Doctors say that apart from disturbed sleep patterns there is no evidence of long-term damage.

It is this long-term damage that is so corrosive, akin in many ways to abuse.

Could this be the cause of the intermittent problem and is long-term damage likely?

While surface potholes and cracks can be patched over, the long-term damage beneath stores up problems which will quickly resurface.

That should at least reduce the long-term damage caused by the current economic slowdown.