Q I am feeling weekness from past 2-3 days

Excessive physical exertion, excessive mental stress, prolonged lack of sleep, viral infection are some of the probable causes of weakness. Take adequate rest, follow well balanced diet, stay well hydrated, if you are overly stressed, try and find the cause and work towards improving it. Consultation with your physician will be necessary if the weakness is not relieved in few days or you develop any other symptoms.

Q Can delusional disorder be cured?

A delusional disorder usually goes along with another illness,eg schizophrenia,psychosis. Delusions can be managed with medication. Seek psychiatric help, they will be able to help & find underlying causes and treat it. Psychotherapy is usually the most effective help in person suffering from delusional disorder. People who have emotional struggles and abuse drugs or are under significant stress might more likely develop delusional disorder than those who dont experience those situations.

Q I have been suffering from hyper-acidity as a result of antibiotics. Please advice.

Hyper-acidity is a common side effect of most antibiotics. Most physicians will prescribe an antacid or a H2 blocker along with antibiotics to circumvent this side-effect. If your physician hasnt done so, please visit him and ask him to prescribe the same. If you are on long term antibiotics, a multivitamin will help. As a home measure, include plenty of cold milk and yogurt in your diet to counteract hyper-acidity.

Q Body too thin...some diet tips

Weight gain depends upon your diet and exercise pattern. Include calorie and protein rich foods in your diet such as eggs, chicken, fish, milk and milk products, nuts, pulses etc. Every morning have a glass of milk with honey and 2 bananas. Consume handful of mixed nuts everyday. Weight gain should be healthy and hence you should limit your intake of junk food. Instead of 3 large meals have 5-7 small meals. Join a gym and practice weight training under supervision.

Q After what age children can drink coffee?

Children under 12 are generally recommended to avoid caffeine or to limit its intake. Because, Caffeine is absorbed very quickly into the body and then passes into the central nervous system. In low doses caffeine can affect the body causing decreased appetite, increased urination, hyperactive behaviour and difficulty sleeping. The harmful effects may occur when a child consumes more than 4.5 mg of caffeine per pound of body weight.

Q Can HIV spread from kissing?

In most cases HIV virus is not transmitted through saliva. The saliva of an infected person does contain HIV, but the virus is only present there in very small quantities making it next to impossible for the disease or virus to be passed on to another in that way. For instance in the case of two people kissing, if both partners were to have large open sores in their mouths, or if they had severely damaged or bleeding gums then they might transmit the virus through the act of mouth to mouth kissing.

Q How to care for newly erupting teeth in babies?

Unlike the belief that teeth should be cared for after the first birthday, dental care for kids begins much before the eruption of first tooth. Wipe babys gums daily gently using a damp clean cloth to keep it clean and germ-free.n Try brushing your kids teeth as they erupt using plain water. For kids about 2 years of age, brush the teeth using very tiny amount of tooth paste. Teach the kid to spit.n Don~t be shocked to learn that babies do develop tooth decay in absence of good feeding habits. Do not put baby to sleep with a bottle. Milk left for prolonged time on teeth eats away the enamel leading to discolouration and pitting of front teeth and even cavities. Some babies have neonatal tooth. Consult the dentist if you see one.

Q What is the true cause of trichotillomania aslo known as severe obsessive compulsive hair pulling?

The cause of trichotillomania is unclear. But like many complex disorders, trichotillomania probably results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Also, abnormalities in the natural brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine may play a role in trichotillomania. While the underlying biology is not clearly understood at this time, we do know that people with trichotillomania generally have a neurologically based predisposition to pull their hair as a self-soothing mechanism. The pulling behavior serves as a coping mechanism for anxiety and other difficult emotions. It does not hurt and they are not trying to damage themselves. While the average age of onset is 11, trich can be found in children as young as one year old. Onset of trich can be triggered by simple sensory events, such as itchy eyelashes, or by stressful life events, and it can occur quite suddenly. For example, it may be a tingling feeling that can only be relieved by pulling. ny relief that comes with hair pulling usually only lasts for a moment. The urge almost always returns. Thats because when the mind becomes used to giving in to the powerful urges that go with compulsive behaviors, the behavior is reinforced, and then becomes a habit. The mind gets trapped in a cycle of expecting to have the urge satisfied. The longer this goes on, the harder it can become to resist the urge.

Q Sir, My dad has HIV positive..What is the treatment for me? What are the precautions should be taken for family members to be free from HIV?

Just because your father is HIV positive, it doesnt mean that you too are. Yet, you must get tested once to confirm. The only precaution to be taken by you and your family members is to avoid sharing razors with him. The biggest risk is to your mother due to sexual intercourse. It can be prevented if they always use condoms. The rule of thumb is that there should be blood to blood contact with him. All other activities such as sharing food, hugging, kissing, sleeping or any other family activity with your father is absolutely safe.

Q 22 year girl have white discharge continuously. How we can prevent it? In last 3 months, she has lost more than 10 kg weight.

Some amount of vaginal discharge is normal and is seen in most females. It is the response of body to maintain internal hygiene. However if the discharge is constant, foul smelling, causes itching, is blood stained then it is a matter to worry. Bacterial, fungal and parasitic infection of the vaginal area are common causes. It is necessary that you get yourself examined by a gynecologist. Try and maintain hygiene in the genital area. Wear loose cotton under garments. Stay well hydrated. Avoid douching and using deodorant pads and tampons.