Last June, we holidayed on the Costa Blanca, but my husband got very badly bitten (lots more than the rest of our party) and the bites very quickly developed into large blisters. On bursting, they turned into what looked like ulcers. We would like to go again this year, but should we try a different time of year? And is there something he could use?
Dr Jules Eden replies: You should see a dermatologist. An illness called cutaneous leishmaniasis, spread by the sandfly, can occur in southern Spain. After a bite from this little nasty, a lesion develops that becomes an ulcer. The ulcer then fails to heal and needs a specific treatment to get better.
If this hasn't put your husband off the area then the best thing to do is to avoid getting bitten next time. Loose long trousers and shirts work. Combine these with a Deet spray on exposed areas, such as ankles, wrists and neck. Sandflies hate heat, and love the coolness of dusk and night. So time visits to bug-biting areas with this in mind.
We are not experienced air travellers, so when we flew six months ago we were unsure of our 'ear drill'. Since then, we have both had severe sinus problems, which may or may not be connected to the flight. Could you provide an 'idiot's guide' for people like us?
I can't see how an equalising problem can hang around for six months, so your sinusitis must have been picked up later. However, here's a quick guide to popping your ears in-flight.
After take-off, the air thins and expands. So it needs to come out of air-filled spaces in the head, namely the middle ear and sinuses. The best way of doing this is to wiggle your jaw a bit. The hard part is on descent: the air contracts so you need to blow additional air up the sinal canals and Eustachian tubes to equalise with the increasing pressure outside. Pinch your nose and blow into it, rather like stopping a sneeze. But do it gently and often. If this does not work, take a Sudafed tablet to help to dilate the sinuses. Hopefully, you will feel less pain.
If you have any questions you want to ask Dr Jules Eden, email travel.doctor@theguardian.com, or write to The Flying Doctor, The Guardian, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER.
