When I was younger, I hated going shopping with my mum to buy sanitary towels or pads. She would ask me to pick them out and I would absolutely feel the whole world was looking at me! The embarrassment is better imagined than felt! I would get them and bury them under whatever else we had bought! My mum could not understand what all the ‘drama’ was about. She would jokingly ask me whether I felt the people in the shops would actually be surprised to know that a big girl like me was ‘seeing’ her period. I didn’t care. It didn’t stop the embarrassment J
Fast forward to many years later….now I walk into shops and don’t even bother to get a basket to put pads in. I just pick them up and pay for them at the counter. My daughter, while not exactly…
Q: Hello doctor, my daughter have white substance in her private part I noticed it since when she is a week old and now she is two years old. Could she be having an infection?
A: Hello Mum! Thanks for writing in and being very observant!
Is it normal for a newborn baby to have vaginal discharge? Actually, yes it is. Baby girls may have clear, white, cloudy white or even bloody discharge after birth. This is as a result of your hormones that she was exposed to while in your womb. This is normal and should have disappeared by the time you go for your post-natal appointment.
Thereafter, the cause of the vaginal discharge can be a foreign body that got in there…a hair bead or even a bit of tissue left after cleaning up, for example. That is sufficient to cause significant discharge.
Q: Hello doc! Happy new month. What is the effect of having sex with my wife in her monthly cycle?
A: Well, having sexual intercourse during a lady’s menstrual period does not make a man impotent, neither does it kill vital organs in his body…contrary to all the stories you have probably heard 😀
However, it is obviously messy and it is easy to contract Sexually Transmitted Infections at this time.
Can one get pregnant at this time? Unlikely but not impossible. It depends on the length of a woman’s cycle. If she has a short cycle, she could be seeing her period a few days away from her ovulation. Thus, if she has sexual intercourse, perhaps towards the end of her period, the sperm, which can stay ‘alive’ for days after sexual intercourse, are still available to fertilize the eggs released during ovulation. If in your case, you’re sure that you ovulate during your period, then I end by saying, ‘having sexual intercourse during menstruation is NOT a means of contraception’ 😀
Yesterday was World AIDS Day with the theme ‘Communities Make The Difference’. In honour of this day, I share a post (slightly edited) I made 3 years ago to mark this same day. Hello everyone! It’s December 1! Oh my! How the year has flown by! Filled with laughter and tears, ups and downs, sadness and happiness….but most of all, life! Yes! As the bible says, only the living can praise God. So, people, let’s praise God today….for the gift of life, for the gift of passing through it all and yet, still standing! Amazing! For the last month, call those things that be not, as if they are! Don’t give up. There are still 30 (well, 29 today) more days of amazing grace left in the year. Don’t miss them by giving up too soon! I smell Christmas in the air! World AIDS Day is a day set aside to create awareness of this disease caused by the virus, HIV. This day has been set aside for AIDS since 1988. So, do you know your HIV status? Do you assume that because it appears the media is not continuously awash with news of the HIV/AIDS anymore that perhaps, it no longer exists? A quick reminder class on HIV… HIV-Human Immunodeficiency virus is a virus quite different from other viruses in its structure and how it attacks the cells of the body .It affects the CD4 cells in the body. These CD4 cells serve as the soldiers of the body, fighting and defending it from disease organisms. When HIV infects these cells the body loses its ability to defend itself so all kinds of diseases which ordinarily would have been taken care of now have the opportunity to affect the multiple systems of the body. The initial symptoms of HIV are symptoms that can be seen also in other diseases, that means you can have similar symptoms in any other disease. These include fever, flu like symptoms (cold, catarrh, cough), sweat, fatigue, diarrhea, aches and pains in the joints, headache, rashes and occasionally bleeding from the nose. Other symptoms like oral thrush (whitish discoloration of the tongue), weight loss, chronic cough (cough lasting more than one month) and chronic diarrhea (passage of watery stools more than a month) come later in the course of the disease. To prevent this, don’t forget the ABCs of safe sex: Abstaining from sex, if not married; Being faithful to one partner and using a condom, if engaging in risky sex (totally understanding that even this is not 100% safe). For more on HIV/AIDS, please click on these links:https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/26/daily-health-tips-is-it-risky-to-marry-my-hiv-positive-fiancee-when-im-hiv-negative/ https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/11/daily-health-tips-can-my-hiv-positive-pregnant-friend-have-a-baby-without-problems/ https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/07/27/daily-health-tips-how-can-i-prevent-my-unborn-baby-from-becoming-infected-with-hiv/ https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/04/daily-health-tips-can-i-get-hiv-from-oral-sex/ https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/01/daily-health-tips-world-aids-day-2014/ https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/02/19/daily-health-tips-should-i-marry-my-boyfriend-who-i-just-realized-is-hiv-positive/ https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/12/04/daily-health-tip-hivaids-your-role-in-the-fight/ Have a good night, everyone 😀
Q: Can micro-organisms live in cold places eg food in a refrigerator?
A: Absolutely, they can. Cold temperature only slows down the growth of micro-organisms but it doesn’t completely stop them. So, the better the condition of the food stored in the refrigerator, the longer it will keep and the worse the condition, the shorter the period it will keep. Bear in mind that these foods will not keep indefinitely.
Q: In a situation where husband and wife share a room, can it cause cross-infection?
A: Husband and wife should definitely share a room because this promotes bonding and emotional connection. Can cross infections happen as a result of this? Well, if one person were not observing hygiene rules and, for instance, developed ringworm, this infection could very easily be passed on by sharing bed linen, towels etc. So, the solution is to ensure that everyone obeys the simple rules of hygiene.
Q: Please advice on dry gutters in or around the house. Also, dirty water on the floor in the compound.
A: Gutters (drainage gutters) around the house should always be scrubbed and cleaned. If not, they become a source of bad smells and pooling of stagnant water which encourage the growth of mosquitoes etc. Dirty water on the floor can lead to accidental falls and if the water is sufficient to become stagnant, again it becomes a breeding site for mosquitoes and other germs. Other probable breeding places for mosquitoes in the house are buckets of water, bathrooms with blocked drains, flower pots with more water than was necessary used for watering etc
Q: Are females to wash their private parts with soap? Some people say it’s not good to wash with soap.
A: Generally, washing the vagina requires just water and your hands. That is more than sufficient to get the job done. If you wish, however, you may use unscented or lightly scented soap.
Q: How can one maintain a younger look…that is not looking as old as your age?
A: Well, cosmetologists will have a million and one things they can suggest you use. I will go from the medical angle. First, your mental and spiritual health…be at peace with all men and just keep it positive. There are bound to be people who wake up everyone making it their job to rile you…put it in a bubble and blow it away Then, your diet. Eat more fruits and veggies, Substitute empty carbs with complex carbs, drink a lot of water. This should help keep you looking very young
Q: Ma’am, I sweat a lot even on my palms and under my feet, so when I put on shoes, my feet smell a lot. Please, ma’am how can I reduce sweating on my feet and palms?
Excessive sweating may happen in very hot weather, obesity, stress or medical conditions like thyroid problems or Diabetes Mellitus. Your doctor needs o check out if any of this is the problem. However, in the meantime, ensure you take a bath at least twice a day and use deodorants/anti-perspirants to ensure there’s no associated body odour. Then if the weather is hot, dress light…wear cotton fabrics that are not dark and not tight fitting. And try and substitute sandals for shoes. Oh and by the way, for guys, please change your socks and boxers daily to prevent an odour.
When you hear cancer, what vision is evoked in your mind? Death? The fact that people can beat this? The fact that it is possible for people to prevent this? What? Do you ever think that you have significant power in your hands to reduce your risk of this disease?
A study carried out in the US (San Diego) a couple of years ago showed that three lifestyle factors: smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise/activity led to 4 diseases: cancer, respiratory diseases (like asthma), heart disease and Diabetes/obesity. These diseases, in turn, were responsible for over 50% of deaths! A 3:4:50 relationship!!! Just think about that. Our lifestyle alone can significantly reduce our risk of diseases…this study made that aptly clear.
Focusing on cancer, what lifestyle changes can keep me safe?
• If you smoke, quit. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. • Ensure that your home is smoke-free…
