Dr Mosaraf Ali

Lichen planus affects either the skin or, as in your case the mouth, when it's known as oral lichen planus. Sometimes people suffer from both, so you may develop lichen planus on the skin, even after this extended time. Many people suffer from the condition for years.

The most common cause of scrotal itch is skin lesions such as psoriasis and eczema, when people can scratch so intensely that they make the skin bleed. But these conditions are of course visible and you say there is no rash, so we must think again. One possibility is nervous itching which is not uncommon, especially as the scrotum is an erogenous zone where the nerves are very sensitive. The scrotum can itch with or without any skin lesions, as can the scalp, back, legs, arms and buttocks.

This very common and debilitating condition is a type of 'referred' pain, which originates in the lower back or gluteal (buttock) region but is felt on the side of the leg, sometimes reaching as far as the little toes. It's called sciatica because it affects the thick, cord-like sciatic nerve, which starts under sheaths of gluteal muscles and goes right down the outside of each leg.

You are suffering from what is commonly called repetitive strain injury (RSl). When you play, you hold the bow with your fingers and move the arm repeatedly. These repetitive movements use one group of muscles over and over again. The muscles get strained and then injured because they rarely get a chance to recover properly. Musicians are not the only ones affected.

This skin condition typically affects people on their cheeks, chin, nose and forehead. As well as spots and rashes on the affected area the main feature of rosacea is a distinct bright rosy-red patch. Because it appears on the face, people with rosacea can find it disconcerting, especially as it may grow more pronounced with heat, exercise or strong emotions.

This condition is actually a case of the body trying to help itself. To me, the morning puffiness around your eyes and swelling round your ankles suggests that your kidneys are not working as well as they should be. The kidneys have many vital functions, and it is important to heed these signposts of possible ill health.

From what you describe, it seems you have what I call 'Ali syndrome'. This centres on problems with your neck, which is the gateway between your brain and your body. The problems can be triggered by stress, a whiplash injury or fall, working at a computer, driving, insomnia or sleeping with two pillows.

This chronic skin condition can be agony, especially if the face and hands are affected, as in your case. Other people are often afraid to shake hands for fear of catching the disease, although it is not contagious. Psoriasis can also occur on the scalp, producing a lot of scales, which shed over clothes. The red thickened scaly psoriatic patches appear all over the body, particularly on areas where there is maximum friction, such as elbow and knees. With this condition, the underlying basal ski

Anaemia literally means lack of blood. More precisely, it's a problem with haemoglobin the oxygen-carrying pigment in the blood. lt can be seen quite easily: some one with anaemia looks pale with pale skin, lips and inner rims of the eyelids. Sufferers seem to have a degree of what you might call power failure, with symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, depression, a sinking feeling blurred vision and frequent infections. They may also experience food and/or sugar carvings, general sluggishness,

I think you are suffering from osteoarthritis (rather than rheumatoid arthritis), a degenerative disease that can affect most joints, especially weight-bearing ones such as hips, knees, ankles and back Joints consist of two bone surfaces facing each other. To help them move smoothly, they are cushioned by cartilage. In a joint affected by arthritis, the protective cartilage at the end of the bones is gradually worn away.