MY son gets travel sickness, even during short journeys by car.

Are there any measures I can take to try to prevent him from getting sick?

Travel sickness is common and children and young people experience it more often than adults. Children often grow out of it as they get older.

Try not to let your son eat a large meal before or during travel. If he is old enough, allow him to sit in the front seat so he can get a clear view of the road.

Tell him to focus on objects in the distance, or better still close his eyes and try to sleep. Make sure the car is well ventilated and stop for breaks and a stretch regularly throughout the journey.

My husband has been told by his GP to lower his cholesterol. What should he be doing?

Your husband should eat a healthy, balanced diet that is low in saturated fat. Sources of saturated fat include butter and margarine, full fat milk, cheese and other dairy products, chips, biscuits, cakes and chocolate.

Including a small amount of unsaturated fats can help reduce cholesterol levels. The Mediterranean diet, with olive oil in many foods and a low animal-fat content, is believed to be effective in ensuring cardiovascular health.

Foods that are high in unsaturated fats include oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, sunflower, rapeseed and olive oils and vegetable oils.

If your husband is overweight, losing weight should also help reduce his cholesterol level. A balanced diet including fruit, vegetables and fibre is also important.

For people with a family history of high cholesterol - or patients who have a heart attack - a doctor may also prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medicine.

WHAT IS...

TOXOCARIASIS?

THIS is an infection caused by worms commonly found in puppies, older dogs and cats. Toxocara worms produce eggs which leave the cat or dog's body in their faeces, contaminating soil and other surfaces.

Humans become infected by accidentally ingesting worm eggs. Once the eggs are in the human body they hatch and the worms begin to burrow through tissue.

Young children (aged two to seven) are most likely to develop toxocariasis, as they are more likely to come into contact with soil or sand that contains puppy or cat faeces.

Symptoms, which take at least a week to appear, are due to the body's reaction to the Toxocara worm, and the worm moving through the body. Most cases are mild and include fever, cough, reduced appetite, itchy, red bumps or patches on the skin, pain in the abdomin and headaches.

Most people who develop toxocariasis recover without treatment, but anti-parasitic medicines can be given to kill the worms and steroids can reduce tissue inflammation.