I Found My First Grey Hair…And Everyone Blamed Stress!

Posted on June 26, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Sound familiar?

The truth is, stress gets blamed for almost every grey hair that appears but that’s only part of the story.

Did you know that:
Grey hair can run in families?
Some children develop grey hair too.
Sometimes early greying may be linked to conditions like vitamin B12 deficiency, anaemia, or thyroid disease.
And in many people, it’s simply written in their genes.

So…can grey hair be reversed?

Or is colouring it the only option?

Today’s post explains why hair turns grey, what “premature greying” really means and when you should see a doctor. Read!

Q: Good evening Doc. Please, can you explain what causes early greying of the hair and what can be done to reverse it? Thanks

A: Hmmm, this is a question we all wish we had answers to!

I noticed my first smattering of grey hair some years ago and because I had just taken on a new role with loads of responsibilities, everyone believed it was due to stress. I think my hair dresser noticed it before I did 😄 She wanted to pull it out (it was just a single strand at that time) but I was having none of it 😀 I wanted it right there. I felt it was my badge of honour; it spoke to things I had been through and conquered. And so, I kept it…and it has now become a smattering of about 50 grey hair right in front of my head! But that’s me…everyone else thinks this is strange 😉 But right from an early age I have always admired people with grey hair.

Now, enough about me and my weird fascination for grey hair!

Back to the question….

Most people don’t like grey hair as they believe it makes them look old. It is a natural process of life and at some point, we would all have grey hair…some earlier than others. Hair usually has the colour it does because of pigment-producing cells at the root of the hair follicles. Over time the follicles produce less pigment causing the hair to go grey. In other instances, naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide can build up in the hair, bleaching it.

The major cause of grey hair is getting older. This would usually occur around mid 40s for black people, late 30s for Asians and mid 30s for Caucasians. Premature greying happens before these ages and can occur even in children as the hair pigments just stop making pigments. This may not necessarily be associated with any medical condition. Genes play a role here and it could just happen. However, in some situations premature greying can happen due to anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, a condition known as vitiligo, thyroid problems etc. So, you could get a doctor to check if you have any of these underlying conditions. Treatment of these conditions may help.

In other instances where a patch of hair just turns grey(poliosis), it could be due to the immune system accidently destroying pigment cells in a particular area of hair or due to genetic disorders. It could happen in children born without pigment cells in a particular area of their hair.

Is there a treatment? Not really. So you can work with a hair stylist colour your hair (permanently or semi-permanently), put in highlights or just style creatively.

You can go short and sport a nice trim hair cut that shows off your grey or ensure you have it looking nice and sleek….just like a woman I saw in church all those years ago! Sigh…she looked so distinguished! There I go, drooling again…😄

So, that’s it! No reversal…it’s just mask it or rock it 😀

At what age did you notice your first grey hair? Or are you still waiting? 😄

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Expired… Or Not?

Posted on June 25, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Your blood tablets expire in 2 months.

Do you:

A. Throw them away immediately?
B. Keep taking them?
C. You’re not even sure what the expiry date means?

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably done at least one of these.

Many people don’t actually understand what an expiry date means or the difference between “Expiry Date,” “Use By,” and “Best Before.”

And when it comes to medicines, getting it wrong can affect both safety and effectiveness.

In today’s post, we’ll answer a common question:

“If my medicine expires in two months, can I still take it?”

We’ll also explain:
What expiry dates really mean
When medicines should be thrown away
Why storage matters
The warning signs that a medicine may no longer be safe

Before you take your next tablet or throw away that old medicine read this.

Q: Please Dr, can I still take any drugs that will expire in two months’ time (Blood tablet)?

A: Thanks for writing in.

Very good question! This is something we all take for granted. But what does the expiry date mean? If this is referred to in another way, does it mean the same thing?

There are a couple of controversies about whether medications are completely bad when they are expired or whether they can still be taken with no problems. We will not delve into these controversies and will focus on what you should do.

The expiry date refers to a particular date beyond which the medications may not be safe to use anymore and when they may be only partially or not at all effective. These dates are usually seen on the packaging or label of the medication, usually put there by the manufacturer of the medication and goes by different nomenclatures: expiry, expires, exp, use by, use before, exp date etc

All medications should be stored properly; usually away from sunlight in a cool place. Once the expiry date is past, do not use it. If it is still within the useful date (before expiry date) but looks and/or tastes and/or smells funny/different, please discontinue use until you get this checked out by your doctor or pharmacist.

If a medication has ‘expiry date’ of July 2017, this means ‘do not take this medication beyond the last day of July, 2017’

If a medication has a ‘use by, use before or best before date’ of July, 2017, this means, ‘do not take this medication beyond the last day of June 2017′

This is also helpful when assessing the expiry dates of foods etc.

So, if your medications are due to expire in 2 months, smell, taste and/or look normal, have been stored properly, it’s probably okay to take them. Where in doubt, please consult your doctor or pharmacist.

I hope this helps.

Be honest: Have you ever checked the expiry date on a medicine before taking it? 😊

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Want Whiter Teeth?

Posted on June 24, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

How Can I Whiten My Brown Teeth?

Q: Hello Dr Ketch. I appreciate your efforts to see that people stay healthy. My question: is there anything that one can do to make ones brown teeth to be white again?

A: Thanks for writing in. Brown teeth can be embarrassing. Smoking, drinking coffee, wine, tea etc can cause this. Generally brightly coloured foods like some candies, berries and sauces also have the potential to stain teeth if they are left on the surface long enough.

To prevent these stains, try the following tips:

Avoid or significantly reduce the amount of these fluids or foods in your typical diet.

If you can’t avoid them, then reduce the amount of time the foods or fluids have contact with your teeth by chewing and swallowing promptly. Yes, I know I’ve said you should chew intentionally so that your tummy has the chance to receive signals from the brain which tell it that it’s full 😀 But, in this instance, we’re trying to choose the lesser of two evils 😀

Use straws. These will ensure that the fluids get little contact time with your teeth.

Learn to swish your teeth with water after you’ve taken any of these foods to ‘wash’ away the residue of the stain-causing foods.

As for what to do if you already have stained teeth, I reproduce one of my posts on that subject:

There are easily obtainable teeth whitening tooth pastes. They help remove surface stains that may be caused by coffee or nicotine.

When whitening paste is used at least twice a day for a period of time between 2 to 6 weeks, significant results are seen. However, care has to be taken to ensure that these pastes are used according to the manufactures’ instructions otherwise, they can cause erosion of the enamel of the teeth.

Please note that the whitening tooth pastes do not alter the natural colour of your teeth and by extension are not also useful, if the stain is deeper than the surface of your teeth! 😀

Whitening strips and gels are also available. Apart from all these, there are a couple more sophisticated treatments available from the dentists’. So check with yours.

Beyond all these, please don’t forget the place of regular brushing of teeth in the maintenance of a bright and gorgeous set of teeth.

Fruits like apples and strawberries actually contain substances that help whiten the teeth. So, just like the doctor ordered…an apple a day, keeps the doctor (and the dentist 😃) away.

A DIY (Do It Yourself) solution is to mix the juice of one lemon with one or two pinches of baking soda. Then dip a cotton ball into this and leave this on your teeth for 1 minute ONLY! Yes, I had to scream that for emphasis 😀 If you leave it longer than that, the lemon juice can lead to the erosion of the enamel. So, if you can’t manage this, please just see your doctor who will suggest other solutions too or get it done for you professionally.

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Why Are Your Eyes Looking Tired?

Posted on June 23, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

I sleep well every night, so why do I still have dark circles under my eyes?

Most people immediately blame lack of sleep.

But dark circles can be caused by much more than burning the candle at both ends.
Allergies.
Sun exposure.
Frequent eye rubbing.
Alcohol.
Ageing.
Even your sleeping position.

And here’s the one that is surprising: Sometimes dark circles simply run in families. Whaat?! This could be in my genes?

In today’s post, we explore the surprising reasons those dark shadows appear under your eyes, what you can do about them, and when it’s time to see a doctor.

Before you spend money on expensive creams and concealers, read this.

Q: Good morning doctor. I have dark circles round my eyes. It first started to show when I moved to a very sunny environment and sometimes my eyes itch a lot and as a result of scratching it might swell. I don’t know whether to see a doctor. It makes me lose confidence.

A: The skin around the eye is very thin and as a result, any movement of fluid in or out of the area is very visible there. Typical examples are the dramatic sunken eyes when one is dehydrated (maybe from stooling) and the equally ‘gossip-worthy’ swollen eyes after a night of crying

Usually in the body, fluid would move from an area of low salt concentration to an area of high salt concentration (osmosis). After crying, your salty tears are an attraction for fluids, which move from areas of low salt concentration to accumulate there. On the other hand, going on an alcoholic binge (drinking till you drop) causes dehydration with the accompanying sinking eyeballs.

Now dark circles may be ‘false’ and just look that way when puffy eyelids cast shadows on the area or due to sunken eyeballs as people age. Real dark circles however, may occur due to the reasons already mentioned above and others such as prolonged bouts of crying and sleeping with make-up on.

Treatment will be based on the cause. If it’s due to a cold or allergy or sinus problems, when these are taken care of, then the symptoms will disappear. Modification of lifestyle habits like removing all make-up at night, wearing sunglasses and using sunscreen when out in the sun, changing sleeping positions by sleeping on your back (if possible) or elevating your head with more pillows and leaving alcohol and your eyes well alone (no scratching and rubbing of eyes!) may also be helpful.

Quick fixes for these bags include using concealer or even foundation to cover it up. Using cucumber slices on your eyes or teabags are also helpful as short term measures. By the time you hit your 30s, you really should invest in a good eye moisturizer because this is the first place to show the sign of aging

Other solutions include surgery and injection of fillers etc.
Remember that no matter how many concealers, surgeries, moisturizers et al you use, if you don’t rest and avoid fatigue, you’ll just be throwing money down the drain.

If these circles persist, however or seem to be just under one eye, please see your doctor or dermatologist for more advice.

So, as you all start contemplating where to hang out next weekend, be sure not to show up at work with the ‘telling’ bags under your eyes on Monday.

Have a great week ahead, family! 😀

Hugs!

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Memory Problems Don’t Start In The Brain…They Often Start On The Plate.

Posted on June 22, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

If I gave you a pill that could help protect your memory, improve focus, and support brain health as you age, would you take it?

Most people would say yes.

But what if I told you that some of the most powerful brain-supporting choices are probably already sitting in your kitchen?

According to Harvard Health, there is no single “magic brain food.” However, research suggests that certain foods may help keep your memory sharp, improve concentration, and support overall long term brain health:

1) Green leafy vegetables – Efo, Green, Ugu, Spinach etc

2) Fatty fish – Sardines, Catfish, Mackerel (Titus), Herring (Shawa), Bonga fish etc.

3)Tea and coffee – in moderation!

4) Walnuts, including African walnuts (Ukpa)

5) Berries – Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries etc. But if you don’t have access to these or they are too expensive for you, these fruits have antioxidants that support overall brain health – Watermelon, Oranges, Tangerines, Guava and Pineapple.

The fascinating part? These are the same foods that help protect your heart and blood vessels. And what’s good for your heart is often good for your brain too.

So before you spend money looking for a miracle supplement, take a look at what’s on your plate.😃

For more details, check out https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower

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Stop Buying Shoes That Hurt!

Posted on June 21, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Have you ever bought shoes and then found later that they appear quite tight…and despite everything the salesperson had told you about how the shoes will ‘expand’, it’s just not happening? (Side note – If they don’t fit in the store, they won’t fit in your life!😄)

Or perhaps, you find that when you buy shoes for your children the same happens and so, you are now consistently buying ‘Obi’s big shoes’ 😀 Well, this article is for you. Came across it in the Harvard journal and it tells you when to buy and how to buy!

1) Did you know your feet are actually bigger in the afternoon? Never shop for shoes in the morning; wait until they swell in the heat! 😃

2) One of your feet is likely bigger than the other – measure both every single time!

3) Always buy the size that fits your larger foot, or you’re inviting pain! And callouses! And corns! 😃

4) You need a half-inch of space for your longest toe, not a tight squeeze! Even if it’s leather (Italian or otherwise)!

5) Sizes vary by brand – try out the shoes even if you ‘know’ your size. Trust your comfort, not the number on the box!

6) If you need socks for your shoes, wear your actual socks to the store; don’t guess the fit!

7) While wearing your shoes, feel inside for rough seams; if it’s scratchy now, it will definitely form a blister later!

8) Turn the shoes over – if the sole doesn’t cushion a hard floor, your knees will pay for it! Walk around in the shoes before you buy to confirm this.

So, bear these tips in mind the next time you go shoe shopping.

Have a great weekend!

Harvard Health article – https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/8-tips-for-buying-shoes-that-are-good-to-your-feet

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Love Should Not Be Blind!

Posted on June 20, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Today is World Sickle Cell Day. To commemorate this, I share an earlier post I had made on Sickle Cell Disease. Enjoy….

Did you enjoy reading Mills and Boon and all about falling in love in those good old days? The dashing tall, dark and handsome men who were to charge into our lives with panache and sweep us off our feet (drool). Some of us got these our ‘Prince Charmings’ (on white horses, to boot) and some of us not. But, hey hold it…this post is not about that! 😄

It is about the things that love supposedly makes us do! I checked up an online dictionary and it defines love as an intense feeling of deep affection. Hmm! Then I went a step further and checked up the meaning of blindness and this online source tells me that this is a state of being sightless and unable to see. So, if love is blind, it prevents anyone with this feeling of deep affection from seeing…literally and figuratively! Hmm, thought to ponder. I’ll leave this discourse here for a bit and move on to another issue.

Parenthood is a huge job. It involves a human being literally sacrificing all for another. You want to protect your children from pain, hurts, losses etc even when you know it is impossible. When they are ill, you want to take over the illness and leave them well. So imagine if you were the parent of a sickler, who has to deal with crises after crises, in pain and really sickly most of the time. You’re constantly praying to God to please let this crisis pass, please reduce the pain and indeed you are in the hospital more often than not with this child.

How did this happen? Well it was when two sickle trait carriers (people with AS) decided to get married. This automatically meant that for each pregnancy, they had a 25% chance that the baby would be born with genotype SS. This is a mathematical probability and so it could very well be that none of this couple’s children would be SS or it could very well be that all or half of them could be SS! So imagine starting out on a journey of parenthood knowing that your heart is going to be broken again and again as you deal with your child’s continual visits in and out of a hospital.

Now where does this link up with the first? With World Sickle Cell day being celebrated today, it got me wondering about this thing called love. Well, methinks that love should not be blind…not in these days where there are all sorts of sources for generating power 😅

More seriously, love really has no choice than to be pragmatic these days. And so before marriage, a couple should be sure to carry out tests. I’m not talking about those carried out by churches to confirm pregnancy at al 😉 but a serious desire by couples to seek answers as they make the decision to undertake a voyage together. This should ideally be done or known by both parties early enough in a relationship before emotional investments are made on either side.

If two people are carriers of the sickle cell trait, it is only pragmatic not to marry. Before you all lynch me, I know it is not as easy as it sounds. But marrying because you’re emotionally invested is really exchanging one type of heart break for another…because your heart will surely break when you have to watch your child go through the pains of the many crises he or she has to deal with or have them die in your hands.

If I were to choose, I most definitely know what the choice would be for me. It may not be an easy choice but we’ve got to break the trend of these increasing numbers of people living with sickle Cell Disease in our communities. If ignorance is the problem, let’s spread the knowledge; if love being blind is the problem, ladies and gentlemen, please bring a flashlight along and show the light! 😄

Have a great weekend!

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How Soon Is Too Soon For Baby Number 2?

Posted on June 19, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Did you know that getting pregnant too soon after a baby can increase the risk of premature birth and low birth weight?

Many parents focus on ‘when they want another child’, but few consider whether the mother’s body has had enough time to recover.

So how long should you wait before trying for another baby? Is there such a thing as spacing pregnancies too far apart?

My post, today, reflects on the science behind pregnancy spacing and what it means for both mother and baby.

Q: Please Doc, what is the right spacing for giving birth/pregnancies? How old should your last child be before you think of getting pregnant again?

A: Interesting question! And a good one too! 😀 I smile because I had two babies in two consecutive years (2004 and 2005)! They are really a year and 9 months apart but it was kinda embarrassing when people pointed that I practically had them back to back 😀

Truth is, when you and hubby choose to have children is totally up to you but just like everything else in life, there are choices we make that may not be optimal in the long term. Having children at very close intervals (less than one and a half to two years) puts both mother and baby at risk.

For mum, she would not have had enough time to build back her stock of nutrients like iron and folate. Some studies also suggest that she’s also more likely to have placental problems like placenta previa or placenta abruption.

For baby, there are risks of being born premature or having a low birth weight when born.

In addition to these, the economic and emotional stress are issues to contend with. Having children is a lot more than bringing them to life, having two toddlers running around all day may very well take its toll 😀

Just as there are risks with babies born too close together, there are also risks for children born too far apart (greater than 5 years). Interestingly, they are the same risks of babies being born premature, having a low birth weight or small size for age of pregnancy. The mother is prone to high blood pressure.

Having said all of these, remember that these are guides. For women who started having their babies late (perhaps from 30 years), it’s difficult to stick with this dictum as they want to make the best use of the childbearing years they have left. And who can blame them 🙂 Remember that if you do find yourself pregnant for another baby while breastfeeding another baby, continue breastfeeding except you have a history of premature babies, premature contractions or multiple pregnancy. Always check with your doctor.

So, in a nutshell, the optimal space between babies should be one and a half to two years and less than 5 years.

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“Your Heart Knows How Many Energy Drinks You Had This Week…Even If You Don’t!

Posted on June 19, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

I haven’t slept for 3 days, but this energy drink will help me finish the job.

Will it?

Maybe.

But your body is keeping score.

Most people think energy drinks and coffee simply help them stay awake. What many don’t realize is that caffeine affects far more than sleep.

It can cause:
Rapid heartbeat
Nervousness and anxiety
High blood pressure
Irritability
Bladder irritation
Sleep disruption

And if you’re using energy drinks to replace proper rest, your body will eventually force you to pay the bill.

In today’s post, I share my hilarious medical school coffee disaster and explain what caffeine is really doing inside your body.

Before you reach for that next energy drink…Read this.

Q: What is the effect of energy drinks and coffee on the body?

A: Hmm! Talking about coffee brings back memories of Med School. I always used to love reading on my bed. Yep, you heard me. On my bed, surrounded by tomes of text books but just chilling and reading. This was my regular routine until it was time for my first major exam in Med School…the second MB exams! I felt that this was a special occasion which required a bit more from me. And so, I decided I was going to team up with a couple of my friends, go to class or the library and swot till forever! Well, that was the plan. What eventually happened was a different story all together!

One of the first principles of swotting forever is to ensure that you have a ‘never-ending’ supply of coffee. I had never been a coffee lover; so this new territory! And so, I set off trying to brew my cuppa. I should have asked for advice from the veterans…I mean, that’s common sense, isn’t it? But no! I was convinced I knew exactly what needed to be done. And so I loaded the cup with instant coffee, added hot water, sugar and milk and I was ready to face my medical tomes! Within minutes though, I realised something was terribly wrong! My tummy was rumbling, grumbling and roaring all at once! I raced into the toilet and spent the rest of the day there! There went my dream of swotting for ever!

Moral of this story: Don’t try to be like anyone else. If reading on your bed works for you, please go ahead and do just that. 😀 I learnt that the hard way! But, I digress…

Back to the question, energy drinks and coffee contain one important ingredient, caffeine. This is found in teas, chocolates and some sodas, too. Apart from the laxative effect it had on me, caffeine has other actions on the body – see list above.

The recommended daily amount of caffeine is 400mg which is about the amount of coffee in two 8 ounce cups of coffee. These are the dainty cups of coffee and not the huge mug-like (Who-send-you-come?) cups that a lot of us favour 😀

The energy drinks often contain huge amounts of caffeine and are used by people as a pick-me-up for different reasons. The thing is, if you haven’t slept for 3 days and you’re trying to complete that project by taking more energy drinks that will keep you awake, you will eventually pay for this…one way or the other. It is either the side-effects of caffeine take over or you do fall asleep! You can’t cheat nature (forgive the cliché). Your body needs rest when it needs rest and it will get it one way or another!

So, if you must, one energy drink (about 500mls) once in a blue moon may not hurt you but it may be more constructive to try to pace your activities and not try to get everything done at once. Eat healthy and get some exercise (at least 30 minutes) daily. Mixing these drinks with alcohol and other recreational drugs makes it a more dangerous ‘concoction’.

Please avoid energy drinks if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or you have a heart disease or at least speak to your doctor about it. Children and adolescents should stay off this. Pregnant women and breast feeding mothers should be especially careful.

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That Painful Finger Boil May Not Be A Boil. It Could Be Herpes!

Posted on June 17, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Doctor, I have a painful blister around my fingernail. Is it just a boil?

Not always.

Sometimes that swollen, throbbing finger isn’t caused by bacteria at all – it may be caused by the same virus responsible for cold sores and genital herpes.

Even more surprising?

Children can get it simply by sucking on a thumb with a tiny cut while they have a cold sore.

The condition is called Whitlow, and many people mistake it for an ordinary nail infection.

In today’s post, you’ll learn:

What Whitlow actually is

How people catch it

Why it can be extremely painful

What NOT to do if you have it

How to prevent it from spreading to other fingers or even your eyes

Before you squeeze, pop or ignore that painful finger blister, read this.

Q: Hello Doc, what is a whitlow and what’s the treatment?

A: Whitlow usually refers to Herpetic whitlow caused by Herpes Simplex Virus. It usually affects the tip of the index finger or thumb. It happens when the finger skin, especially the cuticle, is broken and invaded by virus causing infection of the soft tissue around the nail. This can happen through skin to skin contact or when infected fluid touches the breach/cut in the finger skin. In children, this can happen when a child with cold sore (what we usually term fever blister), sucks on a finger with a cut on the thumb or also through contact with someone who has genital Herpes.

The virus may remain inactive in the skin for up to 3 weeks before symptoms manifest. This condition is intensely painful and patients would complain of swelling and blisters in the affected area, tenderness over the area and, of course, pain. As is usual with viral infections, whitlow is self-limiting. This means that the infection will run its course and disappear. They usually clear up within 3 to 4 weeks without treatment. However, your doctor may prescribe an anti-viral agent to prevent recurrence of the infection.

If you already have a whitlow, prevent its spread by covering it up with a plaster (it could spread to another finger, you know 😃), wearing glasses to prevent passing on the virus to your eyes, ensuring that your baby does not suck his ‘whitlow finger’ (Eeew! 😃) and washing your hands often.

Have a great day!

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