Dear Doctor;I bleed from the nose since childhood. I don’t know how to stop. What causes it and what should I do? Sarah.Dear Sarah, Dear Sarah, the most common cause for a nosebleed is dryness of the nasal mucosa, i.e. inner lining of nose. Further dryness also causes itching due to which people scratch inside aggravating the problem. Hypertension, bleeding and clotting disorders, liver diseases, nasal polyps, etc., are other conditions which can cause nose bleed. You need to apply some lubricating substance such as vaseline or glycerin into the nostrils regularly to prevent dryness and nosebleed. The moment bleeding starts, pinch the nose tight and bend neck backwards. This should stop the bleeding. If it persists, seek medical attention.------------------------------------------My son is allergic to some foods, can forced feeding beat the allergies?Dear Doctor;My two-year-old son is allergic to many foods such as eggs and milk. He gets rash when he takes them. Should I stop giving him these foods or should I keep trying? Malaika.Dear Malaika, does your son get rash regularly and immediately after taking eggs and milk or does it occur occasionally? If it is regular and consistent, avoid these substances. If it is sometimes, he can consume these substances in very small quantity once in a while. If he gets rash, he can be given some anti-allergy medicine like chlorphenaramine maleate and cetrizine in syrup form.------------------------------------------Is it okay to take medicine with tea or hot water?Dear Doctor;I am on lifetime medication because of some illness but I prefer swallowing my drugs with hot water or tea. I can’t use cold water. Is it bad to use something hot to swallow drugs? Robert, Nyamirambo.Dear Robert, You have not specified what medicines you are taking. Most of the modern medicines can be taken with water, tea or milk unless there is a potential drug interaction (the efficacy of the medicine is reduced by some substances present in food). For example, the efficacy of tetracycline group of drugs is reduced by the consumption of milk and milk products. Hence, these substances are avoided 30 minutes before and after taking tetracycline. Drinking hot water does not diminish efficacy of drugs, it is your choice.---------------------------------------I faint a lot of recent, could there be disease behind it?Dear Doctor;Lately, I faint a lot, especially in the afternoons. Could there be an underlying disease? Jean Paul, 32. Dear Jean,There are various reasons for fainting. If you are fainting in afternoons, there could be very low glucose levels in the blood. This risk is more if you have not eaten anything since morning. Does your work involve standing for long time? Some people are prone to develop low blood pressure and faint after standing for a long time due to the pooling of blood in their legs. Narrowing of one or more heart valves, severe deficiency of blood (anemia) are some of the other reasons for fainting. I would advise you to seek medical attention to find the cause of the fainting and get it treated.----------------------------------------Can cow milk affect a baby?Dear Doctor;My cousin left me with her newborn child. I am feeding him on cow milk because I can’t afford formula milk and can’t breast-feed him. Will cow milk affect him negatively? Leonille 36.Dear Leonille, Cow milk was considered as the best feed for infants until about two decades ago. But now various studies have revealed some risks associated with it. Some infants are allergic to cow milk. It lacks the amount of iron that a baby needs to grow properly. Further, calcium present in milk prevents absorption iron from other sources. Being rich in calcium, it can put a load on the fragile kidneys of an infant. A theory for type 1 diabetes links it to cow milk consumed during infancy.However, cow milk has multiple advantages as well. Millions of children across the globe are fed on cow milk. Formula milk is expensive. Unless the baby is allergic to cow milk, you can give it regularly. As he grows at about four months or so, he can be given other food supplements to provide iron.
