DR ELLIE CANNON: I am losing weight and don't know why - how can I put it back ... trends now
For each of the past two years I have lost about a stone in weight. I'm eating healthy food, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, chicken, fish and eggs. I was a bit overweight a few years back but I really don't want to lose more – but there's never any advice for people who need to put weight on. I'm nearly 80. Can you help?
'Healthy food' is an interesting term without any real definition.
For somebody who needs to reduce their risk of heart disease or has diabetes, it would mean a diet that helped maintain a healthy weight that's low in sugar, with plenty of fibre from fresh veg. But this might not be 'healthy' for everyone. For instance, people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) need to avoid certain fruit and vegetables. And people with diverticulitis – a painful yet common bowel problem – need to steer clear of certain fibres. If somebody needs to gain weight, fruit and veg will not do much.
As people age they can suffer weight loss due to a reduction in muscle, and generally older people do have less of an appetite.
To put weight on a dietician may recommend increasing the amount of protein and carbohydrates with each meal, alongside adding higher-calorie foods such as cheese or cream into recipes.
To put weight on a dietician may recommend increasing the amount of protein and carbohydrates with each meal, alongside adding higher-calorie foods such as cheese or cream into recipes (Stock Image)
If you struggle to eat you can buy fortified drinks that are quite a small volume – roughly the size of a carton of fruit juice – but contain a high number of calories.
It is not always possible to see a dietician on the NHS for this reason, but it is worth asking the GP for a referral. Unintentional weight loss is always a red flag to a doctor, particularly in the elderly as it can be a warning sign of cancer.
A doctor would usually want to perform an examination and run some tests to rule out any sinister causes of weight loss. This might include blood tests alongside stool examinations and perhaps even an ultrasound scan.
I suffer from excruciating pain every now and then which passes from the back of my throat to my chest. I can go months without an episode and then it can happen two or three times in succession. The pain is so severe – it feels like I'm trying to swallow a tennis ball – that I am rooted to the spot and can't move. What is it?
It may be surprising but throat pain in women can originate from the heart.
The symptoms of a type of heart condition known as angina cause chest pain predominantly, but women can also suffer neck, jaw and throat pain.
As people age they can suffer weight loss due to a reduction in muscle, and generally older people do have less of an appetite (Stock Image)
These warning signs are often missed until there's a full-blown heart attack, so severe throat pain should always warrant a visit to the GP for tests.
Once heart disease is ruled out, it's worth considering acid reflux. This is when acid from within the stomach travels back up the gullet, which can occur after a heavy meal or in certain postures. This can irritate the throat and may cause some pain. It should settle very easily with an over-the-counter antacid. There are less common causes of this pain, such as a side effect of cancer treatment, the yeast infection candida and, seldom, blood diseases.
Pain within the back of the throat and down
