INFERTITY A RISING SCOURGE

The issue of infertility is gradually becoming an epidermic and its time we brace up to combat the surge and improve treatment options. In the tropics this problem has become a thorn in the flesh as the cost of management is very high. its important we understand what infertility is about and know what the appropriate treatments are. Some people undergo invitro fertilization but they don’t really need it.

what are the steps to take when you are newly diagnosed with infertility.

Infertility is said to occur when a couple married or unmarried have had unprotected sexual intercourse for 2-3 times in a week for over 12 months and are unable to conceive.

                                                       how baby forms
                                                   

               

                                                                               the female reproductive tract

Factors that can affect fertility-

1-      AGE- above 35years the ability of the ovaries to produce good quality eggs drops.This explains why IVF labs advocate the use of donor eggs for the above 40years .Endometrial atrophy is also common in this age group

2-      INFECTIONS-infections can cause adhesions ad this can block the female tubes. This infections are the regular ones we have that have not been treated properly.in the male it can also leads to prostatitis and poor quality sperm.

3-      ENDOMETRIOSIS-this is aberrant endometrial tissue found outside the uterus. It could be in seen in the ovaries, fallopian tubes or pelvic cavity where it leads to scarring overtime and blockage of the tube may result.

4-      AUTOIMMMUME DISORDER-this relatively common factor is not talked about so much due to the minimal diagnostic tools. It could be  a male factor or even a female factor.

5-      ALCOHOL AND SMOKING- This has been shown to decrease sperm quality and affect egg quality in the female.

6-      UTERINE FIBROIDS-in the past it was said  that fibroid does not affect fertility but its been shown the it does. As much as fibroid can co exist with pregnancy it release some fluid that makes the uterus unfavorable for implantation

Step by step guide on treatment options for infertility-

Male factor-such as severe asthenospermia,oligospermia,hyperviscousity states, auto-immune disorders like antisperm antibodies, cystic fibrosis and infections. The treatment with intrauterine insemination  could suffice after a course of appropriate antibiotics with anti oxidants.

Female factors-

ANOVULATION-sometimes the release of eggs may be the only problem a woman may be having and the the need to stimulate the woman may be the only remedy.Some of the conditions include polycystic  ovarian disease. Another condition called luteinized unruptured follicular cyst may be recurrent and the woman has follicle every cycle but the eggs don’t get released. Again here some hormonal manipulation may be helpful to help release the eggs.

Tubal blockages- the common investigation carried out for this condition is called the hystetosalpingogram popularly known as HSG. When the blockage is in the fimbrial end hydrotubation also popularly known as flushing may help. Blockages located anywhere else is not amenable to hydrotubation. IVF would be the treatment option.

Uterine factors-

Cervical stenosis or cervical mucous hostility- intrauterine insemination would suffice.

Endometrial atrophy-hormonal therapy will suffice.

Uterine fibroid- myomectomy would suffice

UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY

An intrauterine insemination should be done first at least for 3 cycles then if no solution IVF should be sort after.

On no condition should IUI be done in cases of bilateral tubal blockage. IUI is a simple less expensive procedure that can be done at the time of ovulation. It involves washing the sperm and placing the washed sperm in appropriate media into the uterus. In this case by-passing the cervical area and its many problems while reducing the debris in the sperm.

Call 08098229484 08023229484  if you have more questions.

INFERTILITY A RISING SCOURGE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.

MALE FACTOR-
Up to 15 percent of couples are infertile. This means they aren't able to conceive a child even though they've had frequent, unprotected sexual intercourse for a year or longer  2-3 times a week for about a year. In up to half of these couples, male infertility plays a role.
Male infertility is due to low sperm production, abnormal sperm function or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors can play a role in causing male infertility ,herbs consumption may play a significant role for this male factor infertility.
Over time infertility has been present but a lot of emphasis was on female factor infertility rather than male factor. Understanding that our environment is a male dominant culture type.
this has led to many women going to perform investigations for what they didn't need.
male factor contributes up to 50% of infertility cases. the reason this is so may be because in most cases of infections men are usually quite or may not show symptoms. This rising cases of infertility has become a major concern. Sperm motility and count seem to be more important than the morphology, all this parameters are important in their own way
we would analyze  a sperm test and explain the possible causes  and treatment options we can employ to seek solutions. Important to note that sexual performance is not usually affected in most cases and the quality of the sperm may look normal in the eye .microscopic examination will reveal in detail what we are dealing with.
what is sperm analysis? This is  a simple test that involves the ml/;e producing ejaculate into  a wide mouth sterile container. this usually should be the first test to be done in an infertile couple but unfortunately in our society(Africa)its usually the very last to be done. the sperm is most preferably to be collection by masturbation.

The male reproductive system

The male reproductive system is made up of the testes, a system of ducts (tubes) and other glands that open into the ducts. The brain plays an important part in the control of the male reproductive system.

A side view showing the main parts of the male reproductive system

The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, located at the base of the brain, control the production of male hormones and sperm. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are the two important messenger hormones made by the pituitary gland that act on the testes.

Two messenger hormones act on the testes

The testes (testis: singular) are a pair of egg-shaped glands that sit in the scrotum next to the base of the penis on the outside of the body. The testes make sperm and the male sex hormone testosterone. It takes about 70 days for sperm to become mature and able to fertilize an egg.
When released from the testes, the sperm spend two to 10 days passing through the epididymis where they gain the vital ability to swim strongly (become ‘motile’), and to attach to and penetrate (get into) the egg.
At orgasm, waves of muscle contractions transport the sperm, with a small amount of fluid, from the testes through to the vas deferens. The seminal vesicles and prostate contribute extra fluid to protect the sperm. This mixture of sperm and fluid (the semen) travels along the urethra to the tip of the penis where it is ejaculated (released).

SRERM ANALYSIS AND  MEANING.
COLOUR-
gray opalescent  normal
gray opaque-infective
yellow opalescent-infective
yellow opaque-infective amongst other causes

PH- Usually 7.2 tending more to alkaline

MOTILITY-At least 40% of the count should be motile with 32% showing fast progressive linear motion. This parameter is very important in determining fertility.

COUNT- The total count is the volume of ejaculate x concentration of sperm /ml.  15 million /ml is the accepted value.

LIQUEFACTION-This should occur within 1hr.

VISCOUSITY-tells the consistency of the ejaculate. 1/4 is regarded as normal,4/4 is a highly viscous medium.

MORPHOLOGY- This tells the shape and structure of sperms.4% normal forms is accepted  and can achieve conception.

ANTISPERM ANTIBDIES-This may be present in some cases and its routinely seen. Trauma and surgery may be predisposing factors.

Known causes of male infertility

Sperm production problems	• Chromosomal or genetic causes • Undescended testes (failure of the testes to descend at birth) • Infections • Torsion (twisting of the testis in scrotum) • Varicocele (varicose veins of the testes) • Medicines and chemicals • Radiation damage • Unknown cause
Blockage of sperm transport	• Infections • Prostate-related problems • Absence of vas deferens • Vasectomy
Sexual problems (erection and ejaculation problems)	• Retrograde and premature ejaculation • Failure of ejaculation • Erectile dysfunction • Infrequent intercourse • Spinal cord injury • Prostate surgery • Damage to nerves • Some medicines
Hormonal problems	• Pituitary tumors • Congenital lack of LH/FSH (pituitary problem from birth) • Anabolic (androgenic) steroid abuse
Sperm antibodies	• Vasectomy • Injury or infection in the epididymis • Unknown cause

Its worthy of note that some of this conditions can be treated and fertility outcome have improved. The role of intra cytoplasmic sperm injection has made the very hopeless cases fruitful.
So if you are looking for a child and you have been trying for over a year, seek medical help as soon as possible. We will write a little more on female causes in the next article. Questions or contributions  you can email us naijadoctors@gmail.com,  drchidi@alpinehealthng.com

ONIONS:
PLEASE READ TO THE END
>>>IMPORTANT

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu..
Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now there is a P.S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder.
I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill...
I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs.
...sure enough it happened just like that.
...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

This is the other note.

Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions ABSORB BACTERIA is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we should NOT eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS
when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

Onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion. It's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!).
If you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

PLEASE REMEMBER IT IS DANGEROUS TO CUT AN ONION AND TRY TO SAVE IT TO COOK WITH THE NEXT DAY, IT BECOMES HIGHLY POISONOUS FOR EVEN A SINGLE NIGHT-AS IT CREATES TOXIC BACTERIA WHICH CAUSES ADVERSE STOMACH INFECTIONS BECAUSE OF EXCESS BILE SECRETIONS AND EVEN FOOD POISONING.

Please pass this to all the people whom you love and care about.

Why walnuts could help men become dads: Daily packet can help increase sp

els might benefit from eating walnuts, according to a study. 

Researchers in America asked a group of young men in their 20s and 30s to eat a 75g packet every day for three months. 

Compared with a group of men who avoided walnuts, they managed to increase their sperm count and its quality, potentially giving them a  better chance of fathering a child. 

Scroll down for video

Healthy nuts: Walnuts are rich in omega 3 and omega 6 which are lacing in many western diets

Scientists at the University of California chose walnuts because they are a major source of ‘good’ polyunsaturated fats. 

They are rich in omega 3 and omega 6 – also found in oily fish – which are thought to be good for sperm development and function but are lacking in many Western diets.

One in six couples struggle to conceive, and it is thought around 40 per cent of these problems are due to problems with the man’s sperm.

Professor Wendie Robbins, of UCLA’s School of Public Health, said as the 117 volunteers were healthy non-smokers, it was not clear that walnuts would help with fertility problems, but it had a positive effect. 

Men in their 20s and 30s who ate a 75g packet of walnuts a day for three months increased their sperm count

The researchers analysed the men’s sperm concentration, how strongly they swam and their genetic makeup.

Those eating walnuts saw a modest 3 per cent average increase in sperm swimming, compared with no increase in the group who did not eat walnuts.

And fewer of the walnut eaters were seen with aneuploidy – a  disorder where sperm have too many or too few chromosomes. 

Allan Pacey, a fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, said the study found only a ‘quite modest’ increase in sperm count.  ‘I would be cautious about recommending this as a therapy for infertility until it has been studied further,’ he added 

FIBROID IN PREGNANCY

There are a lot of cases of fibroid co existing with pregnancy and the question still asked whether fibroid can affect pregnancy or is it a cause of infertility.uterine fibroid s can be said to be

EBOLA VIRUS IS IN LAGOS NIGERIA.

The dreaded and deadly Ebola virus has been reported in Lagos the commercial city of Nigeria. Only one case has been reported of  a Liberian who came into the country some days ago.
This Ebola virus was reported in Guinea January 2014, Sierra leone, Liberia and now Nigeria has joined..This virus has no cure, no vaccine has been developed  for it.
This man who came to Nigeria through the Lagos airport from Liberia en-route Togo and has been in a top hotel on the island before he took ill and was taken a hospital at Obalende where he later died.so far over 672 deaths have been recorded and over 1200 infected cases in Africa.

WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT EBOLA VIRUS-

Ebola is a severe acute viral illness often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
Ebola is introduced into the human population through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. Ebola then spreads in the community through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and indirect contact with environments contaminated with such fluids.

No vaccine for Ebola is available. Several vaccines are being tested, but none are available for clinical use. Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. Patients are frequently dehydrated and require oral rehydration with solutions containing electrolytes or intravenous fluids

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT THIS

 

1-The best thing is to avoid contact with infected people.

2-wash your hands thoroughly and frequently with soap.

3- The use of hand sanitizer is good.

4-Eat properly and healthy and wash fruits and vegetable very well before eating.

5-if you see any one who you suspect please report to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention  or call following numbers 08023169485, 08033086660, 08033065303, 08055281442, 08055329229..

 

Lets do this together , its necessary we all stand now and ensure we do all we can do.Our health care providers are the most susceptible. 

 

 

 

COCONUTS AND ITS HEALTH BENEFITS

                                                              COCONUT
In some countries coconuts have become the magic fruit.A lot of medical importance has been attached to the use of coconuts.Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry. Because of its stability, it is slow to oxidize and, thus, resistant to rancidity, lasting up to two years owing to the high saturated fat content.The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and soothing properties.

Coconut oil is used extensively in tropical countries especially India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Phillipines etc, which have a good production of coconut oil. The oil was also once popular in western countries such as United States and Canada; however, there was a strong propoganda in 1970s spread by the corn oil and soy oil industry against coconut oil. Coconut oil was considered harmful for the human body due to its high saturated fat content till the last decade (2000s) when people started questioning this propoganda. Let us get into some details of how coconut oil works for our body.

How is lauric acid used by our body?

The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and helicobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system. The Coconut Research Center has compiled various benefits in both traditional and modern medicine.

Before we move on to the benefits of coconut oil in detail, let us understand its composition.

Composition of Coconut Oil:

Coconut oil consists of more than ninety percent of saturated fats (Don’t panic! First read to the last word. Your opinion may change), with traces of few unsaturated fatty acids, such as monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Virgin coconut oil is no different from this. Let us have a bit detailed study of this..

Saturated fatty acids: Most of them are medium chain triglycerides, which are supposed to assimilate well. Lauric acid is the chief contributor, with more than forty percent of the share, followed by capric acid, caprylic acid, myristic acid and palmitic.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids: Linoleic acid.

Monounsaturated fatty acids: Oleic acid

Poly-phenols: Coconut contains gallic acid, which is phenolic acid. These poly-phenols are supposed to be responsible for the fragrance and the taste of coconut oil and Virgin Coconut Oil is rich in these poly-phenols.

Certain derivatives of fatty acid like betaines, ethanolamide, ethoxylates, fatty esters, fatty polysorbates, monoglycerides and polyol esters.

Fatty chlorides, fatty alcohol sulphate and fatty alcohol ether sulphate, all of which are derivatives of fatty alcohols.

Vitamin-E and vitamin K and minerals such as Iron. Health benefits of coconut oil

Let us now explore the benefits of coconut oil in detail:

Hair care:

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. It is effective in reducing the protein loss for damaged and undamaged hair.

Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. Most of the people in these countries apply coconut oil on their hair daily after bath. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. Research studyindicates that coconut oil provides better protection to hair from damage caused by hygral fatigue.

Regular head massage with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, even if your scalp is dry. It also helps in keeping hair and scalp free from lice and lice eggs.

It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care.

Skin care

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care. Coconut oil also helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.

Heart diseases

There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for the heart. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. However, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in case of other vegetables oils. It does not lead to increase in LDL levels. It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

Weight loss

Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.

Digestion

Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Immunity

Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Healing and infections

When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from externaldust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.

Other

Coconut oil is strongly recommended for other benefits which are given below. Usage of coconut oils mildly helps for the following:

Liver: The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases as they substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, thus reducing work load on the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.

Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.

Pancreatitis: Coconut oil is also believed to be useful in treating pancreatitis.

Stress relief: Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue.

Diabetes: Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.

Bones: As mentioned earlier, coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones. Thus coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.

Dental care: Calcium is an important element present in teeth. Since coconut oil facilitates absorption ofcalcium by the body, it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay.

HIV and cancer: It is believed that coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility ofHIV and cancer patients. Preliminary research has shown indications of the effect of coconut oil on reducing the viral load of HIV patients (Reference).

Finally, coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

Coconut oil and Alzheimer's disease: There are reports of  research conducted by Dr. Newport stating that coconut oil is useful for treating Alzheimer's disease. Apart from this there is no scientific evidence or traditional knowledge of coconut oil being used for treating Alzheimer's. It was also not known traditionally that coconut oil helps in boosting the function of the brain in any form. 

Why is coconut oil solid?: Unlike most other oils, coconut oil has a high melting point - about 24 to 25 degress Celcius or 76-78 Farenheit. Therefore it is solid at room temperature and melts only when the temperatures go high. Hence, if you buy a bottle of coconut oil and find it solid, don't think that there is some problem with it. Coconut oil is like this only. And of course, don't keep it in your refrigerator.

How to use coconut oil?: If you are using coconut oil for topical purposes, especially hair care, just melt the oil (if it is solid) by keeping the bottle in the sun or warm water. You can also take some coconut oil out and put it in a small bowl and heat the bowl over a flame (do not use microwave). Then take the oil on your palm and apply it to your hair. If you want to use it for internal consumption, simply replace butter or vegetable oils with coconut oil in your recipes. Remember, you need not switch to coconut oil completely, as you will miss the benefits of other oils and dairy products.

Can I use coconut oil for cooking?: Yes, in most of the tropical coastal regions, people use coconut oil for cooking.

Well all said about coconuts and its oil and other products,its worth trying to see what good health befalls us.