Health & Lifestyle

DR ELLIE CANNON: I’m happy to pay – so why, at 81, can’t I get an MOT on my health?

I am 81 and would like to have a full health MOT and pay for it privately. However, I can’t seem to find any private providers who’ll offer this for people over the age of 79. Why are we not considered important?

Overall health screening is not available on the NHS because it is not proven to be beneficial for the majority of people. But many private companies offer it.

One of the main concerns with full health screening is something called false positives. These are health abnormalities that are not likely to cause any problems but are flagged up, causing unnecessary stress, anxiety and even treatment. Anyone undertaking this sort of health screening should think carefully about whether they have anything to gain by knowing the results.

Rather than a private health check, it would be more sensible for an elderly patient to visit their GP for a chat about risk factors for heart disease and stroke. A doctor will give valuable advice about how to reduce such risks or make sure they’re properly monitored.

Today's reader, aged 81, is asking why they can't find any private providers who will offer a full health MOT, despite being happy to pay for it (stock photo)

Today’s reader, aged 81, is asking why they can’t find any private providers who will offer a full health MOT, despite being happy to pay for it (stock photo)

This would involve blood tests and also a pulse, diabetes and blood pressure check.

Screening is available, too, for bowel cancer and breast cancer, and there’s a test for prostate cancer for high-risk or symptomatic patients. Men aged over 65 can also be checked on the NHS for an abdominal aortic aneurysm – this is a potentially dangerous bulge within the main blood vessel of the body.

A GP practice can also advise about vaccinations for this age group, such as for shingles, Covid, pneumonia and flu – this is a simple way to protect your health.

I am a 92-year-old man who is mostly in good health. But recently I’ve struggled with needing to pass urine more than usual – particularly at night when I would rather be asleep. My GP has prescribed a number of tablets but none of them have worked. Can you help?

Any symptom that disturbs sleep is deeply distressing and should be dealt with properly.

Not getting a good night’s sleep leads to irritability and feeling fragile during the day. It is also a big risk factor for night-time falls in elderly people, as some struggle to find the bathroom in the dark. One important step to take is to ensure the journey between the bed and the bathroom is as safe and simple as possible to avoid accidents.

In men over 90 the most common cause of bladder issues is prostate trouble.

This includes an enlarged prostate gland, which stops the bladder emptying properly, as well as prostate cancer.

   

More from Dr Ellie Cannon for The Mail on Sunday…

Other reasons why you might be going to the loo more often include medication, diabetes or even a simple infection.

A GP would explore potential underlying problems before choosing what to prescribe.

It is worth taking a urine test for infection and diabetes, as well as a blood test to check kidney function and prostate issues.

There are various medications for prostate problems and the chosen treatment may depend on other medical issues. Common medicines include tamsulosin, finasteride and tolterodine. Some other drugs are less suitable for the elderly or frail.

Lifestyle measures may be helpful, too. It is worth reducing caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks, which all irritate the bladder. Often people don’t realise that constipation can worsen bladder issues, so dealing with bowel problems is also a good idea.

My 50-year-old daughter was recently told she has cirrhosis of the liver and hasn’t long left to live. The person who did her ultrasound examination broke this news. We’re devastated – is it true that you can never recover?

Cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver, and means the organ is severely damaged. Patients usually reach this point having lived with liver disease for a long time.

Sadly, the condition is not reversible. It is a very significant and serious diagnosis, and doctors usually discuss this with their patients. It is very unusual for a diagnosis like this to be given during a scan.

Cirrhosis usually develops after there have been other stages of liver damage which may be treatable. Most commonly, the condition is caused by heavy alcohol use or hepatitis infections.

It can also result from fatty liver disease, which is triggered by obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Write to Dr Ellie 

Do you have a question for Dr Ellie Cannon? Email [email protected]

Dr Cannon cannot enter into personal correspondence and her replies should be taken in a general context.

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But there are also other less common causes, including genetic and autoimmune liver diseases, which usually affect women.

Although cirrhosis is not treatable, you can slow it down in some cases. For example, if somebody has cirrhosis from hepatitis C or autoimmune conditions, medication can be used to prevent further damage.

Cirrhosis patients should be cared for and monitored by a liver specialist called a hepatologist. It is also vital that the GP is aware of the diagnosis.

People with liver disease are vulnerable and therefore eligible for certain vaccinations and regular health checks for other issues including high blood pressure.

If alcohol is an underlying factor, getting help to quit as soon as possible is vital. The British Liver Trust is a great source of advice for patients and carers (britishlivertrust.org.uk).

Why I back ‘Martha’s rule’ on challenging doctors

Martha Mills (pictured), 13, a teenager from London who died from sepsis in 2021 after her parents warned doctors she was not improving

Martha Mills (pictured), 13, a teenager from London who died from sepsis in 2021 after her parents warned doctors she was not improving

It has been announced that Health Ministers are considering making it easier for patients in hospital to ask for a second opinion. This is great news.

The discussion of such a policy has come about following the tragic and avoidable death of 13-year-old Martha Mills, pictured above, a teenager from London who died from sepsis in 2021. Her parents repeatedly warned doctors that she wasn’t improving and requested that she be moved to intensive care. But these calls were ignored and an inquest concluded this ultimately contributed to her death.

I am forever telling patients to speak up if they feel something is wrong with their treatment, especially in hospital. But patients often find it difficult because they are intimidated or feel like they’re being a nuisance.

This is exactly why a rule that makes it easy to go above their doctor’s head is needed – and this is what Martha’s parents are calling for: Martha’s Rule. It’s just a shame such a terrible tragedy had to happen to create necessary change.

Calling all women aged 16 to 55

If you’re a woman aged 16 to 55 and have a health experience you want to share – good, bad or ugly – it’s time to speak up.

The Government is asking women across England to share what they think could be improved in a range of areas of women’s healthcare. Ministers will use this information to create policy that will affect future generations’ experience of the menopause, periods, contraception and other women’s health issues.

This is really encouraging. Finally the Government is using the voices of real women to plan for the future. You can offer your views via an online survey, created in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

To take part, visit: online1.snapsurveys.com/reproductive2023. The questionnaire is available for the next six weeks.


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