Daily Health Tips: Am I At Risk Of Breast Cancer If I Don’t Breastfeed My Baby?

Posted on October 27, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

Still in honour of breast cancer awareness month 2018…

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Q: Doc, good evening ma’am. Please, I have some questions for you. I am a 1st time mom and my baby is 2months old. She sucks from one breast and this has made 1 breast to be bigger than the other and my mom said it will make me have breast cancer when I stop breastfeeding. Please, ma’am, how true is this? Secondly, I gave birth through CS. Is it possible to tie my tummy because I heard that if I don’t tie it after breastfeeding, my tummy will become bigger than it is now. Thanks and God bless you ma’am

A: Congratulations on your new baby 😀

Given our discussion on breast feeding a few days back, I decided to answer this question to add to our breast feeding discussion…at least for now.

Is there any particular reason why you are breastfeeding from one breast only? Or is it…

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#HLWDK Daily Health Tips: How Do We treat Protein In Urine?

Posted on October 26, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please Dr., how do we treat protein in urine?

A: Protein molecules in blood are typically too large to be filtered into urine so that normally, very trace (very little/low) amount is present in the urine as healthy kidneys do a great job of filtration. So when protein is found in urine, it is abnormal and usually suggestive of the fact that the kidneys may be malfunctioning. This condition is known as proteinuria and the most common relevant protein suggestive of kidney disease is albumin. This can be detected using a dip-stick test. How would you know without this test? Well, the urine could get very frothy if a lot of protein is being passed out in the urine…so that’s something to look out for.

There is a condition known as temporary proteinuria, which occurs in people with high fever and after very vigorous exercise. This is not a problem and as the name suggests, it is temporary. Proteinuria is also common in concentrated urine samples like first thing in the morning and when dehydrated. In some instances, it is found in young children later in the day even when it was not evident in the morning in a condition known as orthostatic hypertension. Again, this is not suggestive of a bigger problem

What diseases can cause this?

People with proteinuria are more at risk of heart disease and so it is key to monitor blood pressure and ensure one lives a healthy lifestyle.

Treatment depends on the cause. Please be guided by your doctor!

All the best!

 

 

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Are you at risk for osteoarthritis? – Harvard Health

Posted on October 25, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

Do you know if you are at risk of arthritis? You should read this!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/are-you-at-risk-for-osteoarthritis

 

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#HLWDK Daily Health Tips: World Polio Day 2018

Posted on October 24, 2018 by chatwithdrketch
Today is World Polio Day with the theme, ‘End Polio Now’ The World Polio Day is celebrated with one primary objective – the complete eradication of polio from all the parts of the world, making the world ‘Polio Free’. We also use this occasion to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who was instrumental to the development of the first vaccine for Poliomyelitis and the efforts of everyone committed to the cause – a polio-free world!
 
In honor of this day, I repeat the post below – as relevant today as it was years ago when I first wrote it.
 
A couple of years ago, I was notified of a case that involved one of the hospitals on our private Health Insurance scheme and the child of one of our enrollees. This child had a fever that had been on for a couple of days and so the parents were not comfortable anymore and decided to go to the hospital. Predictably, the hospital decided to place this child on antibiotics irrespective of the fact that nothing pointed to the fact that this anything more than a viral infection.
 
This child could take orally and could very well have taken this unnecessary antibiotic by mouth, but for some reason (whether by request from the child’s parents who wanted something they perceived to be more potent or as a show of ‘we know what we are doing here’ by the hospital staff), a decision was made to administer this drug through intramuscular injection (in English, injection into the muscle…in this case, the butt specifically). To cut a long story short, a while later we got involved as we received a letter from the company of the child’s parent stating that the hospital was incompetent and administered an injection that made the child lose function of her lower limbs. We stepped in and eventually, the gist of the story was that this child was incubating the wild polio virus and the intramuscular injection this child had received converted this to paralytic polio! In English, this child now found it difficult to walk. Just like that!!!
Okay, why am I telling this story? Well, first it was world Polio day on the 24th of October…sometime last week. As the events to mark the day were rolled out, I thought about this case I’d just told you about and I wondered about that child and how much use of her limbs she has now. Then I wondered how many other parents coerce their health care providers to give ‘stronger’ medicine in the form of injections so that their children would be better, quicker? How many healthcare providers fall for this ‘persuasion’ or even sometimes, downright ‘instructions’ from their patients or patient’s parents? How many even have an idea of how Polio is transmitted and how they can effectively guard against this? If you don’t have the right knowledge, you’ll fall for anything. A good example of this is a story I heard about a quack practitioner somewhere in the country a couple of years ago who made money off hardworking traders by claiming that he could help them wash out the impurities in their blood. For the people who fell for this scam, he would admit them into his ‘hospital’ and then set up an infusion with diuretics in it. In simple terms, diuretics are drugs that make you urinate a lot. So the guy sets this up and then fixes a urinary catheter (a tube that collects urine from a person’s bladder into a urine bag) for them so they can see the quantity of urine their bodies were making. The impurities were meant to be in the vast amounts of urine being poured out! I am just shaking my mind at the amazing gullibility and ignorance that makes us fall for anything and makes unscrupulous people take advantage of us. By the way, this guy was picked up by the police some time back.
 
But, I digress…back to the Polio discourse. How is the polio virus spread? It is spread through faeco-oral contact. I will describe this. A child with the wild polio virus defecates and sheds the virus in his or her poo. This faeces can contaminate water sources or can get into food as a result of inappropriate or lack of hand washing and basic hygiene and this cycle continues. Once one case is diagnosed, it is thought to be an epidemic already as one can be a carrier of the virus for a long time before symptoms actually show. The initial symptoms include fever, tiredness, headache and limb/neck stiffness.
 
Not everyone infected with the virus actually develops paralytic disease. There are some pre-disposing factors to the development of paralytic disease and they include intramuscular injections (like the baby in the story above), injuries, strenuous exercise, pregnancy, immune deficiency and removal of tonsils. Does this mean we should trash our exercise routine (you wish :D) or not get pregnant (let’s watch you convince your spouse :D)? The point being made is that these groups of people are prone to this and should ensure that they practice proper hygiene and sanitation to prevent this, given its mode of transmission.
 
All children below the age of 5 years should be immunized and booster doses given whenever the Government sends out her officials to do so. It’s not cool to send them away as if they were some troublesome ‘pests’ disturbing your peace. Their jobs save lives. If enough children are immunized, the cycle of infection can be broken and our children will live healthier, longer and better lives. Remember, there is no cure for polio…only treatment to deal with the symptoms.
 
Have a good night y’all 😀
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ATBGS Blog: Fake It Till You Make It!

Posted on October 23, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

It’s amazing how the people who you believe have got it all together, struggle the most with their self image and self-confidence. When my daughter was in secondary school, I would sometimes tell parents of new students how my daughter cried so much when I first took her to boarding school, in order to encourage them to believe that ‘this too shall pass’. But they would always look at me in disbelief. That’s because at that time, she had been both head girl of junior school and senior school in rapid succession and she was the voice of wisdom to everyone going through a tough time! So, who would believe it?! She looked like she understood why she was in school and was willing to do the work needed to graduate well. And she did! Class valedictorian! I was super proud!

Who would understand the battle she fought all through primary school and up to secondary school, to become comfortable in her own skin? She attended three different schools within the space of two years (between nursery and primary school) and every time she started afresh, she had to play catch-up. It was like she had to beg to join groups, cliques and established friendships. It was hell for her…but even more for me, her mother watching from the sideline but encouraging her to find her own ‘truth’. It took a lot of prayers (yes people! Prayers work ), hands-on parenting, confidence-building et al to get to the confident young woman I see today! But every time there’s a move to a new environment, it’s almost like having to reinforce those lessons and thankfully, she does so herself now!

I couldn’t understand it when that popular comedian, Robin Williams, committed suicide! He looked like he was living the life everyone wanted. But sometimes, deep inside, people struggle…to wake up in the morning, to move on after that failure, to get up after that fall, to succeed after being told it was not possible. The list goes on and on!

This post here, is a personal account of a young lady, my daughter Beejay! It amazes me how she is always able to be so real even when she faces adversity! I learn so much from her and you will too, when you read this post!

https://atbgs.blogspot.com/2018/10/fake-it-till-you-make-it.html

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Daily Health Tips: My Son Sucks His Thumb

Posted on October 22, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

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Q: Hello Dr. What should I do to stop my baby from sucking on his thumb? Please!

A: Interesting question!
Children suck their thumbs at an early age as a means of soothing themselves or coping with stress/anxiety or even when bored. Usually, this habit would stop between the ages of 2 to 4 years old. If it continues longer than that your baby’s teeth start to give way to accommodate the thumb leading to a situation where your baby’s upper teeth no longer align properly with the lower teeth. It can also lead to speech problems.

How do you stop a child from sucking his thumb? Hmm, I’m sure that lots of people can share a lot from their personal experiences eg tying up the thumb, putting terrible tasting stuff on it like vinegar, mustard, bitter leaf, nail polish etc. In some instances, these harsh methods get children to…

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#HLWDK Daily Health Tips: Temporary Impotence

Posted on October 21, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please Dr., what is the treatment for temporary impotence?

A: Erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, occurs when a man is no longer able to get or maintain an erection sufficiently enough to have sexual intercourse. It may be dramatic in some men, such that where they used to want intercourse very frequently, they find that there is reduced sexual desire.

Oftentimes, this may be due to just stress and better stress coping mechanisms help. However, because this is a sensitive topic, many men do not seek medical help such that this causes significant strain in their relationships. Other causes include depressions, relationship challenges, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level, high blood sugar, obesity, some medications, tobacco use, substance abuse, alcoholism etc

Your doctor will probably order some tests to confirm possible cause(s) and then decide on a course of action. Now I know that quite a number of men are quick to go and buy Viagra and some even overdose on it thinking the more they take the better the performance 😦 Please don’t do that! More seriously, these drugs are not for everyone and so if you have Diabetes Mellitus, heart disease, if you have had a stroke etc, please be sure to mention these to your doctor…and indeed you should not self-prescribe any of these (or indeed any other) drugs for yourself.

Treatment depends on cause. If this is emotional, psychological or due to stress etc, some degree of counselling may help. Other treatment options include oral medications like Sildenafil (Viagra), penis pumps, implants, injections etc. Please speak with your doctor to find out what options are available to you.

Remember that your partner may not understand what you’re going through and probably think that you no longer desire her. Be sure to re-assure her and let her be a part of your therapy. More importantly, try to be open about what is going on to your doctor so he can work with you to find the ideal solution.

All the best!

 

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Pinkie Swear?

Posted on October 20, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

I wrote this post five years ago! It still has a lot of relevance. I repeat it today in honour of breast cancer awareness month, 2018

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Remember how when we were younger, we would bet on things and to make it more authentic, make it a pinkie swear :D. Those were the days when we didn’t have too many issues to contend with…though it did seem like we had a lot on our plates then! So I smile when my children say, ‘mum, you can’t be more tired than we are; we had to go to school, do tests, then school work, then home work at home and then we still have some chores to do!. The world is certainly not fair’. How do I begin to explain to them that I have to go to work, then do grocery shopping on the way, school run, get dinner ready, supervise their homework, listen to them whine 🙂 and then still do some school work myself?!  Oh, whatever happened to, ‘the higher you go, the cooler it becomes’? Someone…

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#HLWDK Daily Health Tips: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on October 19, 2018 by chatwithdrketch

We can’t let the month of October pass by without celebrating the fact that the month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer is abnormal growth of the cells of the breast. Though it is more common in women, it can also occur in men. It is important to examine your breast regularly and note if there are changes. Some changes that may signify cancer, to look out for include:
• A lump or thickening of breast tissue that feels different from surrounding breast tissue
• A lump in one or both armpits
• Change in the skin of the breast eg giving the appearance of orange peel/skin of an orange
• Change in the shape, size or general appearance of the breast
• Nipple discharge (especially if it’s bloody) or recent inversion of the nipple
• Scaly skin around the nipple

Breast cancer may be inherited and so having a family history of breast cancer puts one at greater risk of having this. Other risk factors for breast cancer include:
• Being female
• Starting period at an early age….earlier than 12 years
• Starting menopause at a later age
• Hormone therapy during menopause
• Obesity
• Having first baby at age older than 35 years
• Increasing age: The older one is, the more at risk of breast cancer one gets
• Exposure to radiation like X-rays. That’s why people who work in environments where these tests are done have to wear protective clothing when running the tests.
• Drinking alcohol

If breast cancer is caught early, one has a greater chance of survival. Treatment of breast cancer depends on the stage of the disease, type of breast cancer, grade, size and how sensitive the cancers cells are to hormones. Treatment options include surgery (removal of lump or removal of whole breast or removal of lymph nodes), chemotherapy (medications that destroy cancer cells) and radiotherapy (using irradiation like X-rays to destroy cancer cells).
• Prevention of breast cancer in people with average risks includes:
• Eating healthy
• Keeping a healthy weight within the BMI
• Exercising
• Stopping or limiting alcohol use
• Speaking to your doctor about screening options open to you. Mammograms used to advocated for women 40 years and over. The new recommendation from American Cancer Society earlier this month recommends annual mammogram for women at moderate risk of cancer from 45 to 54 years of age and then every two years from 55 years onwards. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force mammogram guidelines recommend screening from 50 to 74 years.

So, be sure to discuss with your doctor so he can advice on your best options based on your personal history.

For related topics, please click on the links below:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/04/05/daily-health-tips-breast-lump-in-a-man/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/06/15/the-halfway-mark/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/05/24/pinkie-swear/

Have a great weekend everyone!

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#HLWDK Daily Health Tips: Is It Possible To Get Pregnant With A Contraceptive Implant In Place?

Posted on October 18, 2018 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Can I get pregnant while I have birth control arm implant?
A: The short answer is yes, but rarely.
 
For those who do not know, the contraceptive implant, as the name suggests, is implanted under the skin….under the skin of the upper arm and protects against pregnancy for about 3 years.
This birth control method contains the hormone progestin which prevents the egg from being released from the ovary (if there’s no egg, then there’s nothing to fertilize, right? :D) and also makes the mucous in the uterus so thick that the sperm cannot sperm cannot swim through to get to the egg, even if it were released!
This method of birth control is good for breastfeeding mothers (because it does not contain estrogen which affects mother’s breast milk production) and is long lasting such that the woman does not need to take pills every day. However, this implant can cause unwanted side effects. While some women would have heavier, prolonged periods, some others experience fewer and lighter periods. Indeed, some may stop seeing their periods after one year of use. Other side effects include headaches, nausea, mood change, nausea, acne, infection at the site of insertion etc. These symptoms would usually stop within the first few months (3 to 6 months). If, however, these continue or your experience severe headaches or excessive bleeding, please see your doctor. Please note that, this method is not suitable for women with breast cancer.
If you experience a new lump in your breast, yellowing of the eyes, you have concerns about the location of the implants or just have questions to ask, please see your doctor.
 
Although this contraceptive is more than 99%effective, less than 1 out of 100 women who use the contraceptive implant for one year will get pregnant. If this happens, there’s a high risk that the pregnancy will be ectopic (implantation of a fertilized egg outside the uterus). However, given the more than 99% effectiveness, cases of ectopic pregnancy are rare. For more on ectopic pregnancy, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/07/daily-health-tips-what-are-my-options-after-ectopic-pregnancy-and-failed-ivf/
So, the brief answer to your question is, ‘yes, pregnancy can happen with a contraceptive implant in place, but it is very rare’. I suggest you go see your doctor for a proper examination.
All the best!
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