Will an operation to remove the uterus turn me into a man?
Will an operation to remove the uterus turn me into a man?
Anita
Dear Anita,
A surgical removal of the womb (hysterectomy) may be done as an emergency but most times if the removal is arranged it may be done for many reasons, including cancer of the womb or complicated fibroids, among others. Many of the conditions that call for a hysterectomy happen at around the time of menopause.
Menopause is a time when both the female and male hormones drastically go down.
However, the male hormone does not reduce as much, leading to some women developing a pot belly, shrunken bum or breasts, a basal voice and some beards among other features usually found in a man. It is not surprising, therefore, to find a woman having a hysterectomy and then developing some male features just by coincidence.
Sometimes the womb may be removed together with the ovaries, bringing on more serious menopausal symptoms and still, this may coincide with the operation.
Please go ahead with the operation because it is not the operation that makes women turn into males. The operation outweighs the supposed cosmetic issues that develop in many women during menopause rather than those who have lost a womb.
Although my marriage is stressful, I am gaining a lot of weight. Is there a problem?
Mercy
Dear Mercy,
When the body suspects it is in danger, it coordinates with the brain to instantly produce a range of hormones but chiefly one called cortisol, to ready the body for action. Also, adrenaline that makes the heart thump and triggers emotions such as fear is produced.
The brain also releases Neuropeptide S, a small protein that modulates stress by decreasing sleep and increasing alertness and a sense of anxiety. These hormones then will lead to signs and symptoms of what is seen as acute stress. But the stress response system has an inbuilt capacity to turn itself off once the stressor ceases.
In chronic stress, however, the system does not turn off continuing to produce cortisol and other hormones.
Too much or prolonged production of cortisol can slow one’s bodily activities that produce energy and growth (metabolism), causing more weight gain than expected. Increased levels of cortisol will make one crave unhealthy fatty foods (emotional eating) ostensibly to store them for increased needs to face the stressor, leading to increased weight gain.
Unfortunately, high or chronic levels of stress lead to abdominal fat which is not only bad cosmetically but may put one at risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes. A stressed person unfortunately can hardly exercise. This, coupled with emotional eating, is likely to lead to the couch-potato lifestyle blamed for obesity.
I suffered from gonorrhea as a child and lost a testicle. Will I have children?
Paskale
Hello Paskale,
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that can infect the testes and make them swollen and painful and in a few cases, can block the tubes that bring out sperms, rendering one unable to have sperms hence infertility.
The blockage may happen in swollen or even normal looking testes.
Also, gonorrhea may block the urethra rendering urine passage or even semen difficult.
Swelling of a testis does not always mean that it can eventually neither make sperm nor allow sperms to go through the tubes during ejaculation. Even if one testicle cannot produce sperms or its tubes are blocked, the remaining testicle can produce enough sperms for fertility.
People may have one testicle right from birth and this will enlarge to compensate for the missing one. Though the ultimate proof for fertility in any man is causing pregnancy, you require doing a semen analysis test to reassure yourself so that you do not continue living with uncertainty.
Why do I get a headache whenever I exercise?
Opolot
Dear Opolot,
Physical exercise apart from diet is important in prevention of many of today’s so-called lifestyle conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and some rampant cancers including colorectal cancer.
Exercise is also helpful in prevention or management of causes of headache such as hypertension and depression, among others, and should therefore not be abandoned because you get headache after exercise. The cause of the headache should be investigated and dealt with so that you can continue exercising.
Headache rarely indicates a serious medical problem.
Some people may get headaches during exercise because exercise is an exertion with the muscles of the head and neck, needing more blood supply. The need to increase in blood supply will dilate the blood vessels of the neck and brain.
Also, an increase in body temperature associated with exercise can swell the blood vessels generally, including those of the brain. When this happens, the skull cannot handle the swelling of blood vessels let alone excessive amounts of blood resulting in a headache. This so-called exertional or joggers headache is not dangerous and goes after exercise.
If it does not go then another related cause may be involved requiring checking it out and managing it.
It is normal for one’s pressure to shoot up due to physical exercise and if one is hypertensive, pressure may shoot up to dangerous levels. Though headache related to exercise may occur on its own, most times it is those with a family history of migraines that may get joggers and other exertional headaches.
