Women
Menstrual Pains: What Experts Say
Rita’s schooling was in terrupted periodically due to painful and heavy bleeding during her menstruation. The assistance rendered by her parents and the school authorities did not reduce the nightmare of the 16-year-old student.
“Whenever my period starts, I have a lot of pains, it is almost impossible for me to go to school. I just stay at home, my mum gives me pain reliever and I sleep.
“Sometimes I will not go to school for two days because of the pains and the heavy bleeding, which usually reduces after the second day. ’’
Miss Tinu Adebayo, a 27-year old civil servant has been queried on few occasions for lateness due to painful menstruation and heavy bleeding.
“I explained my predicament to my boss but he refused to bear with me.
“I have been experiencing severe menstrual pains, accompanied with heavy bleeding and vomiting since my undergraduate days. Then it was easy to skip classes and just stay and rest in the hostel.
“Now, my boss is very difficult and has given me a couple of queries for not coming to work for a day or two. But this is a situation I cannot help for now.
“If I have to go to work, I can hardly get anything done, because I feel very weak and irritated even after I must have taken some pain relief”.
Dr Maxwell Odiegwu, a gynaecologist, says menstrual pain has no cure, but can reduce when childbearing begins.
“It is more of control measure than finding a cure for dysmenorrhea, and there is a possibility that the pain may reduce, especially once childbearing starts, but it is not absolute.
Experts define dysmenorrhea as difficult menstrual flow or painful menstruation and may coexist with excessive blood loss, known as menorrhagia.
Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gynaecological complaints among female adolescents and young adults with a prevalence of 93 per cent.
Odiegwu explains that dysmenorrhea falls into two categories: primary and secondary, with the latter being more severe and less common than the former.
He says primary dysmenorrhea is found more in younger women and describes it as a situation when a woman experiences painful periods which cannot be attributed to any pathological reason or identifiable cause.
Odiegwu says secondary dysmenorrhea and excessive bleeding are caused by certain conditions, such as uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory diseases and ovarian cysts.
Factors such as the gynaecological age of a woman or the age she started her menstruation could determine if she would suffer from primary dysmenorrhea.
“A 20-year-old girl that started menstruating at the age of 13 has a gynaecological age of seven years, while a 19-year-old girl that started menstruating at the age of 16 has a gynaecological age of three years.
“So the longer the gynaecological age, the possibility of dysmenorrhea occurring.”
Odiegwu says primary dysmenorrhea can be remedied by the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptives, adding that lying on the tummy, and having a warm bath, can help reduce the pains.
He says that it has been discovered that women who drink and smoke or those who are obese, are prone to dysmenorrhea.
“My advice is for them to modify their lifestyle, stop smoking, reduce alcohol intake to the barest minimum and try to lose weight. ’’
A naturopath, Dr Dapo Aderele, says that food rich in fibre such as carrots, cucumber, cabbage and lettuce can help in managing excessive menstrual pains.
“Primarily, when you take food rich in fibre, it mops up the excess estrogens and it is passed out of the body naturally.”
The naturopath also says that healthy dieting and consumption of much water can help to manage dysmenorrhea.
He says that fish oils such as Omega 3, Evening Primrose oil extracted from medicinal plants, are managing agents.
Aderele says menstrual pains will reduce after childbirth but may not completely stop.
A general physician, Dr Ochuko Urhioke, says blood lost during menstrual flow is insignificant and can not lead to anaemia except if the bleeding is always excessive.
“The amount of blood a woman loses during her menstrual flow is really insignificant because that is how God has designed it to be.
“Excessive bleeding leads to anaemia and the woman can go into shock, have heart failure which can lead to death. So what we do is find out the cause of the excess bleeding which in some cases can be caused by uterine fibroid. “
Urhioke says that doctors recommend blood tonics, Vitamin C and folic acid, as well as pumpkin leaves to boost blood level.
The principal of the Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Abuja, Mrs Kate Bello says the school has many cases of such girls.
“What we do for them here in the school is advise them to go to the school clinic immediately, where they are placed on pain reliever but for the severe ones, they rest in the sick bay.
Naturopath recommends that every woman must have a way to cope for the days leading up to her menstrual cycle, to avoid stressful emotions that accompany associated pains.
Oghenekaro writes for News Agency of Nigeria
Okeoghene Oghenekaro
Women
Nigeria Deserves Stylish, Sophisticated Designs-Igiebor Daddy Lucky
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
Women
Women Can Curb Indecent Dressing
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.