chatwithketch

I was at the Redeemed camp on Thursday last week to give a talk on hygiene as preventive strategy. As usual, I was asked a lot of questions, many of which I couldn’t get around to answering. I promised to take them on this platform.

As a background to the questions, I discussed the four different aspects of hygiene:

Personal hygiene which involves taking care of ourselves with activities like taking a bath, brushing our teeth, washing hands etc
Hygiene at home which involves keeping our homes clean with activities like cleaning the bed rooms, bathrooms, toilets and areas we hardly think of which harbor a lot of germs like door knobs, light switches etc

Food hygiene which involves preventing food contamination and preparation of foods in a healthy and hygienic manner

Pet hygiene which involves ensuring we properly clean up whenever we have been in contact with animals, pets…

Q: Please ma’am, how many days can implantation bleeding last?

A: Implantation bleeding is typically a small amount of light bleeding that occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception. It could last anything from a couple of hours to three days. This is thought to be due to implantation as the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus (womb). This usually occurs in early pregnancy, close to or about the same time as the menstruation would be seen and is thus often mistaken for a period. But, it is usually lighter than menstrual…typically without clots. It would stop on its own and does not require further treatment. If the bleeding is heavier, associated with cramps or any other complication, please see your doctor.

Some tips to help distinguish implantation bleed from menstruation:

• Menstrual bleeding may have clots. Implantation bleeds have no clots
• Menstrual bleeding can fill sanitary towel(s). Implantation…

Our health tip today is on my pet peeve, people spitting in public places!

Sometimes, you’re just walking and minding your business when you happen across this ‘disgusting’ blob; other times, someone just spits out without minding if anyone is close by and you catch some droplets of it (Eew!) etc.

Apart from the fact that you can ‘catch’ some disgusting droplet infections (whatever disease the person was harboring in the saliva), it just makes everywhere more disgusting and dirty. I ask the question, ‘if you pass a dirty place that smells really bad and you spit there as a result, are you making it better or worse? Food for thought.

Please let’s stop this dirty habit as cleanliness starts from us and every little ‘good habit’ helps.

Q: Dr. please, what is the cause of placenta previa ? Can it be cured or prevented ?

A: Placenta previa (PP) is a condition associated with the placenta…you already figured that out, right? 😀 The placenta is created during pregnancy and is attached to the wall of the uterus (the womb) by blood vessels. It is through the placenta that the baby receives vital nutrients and oxygen and also through this that it excretes waste products. The baby is connected to the placenta through the umbilical cord. So this is a pretty important organ in the general scheme of things. The baby’s and mother’s blood do not mix in the placenta usually, though. The baby’s blood flows on one side and the mother’s on the other side.

The placenta usually implants at the top part of the uterus or the side, but in placenta previa the placenta attaches low…

Q: Dr, your programmes are wonderful. During delivery of my baby girl two years ago, I had placental abruption. It came with severe bleeding. I want to know if there is a possibility of it recurring in my next delivery and if so, how can I avoid it. God bless you.

A: Amen! God bless you too!
The placenta is an ‘organ’ which develops during pregnancy, attached to the side of the uterus and is the means of transport of nutrients and oxygen to the baby and transport of wastes out of the baby via the umbilical cord. So, the placenta is absolutely essential during pregnancy. It maintains its position, normally during pregnancy until the baby is born and the placenta is then delivered.

In the situation described above, placental abruption, the placenta separates, completely or partially, from the wall of the uterus before the baby is born. This situation…

Q: Please doctor, can tooth decay/toothache cause miscarriage? What can someone do if pregnant and have toothache?

A: Forcing dental floss in between your teeth can cause periodontal disease, which can cause a dull toothache. Where periodontal disease is not caused by wrong ‘hygiene’ techniques, it could be due to gum disease. Gum disease arises due to lack of good dental hygiene, which causes plaque forming bacteria to accumulate in the mouth and lead to swollen and bleeding gums. If this happens and is noticed early, it can be reversed before it starts causing tooth loss and weakening of the gum and bone structure holding the teeth (periodontitis). Other culprits could be hormones (during pregnancy or menstruation) and chemotherapy.

In pregnancy, the high level of hormones can make gums become more sensitive than usual and thus prone to gingivitis. If this is untreated, it can progress to periodontal disease with…

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a great day today? I want to thank you all from the very depths of my heart for your kind wishes to me yesterday, as I celebrated the beginning of another year. You all made my day super special and I pray for you all, that your joy might be full.

I love Irish blessings…there’s just something special and poetic about them. I share one of my favorites  (slightly altered) with you and speak that into your lives, individually and collectively.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again (tomorrow by His grace :D)
may God hold you in the palm of His hand

Amen!

And now to our question of the day….

Q: Please…

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Today as I celebrate my birthday, I’m thankful and joyful!
I’m thankful for the gift of life and family.
I’m thankful for the gift of good health
I’m thankful for unmerited favour that I have enjoyed in my life
I’m thankful for friends who have my back
I’m thankful for YOU…you all have made me better and have made me committed to this advocacy. I think about the fact that y’all are waiting to hear what I have to say in answer to your questions daily.
I’m thankful for the grace to do what I love doing.
I am just THANKFUL!

What are you thankful for? Remember that more than any medication or drug, being thankful and joyful makes all the difference 🙂

Have a great day, y’all 😀

The title of this post was borrowed quite liberally from David Jones David’s song, titled ‘Hello Doctor’. Have you seen the video? You should – very instructive about the subject I am about to write on.

Many children hate cough syrup. Scratch that…they hate all medicines. However, there are some teenagers who take ten of bottles of cough syrup daily! Can their coughs be that bad? Could a doctor have prescribed all of that?

If you’re into pop culture, you may know that at parties, sometimes, these cough syrups, especially those containing codeine are added to drinks, to enhance the drinking experience L

And then we have those people who sniff glue. One would wonder if they love the smell that much or perhaps, it reminds them of something/someone pleasant?

Then there are those who inhale the fumes from soak away pits! Now you would consider that downright disgusting! What’s…

Q: Doc, I am an expectant mother in the last trimester. My Doc told me my baby is big and I decided to take tea daily. Is it safe?

A: Tea contains caffeine. There are conflicting reports as to whether some amount of caffeine is beneficial in pregnancy (less than 200mg) or whether increased amounts are a problem > or more than 500mg). One regular teabag steeped in a small teacup has about 55mg of caffeine. So, it may be a good idea to limit your consumption of tea. However, I think that tea is really one of the least of your problems right now. The focus should be on what caused the big baby and what can be done to ensure that you and baby come out okay.

Big babies are usually seen in women who

• Are diabetic.
• Have gestational Diabetes (Diabetes that is observed during pregnancy),
• Are obese