Q Do men suffer from menopause like women?

The phase of life similar to menopause is called as andropause in men. It is marked by lethargy, sadness, weariness, lack of drive, irritability, poor concentration and sometimes loss of sexual desire in middle-aged men. This leads to boredom, lack of fitness, heavy drinking and lack of self-esteem.n Though, male menopause is controversial, as there isn~t any calculable fall in the levels of male hormones in middle age like females have fall in sex hormones drastically, yet it is advised that men experiencing the symptoms should exercise regularly and eat healthy, nurture a hobby, and have a peaceful mind and renew interest in life.

Q Do walker and jumper help toddlers to learn walking quicker?

Though walker and baby-buggy are in fashion today, studies say that babies using walker learn to walk late! Walker facilitates babies to move around even before they are ready for it physically. This can lead to unusual patterns of movements and delayed muscle control. Walker and jumper restrict babys movements and do not allow the baby to move around and explore the things surrounding. Baby learns to move quickly when baby is on the floor on his belly, than when he is placed on high chair, walker or baby-buggy.

Q I have a 14 year old girl who has fatty lumps either side of her cheeks near mouth that really stick out. I think they are called inverted dimples. Is this rare as she is very self conscious of them and we have never seen these on a child before. Or is there some other underlying problem

Difficult to predict what they can be without an examination. However if your daughter is not happy with it, then you should take an opinion of cosmetic surgeon regarding how to get rid of it.

Q After my break-up with my girlfriend, i started losing my hair and i am becoming bald day by day is this the reason or some other major problem with me. Please guide me & suggest me some remedy or therapy.

There are many factors that can cause hair loss. Stress, anxiety, and depression are surprisingly common causes of thinning scalp hair, and can be especially difficult to recognize and treat. But apart from these there can be several other causes like hereditary, infection, nutritional deficiency, thyroid imbalance etc.. Once you have noticed that you are losing your hair, the first step is to get a medical evaluation to determine the cause. Either your primary care or a dermatologist is a good place to start. Treatment can then be directed to any of the above underlying causes that are present. But meanwhile you can follow these advices: eat plenty of salads including green leafy vegetables like spinach lettuce, plateful of fruits, buttermilk, milk, curd, fish,egg, increase intake of peanuts and almond and walnut, have proper and sound sleep daily. Concentrating on future rather than dwelling on past can work.

Q Where can I get help to stop smoking?

It is appreciated that you want to quit smoking. The best person to help you to quit any bad habit is YOURSELF. The inner voice is very important to do something which you think impossible. Nothing is impossible when YOU have decided to do it, rather someone else keeps you poking. If you think you need help, you can consult with your physician, friend, family member or any one to whom you believe the most. Dont quit suddenly because it may lead to some adverse effects; keep gradual decrease in the frequency and the number of smoke.

Q Stool test report. Color - brown, Consistency - soft, Reaction - acidic, Pus celss - 1-2/ hpf. Kindly advice as soon as possible. I have pain and lubricant stuff without stool

Presence of pus cells and acidic nature of the stool is an abnormal finding. The most probable cause for this is poor absorption of foods. Kindly consult with your doctor to co-relate the report clinically.

Q Are growing pains real?

Growing pains are seen in children of the age group 5 to 12 years. Thses always concentrate in the muscles, rather than the joints. Most kids have pains in the front of their thighs, in the calves, or behind the knees. The children with growing pains can be helped by massaging the area, stretching or by placing a heating pad on the area.

Q My 10 year old daughter continues to wet the bed. Not every night, but i thought it would stop as she grows but still hasnt. I wonder if there is something medically wrong.

If you daughter has nocturnal enuresis sometimes, it may need further evaluation, as this is not so common in teenagers. There are some factors that may affect urine control in teens. These include excessive intake of caffeine drinks like tea or coffee, deep sleep pattern which can be a normal for growing teen, excessive emotional stress or fear of something, inconsistent sleep timings etc. These things can be corrected in order to fix the problem. Other things to give consideration are certain medications, diabetes of other medical diseases, family history of parents having the same problem, urinary tract infection, etc. If she is having this problem since her childhood, then this can be considered as primary nocturnal enuresis and she can be out of 2% of girls who continues with this till they reach their teen. This thing can be improved with proper counselling to her. Making her to use bathroom before going to bed. Limiting her fluid intake before going to bed. She can be effectively treated with moisture alarms while asleep. It will be less likely that she will need medications for this. Proper counselling and educating her may motivate her to take initiation to cure herself. You may take her to physician to rule out underlying disease if any.

Q Having complain of white discharge and itching in vagina since 2 months my menstrual cycle is regular

The white discharge and itching in the vagina is suggestive of some infection in the area due to bacteria, virus or fungus. You have to take care of your hygiene. Wear cotton undergarments which increases air flow and decreases moisture. Wear loose-fitting clothing. Proper treatment of an infection is usually very effective. You must consult the physician to get the best possible treatment.

Q I am 69 year old, my hands start trembling whenever I am writing any thing which medicine should I take? what is parkinsons disease?

Trembling or shaking of hands is called as tremors. There are variety of tremors found and so variety of causes are there for its occurance. If you are suufering from tremors only when you write something, then these can be: Intentional tremors that occur at the end of any purposeful movements, Cerebellar tremors represented as intetional tremors, postural tremor that occur in particular posture of hand or leg against gravity, benign essential tremors occuring at older age and are inherited from family, tremors due to increased thyroid functioning, tremors due to reduced blood sugar levels, tremors as a result of alohol withdrawal or due to alcohol consumption, it can be a side effect of certain medicines, or it can be a task specific tremors. To prescribe you any medicines, it is necessary to evaluate your symptoms in more detailed way including evaluation by physical examination, which will be best achieved if you see your physician or a neurologist. Perkinsons disease is a degenerative disorder of central nervous system, where brain cells and nervous tissue undergo degeneration, resulting in dopamine deficiency in a patient. If you are trying to link your tremors with parkinsons, then the main differentiating point is parkinsons tremors are observed at rest and not at the time of movements. Further evaluation is needed for proper management.