DR Jeff Foster is The Sun on Sunday’s resident doctor and is here to help YOU.
Dr Jeff, 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 h3health.co.uk and email at drjeff@the-sun.co.uk.
Q: I’M a 44-year-old woman and I had a cold last week.
Instead of getting better over the past five days, it has developed into a persistent cough in my throat.
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My tongue has become swollen and sore, my voice is hoarse and I’m constantly lethargic and feeling rubbish.
I’m currently taking amoxicillin for an ear infection, but other than that I don’t take any regular medication.
Lindsay Reid, Rainham, Essex
A: Tongue swelling is not a usual feature of a viral infection.
It might be the illness has caused swelling of glands in the neck, which could make the mouth feel more full, or even that pharyngitis or tonsillitis has caused the throat to feel swollen.
Other things to consider, however, might be whether there could be an allergy to the amoxicillin?
Allergy responses can cause rashes, shortness of breath and mouth and tongue swelling, so it is important to look at the onset of the swelling in comparison with when you started the course of antibiotics.
When looking at potential allergies to medicines, however, it is important to remember a few things.
First, you cannot get an allergic reaction the first time you take a medicine – it takes a few times for your body to become sensitised to it.
Second, allergies to medicines are less common than we think.
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One study found that only one in ten people who thought they were allergic to penicillin proved to be so on testing.
If you are unsure if this could be an allergic reaction, take an antihistamine as this will help reduce some of the impact of the reaction, and seek medical advice immediately.
If you have shortness of breath or a rash as well, we always advise you call 999.
Q: WHAT can I do to get rid of big, itchy hives?
I’m a 55-year-old woman and I keep getting them.
I don’t have any allergies that I know of, but I have been very stressed recently.
Sarah Adie, Brighton
A: There are two ways you can tackle hives – treat the symptoms or the cause.
If we assume the cause of your hives is a transient exposure to something new, then try taking some antihistamines, either from a pharmacy or your doctor.
But an antihistamine treats the symptoms, not the cause.
If you want to avoid the allergy altogether, you need to find the trigger.
This might be a new food, grass, pets, stress or even hormonal changes.
Therefore, look for any triggers to avoid, take antihistamines to suppress the symptoms and, if the condition gets worse, see your doctor.
