Have you ever wondered about how health services in town work or are you worried about certain health conditions?

Dr Dan Bunstone, GP at Chapelford Medical Centre, has all the answers to those burning questions.

It’s hay fever season and I am badly affected - is there anything I can do to reduce my symptoms?

For some of us, this time of year is dreaded - sore eyes, itchy nose, sneezing or coughing.

These symptoms are part of our body having an allergic reaction to pollen, typically when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes or throat.

Unfortunately hay fever will last for weeks or months, unlike a cold which usually goes away after one to two weeks.

There is currently no cure for hay fever and you can’t prevent getting it.

However, you can do some simple things to ease your symptoms when the pollen count is high.

Put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen, wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes, shower and change your clothes after you’ve been outside to wash off pollen, stay indoors whenever possible, keep windows and doors shut as much as possible, vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth.

Your pharmacist can help with hay fever – they can help with itchy and watery eyes, sneezing and a blocked nose.

For allergy relief you can buy antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays.

Your pharmacist can advise you on which ones are best for you.

I have a verruca - how can I get rid of it?

Verrucae are small warts that usually affect the soles of the feet or around the toe area and appear as tiny black dots under hard skin.

They are part of the human papilloma virus, which is highly contagious and spread by direct skin to skin contact or indirectly via contact with contaminated floors or surfaces – for example in swimming pools or communal washing areas.

Verrucae can be painful and cause a sensation like standing on a needle.

You shouldn’t need to see you GP to treat verruca – you can buy creams, plasters and sprays from pharmacies to get rid of them.

These treatments can take up to three months – they may irritate your skin and don’t always work but your local pharmacist can give you advice about the best treatment for you.

You can reduce your risk of re infection by washing your hands after touching a verruca, changing your socks daily, covering verrucae with a plaster when swimming or in gym changing rooms, not sharing towels, flannels, socks or shoes, avoiding walking barefoot in public places and trying not to scratch or pick a verruca.

If they are scratched or knocked, it can bleed, making it easier for the virus to spread to other parts of the body.

However, you should see your GP if you’re worried about a growth on your skin, you have a large verruca cluster that keeps coming back, you have a very large or painful verruca or a verruca bleeds or changes how it looks.

Have you got a question for Dr Dan? Email adam.everett@nqnw.co.uk with your health query.

We regret that Dr Dan cannot talk about individual cases. All advice provided is for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for face to face medical advice.