I've been diagnosed with high cholesterol. I've heard some foods can help reduce this. What are they?

Changing your diet will make the biggest impact on your cholesterol levels and you are right, there are some foods that can provide an added boost to lower cholesterol levels.

The important thing is that cholesterol is carried round the body by lipoproteins. High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, where it is either broken down or passed from the body as a waste product. It is often called 'good cholesterol' as a result because higher levels are better.

Foods rich in HDL include avocado, nuts (such as walnuts, un-salted pistachios and almonds), salmon or tuna fish and even dark chocolate. As always though, use these as an addition to a varied and healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and fruit not as the staple of your meals each day.

My husband developed some painful blisters on his cheek and a friend said it might be shingles. He's had chickenpox as a child though so is this possible?

It is certainly possible. Many people believe catching chickenpox builds an immunity to shingles but in fact, the virus simply lies dormant and causes shingles in around 20 per cent of people who have had chickenpox.

It is not known why this happens, but it is more common in those over 50 and especially people who have recently had another illness or are under significant stress. There is no actual cure and the blisters will dry up and disappear on their own eventually. In the mean time, treat at home and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help manage any pain.

Shingles is contagious though and anyone who has not had chickenpox or been vaccinated against it, can develop the disease. The NHS offers vaccinations against shingles to people over 70.

What is kidney disease?

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located on either side of the body, just underneath the ribcage. As well as maintaining blood pressure, helping keep your bones and your heart healthy and stimulating the production of red blood cells, the main role of the kidneys is to filter out waste products from the blood before converting them into urine. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a chronic (long-term) condition where the kidneys progressively lose their function.

Symptoms

CKD is a progressive disease and the kidney's are very resilient. You can have normal kidney function if one or both kidney's is damaged and kidney function is often maintained even if just one kidney is functioning.

This means people often don't experience symptoms until the illness is severe.

The main symptoms include:

• tiredness

• swollen ankles, feet or hands (due to water retention)

• shortness of breath

• blood or protein in your urine (protein in your urine is not something that you will notice as it can only be detected during a urine test)

• an increased need to urinate, particularly at night

• itchy skin

• nausea

• erectile dysfunction (an inability to get or maintain an erection)

Diagnosis

If you are in a high-risk group for developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), it is important that you are regularly screened for the condition.

Annual screening is recommended for the following groups:

• people with diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension)

• people with vascular disease (conditions that affect the heart, arteries and veins, such as coronary heart disease or stroke)

• people with a family history of total kidney failure

• people with urinary tract obstructions (where something blocks the normal flow of urine, such as a kidney stone or a blood clot)

Your GP can advise you about whether or not you should be screened for CKD.

Treating kidney disease

Where the kidneys are damaged but still functioning, treatment can often be carried out by your GP. Managing CKD often means treatment for associated issues such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Because the kidney's stimulate the production or red blood cells too, many people with CKD can develop anaemia a condition which means there are not enough red blood cells, leading to tiredness, shortness of breath and other related issues. This may be treated with iron tablets or may require regular blood transfusions.

You could also be put on a special diet, restricting foods that contain phosphates, (such as red meat and dairy produce) because these can build up in your body without proper kidney function. If your kidney function continues to decline the eventual treatment will include dialysis (where the blood is artificially 'cleaned') and even a transplant.