The thinking had always been that 140/90 mmHg was the starting point of hypertension. But that has changed. The new numbers that signify hypertension are 130/80 mmHg. This means that some people who used to be normo-tensive (normal blood pressure) are now hypertensive. What should you do to stay healthy and improve your blood pressure readings? Read!
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/6-simple-tips-to-reduce-your-blood-pressure
Q: Thank you doctor. Please I really need your help. This is almost two months now I don’t know what cause noise ear in my ear. What medicine can I use? And I’m having serious headache and I have been drinking Amoxil still no result. Please, doctor I really need your help. Let me know what next to do. Thank you. God bless you more
A: Thanks for writing in. A lot to unpack. First, please do not take antibiotics without a prescription. What you are treating may not need an antibiotic, you may not take sufficient quantities to deal with the infection if there is one, leading to resistance (meaning when you have a real infection, the drug may not work) or you may take too much or for too long leading to a super infection (a situation where even the good germs in your body are killed opening one up to infections that would not have happened, all things being equal). You don’t want any of this to happen.
Now to noisy ears….
Noisy ears as you have described is, medically, called tinnitus. This is a sensation of hearing noise or ringing in the ears. The noise in the ears has also been described as whistling, humming, grinding, hissing, buzzing etc. This is, most times, not a sign of a serious medical condition and would just be a minor irritation as it comes and goes. In other instances, it is continuous, significantly impacting everyday life. It is worse when background noise is low (like at nights, as in your case) and worsens with age. Generally, it would get better over time or with treatment.
Other conditions associated with tinnitus include:
Men, people who smoke, are exposed to loud noise on a prolonged basis, older people and those with cardiovascular problems are more likely to develop tinnitus.
There is really no treatment for tinnitus except there is a specific cause like ear wax build-up, high blood pressure, specific medication etc. In such situations, the cause is treated (e.g. removal of earwax changing medication etc.) and symptoms may get better.
In other instances where there is no cause, focus is on helping one live with it through counselling, therapy to change the way one thinks about the noise so that they are better able to deal with it, introducing one to neutral sounds, which help distract from the ear ‘noise’ etc. Some medications can also help reduce the severity of symptoms.
So, the first thing to do is to see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. He/she will make a diagnosis and then advice on the next course of management.
And for headaches, I did a post on this a few weeks, which I repeat here.
Headaches refer to pain or ache anywhere on the head. They may be primary, in which case they are due to problems with the structures sensitive to pain in the head. Or they may be secondary in which case the pain is due to an underlying disease that causes the pain-sensitive structures in the head to be activated.
Common causes of primary headaches include:
Tension headaches: This is the more common type of headache seen as the everyday sort of headache. It affects both sides of the head as a constant ache. Its causes are not very clear but they can be triggered by stress, hunger, dehydration, etc they can last a couple of minutes to several hours but are not severe enough to stop regular activities. Resting and sleeping well, eating properly and staying hydrated can help prevent this.
Migraines: These are felt as severe throbbing pain at the front or side of the head. Some people may experience other symptoms like nausea, vomiting and being sensitive to light. The pain lasts from a couple of hours or can stretch on for days. Thus, it is more severe than the tension headaches and can stop an individual from carrying out their daily tasks. Some find that they need strong medication prescribed by doctors to get relief but others are relieved by using over the counter medications.
Cluster headaches: These cause severe pain around one eye and are associated with red or watery eyes and a blocked nose or runny one. They tend to occur for one or two months at a time at about the same time of the year. Most times medications do not work for these headaches. Your doctor will prescribe specific treatment courses.
Chronic daily headaches may be due to medication overuse. This would occur in people who use pain medications too often and then end up with rebound headaches…the exact condition they were trying to avoid. Moral of the story: Never abuse your medications J Use only as directed by your doctor.
Sex headaches: Yes, this can occur. It’s also known as post-coital headache, orgasmic headache etc. It could occur during sexual intercourse, during orgasm or after sexual intercourse. And it can also occur at any time of the day and during any type of sexual activity. It is felt at the back of the skull just above the neck and is usually described as throbbing. Or it could build up gradually during sexual intercourse and intensifies as the sexual excitement before an orgasm increases. They can last anything from a few minutes to a few hours; may never recur or may happen a couple more times before gradually fading away.
It is thought to be due to the release of adrenaline and rapid rise in blood pressure which occurs as one approaches orgasm. And so in these cases, the headaches may not be a cause for concern. However, it is also a possibility that these headaches are a sign of a more serious condition like bleeding onto the surface of the brain.
People who usually have migraines, who use recreational drugs like marijuana, use birth control pills etc are more likely to have sex headaches.
Should you swear off sex? Yes, if you’re unmarried And no, if you’re married;) If you have just experienced this, try lying quietly for about an hour or two after taking an analgesic (like paracetamol) to handle the pain. However, it is very important to see your doctor as soon as possible to let him/her know what happened. This is important because, while there may very well not be any underlying issue, you want to be sure to rule out any serious medical condition causing these headaches. Your doctor will also prescribe some drugs on a regular or intermittent basis to deal with your symptoms.
Primary headaches may be triggered by stress, skipped meals and dehydration as noted above. However, they may also be associated with alcohol, foods that contain nitrates like spinach and bad posture.
Secondary headaches may be due to dental problems, hangovers ear infections, blood clot in the brain, wearing tight gear on the head like hats or even wigs (yes, I see you ladies :D) or even eating cold stuff like ice creams etc.
So, what should you do? If you find that tight headgear or eating ice cream is the problem, see if stopping helps.
If you find that these headaches are now more frequent than usual, more severe than usual, stops you from going about your daily activities, is no longer responding to the over the counter medications you used to take etc, please see your doctor. If you have been seeing the same doctor, as it appears to be in this case, with no relief, please seek another opinion or request a review by a neurologist.
All the best.
Q: Hello, doctor my baby is 7weeks old and she is experiencing hiccups which last for about, 1-2minutes and crying which leads to sleepless night, any medicine or remedy for this.
A: Hiccups refer to involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is the thin muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. This is followed by sudden closure of the vocal chords with the resulting hiccup sound at the top of the windpipe.
Hiccups are quite common in babies under one year of age but can affect any age group. They usually occur without provocation and last for a few minutes before disappearing. These episodes in older age groups may be linked to:
In babies, hiccups are usually due to feeding (breast feeding, formula or any other foods) and usually more of a nuisance to you, the parent than the baby. If the hiccups are uncontrollable though, especially if they occur with vomiting, please see your baby’s doctor as it could be due to a more serious problem.
In adults too, hiccups may last for prolonged periods and in these cases are associated with underlying medical conditions:
I am sure most of you may have tried many home remedies like
Specifically in babies, to prevent hiccups, keep your baby in an upright position for about 20 to 30 minutes after a feed, do not bounce them around after a meal and try not to let your baby cry and fuss before a meal (this may lead the baby to suck in a lot of air while feeding). These may help.
For adults, I suggest that you note the triggers noted here (generally, things that make you gassy), stay away from them and see if that helps. The triggers for belching and hiccups are basically same…factors that cause you to swallow a lot of air. Don’t stay away from food completely….we need you alive 😀 I believe this will help. Be sure to also check in with your doctor for a proper diagnosis to be made, if this continues.
Most cases of hiccups do not require treatment. However, some may persist requiring treatments depending on the underlying condition.
Have a good night, people 😀
Q: Good evening Dr. I am an 18 year-old girl and I have been having this problem for two years now, in my abdominal part off my stomach. I usually feel something moving. This happens during the course of the month and when I am about to menstruate, it becomes so painful and the movements get worse. I have never been pregnant and I have been to doctors but at first I was put on medication for urinary infections. After the course, the movements and the pain was still the same. The second time, I was told to go for a scan, which led to the doctors thinking I was pregnant but all the pregnancy tests came out negative. I am tired of this movements and extreme pain. Please I need your help.
A: Hi dear, sorry to hear about the pain you are going through. The first suggestion I want to make is to ensure that you are seeing a specialist – a gynecologist who will review you properly and do the needful, whatever that might be.
Extreme pain during menstruation may also be due to a condition known as endometriosis. In endometriosis, the tissues of the uterus (womb) are found outside of the uterus. They are then found in different areas of the body including:
The ovaries and fallopian tubes are the more common areas for endometriosis. This tissues of the uterus found outside the womb continue to act like what they are: uterine tissues. And so they thicken, break down and bleed with every menstrual cycle. Trouble is, the broken down tissues and blood now, does not have an outlet to flow out from. So, if this happens in the ovaries, cysts form. Cysts are sac-like collection of fluids, semi-solid or gaseous materials.
The symptoms of endometriosis vary from person to person, ranging from no symptoms in some people to excruciating pelvic pain, usually associated with menstrual periods.
Symptoms, generally include:
Other symptoms include:
People with endometriosis may also present with infertility or ovarian cancer.
People at risk of endometriosis include:
Once a diagnosis is made, treatment typically depends on severity of symptoms and whether woman still desires to have children.
Pain relief focuses on reducing the pain associated with this condition.
Hormonal therapy works on slowing down the growth of the endometrial tissue and prevent new implants. However, once therapy is stopped, symptoms could return.
Surgery which may be to remove endometrial tissues wherever they are found (through laparoscopic or open surgery) or removing the uterus, cervix and ovaries to ensure that the primary source of estrogen which stokes the thickening of endometrial tissue is eliminated. This latter surgery is better suited for women who have completed their families.
I hope this helps you understand some more what options are available to you. Please speak with a gynecologist for a clearer picture.
I hope this helps.
Have a good night y’all 😀
Q: Hi Dr. I have terrible heart burn. I am 6 weeks pregnant and I just don’t know what I should do
A: Heart burn really has nothing to do with the heart…I bet all of you knew that, aye? It is usually felt as a burning sensation in the chest which feels worse on bending down or lying down. Okay, why and how does this happen? You know that the stomach produces acid to help with food digestion, right? Have you ever wondered, how come this acid isn’t all up in your mouth all the time? Well, that’s because there’s a ‘lock’ or control at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach which prevents the acid in the stomach from coming back up into the esophagus. This ‘lock’ is called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter. This lock can get strained if the esophagus opens too often or if there…
View original post 257 more words
“If you’ve ever found yourself in front of the TV after a bad day, mindlessly digging ice cream out of the container with a spoon, you know that mood and food are sometimes linked. Can the things you eat influence your risk for depression — and can dietary changes potentially improve your mental health? ” Read!
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/food-and-mood-is-there-a-connection
Q: Good evening Dr. How can I treat an itchy throat and coughing, and when I cough mucous comes out. I have drank antibiotics and cough syrups but all in vain, nothing works out. Any other cure Dr.?
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Q: Good evening doctor, I gave birth a month ago and my stomach is still as if am five months pregnant… Please what can I do to make my belly look the way it was before pregnancy? Your answer will be of great help, thank you.
A: Honestly, I’ve got no easy answers. It’s diet and exercise….oh and breastfeeding. But breastfeeding is not very helpful if one is not exercising and watching their portions. Again, the dictum of feeding for two here doesn’t also count.
The diet to focus on is the very same one we talk about all the time: fruits, veggies and complex carbs with focus on healthier cooking methods (less frying etc). Exercise should focus, initially on pelvic floor exercises especially if you’re leaking urine when you cough or laugh. To locate your pelvic floor muscles, try holding your urine when you feel pressed. If you are successful, then you have located the muscles you need. Then empty your bladder and lie on the floor. Contract those same muscles and hold the contraction for about 5 seconds and then relax it for about 5 seconds. Gradually build this up to holding the contraction for 10 seconds. Repeat this about 3 times a day. Once you no longer leak, you’re ready for your exercises.
Have you noticed how it is usually easier to lose the baby weight after your first baby and harder afterwards? 😀 Focus on building up your stamina gradually especially if you were not very active in pregnancy or before. Please remember to contact your doctor always, before starting any vigorous exercise program. As you get into the groove, get down with your aerobics, strength training and sit-ups et al.
This is where breast feeding comes in, if you’re exercising and eating right, breastfeeding can help lose weight…as much as 300 calories per day. Does tying a wrapper tightly round your waist help flatten tummy? Honestly, I’ve heard people who swear by that technique. So, what I’ll say is, if it works for you, why not? Just don’t tie so tight as to stop blood flow
How soon to start exercise after having a baby? Well, it depends on how active you were before and during pregnancy. If you were very active, you can start some light stretches as soon as you feel able. However, generally, we advise 6 – 8 weeks after birth to allow for a post-natal check to have been done. Again, start small and allow your body to get into the groove.
And for all those who asked questions about breastfeeding, this should not be a problem as once you position the baby correctly to the breast, milk is ‘produced’ for the baby through a let-down reflex. So, it is almost a misnomer to say one doesn’t produce enough. It is not very common. So, nursing mothers should ensure that they drink copious amounts of water and put their babies to the breast. If beast feeding problems continue, see your doctor with your baby to ensure that the baby is latching on to the breast properly.
Have a great day 😀
Q: Please Dr., what causes eye pain like feeling as if there is smoke?
A: Cloudy vision is a situation in which objects appear milky and ‘veiled’. It is oftentimes used interchangeably with blurry eyes. Blurry, cloudy or even double vision can be seen in disease conditions like:
• Cataract: This is a cloudy area on the lens and can lead to cloudy vision. If not taken care of, they can cause vision loss to the point of blindness. And yes, excessive exposure to sunlight increases your risk of having this condition.
• Near sightedness (myopia) can lead to blurry vision with associated headache and eye strain.
• Far sightedness (hyperopia) can also result in blurred vision when looking at close objects.
• Glaucoma, a condition in which there is increased pressure in the eye
• Diabetes Mellitus in which there is damage to the retina (light sensitive layer) of the eye
• Astigmatism in which there is blurred vision up close and at a distance.
• Pregnancy and migraine headaches are also causes of blurred vision.
This is by no means, an exhaustive list!
Please revisit the hospital and this time, see an ophthalmologist (an eye doctor) who will carry out a detailed eye exam. This should help make a definitive diagnosis. Treatment depends on cause: Cataract requires surgery and replacement of cloudy leans with a clear one; hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism are treated with either contact lens, eyeglasses or refractive surgery etc
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, y’all 🙂
Q: I have headaches. What is the solution?
A: Headaches refer to pain or ache anywhere on the head. They may be primary, in which case they are due to problems with the structures sensitive to pain in the head. Or they may be secondary in which case the pain is due to an underlying disease that causes the pain-sensitive structures in the head to be activated.
Common causes of primary headaches include:
Tension headaches: This is the more common type of headache seen as the everyday sort of headache. It affects both sides of the head as a constant ache. Its causes are not very clear but they can be triggered by stress, hunger, dehydration, etc they can last a couple of minutes to several hours but are not severe enough to stop regular activities. Resting and sleeping well, eating properly and staying hydrated can help prevent this.
Migraines: These are felt as severe throbbing pain at the front or side of the head. Some people may experience other symptoms like nausea, vomiting and being sensitive to light. The pain lasts from a couple of hours or can stretch on for days. Thus, it is more severe than the tension headaches and can stop an individual from carrying out their daily tasks. Some find that they need strong medication prescribed by doctors to get relief but others are relieved by using over the counter medications.
Cluster headaches: These cause severe pain around one eye and are associated with red or watery eyes and a blocked nose or runny one. They tend to occur for one or two months at a time at about the same time of the year. Most times medications do not work for these headaches. Your doctor will prescribe specific treatment courses.
Chronic daily headaches may be due to medication overuse. This would occur in people who use pain medications too often and then end up with rebound headaches…the exact condition they were trying to avoid. Moral of the story: Never abuse your medications J Use only as directed by your doctor.
Sex headaches: Yes, this can occur. It’s also known as post-coital headache, orgasmic headache etc. It could occur during sexual intercourse, during orgasm or after sexual intercourse. And it can also occur at any time of the day and during any type of sexual activity. It is felt at the back of the skull just above the neck and is usually described as throbbing. Or it could build up gradually during sexual intercourse and intensifies as the sexual excitement before an orgasm increases. They can last anything from a few minutes to a few hours; may never recur or may happen a couple more times before gradually fading away.
It is thought to be due to the release of adrenaline and rapid rise in blood pressure which occurs as one approaches orgasm. And so in these cases, the headaches may not be a cause for concern. However, it is also a possibility that these headaches are a sign of a more serious condition like bleeding onto the surface of the brain.
People who usually have migraines, who use recreational drugs like marijuana, use birth control pills etc are more likely to have sex headaches.
Should you swear off sex? Yes, if you’re unmarried And no, if you’re married;) If you have just experienced this, try lying quietly for about an hour or two after taking an analgesic (like paracetamol) to handle the pain. However, it is very important to see your doctor as soon as possible to let him/her know what happened. This is important because, while there may very well not be any underlying issue, you want to be sure to rule out any serious medical condition causing these headaches. Your doctor will also prescribe some drugs on a regular or intermittent basis to deal with your symptoms.
Primary headaches may be triggered by stress, skipped meals and dehydration as noted above. However, they may also be associated with alcohol, foods that contain nitrates like spinach and bad posture.
Secondary headaches may be due to dental problems, hangovers ear infections, blood clot in the brain, wearing tight gear on the head like hats or even wigs (yes, I see you ladies :D) or even eating cold stuff like ice creams etc.
So, what should you do? If you find that tight head gear or eating ice cream is the problem, see if stopping helps.
If you find that these headaches are now more frequent than usual, more severe than usual, stops you from going about your daily activities, is no longer responding to the over the counter medications you used to take etc, please see your doctor. If you have been seeing the same doctor, as it appears to be in this case, with no relief, please seek another opinion or request a review by a neurologist.
All the best.
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