For the past five years I have experienced occasional episodes of a dull, continuous pain around my right cheekbone that wakes me up at night. But one night last week the pain also spread to the side of my right eye. I also had wavy lines in my vision. Should I be worry?
Facial pain is distressing because it is impossible to ignore and often difficult to diagnose.
One of the worst pain syndromes, trigeminal neuralgia, affects the face and sufferers say it feels like they are receiving constant electric shocks.
The condition, which is often caused by pressure on the trigeminal nerve in the head, can be caused by simply touching the face and is debilitating.
Fortunately, this does not seem like a case of trigeminal neuralgia. However, there are many other reasons why you could be experiencing this pain.
For the past five years I have experienced occasional episodes of a dull, continuous pain around my right cheekbone that wakes me up at night. But one night last week the pain also spread to the side of my right eye. I also had wavy lines in my vision. Should I be worry?
Facial pain can be caused by dental problems, sinus problems, certain types of migraines or headaches, as well as problems within the jaw. All of these possibilities can be explored in an evaluation with a primary care physician and, if necessary, a dentist.
Likewise, wavy lines in the eye, which we call eye floaters, should always be checked by an optician. Floaters are usually harmless and are triggered by small changes in the gelatin of the eye, but if they appear suddenly, they can sometimes be a symptom of retinal detachment, a serious condition that, if left untreated, can lead to loss of vision. vision.
Whatever the cause of your pain, it makes sense that it gets worse at night. This is because when we lie down, we put pressure on our head and neck. This could aggravate a damaged nerve or ongoing sinus problem.
A problem that has lasted five years and seems to be getting progressively worse certainly deserves a consultation with a GP.
I HAVE been taking warfarin, a blood thinner to treat atrial fibrillation, for 13 years. Recently, during a hospital consultation for an unrelated problem, the doctor suggested that he should not take it because there were better medications available to manage the condition. Do I need to change my medication?
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (AF) is a condition in which the heart’s rhythm is abnormal.
Instead of the heart beating regularly, in its usual pattern, it beats irregularly and can also beat very fast. This can cause heart palpitations, chest pain, and dizziness. But it can also allow blood clots to form inside the heart and elsewhere, which can lead to a stroke.
Unfortunately, a stroke in someone with atrial fibrillation is usually more serious than other strokes. For this reason, people with atrial fibrillation are recommended to take medications that prevent clots from forming, which reduces the risk of having a stroke by about two-thirds.
One of those drugs is warfarin, which has been used for 70 years. However, the NHS now recommends a medicine called a direct oral anticoagulant or DOAC, which would normally be apixaban, edoxaban or rivaroxaban. This would be taken along with other medications that can slow a rapid heart rate or help improve heart rhythm.
Research suggests that DOACs are as effective at preventing clots as warfarin, but have a lower rate of side effects.
If someone is diagnosed with AF and already takes warfarin, they can continue taking it, but it is best to switch to the newer type of medication.
I use an asthma inhaler. Sometimes I start coughing and my lungs completely paralyze. It’s so hard for me to breathe that it’s impossible to use my inhaler. Eventually my breathing returns to normal, but it’s very scary.
A GP or practicing pharmacist can discuss the options around warfarin and newer medications, and clearly explain which is most appropriate.
I use an asthma inhaler. Sometimes I start coughing and my lungs completely paralyze. It’s so hard for me to breathe that it’s impossible to use my inhaler. Eventually my breathing returns to normal, but it’s very scary. This happens approximately once every fortnight. What I can do?
ANYONE who has asthma, even at the milder end of the spectrum, should have regular reviews of their condition with their GP or nurse. Having these symptoms every two weeks would indicate that your asthma is not being treated properly.
There may even be another lung condition at play, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD.
Sometimes we find that patients have been labeled as asthmatic either from childhood or because of a historical episode, but have not been adequately evaluated.
Nowadays there are asthma tests that can be carried out in a GP’s office. This could be helpful in confirming asthma or pointing to a different diagnosis. Anyone with asthma or lung disease who uses inhalers should make sure they use them correctly; People are often taught wrongly from the beginning and never learn to inhale the medication correctly.
A pharmacist or nurse practitioner can advise you on this and there are also excellent training videos online.