chatwithketch

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 😀

Question: Dear Dr. Ketch. Thanks for your wonderful advice. God bless. I have a one-year old grandson – very gorgeous and healthy. Thank you Jesus! At this time, he is struggling with a blocked nose and a lot of snot, yellowish in colour. Some runny but also a lot of phlegm that catches in his throat. What can you recommend I give him for it? Thank you.

A: Congratulations on your gorgeous grandchild! I can just imagine your pride and joy! May he grow up to fulfill his destiny!

As a parent, how much more a doting grandparent, it’s very normal for you to feel worried when your baby is ill especially when it appears you’re helpless and really can’t do anything to help him/her.

First, a note about cough syrups which many parents like to give, because the symptoms you described are often associated with cough, too.

First, if your baby’s cough is due to a cold, you really don’t need to give your baby any drug. A cold is a viral infection and once it causes an infection, it will run its course before it stops. And so, with or without drugs, a cold will go. It would usually last for about a week to 10 days and then disappear. There’s no need for antibiotics for a viral infection. Indeed, taking antibiotics when they are not needed leads to antibiotic resistance where the antibiotics can no longer properly do their jobs when they are really needed to fight infections.

Then some of the ingredients in the cough syrups can also cause a baby’s heart to beat faster, may cause convulsions and basically do not treat the cause of the cough. They are actually not supposed to be used for children younger than 2 years of age.
Now, what can you do in the meantime to relieve the blocked nose:
Let your baby sleep in your arms or in a semi-upright position.

You can prop him up with lots of pillows at night.

Offer your baby fluids and use a saline spray to ease the congestion in his nose. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for this.

An air humidifier also moistens the air and makes it easier for your baby to breath. If you don’t have this, you can let your baby breath in steam from a hot shower. This has to be done carefully under adult supervision. An easy way is to run hot water in the shower and walk around with your baby in the bathroom.

A suction bulb can also help remove mucous/snot from your baby’s nose. You can ask for one in the hospital or a pharmacy.

Please see your baby’s doctor if this cough continues and/or your baby develops a fever and the symptoms persist after 2 weeks. If your baby also has difficulty breathing, cannot breath or feed, you should also see his/her doctor.

All the best!

Have a great week ahead!

Q: Hello Dr. I hope this finds you well. I’m a twenty year old lady and I’m very hairy…it’s even on the chest area. I was told it’s because of some steroids I took as a child for severe eczema I had. Can this be treated and how? Thanks, hope to hear from you soon

A: What you’ve described sounds like hirsutism which is a situation in which there is excessive hairiness in a woman in places like the face, chest and back. Funny enough, growing up, very hairy ladies were considered pretty special…In a good way 😀

This situation can be caused by any situation that increases the male sex hormones (androgens) or increases the response of hair follicles to androgens. Some conditions that can cause this include Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or from taking medications such as prednisone (a steroid) over a long period as appears to be the case here, some drugs, obesity etc It is more likely in people who have a family history of this and in people of Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern origin. This can also be found in women with no risk factors and women where no specific cause can be found.

If specific causes are found eg obesity or PCOS, these should be addressed.

As you may have found out, permanent methods of getting rid of the facial and other unwanted hair like laser treatment (which does not destroy the hair follicles) and electrolysis (which destroys hair follicles but may leave small scars on face) are expensive with laser being more popular and more expensive.

Mild cases of hirsutism can be dealt with by shaving, waxing, plucking or using depilatory creams…much as you would take care of underarm hair.

Birth control pills used over a period of 6 to 12 months may improve this condition by helping reduce the effects of androgens and reducing the production of more sex hormones. Anti-androgen drugs can also be used.

So, make out time to go find a gynaecologist as soon as you can and discuss this. He will carry out a detailed investigation and then confirm treatment options that would work best for you depending on his findings eg whether the contraceptive pills are an option for you etc

Until you’re able to do that, you may have to keep shaving, plucking, waxing or using depilatory creams. As soon as you can afford it, laser treatment should be considered.

Have a great evening, y’all 😀