I keep waking up with a racing heart and my tummy in knots for no reason – please help!
IF you are keen to lose weight, intermittent fasting might have grabbed your attention.
Last week, scientists said it seems to have similar benefits to simply cutting calories. They reviewed 99 studies.
So what might make you choose fasting as a way to slim?
Thinking about what and how much you are consuming on a diet can be tiring, so focusing on when you eat may be simpler.
Eating within a smaller time window can make it easier to stick to healthy meals and, crucially, limit snacking. There are lots of ways you can fast.
For example, the 16:8 method involves eating during an eight-hour slot and fasting during the remaining 16.
Then there's alternate-day fasting – 24 hours of not eating followed by a 'normal' day.
Or the 5:2 diet – five days of eating normally and restricting calories to 500-600 on the other two non-consecutive days.
So, if any of these sound achievable, it could be a better approach if you've struggled with cutting calories.
Meanwhile, here's what readers have asked me this week . . .
Q) For nearly two years I have woken up about an hour before I need to get up, feeling very anxious and low, my heart racing and my tummy is in knots – but for no apparent reason.
I am 64 and have menopausal symptoms.
3
The GP recommended therapy online but this didn't make any difference. Do you have suggestions to help, please?
A) It is certainly possible that the hormone changes of menopause are responsible for your symptoms, as these can affect mood, anxiety levels and sleep patterns.
But there are other things that ought also to be considered.
Anxiety or chronic stress can lead to a persistent 'fight or flight' response, causing your heart to race and stomach to knot – especially upon waking.
This can be accompanied by a low mood or sense of dread.
Heart palpitations can be caused by anxiety but could also be due to underlying heart conditions.
This can include arrhythmias (like atrial fibrillation), thyroid problems (hyperthyroidism), anaemia or low blood sugar (especially if you take medication for diabetes or weight-loss injections).
It's also worth considering your overall sleep quality. Sleep deprivation, or disrupted sleep cycles, can lead to increased heart rate and cause anxiety symptoms.
Creating a calming bedtime routine can make a difference – try avoiding caffeine, alcohol and sugary foods in the evening, and engage in relaxation techniques before bed.
Consider all of the potential causes with your GP. Some can be ruled out with blood tests and others explored to help guide what type of treatment or therapy might be best to try.
A short trial of low-dose HRT might help assess whether your hormones are the cause – and while the online therapy wasn't useful, you might find face-to-face therapy with a trained professional more helpful. Cognitive behavioural therapy could provide you with tools to manage your symptoms more effectively.
It would also be good to think about other mood-boosting lifestyle changes, like regular exercise and eating a nutrient-rich diet, especially with foods high in magnesium – like leafy greens, nuts and seeds – and omega-3 fatty acids, like oily fish.
UNDER-65s are more likely than older adults to seek a dementia diagnosis.
Ninety per cent of people aged 35 to 64 would look at getting tested, but from age 65 that drops to 83 per cent, says Alzheimer's UK.
But the charity warns that NHS services are too stretched to cope with demand.
After promising trials of two Alzheimer's drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, referrals to memory clinics in late 2023 were up 17 per cent, year on year. Neither drug is available on the NHS yet.
Nearly a million people in the UK are living with dementia, yet more than a third do not have a diagnosis. Dame Judi Dench is supporting Alzheimer UK's petition for a new six-week target for a GP referral, and treatment plan within 18 weeks of diagnosis.
Hilary Evans-Newton, head of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: 'It's encouraging to see more people recognising the value of a diagnosis.
But despite the best efforts of professionals, our health system is not ready to meet this demand.
'The Government has a huge opportunity to transform NHS memory services. Now, it is letting down too many people.'
CHEMO'S GIVEN ME E.D.
Q) AFTER having chemotherapy, radiotherapy then stem cell replacement, I now, like most men who have undergone this, suffer with erectile dysfunction.
I have spoken to my doctor and he prescribed sildenafil tablets.
Despite taking them four times, I still can't get aroused.
Is there anything else I can do to get through this?
A) It sounds like you have given the sildenafil a good try and it has not worked for you, so it is likely time to try something else.
First of all, it is important to make an assessment of the cause of your erectile dysfunction.
It may well be due to physical issues, and certainly some of the treatments you have had can cause damage to both blood vessels and nerves that supply the penis.
But going through major illness can also affect us emotionally and have an impact on relationships.
Do you get morning erections? If you do, then this would suggest there may be an emotional component to your ED, and it may then be that sex therapy or couples' therapy could help you.
Sildenafil, which is often known by its brand name Viagra, will only work if there is enough blood flow and nerve function.
So if your treatment caused damage then other drugs that are similar (tadalafil, vardenafil or avanafil) may also not be effective, but it may be worth giving them a try.
Conditions that affect the heart and circulatory system, such as high blood pressure or atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity and age, are other causes of erectile dysfunction that may be worth considering.
In some cases, the NHS may offer further options, which could depend on the type of cancer and treatments that you had.
These could include vacuum-erection dev-ices (penis pumps) or penile injections (medications injected directly into the organ which can trigger an erection usually within five to 15 minutes).
These are common next steps if tablets don't work – or penile implants, which are surgically implanted devices that can allow you to have an erection.
You could ask about hormone testing as well, especially if you have low sex drive or fatigue as some cancer treatments can affect testosterone levels too.
This can be treated in some cases, but again this will likely be dependent on the specifics of your condition and treatments.
CERVICAL TEST AT HOME
DIY cervical cancer tests will be sent to homes under new NHS plans.
The kits will be offered to women who ignored their smear test invite.
It contains a swab to self-sample the cervix for human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses that can lead to cervical cancer, which is returned to the lab in a pre-paid box.
Women may avoid their smear test because they fear discomfort, are embarrassed, have cultural sensitivities or just can't find the time.
Participation in cervical cancer screening currently sits at just 68.8 per cent – well below the target of 80 per cent.
Over 5million women in England are not up to date with their routine check-up.
The programme saves around 5,000 lives a year in England, but experts think this could be improved with home tests. The initiative is part of the Government's upcoming Ten-Year Health Plan.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'These self-sampling kits represent healthcare that works around people's lives, not the other way around.
'They put women firmly in control of their own health, ensuring we catch more cancers at their earliest, most treatable stages.'
DON'T SWEAT IT, JUST KEEP YOUR COOL
Q) I WAS interested to read what you said recently about hyperhidrosis.
I have the opposite and don't sweat, which I believe is called anhidrosis. I daren't go out in the sun as I have a constant battle with trying to stay cool and can easily overheat then feel unwell.
3
With a hot summer looming, can you please offer me any advice. Thank you.
A) You are right that an inability to sweat is called anhidrosis and hot weather can be more dangerous for you.
This is because sweating is the body's primary cooling mechanism, which means people with anhidrosis are at increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
So it is imperative to employ additional strategies to keep the body temperature cool.
You can stay indoors and use fans or air conditioning, but may want to get outdoors – so avoid the hottest hours of the day, seek shade and use hats or umbrellas to block the sun.
You could regularly spray your skin with water using a spray bottle or misting fan. As the water evaporates, it mimics the cooling effect of sweat.
Alternatively, wet your shirt or use damp cloths on your skin for additional cooling.
Other things you can do include wearing loose, light-coloured clothing to reflect the sun's heat, and using cooling accessories.
There are cooling vests or caps to help regulate body temperature, and cooling mattress pads can help at night. Drink plenty of water, even if you're not thirsty, to help your body cope with heat stress.
Most important of all is to know your limits, be able to spot early signs of heat exhaustion such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat, nausea and fatigue, and ensure that those around you know how to help you if you do become unwell.
Carry a thermometer to monitor your temperature and have a plan for rapid cooling – such as access to cold water or air conditioning – in case you begin to overheat. And always call 999 if someone has suspected heat stroke.
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