I’m 72 and at my wit’s end with worsening health including aches, fatigue and dry skin… what can I do?

YOUR liver has likely taken a hit this month – and if you like a drink it might suffer more tonight.

Excessive alcohol consumption can cause major damage to this vital organ.

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Just before Christmas, the Alcohol Health Alliance warned that deaths caused solely by alcohol are up 42 per cent since 2019, with 8,274 lives lost in 2023.

But that’s not the only concern regarding liver health.

Rich, fatty foods and sugary treats common at this time of year contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Going into the new year, consider what habits you can change that can support liver health – or potentially reverse damage, as it is a remarkably resilient organ.

Early stages of liver disease can often be repaired.

Could you cut down your drinking (or even quit this January), choose leaner meats with less fat, or drink more water to show your liver some love?

Consider one of these your goals for 2025.

Happy New Year!

Here’s a selection of what readers asked me this week . . . 

Q: I’VE been experiencing significant shoulder pain, which I’ve been told is related to my rotator cuff.

The pain is bad when I wake up, and I have pain further down in my hand.

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I keep getting conflicting advice on managing this injury, especially in relation to exercise.

Is it safe to continue going to the gym if I work around the injury?

Or would complete rest be more ­beneficial?

Could stretching and strengthening exercises just worsen things?

A: The rotator cuff describes the group of four muscles and their tendons that stabilise the shoulder joint and control ­movement of the arm and shoulder.

The shoulder joint has the most range of movement of any joint of the body, but it is also the most unstable, leaving it susceptible to injury, so rotator cuff injuries are very common.

About 30 per cent of adults over 60, and 62 per cent of adults over 80, have a rotator cuff tear.

You can injure your rotator cuff suddenly or with wear and tear.

The main symptom is pain at the top and side of the shoulder and it can radiate down towards the elbow.

It tends to be painful to lift your arm above your head, and it can affect sleep.

Your question regarding exercise depends on the type of injury.

Not all ­rotator cuff injuries are the same.

If your symptoms are persisting then it would be best to get assessed by a physiotherapist.

As a general rule, it is usually advised to rest your shoulder for a period when the injury first appears.

The next phase is to start rotator cuff stretches and gentle exercises to improve the strength and movement of the shoulder, with specific exercises depending on the type of injury.

Then try a gradual return to normal activities, but avoiding lifting heavy weights, and take care with any ­activities that involve lifting the arms above the head.

Steroid injections can be helpful and less often surgery is required.

You may be able to self-refer to a NHS physio in your area, or if you want to be seen quickly you can find a private physio on csp.org.uk.

FOOD WOES NIGHTMARE

Q: I REALLY am at my wit’s end with my health.

I’m a woman of 72 and have suffered from food intolerances for 50 years, as well as constipation, aching joints, hay fever, asthma and migraines.

I saw someone privately who advised that I should not eat gluten, dairy and sugar.

This improved things, but not completely.

Now I have IBS, breathlessness, fatigue, skin fungus (vaginal and folds in tummy), catarrh, very dry skin, hunger, athlete’s foot and blurry eyes.

I’ve finally been referred to a dietician but there’s a long wait.

With my additional health issues, such as arthritis, I have put on weight.

Who could help?

I wouldn’t mind the cost, though I am reluctant to throw good money after seeing somebody else who hasn’t helped.

A: Thank you so much for your letter, I can tell you are in a difficult situation.

First of all, have you been tested for food allergies, or referred to an allergy specialist?

Food allergies and intolerances are different. The former involves the immune system, while the latter does not.

Allergic symptoms can be separated into those that happen within 30 minutes of the suspected food allergen (immediate reactions), and those that happen hours after exposure (delayed reactions).

In the meantime, you are right to see a dietician and if you have the means to do this privately sooner, it might be worth it, as your diet sounds so restrictive you may be missing out on important nutrients.

Some dieticians specialise in food allergy. I’d advise searching for a suitable dietician on the bda.uk.com website.

Has your GP checked you for diabetes and also for autoimmune conditions, as these could potentially cause some of your collection of symptoms?

For example, your immune system might not work the way it is supposed to.

It sounds like you would also benefit from an overhaul of your lifestyle.

That said, I also understand you’re in pain and deficient in energy, so a dietician may be able to help guide you here.

You could also approach this issue psychologically.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be really beneficial in supporting your emotional and mental well-being, as well as physical health.

Please do let me know how you get on.

IS MY JOINT PAIN TRIGGER THUMB?

Q: I BELIEVE I have trigger thumb, after lots of investigating on the Internet.

My thumb on my left hand is painful and the joint clicks all the time.
I had hoped it would get better but it is just getting worse.

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What can I do about this? Or do I have to visit the doctor or hospital?

I am 56, female, and I do have private medical insurance so I could use that.

A: Trigger thumb is a condition that affects the tendon which bends the thumb.

It can be painful and make it hard to bend your thumb, even causing it to become stuck in a bent position or, more rarely, a straight position.

There may be a snapping sensation when the thumb bends or straightens – hence the name trigger thumb.

And the same condition can affect the fingers too – trigger finger.

Fortunately, there are several treatments and, as your condition hasn’t got better with time and painkillers, it is worth speaking to your GP or self-referring (if available in your area) to a physio on the NHS.

But the chances are you will face a bit of a wait.

I would advise that this is the perfect time to activate that private health insurance that you’ve been paying for.

It’s likely that you’ll be able to see a physio straight away who can then also advise on the best course of treatment.

Treatments for this condition include physiotherapy, a splint, a steroid injection and sometimes surgery, so it’s worth checking your insurance policy to see if you’re covered.

I would expect you will be, and you should expect to be assessed by either a doctor or a physiotherapist.

Then get started with the most appropriate course of treatment, based on what their findings are.