DR JEFF FOSTER is The Sun on Sunday’s new resident doctor and is here to help YOU.

Dr Jeff, 43, splits his time between working as a GP in Leamington Spa, Warks, and running his clinic, H3 Health, which is the first of its kind in the UK to look at hormonal issues for both men and women. See h3health.co.uk.

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Q) I’M a 57-year-old man and for the last ten years I’ve been sweating very heavily and my doctor doesn’t seem to be able to help me. I can saturate four shirts per day in sweat and it causes shivers

Ray Smith, Dundee

A)  Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) is a common problem and can be caused by a variety of issues such as spinal disease, anxiety and stress, heart problems, hormonal deficiencies and even some cancers.

If you’ve had it for ten years it’s unlikely to be sinister. Most causes are treatable so it’s worth seeing your doctor.

The most common cause of excessive sweating is primary focal hyperhidrosis, which basically means that there is no clear cause.

Areas affected tend to be both sides of your body, ie. both palms of hands, soles of feet, armpits – but on the rest of the body you sweat normally.

In general, it appears that the sweat glands in these areas are more active or more sensitive than normal.

There is often a genetic link and it tends to run in families. This affects about 3 in 100 people.

In terms of treatment, this depends on the underlying cause, but there are local topical medications you can use such as aluminium chloride antiperspirants.

Other treatments include iontophoresis, which involves using electrical stimulation on affected areas. It is not painful and often highly effective.

Other options include Botox injections, a medication called propantheline and, in rare cases, the removal of sweat glands.

Q) I SUFFER from adult acne. I’m a 42-year-old woman and big lumps flare up on my face, they look awful and hurt. My GP has given me antibiotics and creams but none of them work. What else can I do?

Cara Sneed, Caterham, Surrey

A) The key to managing acne later in life is understanding why it has come back.

Not all spots are the same and in our teens we often suffer with the classic black and white heads, but later in life we can also get other skin conditions such as acne rosacea, which is actually a chronic inflammatory condition and is treated completely differently.

The causes of acne also vary as we go through life, from lifestyle choices, stress or anxiety, to changes in our hormones or conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, thyroid problems or metabolic disorders.

For the majority of sufferers there is usually a combination of treatments your GP can prescribe that are highly effective and, for those still struggling, being referred to a dermatologist is an option.