Could this be early menopause?

Dear Doctor: I am 36 years old. I sweat a lot and have a fast heartbeat as if I am scared. Could it be early menopause as one friend suggested? I want to have at least one child, can I get pregnant?

Latifa

Dear Latifa: When a woman of childbearing age ceases to have periods, she is deemed to be pregnant. When this cessation takes 12 months or more, for the 36- year-old, this could be premature menopause which refers to menopause before 40 years.
Menopause is the stop of one’s periods because the ovaries have run out of eggs, or are no longer responding to the body’s hormonal signals, that lead to menstruation. This can happen naturally or when the ovaries have been damaged or surgically removed.
Though for many women menopause comes as a welcome break from menstrual cramps, headaches and unwanted pregnancies, in other cases, the nasty symptoms can be disabling especially if they come early.

Whereas the age when women cease periods varies from woman to woman, in Uganda the average age is about 48 years.
Often, before full-blown menopause, a woman may experience menopausal symptoms at an earlier than normal age (in her thirties), when she is still ovulating. This transition called perimenopause, may be associated with hormonal fluctuations responsible for periods.

Apart from missing periods for several months, some women may get the usual symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes, irritability, headaches, palpitations and night sweats.
Unfortunately, at the time, a woman may be suffering from stress associated with homemade social problems, hypertension and diabetes, thus adding more confusion about the cause of the symptoms. One should get a proper medical evaluation in order to make a good diagnosis and treatment.
Some women may have premature ovarian failure (loss of normal function of the ovaries before age 40) because they are not producing normal amounts of the hormone oestrogen or releasing eggs regularly.
As is the case with early menopause, affected women may have signs and symptoms of menopause and in a few cases, can get pregnant.
Although our grandmothers used to get pregnant until menopause set in at around 50 years, today it is advised that after 35 years if a woman has not had children, she should not seek to get pregnant unless from a donated egg (from a younger woman). This is because of the likelihood of having abnormal babies and complications to the mother-to-be.

Dear Doctor: I am a 30-year-old with bad body smell. I have used herbs in vain. Even when I use deodorants, people hold their noses when I pass. How can I get rid of this body odour?

Georgina

Dear Georgina: A strong body odour is much more common in men and is unheard of in children because they have no scent glands since these glands develop at puberty. The Baganda correctly call the offensive body odour, kavubuka.
Our bodies produce two kinds of sweat: one from the ordinary sweat glands,(for temperature regulation) and another fatty type from the scent glands. Both sweats have no odour.
Scent glands called (apocrine) are found in the groin and underarm areas hence the yellow stains we find on white clothes rubbing armpit areas and knickers when adults sweat.

Being fatty, the sweat is “eaten” by bacteria normally found on our skins resulting in substances that cause the body odour whose presence the sufferers may not notice.
All adults all have scent glands but it is those with bigger and more active glands who may get strong or foul body odour since skin bacteria significantly break down the produced sweat.
Also, certain foods containing garlic can lead to an offensive body odour. Different body odours could indicate different causes including internal diseases of the liver (gives off ammonia smell), diabetes (nail polish scent), or yeast or candida infection (beer smell). A persistent body odour calls for a doctor’s intervention.

In trying to eliminate the menace, one should minimise or eliminate causative bacteria. Use of diluted hydrogen peroxide in the armpits and groins can also help.
One should also avoid regular consumption of spicy or sharp-smelling foods especially those containing garlic.
Bathing at least twice daily with Savlon soap can help in some people, though in other cases, antibiotic lotions (rather than creams that increase sweating) may be recommended. Washing clothes often is a must.

One may even need to use an odour-fighting detergent. Those who sweat excessively should use an antiperspirant/deodorant containing aluminium chloride.
Body odour can be a big embarrassment, sometimes affecting a person psychologically hence the assertion “they touch their noses as I pass”. Even when the odour is long gone, a few people may still feel its presence, hence the affected person needs counselling. Given the above tips, some people may still retain a strong smell, requiring deodorants to mask it.

Dear Doctor: My periods come with a headache and nausea. How should I treat this condition?

Safina Namirimu

Dear Safina: Many women get a throbbing headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound around one or two days before a period. H/owever, this headache can go on up to three days during a period. This so-called menstrual migraine seems to be related to falling levels of the female hormone oestrogen whose fall signals the arrival of the periods.
Prostaglandins are substances released inside the womb to cause the shedding of its inner membrane in what we see as periods. This substance may cause nausea and headaches when it leaks into the blood, hence contributing to menstrual migraines.

Menstrual type headaches disappear during pregnancy though a good number of women still get them during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Also, the headaches may worsen as one approaches menopause, which is associated with the plummeting of the oestrogen hormone. The combined oral contraceptive pill may relieve the headaches in some women and worsen them in others as one finishes the 21 white pills and with the start of the last seven brown pills on the strip.

Eating small, frequent meals to keep the blood sugar level up,(going too long without food can trigger attacks),having proper dinner and managing stress using relaxation exercises can help prevent menstrual migraines.
A good sleep pattern (sleeping early and at the same time everyday and having enough sleep) wards off stress and helps prevent the headaches.
Applying ice on the affected areas of the head and using over- the-counter painkillers can be good first aid. If the headache persists, seek medical attention.
Taking painkillers for prevention of menstrual migraine is not appropriate as drugs may be unkowingly given in pregnancy.