Q I’m in my mid-twenties and experience regular chest pains. These are sudden and sharp but not in any particular pattern. On some occasions while trying to get to sleep I have felt as if my heart has stopped beating for a second. Should I be worried?

HH from London

A These are not the symptoms of a heart attack, which typically include a crushing sensation on your chest, sweating and pains in your arm. Given your age this is unlikely to be serious but you should be checked over by your doctor anyway. You may be suffering from simple palpitations, which are often more noticeable when relaxing or falling asleep. Cut down on your caffeine and nicotine intake and try to keep your stress levels to a minimum.

The discomfort may be due to a condition called Tietze’s disease, which, although harmless, can cause sharp chest pains in young fit people. It causes inflammation of the cartilage that connects the inner end of each rib with the breastbone and can be treated with simple anti-inflammatory medication.

Q I am an otherwise fit and healthy chap in his early forties experiencing periodic and uncontrolled dripping from my urinary tract. There is no discomfort when I pass urine ordinarily and my prostate was found to be okay, albeit several years ago. Any suggestions?

AL from Alnwick, Northumberland

A You need a proper medical assessment rather than a simple over-the-counter cure. Your GP can make sure you are not suffering from prostatitis — an inflammation of the prostate — and conduct tests to exclude sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, trichomoniasis and gonorrhoea.

These can be done as simple and painless penile swabs and urine tests. If you are too embarrassed to see your doctor (and you shouldn’t be), make an appointment at a genito-urinary medicine clinic where the same confidentiality as at your GP’s applies.

Q Despite regular cleaning, one of my ears often gets blocked with wax. How can I prevent this happening? Is it true that it is a bad idea to use cotton earbuds regularly?

JD, Redhill, Surrey

A Wax cleans, lubricates and protects the lining of your ear and is slightly antibacterial. Every year more than 2m people in the UK need earwax medically removed. There is no obvious reason why some people produce too much, but it is a bad idea to use earbuds regularly as these tend to push the wax down the ear canal. If you do not have a perforated eardrum, most of these cases are treated with wax-softening drops. If the problem persists, ear irrigation may be required. For more advice go to tinyurl.com/629jm9 .

Write, with your initials and home town, to drknow@sunday-times.co.uk. All questions are answered by a practising doctor

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