chatwithketch

I have been asked and actually told at various fora that research has shown that some degree of alcohol is good for the heart. In fact some people tell me that research has also shown that the French live a lot longer and healthier because they take at least one glass of wine with every meal. Well, are they right? Here are 5 things you should know about alcohol and your heart

·       If you must, drink in moderation

Many health issues associated with alcohol are related to excessive consumption. So if you drink, stay within the 1 – 2 glasses limit per day

·       High Triglycerides

Alcohol consumption has been shown to raise the triglyceride level in the bloodstream. The extra calories consumed while drinking alcohol turn into triglycerides or fats in the bloodstream, and elevated triglyceride levels in the bloodstream can harden the artery walls, which can eventually lead to heart disease and heart failure.

·       High Blood Pressure

Alcohol has a lot of empty calories and these add unneeded fat and weight to the body, which can increase the blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Drinking three or more alcoholic beverages per day can lead to a long-term increase in blood pressure.

·       Irregular Heartbeat

Having more than one or two drinks per day might increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat. If not controlled, an irregular heartbeat can weaken the heart and eventually lead to heart failure.

Please do not start drinking if you do not already drink alcohol. Many of the benefits of alcohol on the heart touted by many can be achieved through diet and exercise without exposing yourself to the inherent risks of alcohol over-consumption . Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of drinking alcohol. Recent research has shown that no amount of alcohol is risk-free! So, make the right choice 🙂

All the best 😀

Q: Good morning Dr. May you kindly illuminate on recommended quantity of fluid one is required to take each day  My concern is that after taking a glass of water, 5 mins later, I am going to bathroom. Is there something wrong with me?

A: Thanks for writing in. Water is important for life and we use it for very important functions daily: taking a bath, washing clothes, washing dishes, cooking and of course, drinking. The water we drink is very critical for a lot of bodily functions like digestion, excretion (when we urinate, pass faeces and sweat), movement of nutrients all around the body, keeping your joints nice and supple etc. If you also consider the fact that a healthy body contains about two-thirds, water, then it is clear that we can’t joke with our fluid intake per day.

Five tips to help you with this:

• Though, there are recommended amounts to take daily, it really depends on your activity level (notice how much more water you appear to need after a hectic workout?), where you live (notice how much water you also seem to drink when you live or visit the tropics as opposed to when you live in or visit a temperate region) and your health condition (for instance, people with UTI need to drink some more water).
• Generally, we are encouraged to drink 8 8-ounce glasses of fluid per day. This is approximately 2 litres of water per day.
• Any fluid counts e.g. milk, fruit juices, beverages etc. But try to remember that these other fluid sources, other than water, may contain calories that you probably don’t need
• An easy way to check whether your body is getting enough water in a day is to check your urine colour. If it’s dark yellow, you’re probably not getting enough. If it’s pale yellow in colour, you’re doing good
• If you don’t like the taste of plain water, you can jazz it up with a slice of lemon or limeand if you don’t like the taste of plain milk, like most children, you can add some flavor like vanilla to it.

Water is necessary for life itself. Be sure that you’re drinking sufficient quantities of this daily.

‘Much of the heavily hyped guidance for an anti-inflammation lifestyle boils down to the same no-nonsense health advice your grandmother might have given you’. Want to be reminded of the health advice?

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/simple-tips-to-fight-inflammation

‘If you’re bothered by neck pain, you have plenty of company. Doctors estimate that seven out of 10 people will be troubled by such pain at some point in their lives. But if you were to ask each of these people to describe their neck pain, you would probably get seven different stories.’ Read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/7-faces-of-neck-pain

The pros and cons of coconut oil. Sift through the many promotions out there on coconut oil and read the verdict of one who has experienced the benefits and pitfalls of coconut oil 🙂

Thinking of it, perhaps I should use coconut oil as a moisturizer…..

https://atbgs.blogspot.com/2018/08/still-on-coconut-oil_25.html

‘Stress, exercise, and even a few drinks the night before your doctor’s appointment can push your blood pressure up.’

For more, read! https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/monitoring-blood-pressure-at-home

Q: Dr. Ketch your friend is suffering pains from penis for almost thirty years – no cure. I want you to help me please.

A: Dear friend, sorry to hear that you are in pain. Where exactly is this pain? The tip, shaft or base? There are different causes of penile pain and it could affect any of these areas. Penile pain should always be checked out in the hospital. Better safe than sorry.

Some causes of penile pain include:

• Priapism: Priapism is a condition, in which there is a sustained and oftentimes, painful erection of the penis, continues for hours beyond sexual stimulation or even when there is no sexual stimulation. It is more common in men in their 30s.

There are three types of priapism (ischaemic, non-ischaemic and recurrent) but to understand this, we’ll take a look at the mechanism of erection. An erection occurs in response to stimulation, physical or psychological. As a result of this stimulation, the blood vessels and smooth muscles of the penis relax, allowing increased blood flow to the penis. This is what causes erection. When the stimulation is over, the vessels and smooth muscles constrict causing the blood to flow out of the penis and become flaccid. In priapism, the order of events causing the blood to flow out of the penis is changed such that the blood does not flow out of the penis

In ischaemic priapism, which is the more common type due to inability of blood to leave the penis, there is pain, rigid penile shaft but flaccid glans (penile tip) and the erection lasts more than 4 hours! Causes include blood disorders like sickle cell anaemia and injuries to the penis and/or pelvis, alcohol, cocaine and other illicit drug use, some medications like blood thinners and antidepressants, cancer of the penis etc.

Non-ischaemic priapism is usually due to an injury to the perineum or genitals that results in poor regulation of penile blood flow. It is not usually painful and manifests as erection that lasts for more than 4 hours but the penile shaft is not fully rigid.

In recurrent priapism, situation is similar to ischaemic priapism with erections that are painful, recurrent but ease after 2 to 3 hours. These erections may subsequently progress to become more frequent and more prolonged. It is common in males with sickle cell anaemia

Any sort of priapism should be checked out with a medical doctor (urologist) to determine type, cause and management. Erection lasting more than 4 hours is an emergency and may led to damage of the penis and subsequent erectile dysfunction. Treatment depends on cause and should be started as soon as possible.

Options include aspiration (in which blood is drained out of the penis with a syringe), use of medications to constrict the penile blood vessels, treatment of underlying medical condition like sickle cell anaemia and surgery in some cases. Note of warning, though it sounds very simple to use a syringe to drain out the blood in the penis, you must never attempt it on your own. You must visit a hospital and let a doctor work out the best treatment option(s) for you. Patients who do not get treated early enough and some that went through surgery eventually end up with poor erectile functions despite the successful treatment.

• Balanitis: Skin irritation of the head of the penis, known as balanitis, could present with itching as you described. Causes include:
  Irritation under the foreskin caused by urine
  • Candidiasis
  • Use of shower gels, soaps and other skin irritants
  • Skin conditions like eczema
  • STI
  • Poor hygiene

Your doctor will work with you to determine the cause and treatment is dependent on that.

• Urinary tract infections: In men, UTIs are not so common and would happen more in people who have an enlarged prostate, people who have a poor immune system and people who have kidney and bladder infections. Symptoms include frequent urination, difficulty with urination, pain during urination, fever etc. Involvement if the kidney leads to loin pain in addition to worsening of feelings if illness.
  The doctor will usually send a urine sample to the laboratory to check for bacteria present in the urine and what antibiotic(s) are effective against them. Be sure to take the antibiotics for the prescribed period of time, even if you feel better before you finish the course to prevent backtracking of infection into the kidneys. Drink a lot of water and take analgesics for pain, if needed.In summary, your specific treatment depends on the organism that is found in your urine at the laboratory. Be sure not to prescribe antibiotics for yourself!

For more on urinary tract infections, please click on the link below:
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/05/16/daily-health-tips-urinary-tract-infections/

• Sexually transmitted infections like syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, injuries to the penis, penile cancer, phimosis in which the foreskin of the penis is stretched too tight and cannot be pulled away from the head of the penis, can cause penile pain.

Treatment depends on cause and some have been described above. Antibiotics can be used to treat UTIs and some STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Stretching the foreskin with fingers may make it looser in phimosis. Steroid creams rubbed on the penis can also help. In some cases, surgery is necessary in phimosis and/or cancer. In the latter, radiation treatment or chemotherapy could be included.

So, your first step is to see your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

All the best!

Have a goodnight, y’all 😀