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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My Baby Feeds All Night…Is This Okay?

Posted on June 16, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

12 am – 4 am…and the baby still wants to feed?!

Q: Good morning, Doctor. My wife is doing exclusive breast feeding but my daughter sucks intensively, an average of 14hrs everyday…she could suck from 12am to 4am sometimes, making it difficult for the mom to do any other thing.

1) Can we start introducing a little water so that I could help wife some nights?
2) Can we give her gripe water? Mother insists it helps babies to ease stomach upsets that is normal with babies.

A: Trust me…you’re not the only husband who wonders whether their new babies are on a mission to deplete their wives of their very lives given their frequency of sucking! When I had my last baby, I would jokingly say that I felt light-headed after breast feeding him…he sucked that much 😀 So, I know exactly what you’re talking about! And thank you so much for being a caring husband that feels for his wife and wants to lighten her burden. You’re a gem 🙂

When your baby is born, feeding should really be on demand and so that’s as often as they want 😀 The feeling you have that your baby feeds all the time is probably because breast milk is so easy to digest that it moves pretty easily through your baby’s digestive system and also be because your baby’s tummy is really tiny requiring only little food at once and then needing to feed more often.

But the good news is that a good number of babies sleep through the first couple of days and frequent feeding helps boost your breast milk production. Unfortunately, your baby does not appear to be one of those sleeping through the first few days 😃

For those parents who do have those babies that sleep through, please be sure that you never let them sleep more than 3 hours without waking them for a feed.

However, the good news is that as your baby grows older, his feeding pattern will become more established and she will generally feed every 2 to 3 hours. Sucking from 12am to 4am sounds almost like comfort sucking where the baby is on the breast but not sucking or swallowing and sometimes just playing with the nipple. In the early days, it may not be a bad idea to allow this as you bond with your baby but later on, you’ve got to make breast feeding time to be about ‘eating’ and find other means of comfort.

So, should you introduce water? No. The fore milk is made up of a significant quantity of water…so trust me, your baby is not thirsty. Then, it’s also important that your wife alternates between the two breasts during each feed and go for about 10 minutes on each side depending on how hungry your baby is. This ensures she’s getting the fore milk (mostly water) and the more calorie-dense hind milk.

And now to gripe water, honestly, the benefits are more in our imagination than in actual fact. The stomach aches that babies have (colic) can be very distressing for a parent to watch but perhaps understanding what it’s about may be helpful.

Colics usually start occurring in some children between 3 to 6 weeks of age and disappear between the 3rd to 4th month of life, without any treatment. Some modifications may help reduce their severity:

• Be sure to burp baby after each feed
• Hold baby and gently rock her after a feed
• Hold your baby upright during her feed
• Check your diet: reduce caffeine-containing foods and sometimes, it may be the dairy in your diet that you baby is reacting to. Taking dairy off your diet for a week or two may lead to improvement in symptoms.

Remember to see your doctor where in doubt as to what is wrong with your baby, especially if you’re a newbie mum/dad 🙂

So, with or without gripe water, this colic shall pass 😀

Have a great night, y’all 😀

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True Or False? Drinking Stout Helps You Replace The Blood You Donated.

Posted on June 15, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

How many of us grew up hearing this?

Donate blood.

Drink a bottle of stout to get your blood back.

Sounds logical…except that’s not how the human body works.

In fact, alcohol is one of the things you should avoid immediately after donating blood.

On this World Blood Donor Day, let’s separate blood donation facts from fiction. Read!

Q: Dear Dr Ketch please I need you counseling, when other people donated blood to someone they used to take some bottle of stout beer to gain back the blood, but we do advice to stay away from alcohol because it has negative effect in the body system, is stout not alcohol?

A: 😀

I just love your question! Yes, stout is alcohol and I am not quite sure who came up with the idea of drinking it to gain back blood! Absolutely not!!! Indeed, you are to avoid alcohol for at least 8 hours after!

Here are some tips to guide you, before, during and after the blood donation.

To donate blood, you have to be at least 17 years or over, in good health with a healthy blood count and weigh more than 50kg, you can donate whole blood every 56 days and your blood will be screened for viruses and bacteria.

Now to specifics….

Before the blood donation, be sure to do the following:

Ensure that you are eating an iron-rich diet like green, leafy veggies, red meat, cereals fortified with iron etc.
Avoid fatty foods
Be sure to avoid alcohol and take in lots of fluids (water and other juices)
Bring along your donor card and form of ID
Avoid vigorous exercise
During the blood donation, be sure to

Wear loose and comfortable clothing which can be folded above the elbow.
Relax and let the bleeding proceed J
You shouldn’t feel any pain after the initial prick. If you do, please call the attention of the medic close by.

After the blood donation,

Don’t be in a hurry 😀 Relax and have a snack and a few drinks (non-alcoholic, please)
Avoid smoking in the first 2 hours
Avoid alcohol in the first 8 hours
Avoid strenuous exercise and do not carry heavy stuff with that arm for the rest of the day
Keep the pressure bandage on for about 30 minutes afterwards
Keep the plaster on though for about 6 hours after.
If you feel lightheaded, please lie down, drink a lot of fluid and rest until you feel better
If the donation site starts to bleed, please apply pressure and elevate arm. If this continues, please see your doctor.
I hope this helps.

Have a great night, everyone 😀

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Can You Tell You’re Having Twins Before An Ultrasound?

Posted on June 14, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Many women think they can.

Maybe the morning sickness feels worse.

Maybe the tummy seems bigger than expected.

Maybe there’s a strong family history of twins.

But which signs actually mean something and which ones can be misleading? Read!

Q: Hello Dr ketch, please, I am 11 weeks pregnant and for the past 1 week, it’s as if I’ve been feeling movements in the stomach. Is it normal or do I need to check a doctor? In my first pregnancy, I did not feel the baby till 20 weeks and above. Again, besides the ultrasound, how can I know if I’m having twins?

A: The first time you feel your baby’s movement is known as quickening and the time women feel it varies person to person. It ranges from 16 to 25 weeks but women who have had babies before may feel this much earlier.

Women describe it as different things: a bubbly feeling; butterflies in their tummy; gas etc.

How to know if you’re having twins? Well, ultrasound is your best bet. But there are some other ‘signs’ that may be suggestive:
If your doctor is very experienced, he may be able to distinguish different heartbeats using Doppler system. Ask your doctor about this. This is a small ‘machine’ placed against a woman’s tummy that amplifies the baby’s heart beats.

You may also have excessive morning sickness. Again, this may be misleading as lots of women experience significant morning sickness even when pregnant with one baby 😀

You may find that your weight gain is excessive…but then again, if you eat a lot and really feed that urge you have to indulge in all manner of foods, then you would be adding weight; and this is not due to 2 babies 😀

The hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) is the hormone that is sought for when pregnancy tests are conducted. If for some reason, your doctor decides to monitor its level and it is inordinately high, then this could lead him to think twin pregnancy.

When your doctor checks the fundal height…essentially the size of your pregnancy, the size of your tummy would suggest a much older pregnancy than the real age of the pregnancy.

You would also feel more tired, more frequent fetal movements etc or you may have a history of this or just feel a hunch that this is a twin pregnancy. None of these are fool-proof. So, an ultra sound scan is still your best bet 🙂

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Doctor, Is Smoked Goat Cheese Safe During Pregnancy?

Posted on June 10, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Would you stop eating a food you love if it could increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth?

That’s why certain cheeses are best avoided during pregnancy.

The concern isn’t the cheese itself.

It’s a bacteria called Listeria.

Here’s what makes some cheeses (and foods) riskier than others. Read!

Q: Good Evening Dr. Ketch, please I wanted to find out if smoked goat cheese is safe to eat during pregnancy

A: Thanks for writing in. Cheese is a great source of calcium and should ordinarily be a great prescription for pregnancy where we are trying to ensure that you build up enough calcium stock to prevent the baby ‘stealing’ from your bone stock 😀

However, because of the possibility of getting infected with Listeria, especially when you eat the soft goat chesses which are mould-ripened, you may want to give it a rest.

Generally, the goat cheese is considered safe if cooked. The point of cooking is to ensure that the cheese has been heated all the way through, killing any harmful bacteria and making it safe for consumption. Smoking may not do that. If you’re unsure whether it’s cooked or not or what kind of cheese it is, play safe, give it a miss. Better safe than sorry. Though listerosis (the disease caused by the Listeria organism) may be mild causing no symptom or perhaps, flu-like symptoms, it could lead to miscarriage and still birth. So, you want to be sure you stay away from potential sources.

Also, avoid raw, under-cooked and uncooked seafood and shellfish. Make sure prawns and shrimps are a milk white colour when cooked.

Generally, when pregnant, the main concern is the amount of mercury in the fish or sea food. Large mackerel, Swordfish,Tile fish and Shark contain a large amount of Mercury that could cause defects in the baby’s developing nervous system.

For foods you should eat:

• Eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods from different food groups.

• Be sure to include a lot of high fibre foods like vegetables, whole grain cereals etc to deal with the constipation associated with pregnancy.

• Ensure you take your antenatal medications (prenatal vitamins) in addition to eating well.

• Be sure to also take foods rich in iron eg and foods rich in folic acid eg green leafy veggies and beans. Folate prevents deformities of the spine.

• Drink at least 4 servings of milk, other dairy products or calcium rich foods like those noted above. If you don’t eat enough, your baby will start drawing on your own stock from your bones. So, stock up on calcium!

I hope this helps!

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Can Men Grow Breasts?

Posted on June 8, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Surprisingly, yes.

Hormonal changes can cause breast tissue to enlarge in boys and men, sometimes affecting just one side.

But how do you know when it’s harmless and when it needs medical attention? Read the post below!

Q: Hello once again. Is it normal for a man to have unequal breasts? My right breast is bigger than the left breast and when I feel it with my hands they are some lumps in it. What might be the cause? And how do I treat it?

A: Thanks for writing in.

What you describe can happen in boys and men as a result of hormonal imbalance (of estrogen and testosterone) and can affect one or both breasts. As a result of the hormonal changes at these periods, new-born babies adolescents and the elderly may experience this. Other risk factors include the use of performance enhancing drugs (steroids or androgens) in sports.

Boys and men with this condition may feel some pain and embarrassment. To prevent this condition, staying away from illegal drugs, like anabolic steroids and staying off alcohol could be helpful. Also, getting your doctor to review your medication to ensure that you are not taking any drug that could lead to increase in breast tissue would be helpful.

If the usual conditional described above describe your case, then this would disappear on its own but where it doesn’t or you continue to feel concerned, please consult your doctor. You may require further investigation and/or treatment in the form of surgery to remove excess breast tissue or medication.

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You Could Be Making Your Pimples Worse!

Posted on June 7, 2026 by chatwithdrketch

Want to know one of the fastest ways to make pimples worse?

Keep touching them.
Keep squeezing them.
Keep picking at them.
Keep tweaking them.

Many people spend money on acne treatments while unknowingly doing the one thing that causes more scarring and more breakouts.

If you’re struggling with pimples, read the post below to know what your skin wishes you would stop doing today.

Q: Please Dr, how can I cure my pimples naturally?

A: Pimples or acne are always a serious concern for males and females of all ages. When you’re a teenager, it appears life is generally miserable when you have a lot of these and when you’re older, it’s embarrassing and almost as if, you didn’t pass through rites of the teenage years and now have to deal with it at this age 😀 Either way, it can be a source of emotional upset. Stressing out about it, now makes it even worse as stress can make acne worse even if it doesn’t directly cause it.

Acne happens when hair follicles get blocked by dead skin cells and oil. They are most frequently found on the face, back, shoulders and neck.

Pimples are usually increased or aggravated by hormones which are in abundant supply during the teenage years, pregnancy, before the start of a menstrual period and when using some medications. In other instances, pimples result from friction between clothes and skin (e.g. collar, or wearing a back pack often), having greasy hair or other materials constantly touching the skin and a family history of acne.

Acne can be inflammatory (in which case they are usually painful like pimples) or non-inflammatory (blackheads or whiteheads).

One of the major problems with acne is the fact that a lot of the people who have them can’t leave them well alone…plucking, tweaking, pressing and just generally touching them leading to more inflammation, scarring and even bacterial infections as germs from hands are transferred to them.

Treatment of acne is targeted at one or a mixture of the following factors: reducing inflammation, reducing oil production, improving skin cell turnover and reducing bacterial infection.

Creams with Salicylic acid or Benzoyl peroxide are useful for removing dead skin cells, killing off bacteria and reducing oil production. You may notice some slight irritation initially which wears off in a little while.

Where in doubt, please see your doctor.

Your doctor could also prescribe other (stronger) drugs if the above do not work to deal with the acne and the scarring.

You can prevent pimples by using gentle cleansers on your face in the morning and evening. Be sure that they do not dry out your face as these cause even further irritation.

Do not use your body soap on your face for the same reason. Use a facial bar or facial wash.

Keep greasy hair off your face and wear loose clothes that allow your skin to breathe. Cotton is always a great idea 😀 For this same reason, if you always carry a rucksack/backpack, switch it around and carry other bags in turn to allow your back ‘breath’

Do not use greasy cosmetics and if you have acne, perhaps you should give your foundation a miss for a while or try not to be too heavy handed with it 😀

Be sure to wipe all your makeup off your face every night. Those pores need some air after all that war paint we put over them 😀
And…please leave your face alone, especially if you’ve got pimples. Continually picking at them will just cause more scarring and increase the likelihood of bacterial infections 😉

For natural methods, Alpha hydroxy acids found in some fruits have been found to also be helpful. A good number of creams contain this and they help unclog pores and remove dead skin cells. Use with caution though as they may cause some irritation.

Have a great evening!

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