chatwithketch

Q: Good evening Doctor, job well done. Please Doc, my fiancé didn’t have erection recently. Please what might cause pile and what is the solution ma’am? Thank you

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

His 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 he has Diabetes Mellitus, heart disease, if he has had a stroke etc, please he needs to mention these to his doctor…and indeed he should not self-prescribe any of these (or indeed any other) drugs for himself.

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. Let him speak with his doctor to find out what options are available to him.

Remember that this does not mean that your partner no longer desires you. To encourage him, please be a part of his therapy. Encourage your partner to be open about what is going on to his doctor so he can work with him to find the ideal solution.

And for pile, click on this link for more information on causes and treatment: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2017/07/24/daily-health-tips-help-please-i-have-chronic-piles-haemorrhoids-2/

All the best!

Bad breath, also called halitosis, may be as a result of poor hygiene habits, eating strong smelling foods or could be a sign of other medical conditions. If adequate dental hygiene is not maintained, food particles can remain in our mouths, encouraging bacterial growth bacteria in our mouths can break down food particles and raise a serious stink. Proper dental hygiene habits includes: Brushing your teeth twice a day (this sounds like a ‘no-brainer’ but the right technique is important. Mentally divide your mouth into four quadrants and spend at least 30 seconds on each quadrant. This way, you spend a minimum of 2 minutes brushing)Brushing your tongue (if you finish brushing and you can still see all that whitish residue on your tongue, you haven’t done a good job. Some of the smell comes from there. Some tooth brushes come with a tongue scraper at the back of the brush…use that. If not, buy one or just use your brush) Flossing your teeth everyday. Ask for this in your local super markets. This gets rid of the food particles between your teeth where your tooth brush can’t reach. Using a mouth wash can also help the prevention of mouth odour. Eating strong smelling foods like onions and garlic could also cause mouth odour which may not be taken care of by brushing. This is because these ‘foods’ are absorbed into the blood stream and excreted through the lungs. So, the smell will persist until excretion is complete. The small can be masked with mouth wash etc Disease conditions that can lead to bad breath include mouth infections, Diabetes Mellitus, sinus infection etc. Other conditions like use of tobacco (chewing or smoking), some drugs and dry mouth (which is the reason for morning breath :D) are also culprits. Prevention is focused on the tips given above and ensuring that you visit your dentist at least twice a year, brushing at least twice a day (if not after every meal) with a fluoride tooth paste (remember that fluoride is not recommended for children less than 2-3 years and even then, only a pea size is recommended), change your tooth brush once every three months and drink lots of water. Let’s keep the pearls shining and the breath smelling really fresh.By the way, would you tell a friend, if he/she had bad breath? I asked that question during one of my shows and most people didn’t want to be the one that causes offence by telling someone that they have bad breath. However, most people also wanted to be told if they had bad breath. So, who will bell the cat? :dDid you miss the show? Catch it here and watch me have fun putting OC Ukeje on the hot spot. https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/05/03/watch-the-dr-ketch-show-episode-on-bad-breath-here/

Read Harvard Health’s take on this here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/bad-breath-what-causes-it-and-what-to-do-about-it

Have a good evening, y’all 😀

Ever heard of brain food? Foods that improve the health if your brain and make sure you remain sharp? Well, the usual suspects made the list but there are a few surprises! Read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower

Q: Hi Dr. ketch is it possible to give birth at 8 months? I’ve been having abdominal pains for 2 days now the baby keeps tossing and turning? Could this be labor pains or not?

A: 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’.

Can a baby be born at 8 months? Well, the simple answer is yes. A premature baby comes into the world before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Babies born prematurely have to be in intensive care (Special Care Baby Unit) so as to give them a fighting chance. They are prone to having problems like apnea(where the baby sometimes stops breathing), anaemia (shortage of sufficient number of red blood cells to carry oxygen round the body), respiratory problems and low blood pressure etc.

Who is at risk of having a premature baby? Sometimes we don’t really know the cause, but it has been observed in mothers younger than 19 years of age and older than 40 years. Some cases can be brought on by chronic diseases which the mother already had before pregnancy like hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus or could be due to Urinary Tract Infections, other diseases of the heart or kidney, due to abnormal positions of the placenta in pregnancy or due to multiple pregnancy (carrying more than one baby in the womb eg twins). Smoking, drinking alcohol, drug abuse and failure of the mother to feed well during pregnancy are other factors that can lead to prematurity.

So, I suggest you go see your doctor immediately for proper evaluation. Hopefully, the pains are from Braxton Hicks contractions (your womb rehearsing for the real labour). 

All the best!

Q: Good day Doctor. What are the early signs of pregnancy?
A: Pregnancy symptoms are always present but may be masked or mild in some people and assumed to be something else in other people. For instance, if pregnancy occurs at the same time one is going through a stressful time, there may be an assumption that this is due to stress or even the flu. I put down my own symptoms of pregnancy (during my first) to malaria! This situation is even worse in women who have irregular periods and thus may not notice the absence of a period. In some cases, women bleed and also assume that this is normal menstruation throughout their pregnancy. Generally, symptoms of pregnancy include: • Breast tenderness• Discharge: A thin milky discharge is normal during pregnancy• Heart burn and Constipation• Frequency of urination• Tiredness• Food cravings and aversions• Morning sickness/nausea So, if you do suspect that you are pregnant, get yourself tested with a home test kit or see your doctor so he/she can order a pregnancy test for you. Have a good night, y’all 😀

Q: Hello doc I’ve been having discomfort in my throat for a while now it feels like there’s something stuck in my throat especially in my chest; fatigue and headache is present and there’s this huge discomfort in my chest, like something is stuck there and when I swallow something I can feel that part becoming irritated. I coughed while I was eating yesterday and some pain emanated from there. I just quit smoking recently and I’m 22 years old. Do you think this could be cancer? Two things also – I’ve been smoking for over a year now and sometimes acid pushes up into my esophagus also

A: Hey! Thanks for writing in.

A little Biology class to get us started…:)

When we eat, the food moves down from the mouth, to the esophagus (the food pipe) and into the stomach. There is a sphincter (you can look at it as a valve or control) at the lower end of the esophagus just before the stomach. This valve usually allows food to move in one direction: from the esophagus to the stomach. However, in people with Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), this valve called Lower Esophageal Sphincter allows food to also move back from the stomach to the esophagus. This food, which contains acid from the stomach, causes burning sensations in the esophagus described as heartburn. A condition called hiatal hernia increases the chances of GERD and is usually seen in obese people, pregnant women and during situations that increase the pressure in the abdomen like coughing, sneezing etc.

Symptoms typically include those you have described, really – burning sensation in the chest after eating, difficulty with swallowing, and sensation of having a lump in the throat, chest pain and regurgitation of food or sour-tasting fluid. If your symptoms are worse at night, you could also have disrupted sleep and chronic cough.

Lifestyle factors that play a role in GERD include certain foods like fatty, fried foods, alcohol, minty foods etc, smoking, eating huge meals, lying down immediately after a meal etc

To avoid these eat smaller meals and try not to lie down until about 3 hours after a meal, keep your weight within normal limits and give tight clothes a rest 😀 Avoid foods that act as triggers and stay off smoking. Elevate the feet of your bed by using blocks under the bed. Do not use pillows to achieve this as it just increases pressure in the stomach and worsens the problem.
Other treatment modalities include medications and surgery. Your doctor will advise as to what works best for you.

Now, as you can see from this post, your main symptoms are most likely due to smoking. I’m not quite sure whether you are still smoking or you’ve quit. If you haven’t, this is really the time to give it up, don’t you think? J

Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of death worldwide.

The first step to quitting is having a clear desire to quit.  You have to be positive, reminding yourself why you need to quit. Apart from having a good support system, avoiding the areas where one usually is encouraged to smoke is a good idea. Friends and acquaintances that encourage you to smoke, should not be seen too frequently…especially as you start off on this process.

It is important to have other hobbies and activities that take your mind off smoking or take the place of smoking…in a sense. Getting more active with a sporting activity or church activities or volunteering etc are all activities that can take the edge off quitting. Some have found switching to oral substitutes like chewing gum, carrots and mints, helpful.

Apart from home support, having a support group of people who wish to quit also helps a lot. I have sent the phone number of a psychologist who can help you during this process. I will update this post shortly with websites that have information on support groups in Lagos for people who wish to quit.

You need to get on with the first part of the work, which is making the decision to quit. Having a wonderful family that you wish to be there for is an extra push. Knowing that many people have been able to kick this habit before you should confirm that you can do this!

I’m rooting for you!

Share the good news as the days progress. You could be encouraging someone else who wishes to quit! Let’s show that this can be done!

For a related post, please click on this https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/02/24/daily-health-tips-im-trying-to-stop-smoking-pot/

Have a good night, y’all 😀