My wife’s stomach ache

1. Question: My wife’s stomach ache

My wife usually has stomach pains during her menses, changes in date and watery vagina discharge after her menstrual period. Kindly let me know what could be responsible for this. 

— Segun (by SMS)

Answer: Painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea) mainly occur as a result of the inability of oxygen to reach the uterus tissue due to muscle contraction of the uterus walls. Also, the other symptoms being exhibited by your wife are usually termed ‘post-menstrual tension’ which usually subsides with age. It is however important for you to exclude some underlying problems such as Hormonal disorder, Endometriosis, Fibroids or Pelvic inflammatory disease with a visit a visit to a Specialist doctor. Once these are excluded, the next line of treatment is the use of medications as prescribed by your wife’s doctor. 

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• Question: Bleeding from my gums

I am a 21- year -old undergraduate. My problem is that each time I brush my teeth, my gums will start to bleed. Please let me know what to do about this very frightening situation.

 — Ngozi (by SMS)

Answer: Gums can bleed when a very hard tooth brush is used or when there is gum infection or any other abnormality of the gum. In view of this, it is very important for you to check your tooth brush with a view of changing it to a soft one if the current one is too hard. You should also see your Dentist for a proper check- up just to rule out any abnormality in your gum.

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• Question:  I feel giddy

I have been feeling giddy for the past three weeks. Each time I try to get up from bed, the whole room starts swinging in my face. I have tried different types of drugs without any luck. Please help me.

— Abike (by SMS)

Answer: A feeling of giddiness also known as a sensation of feeling off balance is called Vertigo.  Vertigo is often caused by an inner ear problem usually those thought to be caused by a build-up of fluid and changing pressure in the ear. Other causes can be due to viral infections of the inner ear. Vertigo is often triggered by a change in the position of the head. Symptoms can last a few minutes to a few hours or more and may come and go. Treatment for vertigo depends on the cause. In many cases, vertigo goes away without any treatment. For prolonged cases, a visit to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) doctor is very essential.

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• Question: Can I have a baby at 45?

I am a 45- year- old woman with two children, the youngest being 15 years old. Initially, my husband and I wanted only two children but now we have changed our minds and want another one. My fear is if it is safe to have another baby at my age. 

— Caroline (by SMS)

Answer:   Getting pregnant at an advanced age such as 45 years is fraught with many untoward health hazards, some to the mother, some to the child. Apart from the likelihood after very difficult antenatal period for you due to your age, the possibilities of having a baby with some genetic disorder is also very high. The last time you put to bed was 15 years ago and your body physiology will be slow to adapt to another pregnancy at this age. It has also been established that cases of Down Syndrome (Mongolism) where a baby is born with some degree of mental retardation is high in cases of pregnancy at your age group. Although I have seen cases of 45 years old who had normal babies, I think that the risk to you and the baby is too high to take. My candid advice is not to get pregnant at this age. In the alternative you can adopt a child instead of putting your life at risk.

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• Question: My mother’s swollen feet

I recently observed that my mother who is 55 years of age has swollen feet. She also coughs while lying down. Please let me know what could be the cause as well as the treatment.

— Rabia (by SMS)

Answer: It appears that your mother has a Congestive Heart failure, Heart failure is an illness in which the pumping action of the heart becomes less and less powerful. When this happens, blood does not move efficiently through the circulatory system and starts to back up, increasing the pressure in the blood vessels and forcing fluid from the blood vessels into body tissues. Symptoms depend on which area of the body is most involved in the reduced pumping action. When the left side of the heart (left ventricle) starts to fail, as it is the case with your mother, fluid collects in the feet (edema) and lungs. Although Heart Failure can be reversible with good medical care, it is important for this intervention to be carried out by a competent medical doctor to avoid adverse complications.