Every week we partner up with our sister magazine, Woman, to bring you expert health advice from This Morning's Dr Chris Steele MBE, health journalist of the year. This week he answers your questions about early menopause and teeth grinding.
The problem
My boyfriend tells me that I grind my teeth in the night. What could be the reason for this and is it going to damage my teeth forever?
The solution
Grinding the teeth (bruxism) usually occurs at night but may be done unconsciously when awake. Often the cause is stress-related, so remove as much stress in your life as possible. If this continues it will abrade and wear down the teeth, any dental crowns and cause headaches and jaw stiffness. Wearing a plastic mouthpiece or biteplate at night will reduce the damage, but not cure the problem.
The problem
I have had an early menopause and I'm taking HRT, yet I still have hot flushes. Should I try a different dosage of HRT?
The solution
You could continue on your present HRT if it's suiting you, and then ask your GP about clonidine, a prescription drug that specifically addresses menopausal flushing. Clonidine is taken twice daily every day and has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of hot flushes, which as you know are terribly embarrassing!
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