chatwithketch

Q: Good evening ma’am. Please ma’am, for someone that was given an episiotomy how long is she supposed to sit on warm water? If she undergoes stitching of an episiotomy twice due to opening of the 1st stitch, what can be applied on the surface or taken for quick recovery?

A: Sitz bath is a warm water bath that helps cleanse the perineum. Just in case you wondered, the perineum is that space between the rectum and the genitals. The right temperature is the one that you can handle without sustaining burns. Putting a few drops of this water on the inner surface of your wrist can help confirm this.
Plain warm water is sufficient but some people add salt to the water which is soothing. Your doctor may also suggest other things he/she may want you to add to the water.

To prepare this, you can either use the…

Q: Hello doctor, I’d like to ask: could something be wrong with me? I eat a lot of ice cubes and I can’t go a day without eating one, even at night before I go to bed.

A: Could something be wrong with you? Maybe…or maybe not. If you live in a very hot place with frequent power cuts and taking some ice cubes makes you feel cool (literally and figuratively :D), then that makes sense. If you’ve just taken a mouthful of very spicy food or perhaps have a dry mouth and need an instant ‘cool me down’ solution, then ice cubes may not be a bad call. This could develop into a habit or something you do when bored.

However, constantly eating ice cubes (pagophagia) or other non-food items like chalk, hair, glue, sand, clay etc, generally called pica, could be associated with some disease conditions like iron…

Q: Is it also good for students to study late at night and midnights?

A: Well, this is a question that has troubled mankind forever. Is it good? Well, as an adult, you need an average of 7 to 8 hours of sleep, minimum per day. If you have not been getting this number of hours of sleep for a while, then the number required daily increases. It’s just a clear case of not being able to cheat nature.
Different students like to study differently. Some prefer the day time, others prefer midnight when it’s dark and quiet. I belong to the first class and the only time I tried to do what others were doing (reading at night) with coffee to boot, I spent all night in the toilet 😀

Read about that here: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/01/17/daily-health-tips-coffee-energy-drinks-et-al/

So, if you’re preparing for an exam and need to swot late at night…

Q: Hi Doc, my friend told me that he used to ejaculate but now he no longer does so. His wife complains of dry sex. Please advise him on how to revive his sperm back again.

A: Anejaculation is a situation in which there is failure of ejaculation. It can be primary (in which case it is present at birth and is a lifelong condition) or it could be secondary, as appears to be the situation here. In secondary anejaculation, the problem is acquired.

The same conditions that cause retrograde ejaculation are also suspect here. Retrograde ejaculation (RE), refers to backward ejaculation. To understand this, a refresher course on how ejaculation happens is needed:

Usually, during ejaculation, the muscle at the neck of the bladder tightens ensuring that semen does not enter the bladder. In people with this problem, this muscle does not tighten enough to prevent backtrack of the…

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…

Q: Hello doc. Thanks for your usual support. What could be the cause of discharge from the ear? It comes and goes like once or twice a year for like five years now. There is neither fever nor pain but a tingling sensation. What could be d underlying problem?

A: Ear infections could lead to discharge of pus from the ear. Examples include:

• Otitis media
• Otitis media with effusion
• Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear)

In otitis media, there is an infection of the middle ear and happens when an upper respiratory tract infection introduces bacteria into the ear. The infection could also be viral. Fluid builds up in the middle ear.

In otitis media with effusion, pus forms as the body tries to fight the infection. This leads to more fluid collection and this pushes against the ear drum. This pressure can build up to the extent that the ear drum…

Q: Dear Dr Ketch, I had a vaginal suture when I delivered my first child and everything was fine until after my third child. I observed that my vagina is wider than ever. With my husband’s infidelity, I knew something was wrong with me…maybe it’s not his basis for his infidelity but I just need to correct this problem. It’s about marriage. Please, help me. What can I do???

A: Sweetheart, you are not responsible for your husband’s infidelity. Noting is wrong with you! We need to stop this ‘humbility’ thing we do…blaming ourselves for everything that goes wrong with the world and especially our husbands. Your husband would be faithful if he felt it was worthwhile. The fact that he doesn’t feel it is worthwhile to do so, means something is wrong with him and not you!

By all means, do everything you can always, to make your home…

Good evening, Dr Ketch.

Please, I want to know what is causing rashes on my 7 months old baby.  I haven’t changed her cream and bath soap, yet I see rashes. Sometimes, it’s on one of her hands, another time it’s on her forehead; later it would be on her nose or below her eye. It’s so embarrassing. Please advice me on what to use and what is causing it because she isn’t taking any formulae, only breast milk and normal food once in a while, biscuit and tea sometimes too.

Rashes in your baby could be due to different things and so it’s difficult to say what it is over the net 😀 Sorry, this medium has its limitations 😉

Starting with common things, it may very well be heat rashes. If you’re of the school of thought that believes children should be all covered up in warm…

Q: I am 42 years old and I am an addicted smoker since I was 14years. I smoke at least 2 packets (40 sticks) of Benson & Hedges a day. I am married and we have 2 lovely children. I have tried several times to quit smoking on my own, but for every time I tried to quit, I seem to resume the habit with a renewed vigour. I know this habit may kill me, but it’s an uphill task trying to quit on my own my own will without a support system. My kids are afraid I would die from the habit. I would like you to refer me to a NICOQUIT expert (Doctor) here in Lagos, who I can consult and also a support group that I can join, with members who can support each other during the “cold turkey” phase of kicking the habit. I NEED YOUR…

Q: How can high blood pressure be reduced besides taking bp tablets?

A: To reduce your risk of high blood pressure, incorporate these lifestyle measures:
Reduce your intake of salt. Use salt sparingly while cooking and there should be no added salt after cooking. Remember that there are hidden sources of salt that we probably don’t think of like in salted nuts, processed foods like bacon and sausage, chips etc

Eat less oil. If you have to use oil at all, be sure to do so sparingly. Even the heart healthy oils are loaded with calories.

Eat more fruits and vegetables as they contain loads of goodness. They also ensure that you do not pile on excessive weight that may also predispose you to high blood pressure.

Exercise or make sure that you are involved in activities for at least 150 minutes every week. This could be in the form…