Q I have a pain under my heel when I walk. Under my foot hurts, too, when I go on tiptoe. My doctor says I have a calcaneal spur. How can I help myself to ease the pain? I have to walk a lot at work on rough ground. Is that the cause?

A You have a piece of bone growing forwards from the front of the heelbone, the calcaneum, into the ligament from the heel to the ball of the foot. The rough ground could well be the cause, if it is constantly putting strain on the ligament. Try to rest when you have pain. Wear good-quality trainers with air-cushioned soles and heels, if you can use them at work. If not then you need strong walking boots. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs may help a little, but you may need to see a specialist if it is severe. The pain will ease with time.

Q I'm seeing a specialist soon about polyps in my nose. Could they be cancerous? I have hay fever and a wheeze from time to time. Are they related to the polyp?

A Nasal polyps are almost all benign, the result of allergic reactions in the nose, rather than cancerous. Your hay fever and asthma (the wheeze) suggest that your polyps have an allergic cause. The polyps are removed (they are fleshy lumps hanging from the wall of your nose by stalks) under local anaesthetic. The surgery is less scary than it sounds, and you will be hugely relieved by the ability to breathe through your nose again.

Q I have shingles. Can I baby-sit my four-year-old grandson, or will he catch it from me if I do?

A He can't catch shingles from you, but he could get chickenpox if he hasn't already had it. Shingles is a recurrence of an old chickenpox infection, but the germ is confined to the area of the rash. If the rash is dried up and covered up, and your grandson doesn't touch it, he isn't at risk. If he hasn't had chickenpox, and you want to be absolutely safe, wait until all the spots have dried.