Dear Doctor;My gum has been bleeding for a while. What is the cause amd cure? Peter 21.Dear Peter, Mmost common cause for bleeding gums is said to be vitamin C. deficiency. That can be cured by introducing fruits like citrus fruits and guava in your diet. Gingivitis, i.e, inflammation of the gums, bacterial infections are some of the other reasons why gums can bleed. If this is a possibility, be very careful about your oral hygiene. Brush your teeth every time you eat something. Use an antiseptic mouth wash to rinse your mouth with, at least 3 to 4 times every day. If one is using anti clotting drugs like aspirin or warfarin, gum bleeding can occur as secondary adverse effect. Rarely beeding disorders, where there is deficiency of clotting factors and or platelets (elements in blood responsible for clotting) in the body can cause bleeding from anywhere including the gums.My seven-month-old baby is overweight but doctors have failed to find the causeDear Doctor;My seven-month-old baby is overweight (17kgs). Doctors don’t know the cause but they said it’s abnormal. My child only feeds on mill and normal baby food. What could be her problem and remedy? Peace, Kibagabaga.Dear Peace, You have not stated the weight status of you and your husband. If one or both parents are obese, babies tend to be overweight. If mother has diabetes and high blood glucose levels, the baby born tends to be overweight which continues later on also.Sometimes babies are fed only to be pacified or rewarded without their being really hungry. Some enthusiastic mothers forcibly feed their baby good amount of food in a bid for them to be healthy. At the same time concerned mothers do not allow the baby to roll, crawl and play on the ground, that is to say, then the child does not get the necessary amount of exercise. One or many of these factors sum up leading to obesity in babies. Get yourself tested for diabetes. Watch your child, don’t feed him forcibly, do not feed as reward or for pacifying her. Let her play as much as she wants. This will exercise his body and prevent further weight gain.See related story and medi al advice in our lead story for this issue on Pages 4-5. – EditorI’m a woman but growing bald, what is the problem?Dear Doctor;I have noticed that I am losing many strands of hair and getting patches of baldness yet I am a woman and have no cancer. What’s my problem? Jennifer.Dear Jennifer, I can imagine your agony. Hair loss is worrisome but it can be due to multiple factors. Around menopause women start losing hair due to falling levels of estrogens. Poor hygiene, physical and mental stress, deficiency of iron and proteins, use of shampoos and hair dyes containing strong chemicals or allergy to these substances, local fungal infections, uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid deficiency, drugs such as corticosteroids, oral contraceptives, the list is long. You have not mentioned your age. But if you are not middle aged and above, try to keep yourself relaxed and stress free, improve your nutrition, try to use more of natural herbal hair care products. If the problem persists get tests done for hormonal disorders. Treatment will depend on the cause.I throw up whenever travellingDear Doctor;I throw up every time I sit in a car travelling for more than 30 minutes yet i travel long distances a lot. I think am allergic to fuel. Is there a remedy for my allergy? Jean Pierre, Kirehe.Dear Jean, You seem to be suffering from motion sickness, i.e. getting sick when head has to move. The balancing system of the body, that is the labrynthine apparatus is situated inside the ear. When that is stimulated, some people are more sensitive and feel giddy and vomit. It is the same like when an individual moves around repeatedly in circular motion, he feels giddy and can vomit. This can also happen due to infections or inflammation in the ear or exposure to draughts of cold air. The best solution for you will be to take a drug like promethazine, or chlorpromazine (anti vomiting drug which acts centrally), in low dose 30 minutes before travelling. If it is breezy, cover your ears. Resting with eyes closed and support for head and neck will also help you. Gradually, with these measures as your body gets used, the sickness will reduce.My armpits stink when I use scented deodorantsDear Doctor;Whenever I use scented deodorants, my armpits stink. Why is that so? Musoni PerezDear Musoni, Musoni, you have not specified whether stink of arm pits occurs only with use of deodorants or even without it. You also need to tell whether the deodorant has no effect at all or it does act and after 30 minutes or so of using it, the stink starts coming. Common causes for smell from arm pits is fungal and bacterial infections. If you sweat a lot, say after some heavy physical work or strenuous sport or exercise, then also the excess sweat tends to stink. Wearing nylon undergarments tends to augment this problem. Eating spices such as garlic in much quantity also induces foul smell from arm pits. Repeating worn clothes also contributes to bad smell from body, because the sweaty smell of used clothes tends to persist in spite of using deodorants. If the deodorant is very old or is past its shelf life, then it will not be as efficient as before.To overcome foul smell from axillary region, keep good personal hygiene, wear cotton undergarments and try to use fresh clothes. If it persists consult for fungal or bacterial infections and take suitable treatment.
