HOW long will a broken toe take to heal?

A broken or fractured toe can be very painful, but isn't usually serious and can often be treated at home.

Most will heal in four to six weeks. More severe breaks may take longer to heal and may need treatment in hospital. A broken toe will usually be extremely painful and tender, swollen red or bruised and difficult to walk on.

If the break is severe, the toe may stick out at an angle or the bone may poke through the skin.

It can be difficult to tell if a toe is broken or just badly hurt. Don't worry if you're not sure, as the treatment is usually the same for both.

Check the toe every day and call your GP if the pain gets worse or isn't relieved by ordinary painkillers – your GP may be able to prescribe a stronger painkiller.

If the swelling or discolouration doesn't improve after a few days, you have a wound or broken skin near the injured toe, which will need cleaning to prevent infection, you have a condition that affects the nerves or blood circulation in your feet, such as diabetes or peripheral arterial disease (PAD), you're still having problems, such as pain not improving or difficulty walking, after more than two to three weeks.

IS there a vaccine against chickenpox?

The chickenpox vaccine protects against the varicella zoster virus that causes chickenpox, but it's not part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule.

It is currently only offered on the NHS to people who are in close contact with someone who is particularly vulnerable to chickenpox or its complications, for example, if you have an immune system that doesn’t work properly.

Two doses are recommended, as this gives an even better immune response.

The vaccination is not quite as effective after childhood. For further information on symptoms check: www.nhsinform.scot

WHAT is a Hookworm infection?

The hookworm larvae are found in soil that's been contaminated with animal or human faeces. The larvae can infect people if their skin comes into contact with the soil.

Most people infected with hookworm don't show any real symptoms.

The skin of those infected with animal hookworm can display a slow moving red line but this is painless and typically doesn't cause any harm.

However, those infected with human hookworm can experience a red, itchy rash and respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing.

In more severe cases, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue may be experienced.

Hookworm infections can be diagnosed by inspecting a stool sample under a microscope in a laboratory.

Hookworm infections can be successfully treated by anti-worm medications that can be prescribed by your GP. These medications typically have few side effects and will need to be taken for one to three days.