I can’t stop drooling – my tops are stained after two years of it getting worse and worse

AN unlikely health issue becomes more risky when the days become shorter.

Falls increase in the winter, thanks to less light, leaves on the ground, and the risk of frost, ice and snow.

Around one in three adults over 65 who live at home will have at least one fall a year.

It’s a key reason for A&E visits in the elderly – and while most recover, injuries can cause long-lasting mobility problems, or someone to lose their confidence or independence.

A study by the University of Toronto this month linked falls to a higher risk of dementia diagnosis.

Be extra-careful this winter, but see a GP if you are worried about your balance or mobility.

They can check for weaknesses and possibly make referrals.

Call 999 if you or someone has a fall and they cannot get up, or if they may have injured their head, back, neck or hip.

Meanwhile, here’s a selection of what readers have asked me this week . . . 

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Q: COULD you advise on excessive mouth drooling? I have had this problem for over two years – it’s so bad sometimes. I’m drooling when I bend over, and all my tops are stained.

A: That sounds like a really frustrating and uncomfortable problem.

Drooling can be due to you making too much saliva, or it can down to trouble controlling or swallowing normal saliva.

Starting with the mouth, dental or oral issues could cause excess saliva, such as poorly fitting dentures, mouth infections, or dental decay – have you seen a dentist recently?

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) can also stimulate the salivary glands to produce more saliva to help neutralise the acid.

Sinus or nasal blockage due to chronic congestion or allergies may cause you to keep your mouth open, and some medicines (eg, certain sedatives, antipsychotics, or Alzheimer’s medications) can increase saliva.

Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) can sometimes be subtle, meaning it is not obvious to you that you can’t swallow, especially if it’s caused by neurological or muscular conditions – Parkinson’s disease, stroke, cerebral palsy, ALS, or other disorders affecting muscle control.

Have you noticed any other symptoms?

Because this has been going on for more than two years, and it’s severe enough to soak your clothes, it really deserves a proper medical evaluation.

Please arrange to see your GP and ask them to consider a neurological examination and oral/throat exam.

They can also review your medications to see if any could be causing this as a side effect.

There are some medications that can reduce saliva, but it’s important to first identify the cause of this.

What can I do about severe gut problem?

Q: I’M a man, 72, and my long-suffered gut and bowel problems have got worse. I recently ended up in A&E because of the pain.

I am diagnosed with IBS and diverticulosis and have been checked for cancer. I’ve been prescribed laxatives, Fybogel, Laxido and paracetamol. I have tried to regulate my diet as I’m also type 2 diabetic.

I’m not sure how long I can go on with this condition.

The pain, mostly in my left groin, is unbearable, my stools are watery and I am always full of gas, which I cannot get rid of. I often feel bloated and struggle to sleep.

A: What you describe sounds incredibly painful and distressing. It’s understandable to feel frustrated when it feels like nothing is helping.

Let’s review what might benefit you, taking into account your type 2 diabetes.

Diverticular disease involves small pouches in the bowel that can trap stool or gas and cause pain, usually in the left lower abdomen (your main pain area).

IBS can cause the bowel to spasm and produce excess gas.

There may also be an imbalance of gut bacteria or slow motility from medications, diabetes, or nerve changes.

In addition to simple pain relief, antispasmodics like Mebeverine, Buscopan, or peppermint oil capsules can help by relaxing the bowel to relieve cramps.

Low-dose amitriptyline (10mg at night) can also reduce gut nerve pain and help with sleep, and a heat pad on the lower belly can ease spasms.

Codeine is best avoided because it can worsen constipation and gas.
Simeticone (Wind-eze, Deflatine) can also help alleviate gas as it helps small gas bubbles combine and pass more easily.

If you’ve already tried these, ask for a referral to a dietician, who may recommend and support you to try the “low FODMAP” diet, which restricts carbs that ferment in the gut (like onions, beans, apples, wheat).

Because you’re diabetic, this must be adapted carefully.

Watery stools suggest you might be overusing laxatives, or need a smaller dose, unless you also have constipation, too.

A dietician could also help here.

While this may be something you have to manage, you do not have to suffer this way.

Often, a combination of pain modulation, gas control, and tailored diet can improve things, even after years.

You should go back to your doctor or A&E urgently if you have a fever, vomiting, blood in stool, sudden worsening of pain (or with bloating), unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite.

Nothing I do shifts weight

Q: I’M a 39-year-old woman and really struggling to lose weight. I eat reasonably healthy and exercise.

My life is 100 miles an hour, and every time I get on the scales, I find that I have gained weight.

I also feel uncomfortably bloated all the time.

I have always struggled to lose weight, but not to this extent where nothing I do takes even a pound off.

My hormones have been checked and are fine.

A: As we approach 40, our basal metabolic rate (BMR) naturally decreases – meaning you burn fewer calories at rest.

This could be partly to blame, but this is typically a gradual change over time. Bloating should always be checked by a healthcare professional.

It’s important for us to rule out certain causes, especially ovarian cancer – did your GP also check a CA125 when you had your bloods done?

If that has been checked, then it could be down to your busy lifestyle.

When you’re “100 miles an hour,” your nervous system is often in fight-or-flight mode, which increases cortisol, raises blood sugar and reduces sleep quality.

All of this in combination makes your body hold onto water and belly fat.

Even ten minutes a day of slow breathing, meditation, or a short walk (ideally in nature) can reset cortisol levels over time.