I get zigzag lines in my vision. Could this be a type of migraine? DR. ELLIE CANNON answers and explains why a hair loss drug can cause libido problems

I continue to experience an alarming problem where I get a zigzag wavy line in front of my eye that blocks my vision. Although I don’t get a headache when it occurs, I wonder if this could be a type of migraine?

Dr. Ellie answers: Strange lines within your field of vision in addition to a change in vision definitely warrant a check-up with an optician.

They will be able to examine the retina – the back of the eye – as well as the blood vessels and optic nerve, all of which may be related to this problem. They will also check for glaucoma, where the optic nerve is damaged by a buildup of fluid.

It is true that strange visual effects can be part of a migraine condition. There is a very specific – and rare – type called retinal migraine. This can only affect the eyes and not cause headaches. It is thought to be related to the narrowing of the blood vessels in the eye.

A retinal migraine occurs suddenly and can cause vision loss for up to an hour, or cause a missing field of vision.

Other symptoms may include blurred vision and seeing flashing lights, wavy lines or even colored spots.

However, it is important not to self-diagnose this; a thorough investigation is needed.

As with all migraines, there can be certain triggers for each individual, such as stress, caffeine and dehydration. It can be worse for people with high blood pressure, so it’s worth having your blood pressure checked at a pharmacy.

A doctor can prescribe migraine medications, but paracetamol or ibuprofen are reasonable to use if they work.

I have recently started developing strange sinus problems along with pins and needles in my face. My ears become clogged as if I were on an airplane, making me feel dizzy and affecting my vision. Could this be related to my underactive thyroid medication, thyroxine, that I take every day?

Dr. Ellie answers: This isn’t the first time I’ve been asked about thyroxine and sinus problems, and yet these problems are not listed as an official side effect of the drug.

We know that people with thyroid conditions can experience sinus problems, hearing problems, and nasal congestion. However, this would be more likely if the condition was not well controlled.

There are also other reasons why you may be experiencing sinus problems. Sleeping can put pressure on the sinuses. That’s why many people experience a stuffy nose in the morning.

When we go from lying down to standing, as we do in the morning, fluid moves into the ears and sinuses, which can cause mild swelling. It also happens that most people taking thyroxine take the tablet in the morning, which could explain why people link it to sinus problems.

It may be worth changing the time you take the medicine, just as a trial, to see if the time at which symptoms occur also changes.

Any symptom that you think is directly related to a medicine you are taking should be reported to the medical safety regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. The agency uses a Yellow Card system where side effects can be registered. You can do this online or ask your doctor or pharmacist.

My wife had a shunt fitted to drain fluid from her brain. Since then she has suffered from severe bloating in her stomach, which is getting worse. Do you think this could be caused by the shunt?

Dr. Ellie answers: Although unusual, it is possible that these types of procedures can cause a buildup of fluid in the abdomen.

A shunt – a thin tube surgically inserted into the body – is often used to treat a condition called hydrocephalus, which is caused by too much fluid building up in the brain. This fluid increases pressure in the skull and can cause complications such as speech and vision problems. That’s why it’s so important to treat them.

Shunts take fluid from the brain and pass it to the abdomen. Usually the fluid is reabsorbed into the bloodstream and should not cause a problem.

In some cases, however, the shunt can drain too much fluid, causing an uncomfortable buildup in the stomach.

Shunts can also become infected, leading to abdominal pain.

Considering how recently your wife had the shunt installed, it would make sense that this would be a possible cause of the problem. I would contact the surgical team that performed the procedure who can review this.

It is important to always have persistent bloating checked by a doctor, as in rare cases it could be a sign of ovarian cancer. Most often, however, bloating is related to irritable bowel syndrome and can be treated with a daily probiotic or peppermint oil.

We pay the price of the prescription costs

Prescription costs went up last week – by 25 cents. It now costs £9.90 per prescription, which isn’t huge when you think about the cost of many medicines, but I think people shouldn’t have to pay any fees at all.

Certain groups – under 16, over 60, diabetics and pregnant women to name a few – do not have to pay. Others, such as women on HRT, get a huge discount. Yet I have long felt that this list was unfair. For example, asthmatics must pay for each prescription.

The money generated by prescription fees is around £600 million per year. But this is trivial next to the NHS’s £19.2 billion annual drug bill.

Meanwhile, the charges leave some of the poorest in society without medicine, getting sicker and ending up in hospital, which will make services much more expensive in the long run. If you made all medications free, you would eliminate at least some of this problem.

Let me know what you think of this idea.

The dark side of hair loss medicine

The hair loss drug finasteride can cause libido problems, erectile dysfunction and even depression, British health officials warned last week.

The drug – which comes in tablet and lotion form – limits the amount of testosterone the body processes to slow thinning.

We also prescribe it to men with prostate problems, but in much larger doses.

Finasteride is not offered for hair loss on the NHS, but is sold by a number of online companies that package the drug as something more like a beauty product than hormone-changing drugs.

All medications have potential side effects, and this is no different. It is important to know that the chance that you will experience these side effects of finasteride is very small. But the risk exists, so it is important that patients consider this carefully before starting treatment.

If you start to experience unexpected mental or physical symptoms during use, you should inform your doctor immediately.