Dr Martin Edwards is afamily GP whose advice you can trust
Bad habit is ageing me
Q Why am I getting so many wrinkles? My friend says it’s because I smoke, but how can that be?
A Sorry to agree with your friend, but smoking prematurely ages your skin. Besides wrinkles you might risk acne, slower skin healing and even some forms of skin cancer.
Repeatedly screwing up your face to prevent smoke getting into your eyes may be partly to blame for wrinkles, but mostly they appear because smoking slows the production of collagen and destroys the elastic tissues, which are essential to keep skin smooth and supple.
Of course, there’s more to wrinkles than smoking, and protecting your skin from the sun or extreme weather is important too. But it’s another reason to quit, which will slow any further wrinkles and could improve the appearance of some you already have.
Help! I keep belching
Q I burp so much every day – how can I stop it? I’m getting too embarrassed to meet anyone.
A Lots of burping can occasionally point to stomach inflammation or acid reflux, where stomach acid leaks into your gullet, and you should see your GP if you also experience indigestion or heartburn. But the most common reason for burping is that you’re swallowing air.
This could be happening when you eat or drink, or simply as a nervous habit. The swallowed air lodges in your gullet, and escapes later as a belch.
You can stop yourself swallowing air by eating slowly and in a relaxed way, and try to not talk while you’re eating. Also avoid fizzy drinks and don’t smoke, suck hard sweets or chew gum, and don’t drink through a
Itchy business
Q I always itch ‘down below’ during my period. Could I be allergic to my tampons?
A It’s possible. The skin in and around your vagina is
