q My son is three years old, and he has recurrent attacks of wheezing. We keep taking him to the emergency department, where they successfully nebulise him. I recently noticed that the wheezing actually occurs with exertion, like during practice for sports or dance. Is there anything else I can do?

You can check his blood count to see if he is anaemic or has eosinophilia. If he has effort intolerance, it might be worth doing an echocardiogram to see if he has a congenital heart problem. Also, instead of always going to the emergency department, consult a paediatrician when he is not sick to see if he has any other problems.

Odd chest shape q My two-year-old daughter has an odd shaped chest with the ribs jutting out.

It may be caused by Vitamin D deficiency. Consult a paediatrician and check Vitamin D3 levels. If it is low, correct it with supplements. Vitamin D is the “sunshine vitamin” responsible for bone health. Deficiency can cause softening of the bones. Although sunlight exposure is recommended, during the rainy season, there may not be enough sunshine available to correct this.

No time to walk q I need to lose weight. My mother told me to walk, but I cannot really spare the time because of my busy work schedule.

Diet and exercise have to be used together to lose weight. Along with a calorie-restricted diet of 1,500 or so calories a day, You can do HIIT (high intensity interval training). You can watch videos for this online. It only takes around 10 minutes. You can also climb stairs, run up fast and come down slowly for the same length of time. The important thing is to be consistent and regular.

Hearing loss q I love to watch TV, but the sound is distorted because of my hearing loss and hearing aids.

Newer headphones have Bluetooth connectivity and can link to the TV directly. Also, hearing aids are available that can connect to the TV via Bluetooth. That may help.

Mosquito fight q After the rains, my house is full of mosquitoes.

There are insect-zapping blue lights available in the market. They kill mosquitoes on contact but do not emit any odour or vapour.

You also can eliminate any stagnant water in and around your home.

The female mosquito requires a plant meal before the blood meal from you, so growing lemongrass in pots in and around your house will repel mosquitoes as they do not like the odour of this plant.

Feet hurt q The bottom of my feet hurt. Is there any way to prevent this?

You could: Change innerwear twice a day. Wash it using a mild detergent. Thoroughly rinse out the soap. Dry in the sun. Do not use antiseptic solutions, as they can be harsh and irritating to sensitive areas. If there is a fungal infection, apply non-steroidal anti-fungal creams twice a day.

The writer has a family practice at Vellore and is the author of Staying Healthy in Modern India. If you have any questions on health issues please write to yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in