chatwithketch

Q: Good evening Doctor, I am 19. What drug can I take to avoid pregnancy when I have sex? I want a drug that is very safe. Thanks doctor

A: Hey! Thanks for writing in.

The key thing you need to learn about sex now is the simple ABC that guides these affairs. The first is abstinence. Honestly, this is your safest bet. If you’re not ready to deal with the responsibilities of having a baby, please leave well alone. You can’t have an STI, HIV/AIDS, or otherwise if you don’t have sex. And of course, you can’t get pregnant. Now, if abstinence is a problem, be faithful to one partner…who hopefully is being faithful to you too. If you can’t swear on this, revert to plan A. Finally, if all else fails, ensure that you use a condom to prevent STIs and pregnancy.

The answer to proper contraception is not popping a pill in panic whenever you happen to have sexual intercourse. Emergency contraceptives have their place but they are not meant to take the place of regular contraceptives, as they are less effective than the regular ones. Regular use of these emergency contraceptives may cause your periods to become irregular and unpredictable. I’m sure you don’t want to have this problem. I suggest that you walk into a family planning clinic where a nurse will take you through all the different methods and arm you with the information to make a choice as to the best method for you.
For more on contraception, please click on this link:
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/28/daily-health-tips-does-the-intra-uterine-contraceptive-device-coil-make-you-look-older/

The next thing you need to learn is that there should be no pressure to have sex. It does not make you extra cool, nor does it keep that super-cool guy with you  This is your time for self-discovery – knowing and understanding yourself and your values. It is such a critical time in your life that the decisions you take now could determine the rest of your life. So, please be sure to take the right ones 

Lots of hugs coming your way!

Have a good evening, people 

Q: Good evening doctor, please how can I treat pile?

A: Piles, known as haemorrhoids in medical lingo are swollen veins in the anal canal. They can be internal, external or both internal and external can co-exist. Internal haemorrhoids occur when veins swell within the rectum and external haemorrhoids are found under the skin around the anus.
These haemorrhoids develop when there is undue pressure in the pelvic and anal area as can occur when people strain to pass faeces (if they have diarrhoea or are constipated), in pregnancy (especially the last 6 months), in obese people, people who eat diets low in fibre and people who practice anal intercourse. When women strain in labour, haemorrhoids can also be made worse. For those who love to visit the toilet with their newspapers and spend ages reading them in there, well, you’ve got breaking news! 😀 Sitting on the toilet seat for prolonged periods can also cause haemorrhoids. As people grow older, the support structures for these veins also grow weaker…naturally 😀
Some internal haemorrhoids can be small veins which stay within the rectum. Usually these internal haemorrhoids, stay inside the anus causing no problems. Other internal haemorrhoids can be big veins that sag and protrude out of the anal canal. Straining would cause their delicate surfaces to bruise and bleed. Sometimes, the straining is sufficient to cause the haemorrhoids to protrude out of the anal canal. This is probably what has been described above in the question. When the haemorrhoids are compressed by anal muscles, the pain is made worse and the pressure can lead to cutting off of blood supply to the haemorrhoids.
External haemorrhoids can clot due to irritation forming a hard, painful lump under the skin around the anus.People with haemorrhoids will complain of streaks of blood in the stool after stooling, blood on the tissue after cleaning up, anal pain, anal itching or a lump around the anus.
Treatment involves the use of ointments to relieve pain, inflammation and itching. There are other minimally invasive and surgical options available that range from rubber band ligation to surgical removal of the haemorrhoids.You can also limit the discomfort you have by keeping the anal area clean, using wet wipes (non-perfumed) to clean up after using the loo, sit on a bowl of plain warm water for about 15 minutes about twice or three times per day and also use some pain relief, if in pain.
To prevent this, ensure that your diet has sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables. Remember that if you take a regular flat plate, half of this should be filled with fruits and vegetables, half of the plate with complex carbohydrates and the last half with proteins.
Limit the time you spend sitting on the toilet seat (read your newspapers elsewhere :D), use the toilet as soon as you feel pressed (that way the fluid in the stool is not absorbed making the stool hard) and then don’t strain when you do go. Drink sufficient quantities of water daily, exercise (to keep everything moving along nicely :D)
Remember though that there are other causes of blood in faeces. That’s why this case has to be checked out in the hospital so that a proper diagnosis can be made.
Have a great evening 😀

Q: Good evening doctor, I have a problem with acne on my forehead for almost 2 months. I have tried everything – nothing is not working, so I need help on what I can use because I AM not feeling comfortable being around with people such that I am just home. Doc I need help

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 J For this same reason, if you always carry a rucksack, 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 J

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!

Q: Please I want to ask, if a man sperm touches one inner wear like pant without having any direct sex, is it possible for her to get pregnant?

A: Yes, it is possible to get pregnant even if there was no direct sex and/or penetration. How? The pre-ejaculate (a lubricating fluid produced as soon as the penis is erect, before the man ejaculates) may contain some sperm cells and so even if your partner is able to withdraw before ejaculation when there is actual penetration, ejaculates near your vagina, his erect penis comes into contact with your body near your vagina or his sperm gets into your vagina through any means including touching your vagina when he has semen or pre-ejaculate on his fingers, the harm would have been done. The risk of this is small but there is a risk.

You should also worry about the potential for STIs. I suggest that if this is a real situation, you visit your doctor for confirmation of pregnancy – though most GPs would ask that you wait until you actually miss your period. Then, if you are not pregnant, I suggest that you visit a family planning clinic for help with choosing a means of contraception. And remember your ABCs. A is for abstinence. Honestly, this is your safest bet. If you’re not ready to deal with the responsibilities of having a baby, please leave well alone. You can’t have an STI, HIV/AIDS, or otherwise if you don’t have sex. In addition, you can’t get pregnant. Now, if abstinence is a problem, be faithful to one partner…who, hopefully, is being faithful to you too. If you can’t swear on this, revert to plan A. Finally, if all else fails, ensure that you use a condom to prevent STIs and pregnancy.

All the best!

Q: I brush my teeth every day, morning and evening, still, my teeth get more yellowish, what could be the problem please? Thank you.

A: Smoking, drinking coffee, wine, tea etc can cause your teeth to change colour. 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.

If you already have stained teeth, here’s what to do:

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 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 :D) 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.

Have a good night, y’all 

Q: Good Evening Dr, please can a pregnant woman take food or drink that contains vinegar inside it. Thanks Dr

A: Thanks for writing in.

Vinegar is acidic and because of the heart burn associated with pregnancy, vinegar may potentially worsen a bad situation. For more on the heart burn and other symptoms of pregnancy, please click on this link:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/17/daily-health-tips-what-do-i-expect-during-the-second-and-third-trimester-of-pregnancy/

Having said that, a splash of vinegar on thoroughly washed salad greens is okay and shouldn’t cause any problems. This is certainly a better option than soaking up the calories with the very ‘sinful’  salad dressings available everywhere! Remember that moderation in all things is key. If you do experience a worsening of heart burn, please stop.

Have a good night, people 

Q: Hi Doc. I am a breastfeeding mom and l have discovered l have a painful lump in one of my breasts, Could it be cancer? Should l stop breastfeeding?

A: Painful lumps in the breasts of breastfeeding mums may be blocked milk ducts. Usually your milk ducts block if you’re making milk faster than you’re expressing it and indeed you should feel some relief every time you breastfeed from that breast…so stopping breastfeeding may just be making a bad matter already worse 

What causes this milk duct to block? It could be that your baby is not latching on well to the breast and thus not sucking enough from that breast. It could be that you don’t feel well and are not feeding baby often enough, or you decided to wean baby suddenly. Other causes include tight nursing bra, sleeping on your tummy, a nursing pump that’s not powerful enough, a blow to the breast or it could just be that a feed was skipped.
Solutions? Nurse your baby some more, ever so often….especially from that particular breast  Yes I said that. Baby sucks hardest then and hopefully that strong sucking action would dislodge the plug. Otherwise try a nursing pump or just use your hands to express the milk.

Placing warm towels on the affected area may also help the breast milk flow faster and thus dislodge the plug.
Rest as much as possible, eat healthy (loads of fruits and veggies) and use pain relief, like Paracetamol, if needed.

If this condition is not handled immediately, it could lead to an infection of that duct (mastitis) such that the skin over that area feels hot to touch, reddens, mum feels feverish, ill and aches all over. This infection is usually treated with a course of antibiotics, which will be prescribed by your doctor.
So, if you try all the suggestions above and don’t improve, please see your doctor to confirm if this is an infection or indeed something else.

Have a great evening, y’all 

Q: Good morning ma’am, please I have a question. I am a first time mum…just five weeks and my baby has been having this stomach problem. At first I thought it was a gas problem but I don’t think so. I complained to the doctor. After checking on him, he said the baby is fine since he passes out normal stool and eats well; that his muscles are still stretching and adjusting. Please I need to be cleared on this…and how long will it take for him to be fine because he is not comfortable and sometimes cries when the stomach turns? He doesn’t sleep well because of that. I was asked to give him Nospamin drops but there is no change. Please ma’am, help me to be clear and is there any remedy for this?

A: I’m glad you have been to see your baby’s doctor first. That’s always the first and best place to start. Like he said, the good news is that your baby makes stool and also farts (?) normally.

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. So, your baby fits right into this age group.
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, especially if this continues past the time noted above.

Just a note about gripe water which a lot of people want to give their babies when they have this condition….honestly, the benefits are more in our imagination than in actual fact 😀

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

Have a great night, y’all 😀

In honour of Alopecia Awareness Day, we continue yesterday’s discourse this time talking about baldness

Q: Hello Dr Ketch, I am a 33 year old guy from Lagos. I am experiencing rapid hair loss which is resulting in baldness. Please I’d like to know if there are natural remedies or vitamin supplements for men with no side effect on fertility. Cheers.

A: Baldness is excessive hair loss from the scalp. It usually starts from thinning hair before it involves wider areas of hair loss.

How does this happen? Usually, a hair follicle produces hair and each hair grows from a follicle for as long as three years before it is shed and a new one produced. Testosterone is produced normally by the hair follicle and these follicles now convert testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In baldness, the hair follicles are overly sensitive to the effects of DHT causing the hair to thin out and also last less than the usual 3 years.

Now it is usually assumed that being bald is a sign of great virility but studies have shown that this is not true. Bald people do not have more than normal amounts of male sex hormones, their hair follicles are just more sensitive to the effects of the hormones.
Baldness runs in families and may start as early as late teens in some people with most men at 6o years of age having experienced some level of hair loss. It is, of course, more traumatic when it happens at an early age like 33 years as in this case.

Treatment runs from doing nothing (always an option :D), wearing wigs or styling hair in such a way as to cover the bald patch if possible to surgery where individual hair strands are transplanted. Other treatment options include the use of medications like Finasteride (which prevents conversion of testosterone to DHT thus allow the hair follicles to enlarge back to normal) and Minoxidil. It usually take about 4 months for any effect to be noticed, though. There are still issues surrounding the effects of these drugs on fertility.

Diet may not really help with baldness. However, ensure that your diet has sufficient amounts of protein and iron rich food to prevent thinning out of hair.

So, have a chat with your doctor and hear what he suggests. Ultimately, you may very well decide to just love the skin that you’re in and leave well alone or perhaps, settle for a wig.

Have a good night everyone 😀

Tomorrow is Alopecia Awareness Day. In honour of this, I repeat the post below

Q: Dr Ketch well done and good job you’re doing. Please, my hair is pulling off on its own at both sides and in front. I am not on any drugs but a hair specialist told me it could be alopecia which is immune system working against the hair follicles. So please, what do I do to gain my hair back or boost my immune system?

A: Thanks for your kind words.
There are different types of hair loss (alopecia)
• The hair loss due to cancer treatment is well known and well documented. This is called anagen effluvium and hair would start to grow back a few months after chemotherapy stops.
• There is the male and female pattern baldness: This is more common in men starting as they age (around 50 years of age) and is thought to run in families. Male pattern baldness usually starts with thinning of the hair in front followed by thinning of the hair at the sides and the crown of the head.
This situation is less common in women but it could happen in women who have been through menopause.
• The hair follicles (the holes from which hair grows) could be destroyed due to disease conditions and the hair never grows back. This condition can occur in both men and women.
• Hair loss could also be due to a problem with the immune system which could very well be what your doctor has diagnosed. This would usually occur on the scalp but can occur anywhere in the body. They also occur at any age though they are more common in teenagers and young adults. Usually, after a few months, the hair grows back, oftentimes white and finer than it was before. It would then become thicker and go back to its natural colour after some time. Some people with this condition, however, go on to develop a condition in which they never recover their scalp hair or a condition in which they never recover the hair on both scalp and body. This condition can be treated with steroids or with a procedure called immunotherapy.
• Widespread thinning of the hair occurs in a condition known as Telogen effluvium. Triggers for this condition include pregnancy due to hormonal changes, periods of intense emotional stress and physical stress like child birth, crash dieting, long term illness like cancer and severe short term illness like severe infection, some medications etc The good news here is that most cases would stop and hair would start to grow back within 6 months.
As noted above, most causes of hair loss would reverse on their own. If your hair loss continues, does not reverse to itself and does not respond to therapy suggested, please see a dermatologist. Some treatment options available include medications, hair transplants and/or artificial hair implants. Wigs are also a stylish way to deal with this.
Hair loss may have emotional impact on people as it is part of our identity. Find people you can confide in and talk through your feelings.
To prevent this, especially for the ladies, avoid tight hair styles and pulling at your hair. Treat your hair gently eg combing with a wide toothed comb after washing your hair and try air drying instead of blow drying all the time. With the recent craze for going natural, this advice should not be too difficult to adhere to 😀
Have a good night, y’all 😀