Avatar photo

By Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe

Chief Executive Officer


Ask the doctor: Meningitis and breastfeeding

Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe shares advice on reader questions.


Dear doctor, I injured my knee two weeks ago and it’s a bit sore. How long should I wait for a knee injury to heal before I go back to the gym?

It really depends on the type of injury, and what was damaged. Sometimes there might be a crack or fracture. Maybe ligament injury or other structures in knee like meniscus.

Is it swollen? Do you have limited range of motion? Things like that are important to determine when you will heal. Please see a physiotherapist for an assessment.

Dear doctor, do bleeding inner ears lead to meningitis?

Not necessarily, unless the bleeding is related to an infection. Then the infection spreads from the inner ear to the brain meninges (coverings). Please see your doctor to check and sort out the bleeding.

Dear doctor, should I be worried that my baby doesn’t want to stop breastfeeding at the age of one. What should I do to make her stop?

No you should not be worried. Some babies feed longer than others. If it impacts in any way on you then you can consider ways to wean the baby off.

You could see a doctor and get medication to stop lactating. Or you can slowly introduce other fluid forms and slowly get the baby away from the breast.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.

Read more on these topics

Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe Health

Access premium news and stories

Access to the top content, vouchers and other member only benefits