Dear Doctor;I have been having tonsillitis for the last three weeks. I am on treatment but I still feel pain when swallowing and itchiness. I’ve heard that tonsillitis is one of the signs of likely heart defects. Should I check if I have a heart problem? David K, 33. Dear David, There is risk of rheumatic fever following tonsillitis, which can damage the heart. If you have tonsillitis for three weeks, it means that the antibiotic you have taken is not effective. Try doing warm or hot water two or three times every day. Do a throat swab to see for the germs present and the antibiotics to which it would respond. You shall definitely improve.However, it’s still okay to see your doctor for check-up and advice.--------------------------------------------My two-month-old baby cries a lot lately, what could be the problem?Dear Doctor;My two-month-old baby has started crying uncontrollably lately. I suspect it’s the usual colic babies go through. It really stresses me seeing my little one crying all the time. I have given her gripe water but wondering; what else should I do to help her? Miriam, Nyarutarama.Dear Mariam, Once you suspect your baby to be suffering from colic disease. The first initiative to take is to consult the pediatrician as he/she will try to trace the possible cause of the problem before he advises you on the treatment plan. Now apart from the gripe water, 2 to 5mls of baking soda or sodium bicarbonate can be considered in order to neutralise the acidic gas in the stomach. The paediatrician will also advise the mother on further feeding habits and positioning the baby who is suffering from colic complaint.-------------------------------------------I feel strong at 64, but I suffer from too much back painDear Doctor;I am 64 years old and still feeling strong. However, these days I suffer from constant back and joint aches. I have taken medication but it hasn’t been very helpful as the pain always comes back. Could it be old age? What do you advise me to do? Jean Marie, Masaka. Dear Jean Marie,Back pain is a symptom that might originate from different types of illnesses. The most common back pain problems originate from Neuro-muscular illnesses such sciantic nerve compression or spinal cord injury in case of trauma. In case of spinal cord injury, the best treatment is surgery and pharmacologic medications taken for reparation of injured part of the body. In case of Neuro-muscular complaints, treatment is always supportive and conservative. This means you have to modify lifestyle in order to overcome pain. Regular physical exercise has been considered as the best management procedure as it improves overall muscular contractibility that aims to overcome minor inflammations and irritations in muscle cells especially at the back. Adjustment of the sitting position is also another important aspect to consider. Normally an upright sitting position is considered here.-----------------------------------------I wheeze and sneeze a lot when it’s cold, what could be the problem?Dear Doctor;I wheeze and sneeze a lot especially in the morning hours or whenever its cold. I also get very uncomfortable around people with strong perfumes or dust; I end up sneezing a lot, with an itchy nose and eyes. What could my problem be and what is the remedy? Christine, 27.Dear Christine, You have allergic rhinitis, that is, frequent sneezing due to allergy to certain substances. These substances could be strong perfumes, dust, smoke, food substances, e.t.c. You could use a corticosteroid nasal spray, like fluticasone whenever you start to sneeze. This will help you. Remotely, you could be having a deviated nasal septum, which can be corrected by a minor operation. --------------------------------------

Veins in my feet are always swollen and painfulDear Doctor;The veins in my feet are always getting swollen and painful would like to know what could be the cause and if there is anything I can do about it besides seeing a doctor. Rehema, 43.Dear Rehema, Swelling and painful foot can be a symptom of more than 20 diseases that affects the feet. However, to discover the problem, laboratory findings as well as radiology findings may help us point at the cause root. Besides this there are natural remedies you can apply to minimize the symptoms.

One of the most important solutions is to limit movement or use of the affected feet as this will minimize inflammation. Another plan could be to keep the swollen and painful feet in a relatively cold environment, as temperature is one of the key modulators in inflammatory responses.