1. QUESTION
A few months ago I started getting bumps on my eyelids. I now have two or three on each lid. They aren’t big but are visible if someone looks at my eyes up close. They have no head or opening. They also don’t hurt. Please help. I’m scared they’ll get bigger.

ANSWER
You probably have Meibomian cysts. Small glands in the eyelids, called Meibomian glands, normally secrete a thick, fatty fluid called sebum into the hair follicles of the eyelashes. When these glands become chronically inflamed, chalazia – also called Meibomian cysts – form.

Your GP could drain them for you or refer you to an eye specialist if they’re in a sensitive spot. If they’re yellow and don’t hurt but don’t drain or dissolve either they may be the fatty deposits associated with the hereditary disease familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).

FH is characterised by elevated blood cholesterol levels. Your GP can arrange for you to have a cholesterol test. Treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins can go a long way to normalising blood cholesterol levels in patients with FH.

2. QUESTION
My son, who’s just 13, has rheumatoid arthritis and is receiving treatment for it. He has some bleeding from his nose, usually one nostril at a time, which concerns me greatly because it happens at night even in the middle of winter. The bleeding started before he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Luckily he doesn’t bleed often and when he does it doesn’t go on for long. He’s using nose sprays and ointments for this. It’s not haemophilia, is it?

ANSWER
No, this is not a sign of haemophilia. He may just have a vein in his nose that bursts easily. Let your GP have a look. If he’s taking EPA and DHA (fish oil) this can cause nose bleeds (because of reduced blood clotting) and some of the anti-inflammatories can also make blood thinner.

3. QUESTION
My son has terrible flatulence and it’s become very awkward socially. His bowel movements are fine, he has no problem with digestion and we can’t put it down to any specific type of food he eats. His diet is very healthy. Do you think a course of probiotics would help? What do you suggest?

ANSWER
Try probiotics and Pancreoflat three times a day. Avoid cool drinks that contain gas and food that causes gas. Foods that commonly cause gas include asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (including sauerkraut), cauliflower, cucumber, kohlrabi, leeks, mealies, onions, peas, peppers, radishes and turnips.

There are other foods that also lead to flatulence so let your son follow an elimination diet to find out which ones are the culprits. Cut out a specific food for a few days and see if the flatulence improves.

That doesn’t mean he’s never allowed to eat the foods listed below, just that he must eat less of them and avoid those that worsen his symptoms. Foods to watch out for are fried and fatty foods, sugars (raffinose, lactose, fructose and sorbitol), sweeteners, beans and other legumes (lentils, chickpeas and baked, kidney, lima, navy and pinto beans), wheat and wheat bran.

Add to that certain fruits such as apricots, sweet melons and other melons, prunes and raw apples; milk and other dairy products including highly fermented cheese and eggs; and indigestible fats such as Olestra (found in potato chips).

4. QUESTION
Every month I get what appear to be mouth ulcers. They last for about two weeks then go away. I’m desperate.

ANSWER
Nobody really knows what causes mouth ulcers. Stress, sodium lauryl sulphate in certain toothpastes, high nitrate levels in water, flavouring agents, essential oils, benzoic acid, cinnamon, gluten, cow’s milk, coffee, chocolate, potatoes, cheese, figs, nuts, citrus fruits and certain spices can increase aphteous ulcers (canker sores).

It may help to put the drug Kenalog, found in Orabase ointment, on the sore as soon as it starts. Apply it thickly. It may also help to take a good vitamin B supplement and to rinse your mouth regularly with antibacterial mouthwash.

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