Hello everyone, for the next two weeks or so, I will be writing on ‘readers’ choice’ issues, that is, issues that fans of this page have written in to ask me to discuss. So, do you have a burning health issue? Send me a message and let’s talk about it.

The first in this series is a question on menstrual pain. How do we relieve menstrual pain?

Anticipate the pain before it actually arrives by taking some analgesics in the same class as ibuprofen called NSAIDs. These drugs have to be taken with food because they can cause peptic ulcer and so it is important NEVER to start using them without confirming from your doctor that this is fine for you.

Avoid foods that contain caffeine, salty foods, alcohol, smoking and sugary foods. You’ve probably heard the story about alcohol being a great idea during periods…I’m just not sure whether…