Ask the Doctor: What causes stomach ulcers?

Fortunately, in most accidental cases because of the strong smell and taste, only meagre amounts are taken. However, parents are always alarmed by the smell of paraffin (on the skin, clothes or breath) although they are mostly unaware of the amount taken having been away from the scene of the accident.

This alarm is helpful because the children are availed immediate attention. Even when the children have taken significant amounts of kerosene, they may not show symptoms immediately since kerosene is absorbed slowly in the stomach.
Paraffin can irritate the mouth, causing production of lots of saliva, and the throat, leading to a cough. Cough may also indicate paraffin entry into the lungs, which is a usual serious problem that can lead to pneumonia. Pneumonia may not only lead to cough but also difficulties in breathing and may be fatal.

Many parents give first aid of inducing vomiting, but they risk having the paraffin-laden vomit entering the lungs and causing fatal aspiration pneumonia.
The children apart from having a “new” cough, difficulty in breathing, irritability and nausea may also vomit due to kerosene irritating the stomach.

Since parents give first aid of milk or water to dilute the kerosene, which is commendable, care should be taken when giving these fluids in a child is who is already vomiting. Also the holding of the neck in a child who is vomiting that is commonly done may push the vomitus into the lungs and should therefore be avoided.

Regardless of whether a child has symptoms or not, a child suspected to have taken paraffin should be taken to a health facility to be checked out.

Dear doctor,
These days, when I cough I pass gas and as you know you cannot always prepare to cough. What can I do?
Adams Binshobeire

Dear Adams,

Cough, in many cases, comes automatically. Just like passing gas, cough follows contraction of the abdominal muscles resulting in pressure in the abdomen that suddenly pushes air out of the lungs and, for gas, out of the rectum.

If coughing and passing gas happen at the same time once in a while, this can be taken as normal. When it happens too often, it may be an indicator of too much gas in the tummy or failure to consciously control escape of gas. Too much gas may result from the type of diet (beans, vegetable, salads, dairy foods), constipation or peptic ulcers, among others, which have to be addressed. Flatus incontinence is likely in homosexuals or in advanced age, in men, while in women this may be related to too many or difficult deliveries.

Dear doctor,
Why is it that every time I am going to do exams I get asthma?
A. Bukirwa

Dear Bukirwa,
Stress can cause lots of anxiety and trigger attacks in those prone to asthma. The stress that accompanies examinations can also give asthma-like symptoms with difficulties in breathing and “induced” breath sounds that may be mistaken for the wheezing of asthma in what is called a conversion disorder (originally known as hysteria).

I do not know whether what you call asthma is self-diagnosis or if it is by a doctor in which case you require management of both stress and asthma. However you should be careful while using steroids for asthma because they can lead to mood swings which also trigger asthma. In cases of a conversion disorder, management of stress alone will take away the breathing symptoms as well as the disorder.
Stress that triggers asthma can be relieved by getting adequate sleep, eating right, exercising, and findings ways to relax even when faced with examinations.

Answers by Dr Vincent Karuhanga