but I still feel unwell and very tired.
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Is there anything I can do to shift it?
John Conway, Bristol
A) One of the biggest problems we now see with viral illnesses is the perception around recovery, and making the distinction between mild illnesses such as the common cold and flu.
Lots of people state they have had a “touch of flu” and been unwell for a week or so, but in reality this was probably just a bad cold.
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True significant viral illnesses such as influenza, coronavirus and glandular fever can be devastating and take many weeks, or even months, to fully recover from.
Patients who have not recovered from Covid are now referred to “long Covid” clinics, (although there is still no single clear treatment), but the concept of post-viral fatigue has been around for decades.
Try to make sure you are doing everything to give your body a good chance to recover – e.g. maximising your sleep quality, minimising stress and having a good diet, as well as making sure you have sufficient vitamin D and exercising where possible.
If none of this helps, see your GP .
Q) I AM a 39-year-old woman.
I’ve always enjoyed sex and had orgasms but over the last few months I haven’t been able to orgasm at all.
I’ve tried everything!
Lauren C High Wycombe, Bucks
A) Sexual dysfunction in men and women is a very common problem and causes are often multi-factorial.
The biggest problem is that both sexes tend to be embarrassed to talk about it.
This makes diagnosis and treatment difficult.
We tend to look at any form of loss of sex drive as either primary or secondary – is it a new problem or something you have always had?
In your case, if you previously had normal sexual function, this suggests a recent change in either your body, mind or social circumstances.
If you are in a relationship, then make sure you are happy and still find your partner sexually desirable.
I would also look at any external lifestyle factors that may have impacted on your sex drive, such as stresses, poor sleep, change in body weight and too little or too much exercise.
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If none of these apply to you, then see your doctor.
A drop in libido can be a symptom of an underlying medical problem and it would be worth thinking about any other symptoms you may have.