Why does my husband get intense pain after walking for 50 minutes? DR MARTIN SCURR answers your health questions
My otherwise healthy husband gets intense pain in his groin after about 50 minutes of walking. It radiates down his right thigh and although it subsides when he rests, it comes back quickly. He’s had checkups to see if it’s due to a herniated disc, an intervertebral disc problem or even a tumor – but they found nothing. What could be the problem?
Barbara Kroxen, Menston, West Yorkshire.
This sounds like it could be a condition called intermittent claudication – pain in a muscle or muscle group, caused by exercise and relieved by a few minutes of rest.
This can affect the buttocks, hips or thighs, but most commonly it is the calf muscles.
In most cases, it is due to narrowing of the arteries supplying the muscles in the affected area, which causes pain when the muscle is deprived of blood and oxygen.
This sounds like it could be a condition called intermittent claudication – pain in a muscle or muscle group, caused by exercise and relieved by a few minutes of rest
This can affect the buttocks, hips or thighs, but most commonly it is the calf muscles
The condition is fairly common, affecting an estimated 10 percent of adults over the age of 55. Smoking, elevated cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure are all major risk factors.
Although you say in your longer letter that your husband has had tests, he may need a more specific type of checkup, which involves scans of the arteries in his legs to look for signs of narrowing.
This is something his GP can sort out and if, as expected, this reveals a restriction in blood flow, this can be treated with medicines to thin the blood (such as low dose aspirin) and reduce the build up of fat deposits in the reduce skin. arteries (such as statins).
Some patients are also offered a type of bypass surgery in which a vascular surgeon reroutes blood flow around the blocked area.
However, rest assured that this is only necessary in a minority of cases and if you start it on time, medication alone is often all that is needed to correct the problem.
I have had periodic twitching in my right eyelid and surrounding area for the past three months. While this is not painful, it is quite irritating. What can I do?
Name and address provided.
Twitching in one eyelid (instead of both) is medically known as myokymia.
It is a common, harmless condition and it happens to most of us at some point.
The twitching can range from a barely perceptible flicker to a visible movement that is obvious to others. It can be related to excessive fatigue, too much caffeine and stress.
Twitching in one eyelid (instead of both) is medically known as myokymia
Some people, much less commonly, develop persistent twitching of the eyelid – that is, involuntary twitching several times a day, called benign essential blepharospasm, caused by uncontrolled contractions of the eyelid muscle.
A neurological condition, this starts on one side and then spreads to both eyes and can become more serious. However, it is very rare.
It seems unlikely that you will be affected, but if your symptoms become more frequent and your other eyelid becomes involved, you should be referred to a neurologist.
If your symptom stays on one side and occurs intermittently, I expect it to go away.
I suggest getting enough sleep and limiting your caffeine intake – try decaffeinated alternatives or limit yourself to a few cups of tea a day.
