“I am keen to take proper care of my body as old age sets in. However every time I read the paper or pick up a magazine, I am urged to take some pill or other to prevent some unwished-for ailment. My local pharmacy has shelf after shelf of bottles and potions. It’s very confusing. What is the common-sense approach to this dilemma?” Continue Reading

A reader’s husband is struggling to cope with the loss of his job. Continue Reading

Many people are putting themselves on a gluten-free diet, even though they don’t have coeliac disease. Is it wise to change one’s diet without professional advice? Continue Reading

A reader wonders if neighbourhood gas emissions could be behind persistent mouth and throat issues. Continue Reading

The ravages of war continue to plague vets and their families, with women often left on the front line. Continue Reading

Young children burn faster than adults and the higher the temperature, the less time it takes. Water at 50C, which feels a bit hot but OK to grown-ups, will scald a child in five minutes. Compare that to less than a second when a hot drink spills on delicate skin. Continue Reading

A reader asks: “I am puzzled to know how teachers control behaviour and maintain discipline in the classroom these days. All the old methods are forbidden, and rightly so for some of them, but are children punished at all today?” Continue Reading