Ask the Doctor: What causes forgetfulness; can food or medication help?

Dear Dorothy, when the body suspects it is in danger or uncertainty, it coordinates with the brain to produce a range of hormones but chiefly one called cortisol, to ready the body for action. Also, more adrenaline, which makes the heart beat faster and triggers emotions like fear, is produced.

The brain also releases neuropeptide S, a small protein that modulates stress by decreasing sleep and increasing alertness and anxiety. These hormones then will lead to signs and symptoms of 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 and continues to produce cortisol and other hormones.

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 for unhealthy fatty foods (emotional eating) ostensibly to store them for increased needs to face the stressor.

This leads to weight gain. Unfortunately, high or chronic levels of stress lead to abdominal fat, which is not only bad cosmetically but may risk one stroke, heart disease and diabetes.

A stressed person most likely may not exercise. This with emotional eating is likely to lead to a “couch potato” lifestyle.

I am 54-years-old and I have never fathered any child. Because of this, I have never married though one does not need to own a cow to drink milk. Do you think I ejaculate “air”?
Ssekuuma

Dear Ssekuuma, not fathering a child does not always mean you are infertile and being infertile does not mean you should not get married. You need semen tests so that if a problem is found, it is dealt with so that you can father children instead of living in anxiety. A man may fail to have children because of producing few or no sperms.

Sometimes, he may produce adequate sperms but their way out is blocked. Semen, which is mostly a combination of sperms and fluids from the seminal vesicles and prostate gland, will still be produced even if there is blockage but will be without sperms.

The prostate, seminal vesicles should also produce fluids for properly functioning semen. All these including infections in the reproductive system can be dealt with. It is true some men may ejaculate “air” if the semen takes a back route towards the bladder instead of outwards.

Here, the sperms can be recovered from urine and artificial methods used to make your sex partner pregnant. If found with low sperm count, drugs to boost you and your sex partner can cause her to get pregnant. If not, artificial assistance may help if you can afford it financially.

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