chatwithketch

Q: What can I eat to have a lovely skin?

A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in.

I will give you general tips for keeping your skin, nice and healthy.

Moisturise, mositurise and moisturise! Long hot showers/baths may sound very tempting but they dry out your skin. Opt for short showers. Immediately after you have a bath/shower (with cold or warm water as opposed to hot water), pat your skin dry…leaving some moisture still on it, and then apply moisturizer at this time. This locks in the moisture. Look for moisturisers that contain ingredients like isopropyl palmitate, propylene glycol linoleate, squalene, and glycerol stearate, jojoba oil, lanolin, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol, propylene glycerol, urea, and lactic acid (Long list, aye :D). These ingredients provide the mix of keeping the skin soft, smooth and pliable and then also draw moisture from the atmosphere to the skin’s surface increasing hydration.

If you are prone to having cracks on your feet or hands, thicker moisturisers may be needed. Good old petroleum jelly is great and stops you from looking like the ‘paper white man/woman’:D. Have a good stock at home and also have small packs for your handbags, gym bags etc. Other thick moisturisers include cocoa butter, shea butter and beeswax.

Constant hand washing, especially with hot water could lead to very dry hands so make sure that you have your moisturiser handy so you can slather it on immediately after hand washing. You didn’t think we were going to advocate not washing your hands anymore, did you? 😀

Hydrating from the inside may not be a bad idea too. So drink at least 8 glasses of water and load up on foods like berries, nuts and fish (which are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids) and spinach. Stay off alcohol and caffeine as they lead to more water loss.

I hope this helps

All the best!

Q: Hi doc I have been on the injection for 2 years now. I came off it – main reason being that it made me bleed non-stop for eg when I am bleeding and I take the next injection, it stops and then the next month when it starts, it doesn’t stop until I get the next shot. The thing is I still have on and off periods even though I am not on it anymore. Is this normal? Because even when I came off it in May, I bled straight back until June – not heavy periods but panty liner amount and it’s on and off. It’s not so bad now but is this normal?

A: Family planning injections work by thickening mucous in the cervix, preventing sperm from getting into the womb (uterus) or by preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs every month (ovulation) and so the person taking the injections can’t get pregnant.

Taking these injections affect women differently. In the first few months, there be excessive bleeding during periods, followed by a period of lighter periods. This may yet be followed by a period of irregular or no periods especially in women who have taken these injections for up to a year. Irregular periods should be discussed with your doctor to ascertain the cause. It may be due to the drug or due to an infection which needs to be treated. Prolonged periods can also be treated.

When these injections are stopped, it takes a while for ovulation to be restored because these injections are long lasting. It can be as long as 2 to 3 months. In some other cases, this can last for about a year or even up to 2 years. This has nothing to do with the duration for which the injection was take and whether it is the 2 months’ or 3 months’ injection. In the same vein, because the effects of these injections range from 2 months to 3 months, depending on the one taken, then if there were side effects, one would have to bear them for that same period of time. This may very well be the case with you. If however, you are in doubt, please see your gynaecologist.

All the best!

As a mother of 3 teenagers, I sometimes wonder how to get into their heads and find out what they are thinking and why they are thinking it. I'm sure every parent witb teenagers thinks this 🙂 Here I share a post by @beejayolalere on her perspective of how teenagers think and how they can relate better with adults. A post by a teenager for teenagers …and their parents too, I daresay 😀 Enjoy! ……………………………………………………………….. Good evening y'all! How are ya doing?? I'm stressed, but I'm hanging in there you know. Let me get right to it then. Lately I've been thinking a lot about being a teen and the battles, both internal and external that we go through. Not to mention, the struggle with authority, the perception of oneself and then self- esteem issues, depression and whatnot. Long story short, being a teen is a 'tempestuous' time and if you're not a bundle of crazy like me 😂 or super calm, it'll be a pain in delicate places, most of the time( it's a pain for us too, I just don't like to admit it) First off, what does being a teen mean and then what does it entail? Being a teen essentially, obviously is being between the ages of 13 and 19. Now what does it entail to be a teenager? This entails a whole lot of hard work. Forgive me, if you were expecting something philosophical, but it does man! I used to think teens just used to overdo, till I became one and realized life really isn't in black and white. You can want to be sane and just not end up being sane, but we don't raise children to give up now do we? So here are tips I guess to dealing with the hands you've been dealt or to make lemonade out of your lemons( see what I did there😁). For the rest of the post, click and follow this link. https://atbgs.blogspot.com/2018/06/being-teen.html?spref=fb&m=1 Thank me later!

A post shared by Dr Ketch (@ddrketch) on Jul 14, 2018 at 1:01am PDT

Should you be worried when you hear your those oftentimes painless pops made by your knees, elbows and/or ankles? You should read this!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/are-cracking-joints-a-sign-of-arthritis?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WR20180713-Osteoarthritis&utm_id=974253&dlv-ga-memberid=11052531&mid=11052531&ml=974253

Q: My breast has been scratching me, what could be the cause?

A: There are many different causes of breast/nipple itch and they include:

• Eczema that is usually found to run in families with a history of allergies. Preventive/control measures include using mild soap to take a bath, followed by a mild moisturizer. Also do not use water that is too hot for a bath as this dries out your skin and makes the itching from eczema worse. Use warm water if you must and then dab your skin leaving some moisture. Lock in this moisture with a moisturizer. Stress is also a trigger for this and so reducing your stress levels and exercising may be helping in more ways than one. Anti-histamines (helpful with itching) and over the counter steroid creams are also useful. For severe cases, please see your doctor for a prescription of more potent steroids, immuno suppressant drugs, ultra violet light therapy etc.
• Friction: In this case, not wearing a bra or wearing a poorly fitted bra during exercise routines may lead to rubbing of the skin of the breast/nipples against the fabric and consequent itching and/or pain.
• Sensitivity to the weather (hot or cold), certain fabrics, detergents or even creams/lotions may lead to breast/nipple itch and pain. If specific detergents or creams cause this, you may have to change them.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding can also lead to this condition. In pregnancy, the pregnancy hormones lead to the nipples being extra sensitive and during breastfeeding, the baby may not latch on well to the nipple, there could be blocked ducts or mastitis or breast abscess etc leading to pain. During pregnancy, be sure to choose bras made with fabric that can ‘breath’ like cotton. And during breastfeeding, be sure to get help with making sure you know how to put baby to the breast to prevent sore nipples etc.
• Cancer (Paget’s disease of the breast) can also be a cause of nipple itch with eczema-like symptoms on the nipple and/or surrounding areola.
• Underneath the breasts is also a usual place for rashes to form especially in overweight or busty people. This would usually occur when tight clothing or fabrics that do not allow your skin to ‘breathe’ trap moisture (sweat) between the skin folds. Thus, constantly wearing polyester fabrics etc may lead to accumulation of this moisture which is a rich culture medium for fungal and other organisms to thrive.

So, where in doubt…especially if you have tried to rule out the causes above, please see your doctor.

All the best!

Q: What will happen if I take amoxicillin without the prescription of my doctor? I take it because my ear is aching and I do not know why and now I feel dizzy. I thought it would ease the pain that I am feeling right now. Please reply

A: Hi! I am quite convinced that this is a serious matter with that crying face J

First, please go and see your doctor. Why would you take amoxicillin without knowing whether the pain is due to an infection or not? There are so many different causes of ear pain and I’ll give you a small list below:

Ear pain with fever can be due to ear infections or a cold. For more on ear infections and colds, please click on the links: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/10/18/daily-health-tips-ear-infections/ and https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/08/08/having-a-cold-heres-your-survival-tool-kit/

Ear pain with pain when swallowing can be due to sore throat and tonsillitis. For more on sore throat, please click on https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/17/daily-health-tips-sore-throat/

Ear pain with change in hearing can be due to earwax build up or foreign body in the ear. For more on this, click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2017/05/30/hlwdk-daily-health-tips-swimmers-ear/

Ear pain with toothache can be due to teething in children. For more, click on https://chatwithdrketch.com/2017/03/24/daily-health-tips-teething-and-constipation/

Please do not take antibiotics without a prescription. What you are treating may not need an antibiotic, you may not take sufficient quantities to deal with the infection if there is one, leading to resistance (meaning when you have a real infection, the drug may not work) or you may take too much or for too long leading to a super infection (a situation where even the good germs in your body are killed opening one up to infections that would not have happened, all things being equal). You don’t want any of this to happen.

So, your next logical step is to go visit an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) specialist to evaluate you and find out the real cause of your ear pain. Then s/he will start you on a definitive treatment. Until then, no  ore antibiotics, please!

All the best! 🙂

Q: Good evening Doc, please I want to ask what other way can you use to  cure nasal polyp and what is the correlation with  allergies?

A: A nasal polyp is a painless small growth in the nostrils with a stalk protruding from a surface. Though harmless, they can keep growing and block the nose if left untreated. Patients typically use the terms ‘stuffy nose’, ‘blocked nose’ or nasal congestion to describe this condition because of the obstruction (blockage) to the flow of air, in and out of the nose. It is not clear what causes this but it is thought that having asthma, allergy to air-borne fungi and a drug reaction to aspirin could predispose one to it.

Stuffy nose is the same description that patients with allergy use to describe their situation. In this condition, an individual’s immune system reacts in an exaggerated manner to certain foods or to pollen leading to nasal congestion due to swelling of nasal tissues (tissues in the nose) and blood vessels with excess fluid. This ailment tends to run in families and so history of people with same condition or asthma etc in that family is not uncommon.

To differentiate both, your doctor will look inside your nose. He/she should be able to see polyps in the nostrils where they exist. Treatment of nasal polyps include the use of steroid nasal sprays or drops to shrink the polyps. This can be upgraded to steroid tablets if the polyps are too big or fail to respond to nasal sprays and drops.

Surgery is an option after ten weeks and there is no relief. The only caveat here is that nasal polyps tend to recur. Please see your doctor immediately if you experience difficulty breathing, sudden worsening of symptoms or swelling around the eyes etc

In the meantime, to prevent nasal polyps or reduce recurrence, do the following:
Try drinking a lot of water
Use saline sprays instead of the nasal decongestants, if you’ve been indulging in this 😀
Use a humidifier which loosens the mucous. Turning on the hot water shower and inhaling the steam is another great idea.
Avoid irritants of the nose like smoke

Manage allergies and asthma. For more on asthma, please click on https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/02/24/daily-health-tips-can-asthma-be-cured/

Practice good hygiene by washing your hands often. This will protect against infections that can lead to swelling of nasal tissues and blood vessels with excess fluid inflammation in the nasal passages and sinuses.

All these measures will help reduce the nasal congestion.

Other causes of stuffy nose that your doctor may consider include:
Common cold. We are all familiar with this common cause of nasal congestion  This causes blockage of the sinus, which results in nasal congestion.

A nasal septum (the wall between the nostrils) that is crooked or bent to one side may cause nasal congestion. This ‘deformity’ may be from birth, due to injury or occur as a process of growth
Excessive use of nasal decongestants can also lead to this as after the decongestant is stopped, there is rebound nasal congestion. And so, one ends up with the same situation they were trying to solve from the beginning!  So, if you must, do not use your nasal decongestants for more than three days
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses (air cavities) that line the nose. When these air cavities (which are supposed to be filled by air) become filled with fluid as a result of blockage, bacteria, fungi and viruses can thrive in this environment and cause infection. Pus-like nasal discharge, facial pain and persistence of symptoms for more than a week, maybe suggestive of this.

• Cold weather
• Foreign body in the nose
• Presence of tumour
• Medications for high blood pressure
• Spicy foods (remember how you start sniffling once you start on a hot dish?)
• Stress etc

There’s a pretty long list of causes, but your doctor will attempt to narrow down to what the probable cause for you is.
All the best!