I have constant backaches, is this due to a lack of sex?

Dear doctor, I want to know the truth about my backaches. Could it be because I take long to have sex? If so, can playing sex then deal with my backaches? Will backache cause me failure to get babies?
Anna

Dear Anna, many non-medical people and even a few medics in Uganda are known to prescribe sex for women who have back pain saying that lack of sex could have been the cause of the pain.

But this has no scientific basis as back pain may result from problems with structure of the back or from conditions remote from the back such as kidney disease.

Obesity and poor back posture are other causes. A bad chair, soft bed or even high-heeled shoes may be sources of this pain. Unless the cause of the back pain is addressed, sex will not take the backache away.

Please note that backache from infection of fallopian tubes and the inner lining of the womb can be associated with infertility and requires to be addressed quickly.

Dear doctor, I feel like I have flu always especially in the morning and when I am around a person who is smoking. Can I get drugs to kill the germs once and for all?
Annie Nsalasata

Dear Annie, “flu” is a common word for a viral nasal infection, which leads to fever, muscle pains, a running or even stuffy nose that culminate into a sore throat and then a cough.

This is actually called a common cold, which may be caused by any of more than 200 viruses. Flu is a short form for influenza, a serious and many times fatal condition of which the recently known are the swine or bird flu viruses.

A person may have a running or stuffy nose because of nasal allergies but not due to infection with a “flu bug”. So what you call flu everyday is likely to be a reaction to substances breathed in leading to symptoms similar to those of a common cold.

This so-called allergy requires identification and avoiding the irritants. If they are not identifiable, you need to see a doctor, ideally an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist, instead of taking drugs like Prednisone, which if taken daily may have serious side-effects.

In Uganda, there are no drugs that are used to kill the “common cold bug” but there are drugs given to control symptoms such as a running nose or headache.

Usually, the body fights the virus and gets rid of it within two weeks. If symptoms persist after this time, it is usually because of development of complications such as sinusitis.

Dear doctor, I pass a lot of urine during the day and at night. Even if I try, it is difficult to hold back. Someone has told me it is because when I was young my mother did not clean me properly. Those were not days of plenty and I do not blame her since she was a single parent. But what do I do now?
Georgina B.

Dear Georgina, the urinary bladder which stores waste produced by the kidneys makes us feel like passing urine when it is stretched to fullness. When one has to wake up many times at night to urinate, this may indicate bladder inflammation or infection, diabetes, taking lots of fluids at night or may happen when one lacks sleep especially related to stress.

Sometimes, there may be formation of normal quantities of urine but frequently need to pass urine even when the bladder is not yet full, is a usual symptom of Urinary Tract Infections or stress. Since inflammation reduces the bladder’s capacity to hold urine, even small amounts of urine cause discomfort and have to be passed. This can be detected by urine tests but, in some cases, the tests may be normal in what is called urethral syndrome that afflicts many post-menopausal women.

Urinary urgency, when one suddenly feels the urge to pass urine and if one delays, he or she may pee on him or herself, together with frequent urination are usual symptoms of a Urinary Tract Infection or UTI.

UTI is not always from sexual transmission but with your symptoms you require a thorough examination with the prompt and appropriate treatment to avoid complications. I doubt whether, your mother’s poor methods of cleaning you could be responsible for those symptoms today.

Dear doctor, I want to get pregnant by the time I have my wedding next year. Though it may be an inconvenience, I want it that way. Can you advise if there are drugs I can take to get pregnant?
Tamillae B.

Dear Tamillae, it is many women’s dream to get married and have children to avoid “public inquiries” about when or whether she will get pregnant if at all. It is also the couple’s dream to have the best wedding ceremony without hitches. Women in early stages of pregnancy suffer lots of physical and psychological problems like being weak, vomiting and mood swings which may embarrass them during a wedding. (Imagine the bride quarreling publicly over a wedding cake or vomiting on it or wetting her stockings after a hearty laughter).

If you get pregnant as you wish incidentally, you should bear in mind the likely inconveniencies and prepare for them. Drugs to assist a woman get pregnant exist but on prescription basis only. They are only given in case a woman has difficulty in getting pregnant. The drugs should not be taken for mere psychological satisfaction since they have side-effects.

Dear doctor, I get small pimples before my periods around my private parts. Though they eventually go on their own, they leave dark marks. A doctor gave me drugs that I took for one month but they did not heal completely. My hygiene is good but why does this happen? Please help.
Pauline, Mbarara

Dear Pauline, pimples that usually affect the adolescents are called acne. These may be found on the face, back, chest, anogenital areas and the ear canal.

In some women, one or two or very many pimples may appear related to periods. These usually strike about seven to 10 days before the onset of a woman’s period and then subside as soon as bleeding begins. A fall in female hormones around the time of the period and a relative increase in male hormone with the bacteria coming in because of the pimples are factors said to be responsible for the situation.

Also fluid retention in the pimples may make a prominent announcement of the coming periods. Likewise, pimples may be worsened by sweating and thus heavy padding which sometimes include rags, cotton wool and toilet paper, may be to blame. These paddings are also notorious for causing rashes since many pads are either perfumed or ake. Many women shave the pubis before periods believing this makes them clean and may develop pubic pimples related to skin injury or curved hairs growing inwards and puncturing the pubic skin.

Menstrual period pimples are not due to poor hygiene though it is necessary to be clean. Women should also take special care of their skin around their periods in order not to make things worse. If shaving causes pimples then it is necessary to avoid doing so or to use curved scissors.

You may take medication against acne bacteria but results may only be positive after many months of tiresome antibiotic use. Contraceptive pills and drugs against male hormone can also be useful. If the rash is allergic, one may have to use cotton wool if non-perfumed cotton pads are not available.

Dear doctor, I keep getting a rash on my hands, inside the elbow, and on my legs. It has failed to clear despite using medicinal and herbal soaps and creams like Dettol and Mediven. What else can I do?
Jane, Namuwongo

Dear Jane, skin rashes have many causes including a reaction to what the body may come into in contact with. The most important way to manage a rash is a proper diagnosis of what it is, thst is the cause or aggravating factors. This requires proper history, examination and other tests.

Dettol is a medicated soap which is useful in fighting skin germs and thus it is better prescribed by a doctor.

Use of dettol or other medicated soaps when one has no skin infection will kill the natural bacteria that protect the skin against dangerous germs hence leading to skin infection by resistant germs (super bugs) that may be difficult to treat. On their own, medicated soaps may lead to reaction or infection rashes.

Mediven is a steroid, which can brighten skin and penetrate it risking harm of the skin or internal organs. See a doctor who will diagnose and treat your condition.

Meanwhile please avoid using medicated soap. Opt for ordinary non-perfumed toilet soaps. Also avoid steroid creams or even those labeled herbal.

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