Why does my husband get so sore after walking for 50 minutes? Dr. Martin Score

My husband who is otherwise healthy has severe groin pain after walking for 50 minutes or so. It radiates down his right thigh, and though it subsides when relaxed, it soon returns. He ran scans to see if it was due to a herniation, a spinal disc problem or even a tumor – but those found nothing. What could be the problem?

Barbara Crocsin Menston, West Yorkshire.

It appears this may be a condition called intermittent claudication — pain in a muscle, or group of muscles, triggered by exercise and relieved by a few minutes of rest.

This can affect the buttocks, hips, or thighs but is usually in the calf muscles.

In most cases, this is caused by narrowing of the arteries that supply the muscles in the affected area, causing pain as the muscles are deprived of blood and oxygen.

This can affect the buttocks, hips, or thighs but is usually in the calf muscles

This condition is very common—affecting an estimated 10 percent of adults over the age of 55. Smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure are all major risk factors.

Although you said in your long letter that your husband has had tests, he may need a more specific type of examination that involves checking the arteries in his legs to look for signs of narrowing.

This is something his doctor can arrange for, and if, as expected, he highlights restricted blood flow, it can be treated with medications to thin the blood (such as low-dose aspirin) and reduce the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries (such as statins).

Some patients are also offered a type of bypass surgery in which a vascular surgeon redirects blood flow around the blocked area.

However, rest assured that this is only required in a small number of cases, and if treatment is started in time, often medication alone is all that is needed to treat the problem.

I have had intermittent twitching in and around my right eyelid for the past 3 months. Although this is not painful, it is very annoying. what can i do?

Name and address provided.

Twitching in one eyelid (instead of both) is known medically as myokymia.

It is a very common and harmless disease that happens to most of us at some point.

Twitching may vary from a barely noticeable flash to a visible movement that appears to others. It could be related to excessive fatigue, too much caffeine, and stress.

Twitching in one eyelid (instead of both) is known medically as myokymia

Some people, less commonly, experience persistent eyelid twitching — involuntary twitching several times a day called benign essential blepharospasm, caused by uncontrolled contractions of the eyelid muscle.

Neurological disorder, starting on one side and then progressing to involve both eyes and may become more severe. However, it is very rare.

It seems unlikely that this is what is affecting you, but if symptoms become more frequent and the other eyelid becomes involved, you should be referred to a neurologist.

Provided the symptoms remain one-sided and intermittent, I would expect them to stabilize.

I suggest trying to get enough sleep and limiting your caffeine intake – try decaffeinated alternatives or limit yourself to two cups of tea per day.