Your Life: Dear Miriam - I feel flushed over trips to loo; HEALTH ADVICE.

Byline: DR. MIRIAM STOPPARD

Dear Miriam,

My husband and I will be staying with our son and his wife for the first time over Christmas and I have a dilemma which is giving me sleepless nights. Please don't laugh.

It's what do I do about flushing the loo in the middle of the night. I'm taking water tablets for a heart problem and I know I will wake up needing to spend a penny more than once.

I feel too embarrassed to mention it to them but I don't want to cause annoyance by waking them up with the noise of a flush. At home, my husband and I have an agreement not to flush.

Belinda

Dear Belinda,

Plenty of people have anxious moments like this. Out of politeness, opt for the flush in your hosts' home to avoid embarrassment. Putting the lid down first may smother some of the noise.

While you don't need to go into all the nitty-gritty of your medication regime, it may be worth warning them you may need the loo at night and apologise in advance for disturbing their sleep. This will put your mind at rest - and theirs too.