DR HILARY...DR HILARY...DR HILARY...DR HILARY...

DR HILARY'S DIAGNOSIS

It’s unusual to have such frequent and long-lasting symptoms like nasal congestion, headaches and lethargy.

The important question is whether the symptoms are due to one cold after another or an allergy.

Hannah shouldn’t worry about bothering her GP as she needs to establish what’s really causing this and how it can be treated.

At best, it’s an inconvenient allergic reaction which stops her enjoying life.

At worst, it could be a sign of reduced immunity due to a serious blood disorder.

Skin-prick allergy tests and a blood sample should help find out which is responsible.

If it’s not an allergy, and Hannah is run down, she should try taking zinc, vitamin C, and echinacea supplements, and avoid anything which lowers her immunity such as smoking, too much alcohol and not enough sleep.

'My constant cold is taking over my life'

EVERY WEEK A CELEB ASKS OUR FABULOUS DOCTOR FOR HEALTH ADVICE. THIS WEEK IT’S ACTRESS HANNAH TOINTON, 20

Everyone picks up a few bad colds a year, but as soon as I get rid of one, I seem to catch another – and because they last as long as three weeks, I don’t have any time in between when I feel well.

It’s not just coughing and sneezing either.

My eyes stream and when I go to bed I have a lot of trouble sleeping as my nose gets so blocked up, I can hardly breathe.

I have to use a nasal spray to get me through the night, and I still wake up every few hours when the effects have worn off.

If I haven’t had much rest the night before, I get painful headaches and feel lethargic for the rest of the day.

I try not to let it interfere with my acting work, which can involve long hours on set, but sometimes I find it difficult to make myself leave the house in the morning.

I often feel so ill I just want to curl up on the sofa in my pyjamas.

I wouldn’t mind if I got colds just once or twice a year in the winter, but it seems to be constant.

I hate the idea of bothering my GP about something so trivial, but I’m fed up of always feeling under the weather.

Is there something wrong with my immune system and is there anything I can do to keep myself healthier and cold-free?

Hannah is the face of Skinny Water, available to buy from Tesco, Superdrug and WHSmith or online at Skinnywater.co.uk, priced 99p for 500ml. Five per cent of all profits go to Cancer Research UK.

Words: Claie Wilson Photography: Tessa Hallman/Camerapress

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