Vomiting is common in children and can happen for a number of reasons. It’s usually due to an infection in the gut – gastroenteritis – and will clear in a day or two. Occasionally it can indicate something serious, but other signs also guide you to recognise this. Gastroenteritis can also cause diarrhoea – this may appear a few hours or a day after vomiting starts – and abdominal pain or cramps. Children are usually off their food, and they may have a mild fever. If it lasts longer than a couple of days or they are struggling to keep fluids down, it’s time to contact your doctor.

A heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction or coronary thrombosis, happens when a coronary artery (a blood vessel that supplies the heart with blood) that carries oxygen-rich blood to the heart is blocked. If the blood supply is completely blocked, part of the heart muscle may be starved of oxygen, can become damaged and may die. The medical name for a heart attack is an acute myocardial infarction (MI). Although having a heart attack is very serious, the chances of survival are greatly increased if you are able to get to a hospital right away. A heart attack may also refer to a problem with the rhythm of the heart – an arrhythmia – that prevents it beating in synchrony to pump blood around the body effectively. Again, this can lead to a medical emergency.

Diarrhoea is defined as stool, or poo, that is loose or watery and you usually need to go to the toilet more often. It's very common and most cases improve by themselves within a day or two. There are many causes of diarrhoea, ranging from infection, allergy, anxiety, medication side-effects or long term conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition that affects the digestive system. It causes abdominal discomfort or pain along with bloating or changes to the bowel habits. In IBS, opening the bowels typically relieves abdominal pain. Certain symptoms like bloating, trapped wind and abdominal cramps can prove embarrassing, particularly if you have diarrhoea or need to rush to the loo several times a day. Many suffer in silence, reluctant to go to their doctor or pharmacist to discuss such personal issues. There is no specific test to confirm IBS. Doctors make a firm diagnosis with defined criteria of symptoms, persisting for at least 6 months, and in the absence of other digestive conditions that could account for symptoms. IBS is a common condition that isn’t life-threatening and that doesn’t put you at higher risk of serious conditions like bowel cancer. But it’s a long-term condition that can be debilitating and cause a significant impact on work, study, enjoyable social activities and daily tasks. It can take its toll on your mood and quality of life. Symptoms may be continuous or intermittent, and this chronic waxing-and-waning picture can last for years. It’s very common, with 1 to 2 people in every 10 suffering in the UK, and that’s likely to be an underestimate, as many don’t seek medical help. Symptoms usually start when people are in their 20s and 30s and it’s more often found in women.

Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer. Although there are different blood cells (white cells, platelets, red blood cells), leukaemia generally refers to cancers that affect the white blood cells. White blood cells are essential to fight infections and build up your immune system. When the white cells don’t function as well, our immune defences become weakened and we are more susceptible to getting infections in the first place, and becoming more unwell from them. Leukaemia is fairly common among adults, with around 27 new cases each day in the UK. Age is a big factor, with those over 75 accounting for more than 4 in 10 cases. While not many children get cancer, leukaemia is one that frequently affects them – it behaves quite differently for them, so we’ll address that elsewhere.

Incontinence is the involuntary or uncontrollable leakage of urine or poo. It is called urinary, bowel, or double incontinence if both weeing and pooing are affected. It can occur because of weakening of the muscles that control weeing or pooing or from illness such as stroke, which can affect the nerves that control these functions. Urinary incontinence may be brought by coughing or laughing (stress incontinence) or when you feel the urge to urinate (urge incontinence). Incontinence is diagnosed when it has happened regularly, not just once. Muscle exercises may help train the muscles to reduce incontinence. Medication may also help control symptoms of urinary incontinence.

Stomach pain can be uncomfortable and maybe even frightening. Luckily stomach pain has some common causes, is usually self-limiting and in many cases can be self-treated at home with some helpful medication. Firstly, it is important to rule out causes for concern. If you are suffering from severe debilitating pain, or experiencing any other serious symptoms such as large volumes of blood in your vomit, fever, or unable to stay hydrated – you should seek advice from your doctor.

Haemorrhoids are common and many refer to them as piles. They are enlarged blood vessels just inside or outside the anus, and they look like small red or purple lumps. You might find blood after you go for a poo (this will be bright red blood, and seen on wiping or on the stool), or you can get pain and itching around the anus. For the majority of people, they cause no symptoms at all. Sometimes haemorrhoids can become thrombosed, which means they have no blood flow due to a blood clot. These are very painful and tender to touch. Haemorrhoids are not contagious, and cannot be passed on.

If you have repeated indigestion or acid reflux, you may be at risk of developing gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). This is a general term, used to describe acid reflux, either with or without inflammation of the gullet (oesophagus). In it, the corrosive acid our stomach produces to break down food moves up to the oesophagus (the food pipe), where the lining is much more sensitive and so can get damaged over time. If you have GORD you typically experience heartburn, where you may feel a gnawing or burning pain in your central chest that moves up to the throat after eating. While you may have suffered indigestion before, symptoms with GORD may be much more easily triggered, more severe, and last longer after eating or drinking. It can also be the case that the usual treatments you have used before and which worked well may no longer be effective. Regular acid reflux is more common in smokers, pregnant women, heavy drinkers, the overweight or obese and people aged between 35 and 65 years old.

Low blood pressure (BP), or hypotension, can give symptoms of feeling lightheaded, dizziness, feeling a bit weak, feeling sick, disorientation, and suffering momentary blurred vision. It can cause you to faint. It may also cause no symptoms. It’s diagnosed when a BP machine gives a reading of less than 90/60 mmHg. A healthy BP should be 100-120/80-90 mmHg. You might have a slightly faster heart rate (the third number on the BP machine) to make up for the low BP, in order to keep blood flowing to your vital organs.

There are a few common causes of an itchy bottom, and we may find no cause, in which case we call it pruritus ani. In children, threadworms are very common – but it's rare in adults. This is a parasite infection causing intense itching around the anus and possibly the vagina, especially at night. You might notice tiny white worms around your child’s anus or mixed in their poo. In adults, haemorrhoids may be to blame. You may be able to feel one lump or more on the anus, and it may be painful when you go for a poo. You may get a few streaks of blood in the toilet bowl or on toilet tissue. These are common and treatments are available. Infections from a fungus or yeast (thrush) can feel itchy and sore. The area will look pink, perhaps with tiny pink bumps and possibly flaky. Psoriasis can look similar, but will likely be more red rather than pink and with a clear border, and is a more likely cause if you have psoriasis on other parts of the body. Eczema may appear around the bottom, especially if you have a tendency to it or if you have an irritation from any cream or treatments you are using, such as perfumed moisturisers, steroid creams or ointments for anal fissure. Genital warts can appear as hard lumps around the anus and wider genital area and may be itchy to start with. These are sexually transmitted and contagious to intimate partners. Finally, a condition called lichen sclerosus causes the skin to tighten, and this can be itchy. You might see some white streaks on the affected area and it might look shiny and taut.

Lactulose is an over-the-counter oral solution used to treat constipation in the short term. It comes as a sugar-like syrup and is suitable for adults and children.

Melanoma (also known as malignant melanoma) is the most serious type of skin cancer caused by sun exposure. It's serious because the cancer can spread to other organs in the body, so it needs prompt identification and treatment. You can take steps to prevent it, but also keep a watch for any moles or other skin marks that are new, changing or don't look like your other moles. Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the UK, with almost 17,000 new cases each year. The number of cases has doubled in the last 30 years, and it can occur at any age.

We have all grown more aware of the dangers of sun exposure in recent years, with the threat of sun damage altering our appearance and the risk of skin cancer. There are different types of skin cancer, but there are some rules of thumb to follow for any mole, whether it’s new or existing. Let's take you through when to be concerned.

All women aged between 25 and 64 are invited for cervical screening in the UK. Also called a smear test or pap test, it’s a test aiming to prevent cancer rather than a test for whether you have cancer. It checks for a certain virus that can disrupt the cells of the cervix (the opening to your womb from your vagina). If you have the virus, the cells of the cervix can then be checked for any changes that could, with time, lead to cervical cancer. Your local health authority will get your age and address details from your GP records and send you an invitation (usually by post). If you’re under 25, you’ll be invited every 6 months until you are 25, every 3 years if you’re 25 to 49 and every 5 years if you’re aged 50 to 64. After the age of 65 you’ll only be invited if one of your last three tests was abnormal. You then book an appointment with your general practice nurse or sexual health clinic for a test. Cervical cancer is not one of the most common cancers, but it is common in young women, usually affecting those in their early 30s. Once you have cervical cancer, treatment can be difficult and threaten your fertility and your overall health. But it's considered 99.8% preventable, so it's worth keeping up with your cervical screening.

Kidney cancer is one of the 10 most common cancers in the UK. Known medically as renal cancer, it is more common in men than women and it’s rare in people under the age of 50. Each year in the UK around 12,000 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer. There are several different types of kidney cancer but the commonest type is known as renal cell cancer. Others include transitional cell cancer, and Wilm’s tumours and clear cell sarcomas that only occur in children. You have two kidneys, one on either side of your tummy (your flanks) and slightly to the back. Their job is absolutely critical in keeping us alive - they balance up the salts (sodium, potassium and chloride) in our blood and excrete out any excess in urine. They filter out toxins into the urine and balance out fluids by making the urine more concentrated or more watery, depending on what we need. Signs that might alert you to a problem in the kidneys are blood in the urine or a lump in one of your flanks. It’s confirmed with blood tests, urine tests and scans.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) – sometimes also called coronary heart disease or CHD - is where blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked, reducing the amount of oxygen the heart needs to make it function normally. The typical cause of CAD happens gradually over many years, where the walls of the heart arteries slowly become ‘furred up’ with deposits of fatty substances, called atheroma. This process is called atherosclerosis and the atheroma is often known as ‘plaques’. These plaques can build up and cause the vessels to become inflamed and damaged, causing a partial or complete blockage, and conditions like angina, heart attacks and heart failure may follow as a result. CAD develops over a lengthy period of time – usually years or decades – which can mean it takes time before symptoms develop. Some damage can be repaired with lifestyle changes and medication, surgery may be suggested in some cases, but some damage may be permanent. Many factors can cause atherosclerosis including high cholesterol levels, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

Hypercholesterolemia, commonly known as high cholesterol, is a condition characterised by elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood. This condition is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes. Understanding the causes, symptoms, risk factors, and dietary management of hypercholesterolemia is essential for maintaining heart health and preventing associated complications.

A DVT (deep vein thrombosis) is a blood clot that develops in a large vein, usually in the lower leg, and requires treatment to ease symptoms and prevent clots spreading to other areas in the body. A pulmonary embolism (PE) is the most serious complication, where part of the DVT breaks off and a clot lodges in one of the blood vessels going to the lungs, blocking the blood supply. This can cause difficulty in breathing and collapse – it's a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. It’s believed that around 1 in a 1,000 people in the UK have a DVT every year.