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There is good stress…and then there is bad stress. Want to know how good stress helps you? Read! 🙂

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/harnessing-the-upsides-of-stress

Have a great weekend!

Q: Hello ma’am, throw more light on menstruation

A: The uterus (womb) usually prepares to receive a fertilized egg every month and when that fails, the thickened lining of the uterus, which had prepared to receive a baby, is shed. That is what comes out as menstrual blood.

Usually, this blood does not contain clots as anti-coagulants in blood ensure that this doesn’t happen. However, if the blood is flowing faster than the anticoagulants can work, then clots appear. This would usually happen on the heaviest day of the flow. So, clots do not necessarily suggest a problem.

But, if this appears to be the case on all or most days of the period, or you find that you’re using a sanitary towel per hour for several hours, please see your gynaecologist. Conditions that may lead to excessive bleeding and therefore, clots in blood during a menstrual period include a miscarriage (of a pregnancy), fibroids, dramatic recent weight loss, thyroid problems, large uterus etc If this is further accompanied by feeling of faintness, tiredness and paleness, you should head to the hospital immediately.

Cramps usually occur as the uterus tries to get rid of the foreign body, in this case, blood within it. Cramps appear, sometimes, to be more of an issue for some girls than the actual menstruation itself. For most girls, in the first few years of starting their periods, they usually do not have cramps and when these cramps eventually start showing up, they usually last for a few days.

Some time-tested remedies include hot baths, hot water bottles applied to the area of pain and pain relief using over the counter analgesic drugs may be helpful. If analgesics have to be taken, these should be started as soon as the cramps start or even as soon as period starts in order to be effective. Remember not to exceed recommended doses.

Also stay away from alcohol and caffeine, which worsen cramps.

Avoid salt and salty foods and alcohol during your menstrual periods as these cause your body to retain more water and worsen bloating.

Drink a lot of water and complex carbohydrates. They reduce water retention and fill your tummy without being unnecessarily heavy.

For more posts on menstruation, please click on the following links:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/07/13/daily-health-tips-video-adolescent-questions-about-menstruation/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/12/daily-health-tips-foods-to-avoid-when-on-your-menstrual-period/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/03/11/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-have-heavy-menstrual-flow/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/11/daily-health-tips-does-cold-water-worsen-menstrual-cramps/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/05/04/daily-health-tips-does-my-sugar-craving-worsen-menstrual-cramps/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/11/22/daily-health-tip-menstrual-cramps/

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend y’all 🙂

Q: Hello doc, please my friend is seriously ill and the doctor said that it’s enlargement of the heart. Is it reversible? I’m very confused

Q: Please Dr., what could be the cause of heart enlargement?

A: Thanks both, for writing in.

Cardiomegaly is the medical term used to refer to an enlarged heart. This is the sign of a disease condition and could be permanent or temporary. A good example of a reversible cardiomegaly is the enlargement associated with pregnancy.

The causes of heart enlargement include:

High blood pressure….the usual suspect! This condition causes the heart muscle to work harder to pump blood thus enlarging the muscle.

Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy): This causes stretching, thickening or stiffening of the heart muscle.

Heart valve disease: Damage to the heart valves that keep blood flowing in the right direction, can lead to heart enlargement.

Anaemia: Insufficient quantity of red blood cells to carry oxygen round the body, can lead to the heart pumping more blood to make up for the oxygen lack, leading to enlargement of the heart muscle.

Pulmonary hypertension in which there is an increased blood pressure in the artery that links the heart and lungs can lead to the heart pumping harder to move blood between both organs. As with other conditions, increasing the work of the heart, would lead to enlargement.

Other conditions like thyroid disorders and excessive iron in the body can also lead to heart enlargement.

Cardiomegaly seen in athletes and pregnant women may be viewed as normal as it is the increased physiologic demands of these groups that lead to an enlarged heart.

People who are more at risk of cardiomegaly usually have a family history of the diseases above, have had a heart attack, were born with a congenital heart defect, are hypertensive or have blocked arteries.

People with enlarged hearts may not have symptoms at the beginning but may manifest some symptoms later depending on the severity of the problem. Some of the symptoms include:

• Swelling of the ankles and legs
• Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
• Shortness of breath
• Palpitations
• Chest pain
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness

Treatment depends on the cause.

• Medications may be used eg those used to reduce blood pressure
• Surgeries may be utilized eg to repair heart valves

Some lifestyle modifications may also be helpful and they include:

• Eating healthier
• Exercising in moderation (be guided by your doctor)
• Avoiding alcohol
• Quitting smoking
• Managing stress
• Controlling underlying conditions like diabetes and hypertension

So, your friend needs to have a counseling session with his/her doctor to find out the cause and treatment options available to him/her. This will speak also to whether his/her condition is reversible. The lifestyle options can be started right away.

All the best.

Have a good night everyone 🙂

Q: Hello Doc, I swallowed a piece of metal about seven years ago and I think I’ m having complications now. I search online on my situation and I’m pretty scared my question is can metal stay for a long period of time in the human body and by which methods can they be removed? Thank You!

A: Thanks for writing in, dear.

7 years, you said?! I am almost sure whatever you swallowed has long disappeared from your body during a bowel motion. The oesophagus is the narrowest part of the digestive system and so if it managed to pass through that area, chances are that it has gone out of your body in a bowel motion (through faeces).

However, if one has had surgery in the stomach with scar tissue formation or surgery in the intestines etc, swallowed foreign objects may be held up in the digestive system even though they have passed through the oesophagus. Management of cases like this is usually conservative (management that avoids invasive practices like surgery). Patients may be given high fiber diets, bulking agents, liquid paraffin etc. But all of these would depend on what the clinician discovered on investigation of the patient.

You didn’t mention what complications you appear to be having. Whatever they are, please see your doctor to have it checked out. It may not be linked to what you had swallowed before. But better be safe than sorry.

Have a good night, everyone J

Q: How long does HIV take to be tested positive?

A: Thanks for writing in.

My first advice would be to get tested immediately if you believe you have been exposed to risky behavior. Post exposure prophylaxis may be recommended by your doctor. These drugs used to treat HIV are usually taken daily for about 4 weeks to reduce chances of becoming HIV positive.

Having said that, the length of time before a subject tests positive to HIV following exposure (sero-conversion), known as the window period would depend on the type of test done.

An antibody test can read positive from 3 to 12 weeks, if there is sero-conversion. An antibody is a disease-fighting protein produced by the body in response to an infection (HIV infection, in this case).

A combination antibody/antigen test (which detects both antibody and antigen…which is a part of the virus) can read positive from 2 to 6 weeks after exposure, if there is sero-conversion.

A Nucelic Acid Test (NAT) can detect HIV infection in the blood from 7 to 28 days following infection.

Generally, if the initial test is negative, a repeat test is done 3 months after the exposure to ‘close the window’. Some may stretch this to a further screen after 6 months. Be guided by your doctor.

I hope this helps.

Have a good night, everyone J

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