chatwithketch

 Q: Please Dr. What causes heart failure – I mean pains in the heart?

A: Hey! Thanks for writing in.

For the record, chest pain does not necessarily mean heart failure. But it’s always a good idea to check out chest pain in the hospital. Better safe than sorry 🙂

‘Despite the name, heart failure does not mean the heart has failed completely. Instead, it means the heart isn’t pumping efficiently enough to meet the body’s need for blood.

When the body first detects that it’s not getting an adequate blood supply, it tries to compensate. Stress hormones rise, pushing the heart to beat faster and harder. Blood vessels narrow in an effort to keep blood pressure stable. To keep blood flowing to the heart and brain, the body diverts blood away from less important tissues. The body also retains sodium and fluid in an attempt to supplement the volume of circulating blood.’

For more, please click on source: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/what-are-the-symptoms-of-heart-failure

Question: Hey Doc. I’m living a stressful life as well anxiety is killing me every day. I slept with this guy since 2016 and I don’t know his HIV status. So, I heard he was dating a girl living with HIV. I confronted him and asked him whether he’s HIV+ or not .So, he said NO, and last year I even found an HIV self-test in his room but never asked him anything about it. So now that we broke and lost our child, I’m living a stressful life. I’ve tested Negative ever since 2017 up until this year Jan. I really need your advice DOC. Coz anxiety is killing me and this guy, I know for sure he’s HIV positive.

A: Thanks for writing in.

It is not clear to me whether you are still having sexual relations with him or not.  If you have tested negative for six months after exposure, then you may not need to worry especially if you have been tested in a proper laboratory and if you have not engaged in any risky behavior since then. However, if you have continued to have sexual relations with him or have exposed yourself to risky sexual behavior, my first advice would be to get tested immediately. Post exposure prophylaxis may be recommended by your doctor. These drugs used to treat HIV are usually taken daily for about 4 weeks to reduce chances of becoming HIV positive.

Having said that, the length of time before a subject tests positive to HIV following exposure (sero-conversion), known as the window period would depend on the type of test done.

An antibody test can read positive from 3 to 12 weeks, if there is sero-conversion. An antibody is a disease-fighting protein produced by the body in response to an infection (HIV infection, in this case).

A combination antibody/antigen test (which detects both antibody and antigen…which is a part of the virus) can read positive from 2 to 6 weeks after exposure, if there is sero-conversion.

A Nucelic Acid Test (NAT) can detect HIV infection in the blood from 7 to 28 days following infection.

Generally, if the initial test is negative, a repeat test is done 3 months after the exposure to ‘close the window’. Some may stretch this to a further screen after 6 months. Be guided by your doctor.

All the best!

Q: Good day Doc, please l want you to prescribe drugs to cure kidney stones for me. Thanks

A: If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you surely remember it. The pain can be unbearable, coming in waves until the tiny stone passes through your urinary plumbing and out of the body. For many, kidney stones aren’t a one-time thing: in about half of people who have had one, another appears within seven years without preventive measures. Preventing kidney stones isn’t complicated but it does take some determination. Prevention efforts include drinking plenty of water, getting enough calcium from food, cutting back on salt (sodium), limiting animal protein, and avoiding stone-forming foods like beets, chocolate, spinach, rhubarb, tea, and others.

For more, read this! https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-steps-for-preventing-kidney-stones-201310046721

And for part 2…

Q: Hello, doc. thanks so much for the educating info that u keep feeding us and responding to our inquiries, so much appreciated. Doctor my wife is having her first pregnancy and these first two months have proved to be hell for her. She also has a fungal infection in her privates. With this her condition what best medication can she use that will not affect the pregnancy. Thanks a bunch.

A: Hello dear, her doctor probably diagnosed vaginal candidiasis. This occurs when the fungi which live normally in the vagina overgrow and cause an infection. Usually, there is yeast (fungi) in the vagina and they generally mind their own business until something comes along to disturb the peace of the environment. This disturbance can be in the form of abuse of antibiotics (which kills off the good bacteria that hold the fungi at bay causing them to take over and overgrow the environment) or even in pregnancy (where the estrogen hormone produced in pregnancy messes with the normal order of co-existence of fungi and bacteria, again, allowing the fungi to take over). Other conditions associated candidiasis include Diabetes Mellitus, disorders of the immune system, use of oral contraceptives, the hormonal changes associated with menstrual cycle etc
In pregnancy, the decrease in tolerance to glucose which may occur, also means that the vagina has a rich supply of sugar which encourages the fungi to grow and multiply as they love the dark, warm, moist and rich environment 😀
How can this be prevented? Trust me, I’m not going to suggest not getting pregnant 😀 There are things that can be done to reduce risk of this infection. They include:
• Wear cotton panties instead of tight fitting nylon panties.
• Always wipe from the front to the back, after using the bathroom
• Do not use perfumed personal care products like sanitary towels, tissue etc
• Do not spray perfumes in your genitals and avoid perfumed soaps
• Change out of wet swimming gear as soon as possible
Now, this infection can be treated using oral drugs (tablets to be taken by mouth) but these are not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Vaginal pessaries and creams are better bets in pregnancy. However, because of the very small possibility of hurting your cervix (the neck of the womb), it is advisable not to use the applicator to administer the pessary. Instead, use your finger to insert the pessary. It may be necessary to continue the drug application for about 6 days as opposed to the shorter 3 day course. Your doctor will advice on duration.
For more on candidiasis, please click on the following links:
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/26/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-have-recurrent-candidiasis/
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/03/07/daily-health-tips-toilet-infection-seriously/
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/27/daily-health-tips-is-vaginal-discharge-normal/

Hope y’all had a good day 😀

Q: Hello doc. thanks so much for the educating info that you keep feeding us and also responding to our inquiries – so much appreciated. Doctor my wife is having her first pregnancy and these first two months have proved to be hell for her. She’s having abdominal pains every now and then. It started with the lower abdomen and now it’s all over. it’s often after moving sometimes its just.
we went to the hospital for scan but there was nothing at all worrying that much in her womb or anywhere cos the scanning was thorough. Our worry is the pain is not reducing at all. What could it be and what should we do? Please help!

A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in and thanks for your kind words.

Abdominal pain in pregnancy may or may not be serious.

Harmless causes include:

·      Constipation

·      Gas

·      The growing womb (uterus)

·      Braxton-Hicks contractions (these are ‘fake’ contractions preparing the womb for the main even :D)

Serious causes of pain during pregnancy include:

·      Ectopic pregnancy. To learn about 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/

·      Pre-term labour. To learn about this, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/28/daily-health-tips-am-i-leaking-amniotic-fluid-liquor-amnii/

·      Miscarriage. To read more on miscarriage, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/23/daily-health-tips-im-scared-of-getting-pregnant-after-two-miscarriages/

·      Placental abruption. To learn more, click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/03/26/daily-health-tips-placental-abruption/

·      Urinary tract infection. To learn more, please click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/02/19/daily-health-tips-re-visiting-chronic-utis/

·      Pre-eclampsia. To learn more, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/10/23/daily-health-tips-protein-in-urine-during-pregnancy/

Having said all these, you probably have no way of knowing what is harmless or not. So err on the side of caution and see your doctor if ‘it just doesn’t feel right’.

All the best!

Stroke as the name implies refers to an incident that happens suddenly…without warning. It usually occurs when the brain is deprived of some of its blood supply and consequently oxygen supply. This can happen when there is a blood clot in a vessel in the brain or due to a burst blood vessel leaking blood onto the substance of the brain or around the brain. This blood leakage can lead to undesired pressure on the brain.

Oftentimes, people refer to a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA), as a partial stroke. This condition occurs when a blood vessel is partially blocked. This would usually be resolved within 15 minutes and is a sign that a major event (a stroke, proper) may not be far off. This is a warning that should be taken seriously.
It is important to know the signs of a stroke because if action is taken immediately, it can prevent permanent damage from being done. If the brain is deprived of its blood supply for about 4 minutes, irreversible changes begin to occur in the brain. If this deprivation continues beyond this time, permanent changes would have occurred that may affect different facets of the individual’s functions.

The signs of stroke to look out for are known by the acronym FAST.
• F stands for drooping of a side of the face. Ask the patient to smile and you will observe that the smile looks lopsided.
• A stands for weakness of one side of the body. Ask patient to lift both arms and it will be seen that one side is being ‘dragged’ or lagging
• S stands for speech difficulty like slurring. Patient cannot enunciate words properly again
• T stands for time. Once these symptoms are noticed, it’s time to call for help. In climes where there are emergency numbers like 911 or 999, please call these. Otherwise, efforts should be made to take the person involved to the hospital immediately.
Patients may also complain of sudden inability to move legs, feel confused, have blurred vision etc

There are risk factors for stroke and they include:
• Age: The older you are the more prone to stroke. People from age 55 years are more likely to have a stroke, though this can also happen in children eg those born with heart defects and those with Sickle Cell Anaemia etc
• Race: Africans and Asians are more at risk
• Sex: Females are more at risk…as if we don’t have enough problems
• Family history of stroke: The presence of this increases risk
• Previous history of a stroke.

Other risk factors:
• Hypertension
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Overweight
• Sedentary lifestyles
• Not eating healthy
• Smoking
• Drinking Alcohol

The rate at which one recovers from stroke and indeed the degree of symptoms experienced, depends on the area of the brain affected, how serious the damage to the brain is etc and so recovery will be different for different people.

Patience is key. Speech therapists may be needed to help the person re-learn the art of speaking. Physiotherapists will help improve motion on the affected side and indeed, mobility. Other therapists may help with eating…if swallowing is a problem, relearning the art of reading and reasoning etc

Usually, people who visit find it difficult to understand their speech during recovery and this can put even more pressure on the patients. Speak slowly and listen carefully so you can understand what they are saying.

Generally eating healthy with lots of fruits and vegetables, cutting out the white carbs (pastries etc), exercising (at least 150 minutes weekly), ensuring you are not overweight and quitting smoking help with reducing bad cholesterol and also preventing strokes.

One may need to walk with a stick as they re-learn the art of walking. Recovery may be long and tedious but the person has got to keep at it.

For more tips on preventing stroke, read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/8-things-you-can-do-to-prevent-a-stroke

Q: Dr. Good evening. I have this problem for long now. Anytime I go to toilet or fart, It smells so bad. I am taking more fruits now but there is no change. Please has anything gone wrong in my system?

A: Hallos! Happy New Year!Farting is normal. Everyone farts…even those that look like they don’t 😀 Typically, farting could be up to 15 times a day. Some fart more and some less 🙂 What you need to do is observe what’s normal for you. If you observe a significant change in terms of smell or frequency, try the tips below. If they don’t help, then see your doctor.

Farting is your body’s way of getting rid of excess gas.‘Excess gas’ is produced in the body when we swallow it or when our body produces it as a result of what we have eaten. This is usually caused by the twin factors of what you have eaten and how you chose to eat it.

For what you have eaten, easy culprits are rich, fatty foods, beans, dairy (especially in lactose intolerant people), high fibre foods (if lots of water is not taken afterwards) etc.

How can the way you eat cause you a problem?If you tend to over-eat or rush your food (eat it very fast or like a friend of mine would say, ‘inhale’ it :D), then you are a target for bloating and farting. The reason is that you eat so fast that you don’t give enough time for signals to travel to your brain from the stomach confirming that you are full. By the time that signal arrives, you are all stuffed up and bloated to boot! Note that it may take up to 20 minutes for those signals that confirm fullness to get to the brain…sounds like a long journey 😀

Other causes of farting are swallowed air (which can happen when we eat too fast or drink too fast) and smoking.

Prevention?

This is really simple: Reduce portion sizes, limit Reduce portion sizes, exercise to improve how your body digests food, eat slowly, quit smoking and limit your intake of foods that cause this, if all else fails.

If your farting is caused by swallowed air, avoid carbonated drinks (most soft drinks fall into this category) – try peppermint tea, don’t drink with straws (at least on a regular basis) avoid chewing chord…oh, sorry! 😀 I meant to say, avoid chewing gum and stay off your candies that you suck so hard and suck in quite a bit of air too!

I hope these tips help. If they don’t, as I mentioned earlier, please see your doctor

Have a good night, y’all 😀

There are some things that are really not just worth your time…and yet you spend so much time on them! 😀 This post suggests how to apportion your time and efforts and ranges from A effort (100% effort) for things really important to you to F effort (0%) for things that are just time wasters! You figure out what activities fall into these groups and those in between! 😀 Read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/trying-to-be-perfect-can-cause-anxiety