About twice a week I have the sensation that I am in a chamber in which the sound is distorted. It lasts a few minutes. My doctor says my blood pressure is OK. Could this be catarrh in the ear? And would cutting out dairy help? I'm 58.

It could be coming from blockage by mucus in your Eustachian tube, which passes from the back of your throat to the inner side of your eardrum. The problem could be deeper in the ear, due to high pressure. However, that is likely to go along with tinnitus and with loss of balance. You may need a specialist examination to sort them out. There's no evidence that dairy products are linked to either.

What is your opinion on immunising girls against human papilloma virus (HPV)? It is being offered to 12-year-olds in our area. Isn't that early to be introducing girls to the idea of sexually transmitted diseases? I'd like my daughter's childhood to last a little longer.

No, it's not too early - by age 16, at least one in 10 British girls is already infected with one or more strains of HPV. Four HPV strains have been closely linked with genital warts and cervical cancer. Vaccination at 12 will protect almost all (sadly not all) of them from catching the virus during their first act of sexual intercourse. Waiting until they are 13 will be too late for a substantial extra number, and starting to vaccinate after 14 will make the campaign almost valueless for the girls most at risk. Parents aren't always the best judges of when their daughters become sexually active.

· Do you have a question for Dr Smith? Email doctordoctor@theguardian.com