I SUFFER from insomnia and its really affecting my work and life in general. Would sleeping tablets help?

First of all, you should visit your GP to see if your insomnia is a symptom of an underlying condition. If not, I would advise that you persist with some self-help tips before considering sleeping tablets. Simple changes to your daytime and night-time habits can sometimes be all it takes to get a good nights sleep, some of these changes include setting a specific time for getting up a each day, don't nap during the day, take daily morning or afternoon exercise, such as thirty minutes walking or cycling and stop drinking caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee for a few hours before bedtime.

If making changes to your daytime and night-time habits doesn't help, your GP may prescribe sleeping pills or refer you for some cognitive behavioural therapy.

MY GP recently told me I had tension headaches. She didn't really tell me what this meant and I feel quite confused about this. Can you give me more information?

Tension headaches are the most common form of headache.

They feel like a constant ache that affects both sides of the head, as though a tight band is stretched around it. They are considered as everyday headaches.

The exact cause of tension headaches are unclear, but they are completely normal and usually nothing to worry about.

Tension headaches can usually be treated with ordinary painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Lifestyle changes, such as getting regular sleep, reducing stress and staying well hydrated, may also help.

Make an appointment to see your GP if you get pain when chewing on combing your hair, you have a bad throbbing pain at the front or side of your head and your headache keeps coming back.

You should also see a doctor if you feel sick, vomit and find light or noise painful, your headache doesn't subside and gets worse over time and you get other symptoms, for example your arms or legs feel numb or weak.

WHAT is Impetigo?

Impetigo is a common and highly contagious skin infection that causes sores and blisters, and it commonly occurs in two forms, non-bullous impetigo, which typically affects the skin around the nose and mouth and bullous impetigo, which typically affects the central part of the body between the waist and neck.

Symptoms of impetigo begin to occur four to 10 days after you become infected, meaning the infection can easily be passed on without realising it.

Non-bullous impetigo symptoms begin with the appearance of red sores – typically around the nose and mouth. These sores burst before leaving crusts that take anything between a few days and a few weeks to heal. Other symptoms include high temperature and swollen glands.

Bullous impetigo symptoms normally begin with fluid-filled blisters appearing on the central part of the body. These blisters are usually painful to the touch and spread before bursting a few days later. Symptoms of fever and swollen glands are more common in cases of bullous impetigo

Most cases of impetigo can be diagnosed upon physical examination by your GP.