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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.

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!

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.

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!