Run Well by Juliet McGrattan (reading books for 5 year olds .TXT) 📕

I asked him what he was doing tomorrow. He said, ‘I’m running the Dublin marathon. You should do it one day.’ I agreed and my running journey began. The rest is history.

Mike Whelan, runner and Leinster Rugby fanatic

Ears

Q I suddenly felt dizzy on my last run and had to walk home. What could have caused that?

A So many things cause dizziness. Doctors often need to do a bit of detective work and ask questions about a whole range of body systems to figure out the reason it’s happening and, even then, the cause might remain unknown. Feeling a bit light-headed can come from simply over exerting yourself or being a little dehydrated or hungry. Feeling anxious can make you dizzy too. Dizziness associated with other symptoms, such as palpitations or chest pain, can be due to anaemia, a drop in blood pressure or more serious heart conditions (see here). Similarly, dizziness with an accompanying shortness of breath or cough can result from both minor or major lung conditions. Dizziness with double vision and numbness or weakness could be a migraine or, at its worst, a stroke. Thankfully most dizziness isn’t serious and settles on its own.

One source of dizziness is the ear. Ears not only deliver hearing, but also control balance. There’s a network of tunnels in each ear called the semi-circular canals, which are lined with tiny hairs and filled with fluid. When you move your head, the fluid moves. This causes the hairs to move and messages are then sent to your brain, which interprets your position. Anything which disrupts the movement of the hairs will result in incorrect or abnormal messages being sent. An infection of the inner ear, such as a viral labyrinthitis or small crystals, called otoconia, floating in the canal, can disrupt the fluid movement. Rather than simply feeling dizzy, with these conditions you might experience vertigo, where things around you appear to spin.

The important factors with dizziness are whether it is a one-off or a recurrent problem; whether it is short-lived or long-lasting; and what the associated symptoms are. Dizziness usually goes away on its own and if you feel dizzy it’s always best to lie down and drink plenty of fluid. Take care to get up slowly when you feel better. For anything other than a short spell of dizziness with an obvious cause, it’s best to discuss it with your doctor who may recommend medication or arrange investigations to determine the cause.

Q I keep getting itching and infections just inside my ear. Could running be to blame?

A You might have heard of swimmer’s ear, also known as otitis externa. Inflammation or infection develops in the skin of the ear canal, which leads from the outside to the ear drum. The canal gets itchy, sore and can become sticky with a discharge. It’s called swimmer’s ear, because it occurs most often in people whose ears are frequently wet. If you’re someone who always runs in the rain or frequently showers, then you might be at more risk of developing it, but the biggest risk is for runners who spend hours with ear buds in. The ear buds trap moisture inside the ear, which can irritate the skin and provide a perfect environment for germs to grow. To avoid the problem, don’t wear ear buds for an excessive amount of time and take care to dry your ears after they’ve been wet. Simply wipe around the outside part with the corner of a clean towel or tissue or waft warm air from a hair dryer into your ear, but don’t use a cotton bud to dry inside the canal. Make sure you keep your ear buds clean too. Otitis externa can be treated with ear drops from the pharmacy, but an established infection may need treatment from your doctor.

Eyes

Q Why do my eyes water when I run?

A It can be so frustrating when each time you run you have tears streaming down your face. Eye irritation while running is common and can lead to blurred vision (see question below) and general annoyance. Tears are one of the many ways our body protects itself. They lubricate and stop the surface of the eye from drying out, and prevent foreign bodies, such as dust, getting into the eye, but sometimes they seem to work overtime. Tears are made in the lacrimal glands situated at the top of the eye and they drain away through the tear ducts. You can see a tiny hole leading to the tear duct in the inner corner of your upper and lower lids if you look closely. Tear production might increase if your eye is drying out in cold, hot or windy weather. Eyes might also stream if they are irritated by pollen, dust or fumes. Sometimes people with dry eyes find that their eyes water a lot, which might sound strange, but it’s just the eye trying to correct the dryness. If you’re affected, try to work out what your trigger is. If it’s pollen, then an antihistamine eye drop might do the trick.

Sunglasses will help to keep pollen out, and can also stop dust and bright light affecting your eyes. If you generally have dry eyes, then you can buy a simple lubricating eye drop from the pharmacy to use regularly and before you run. If your eyes water all the time, not just when you run, then it might be due to an infection or a blocked tear duct stopping the tears from draining away, so see your doctor if it persists.

Q I got blurry vision on my last long run. Should I be worried?

A Eyes are so precious and it’s advisable to get advice about any new or unexplained eye problem. Vision can become blurred for a number of minor and some more major reasons too, so be cautious. Minor reasons include irritation of the cornea (surface), which can dry out quickly in the cold and wind (this