My friend is deaf and he is having a stressful time at the moment.

Are there any services available to him as a BSL user?

Breathing Space is a national telephone line for people in Scotland with low mood, anxiety of depression. Breathing Space also offers a BSL service. British Sign Language (BSL) advisors are available via webcam on Tuesday adn Friday evenings for Deaf BSL users who need support. It is a free service that aims to provide

€¢ an alternative and easily accessible 'first stop' service

€¢ assistance at an early stage in order to stop problems escalating

€¢ empathy, understanding and advice through active listening

€¢ hope when none exists

€¢ direction for those who do not know where to seek help

Mention the BSL service to your friend as a source of help and advice. More information is available at www.breathingspace.scot

I have terrible travel sickness. It used to only be when I was travelling on a boat but it seems to affect me as a car passenger now. Is there anything I can try to avoid feeling ill?

In some cases, you may be able to relieve the symptoms of motion sickness by trying these self-care techniques:

€¢ Minimise your head and body movements. If possible, get a seat or cabin in the middle of a boat or plane because this is where you will experience the least movement.

€¢ Fix your vision on a stable object, such as the horizon. Avoid reading as this can make symptoms worse. You may find that closing your eyes helps to relieve symptoms.

€¢ If possible, open windows or move to the top deck of a ship in order to get a good supply of fresh air.

€¢ Try distracting your brain by listening to music while focusing on your breathing or carrying out a mental activity, such as counting backwards from 100.

€¢ Avoid eating large meals or drinking alcohol before travelling.

There are also some medicines you can take for motion sickness. For more details, visit the Motion Sickness section at www.nhsinform.co.uk or speak to your pharmacist who will give you safe reliable advice

What is Labyrinthitis?

Labyrinthitis is an inner ear inflammation. It causes a delicate structure deep inside your ear called the labyrinth to become inflamed, affecting your hearing and balance.

Symptoms of labyrinthitis include:

€¢ dizziness

€¢ vertigo - the feeling that the world is moving or spinning around you

€¢ loss of balance

€¢ hearing loss

The symptoms may be quite severe initially usually get better after a few weeks. However, some cases can have much longer-lasting symptoms. This can have a major impact on a person's quality of life and their ability to do everyday tasks.

In most cases, the symptoms of labyrinthitis pass within a few weeks. Treatment for labyrinthitis involves a combination of bed rest and medication to help you cope better with the symptoms. In some cases you may need additional medication to fight the underlying infection.

A small number of people have persistent symptoms that last for several months, or possibly years and they may benefit from a more intensive type of treatment called vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT). This treatment attempts to "retrain" the brain to cope with the altered signals that come from the vestibular system.