From bloating after every meal to testicular pain – Dr Zoe Williams answers your health questions

The NHS has warned that blood supplies are critically low – and donors are needed now more than ever.

Recent cyberattacks have made the situation worse, with an Amber Alert issued at some NHS hospitals restricting O negative and O positive blood types.

If you are a type O donor, call 0300 123 23 23 to book an appointment or visit orlo.uk/bPTiE.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t know your blood type – you’re still wanted!

Sign up on the NHSBT website, nhsbt.nhs.uk, to get started.

You can donate during your lunch break and just one hour of your time could save up to three lives.

There are just under 800,000 regular blood donors, 108,000 of which are O negative and the NHS is now urging people to donate more regularly.

Hospitals will continue to perform emergency surgeries, cancer surgeries, transplant surgeries and blood transfusions for those in need of blood.

But they will need to prioritize patients, and you never know when a loved one will need help.

Here’s a selection of what readers asked me this week. . .

Q: I AM a 79-year-old man and 52 years ago I had a vasectomy.

For the past six weeks I have had pain in my testicles and lower abdomen and am urinating ten times a day.

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After seeing my doctor, he sent me for a scan, which showed two cysts where the tubes had been tied.

Although he said there was nothing to worry about, the pain is worse.

Could it be more serious?

A: Thank you for writing about this issue.

I can see why you linked your symptoms now to your vasectomy 52 years ago, but if that is truly the cause, my question would be “why did this pain start now?”

And I can’t find a sensible answer to this question.

But, of course, I’m not a urologist.

It’s likely that the cysts were already there soon after the procedure and likely started as sperm granulomas — small masses created by the body’s inflammatory reaction to sperm that become trapped after a vasectomy.

They occur in up to 40% of cases and do not pose any health risk.

I think you should go back to your doctor to explore some of the other potential reasons for testicular pain with lower abdominal pain and polyuria (peeing more often than usual).

These include urinary tract infections, which a urine test and lab sample can check for, and possibly a blood test for the kidneys and prostate.

Your doctor should examine you for hernias, ask about constipation, and consider examining your prostate if you are experiencing other prostate symptoms.

These include weak flow, feeling like you can’t empty your bladder, or drooling after you finish peeing.

These symptoms should not be ignored, but rather explored and investigated to find out exactly what is going on.

GPs often carry out investigations to rule out the most serious diagnosis first – in this case perhaps the ultrasound was to rule out testicular cancer or torsion (which are rare in older men).

If the test is normal, that’s reassuring, but return to your doctor for the next line of investigation if symptoms persist.

Why am I so bloated?

Q: I am suffering from a bloated feeling after almost every meal.

I don’t smoke and I only drink beer from time to time.

A camera investigated both ends, but so far nothing untoward has been found.

I’m trying to cut out high FODMAP foods, which can cause digestive issues.

Can you please help?

A: Sometimes people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are temporarily placed on low-FODMAP diets under the supervision of a dietitian.

The clunky acronym stands for fermentables, oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols.

In simple language, they are a group of carbohydrates that can contribute to IBS symptoms.

This diet requires extensive exclusions of many, sometimes most, foods that people normally eat, so they are not easy to follow unless supported by an appropriate healthcare professional.

Just to give you an idea, the list of foods to avoid includes cereal grains such as wheat, rye and barley, as well as bread, pasta, pasta and many breakfast cereals.

Also savory and sweet biscuits, cakes, pastries, breadcrumbs and dough, with the exception of wheat-free/gluten-free variations.

There is also a long list of fruits and vegetables to avoid, as well as beans, legumes and types of sugar.

It may seem like this exhaustive list doesn’t leave much, but rice, oats, potatoes, corn, and quinoa are fine, as are oatmeal, oat cereal, rice crackers, oatcakes, plain or salted popcorn, plain potato chips, and also some flourless cakes.

And most major protein sources, including meat, poultry, fish eggs, tofu, tempeh and soy products, do not contain FODMAPs.

Generally, four to six weeks is enough time to see if there has been a significant improvement.

The crucial point of a FODMAP diet is the reintroduction phase, which comes next.

Dietitians usually do this gradually to help determine which carbohydrates tend to be problematic.

Whilst ideally the FODMAP diet would be guided by a healthcare professional such as a nutritionist, I know these are not always available on the NHS.

I would talk to your doctor about your intentions and see if they can guide you.

The main thing then will be to plan and ensure the reintroduction of food properly.

The sense of taste and smell has disappeared

Q: Over the past four years, I have gradually lost my sense of taste and smell. I haven’t seen a doctor about this, but I attribute it to having had type 1 diabetes for 34 years.

Additionally, I have an ongoing salty tongue due to dry mouth, which started in January.

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I have tried several products for this but they are all ineffective.

Everyday life is a struggle.

I feel bad because there are worse things people have to live with, but not being able to enjoy food is having a huge effect on me.

Do you have any advice?

I am 56 years old and take insulin, lisinopril for blood pressure, atorvastatin for cholesterol and HRT to stop hot flash symptoms.

A: Smell and taste disorders affect about five in every 100 people, so they are not particularly common.

Firstly, you mentioned that you haven’t consulted your doctor about this, so I would advise you to make an appointment.

Your doctor will likely ask if you have any nasal symptoms that have affected just one nostril, if you have had any nosebleeds or discharge, or any crusting or crusting in the cavity.

They should ask if you feel like you can constantly smell something unpleasant, or if there is any associated swelling or visual problems, or if you also experience severe headaches in the front of your head.

All of these are classified as warning symptoms that require further questioning or investigation.

Your problems may be related to type 1 diabetes, as this can affect both your taste and smell, and sometimes the medications used to treat it can as well.

However, the loss of taste and smell may be unrelated, so it is vital that you speak to your doctor.

You should expect a complete examination and, if necessary, be referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist.