From cold feet to wine drinking concerns, Dr Jeff answers your health questions

DR JEFF FOSTER is The Sun on Sunday’s GP and is here to help YOU.

dr Jeff, 43, divides his time between working as a GP in Leamington Spa, Warks, and running his H3 Health clinic, the first of its kind in the UK to deal with hormonal issues in both men and women.

See h3health.co.uk and email drjeff@the-sun.co.uk.

Q) MY feet are cold all the time even if I have a hot water bottle in bed at night.

But my hands are fine. I am 58 years old.

Am I just like that or is that something to worry about?

Geoffrey Dean, Hove

a) Most people feel the cold more as they get older, especially in our extremities.

Because as we age, our metabolism slows down and we are less active.

Metabolism is literally how “fast” our body runs, and a by-product of this creates heat.

The more we move, the more we stay warm. The combined effects of changes in hormones and body fat distribution, as well as a general decrease in activity, make the cold feel more intense.

Cold feet can also be linked to various medical issues such as: Raynaud’s disease, an underactive thyroid, or a narrowing of the arteries supplying our legs (peripheral vascular disease), it’s important to rule this out with your doctor if your symptoms are prolonged, as this may be related to more serious cardiovascular problems.

Q) My wife is 39 and drinks every night, sometimes two bottles of wine in one night.

After that amount she is no longer drunk and the next day she is fine. Should I be worried about this?

I know it’s over the recommended limit and I suggested she eat less but she says she has no problem.

Should I speak to your doctor about this?

Steve Wilkins Cleethorpes

a) The nationally recommended limit for alcohol consumption is 14 units per week – about one glass of wine per day.

A bottle of wine is clearly way above that and if she drinks two bottles a day that would mean she’s consuming 240 units a week.

This is unsafe and likely to lead to long-term health problems if it continues for an extended period of time.

There are two situations in which we worry about people using alcohol – when it becomes an addiction (they cannot function without it) and when levels are so high that they become unsafe.

I don’t know how dependent your wife is on alcohol, but in consumption units I would be very concerned.

If your wife is a functioning alcoholic (she retains her agency and ability to make her own decisions), you cannot speak to her doctor without her consent, as medical confidentiality means she will not talk to you without her express permission can talk about their health.

We see this problem often and it makes it very difficult for loved ones to give people with a problem the help they need.

First, educate them about the health risks and try to encourage them to seek help themselves.