I am 55 years old and I'm still getting regular periods. The last couple of years I've been getting headaches and nausea in the afternoon, two or three times a month. My eyes hurt and I've been spitting up mucus. It's very debilitating and I have to sleep it off until the next day. Can you help me?

Headaches are common as your hormonal balance starts to change but, as you have had this for a while, I would recommend that you get it checked out by your doctor.

Low magnesium, low iron or low thyroid could be a factor so you would need to be tested for these.

In the meantime, you may find acupuncture helpful.

Check your diet too - as hormonal changes occur, you can become more sensitive to certain foods such as caffeine, high salt and sugar foods.

It might be a good idea to keep a food diary for a month to see if you are eating or drinking a lot of one particular food group, then cut them out and see if that helps.

Stress can also be an issue so, if this is you, it is important to deal with the stress as well.

Eileen Durward