At howsme we realise that the provision of health care advice and support is changing. More and more people are seeking straightforward, reliable information about their health or how they feel.
We also, of course, have specialists who can give individual, confidential advice on all of the conditions listed in the free information section.
Your questions and answers Ask your question and then choose the price you want to pay for your answer! Your question will be assessed and then assigned to the qualified professional deemed to be most specialist in that area. Some questions may require more than one member of the team to provide input into the answer. When your question is answered the health professional will give you their name and if you have a similar question you would like answering by the same person you can request this in your next question. Your guarantee In the unlikely event that the howsme team feel we are unable to offer a satisfactory answer to your question we will inform you and fully refund your payment. Or if, for any reason you are not happy with the service you receive, contact us at info@howsme.com and we will be pleased to either attempt to rectify the matter or offer you a full refund (which ever you prefer). Evidence based health care information In addition to answering your questions the team at howsme are committed to providing evidence based health care information, presented in a clear and understandable way. This information and the answers you receive help to inform you about your health and enable you to make decisions about your health and your future. If you would like any more information about howsme please contact us at info@howsme.com
Our aim is to provide the information you need, when you need it
We help people to overcome problems in many different areas of their lives by having specialists to advise on;
Relationships, finances, parenting, diet, exercise, mood, living with illness, problems at work, complementary and alternative therapies, mental health, disability aids and equipment, sports injuries and issues effecting older people.
Some examples of questions asked and answers given in the last few months
Question asked for £5.99 answered within 4 minutes Knee problems I went back to see him yesterday and he told me to now go and get some different orthotics and go back to see him again after another 6 weeks. Where would you get that done at a reasonable price? Final answer given by How's Me
I have treated loads of people with this and similar knee conditions. We would start by putting standard orthotics into their shoes like the one you bought no doubt and combining this with an exercise regime in an attempt to lift the inside of the foot and stop the tibia rotating. This would then take the pressure off the MCL of the knee. If this didn't work after 6 weeks I would refer them onto a podiatrist. There used to be loads working for the NHS but when my knees were bad I found a private podiatrist, as I found the wait was too long! Make sure that you choose a podiatrist who is registered with the health professions council, if you go to www.hpc-uk.org/ you can check out he podiatrists in your own area. I wouldn't keep buying off the shelf orthotics until a podiatrist has assessed exactly what you need.
Myself and my 10 year old son had a bonfire where we inadvertently tried to burn a large piece of asbestos. It was on a bonfire with me and my son sitting next to it for some time before I realised what I had done. I am now racked with worry that we have significant exposure to asbestos with all the long terms impacts and I can't stop thinking about it. have I materially put my son or myself at risk over the longer term? We did not cut it saw it or drill it. It formed part of an external porch which we removed and put on the bonfire. Yes it was outside - we had the bonfire going with the asbestos on it for about an hour and a half. Final answer given by How's Me Asbestos is so widely used that most people, myself included, will be exposed to asbestos at sometime in their life. The vast majority will never suffer any ill effects. Those who do are people who are regularly exposed to asbestos dust over a longer period of time. Sawing, drilling and breaking asbestos into pieces indoors releases the dust that is inhaled into the lungs to cause the feared long term effects. You do not appear to have been exposed to the dust and burning it outside does not amount to 'significant exposure'. If you have not washed the clothes and coats you were wearing at the time I would very carefully dispose of them to be on the safe side. Arthritis
A few months ago I went to the doctors and who diagnosed knock knees and they have affected me since I was 16 the doctor said my right knee is making my foot turn in and stretching my MCL and twisting my tibia. He also said I should go get some orthotics from boots and go back to see him in 6 weeks.
My right knee is terrible today and I haven’t got the new orthotics because I will have to pay £20 and my dad thinks we should get them made to measure.
Question asked for £5.99 answered within 2 hours
Asbestos
How’s me requires further details in order to answer your question
Hi, I understand your concerns and just need to ask you a few questions.
Before attempting to burn the asbestos did you cut it, saw it or drill it?
Am I right in assuming the bonfire was outside?
What have you done with the asbestos since trying to burn it?
I look forward to your responses
Clarification to question
I have since had a specialist firm into remove it.
I hope this puts your mind at rest and that you and your son go on to enjoy many more (asbestos-free) bonfires.
Question asked for £5.99 answered within 25 minutes
Final answer
There are lots of different things you can try that may or may not work for you.
Heat and cold. Arthritis often responds to either heat or less commonly ice. Try heat first as either a heat wrap or warm water bottle or warm bath. Any of these should only be warm and not hot as you could burn yourself and always read the instructions. Occasionally people find that applying ice or cold helps. You must be very careful and only apply it to skin that can actually feel the cold (so don’t apply to skin that is numb or has scar tissue) I find the easiest thing to get is a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel. Never apply the bag of pea straight to your skin it could stick or cause an ice burn. The heat or cold can be applied for 10 to 20 minutes to see if this helps.
TENS units can now be bought from most chemists and are often useful for managing this type of pain. Read the instructions and speak to the pharmacist before you buy one to see if it is safe for you to use.
Acupuncture is a treatment that I commonly use for arthritis and though it works for some people others are unaffected. If you would like to try acupuncture go and discuss this with your own doctor to see if this is safe for you and if your doctor can either refer you for a course within the NHS or recommend an acupuncturist in your area.
Arthritis of the hip is usually caused by weight bearing activities over time and so when you are walking try to help your hip by wearing shoes with plenty of shock absorption. A good pair of trainers may help or depending on the severity a walking stick or crutches.
You could try to strengthen the hip, thigh and buttock area with a series of exercises. A physiotherapist would be able to give you appropriate exercises. Check with your own doctor to see if you could be referred through the NHS and if you go privately choose a physiotherapist who is registered with the health professional’s council at www.hpc-uk.org/.
