Do you have an ailment or condition that makes you take pain medication often? Are you absolutely fed up with taking pills? Have you wondered if it’s possible to handle pain without taking pain medication? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should read this article.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/6-ways-to-use-your-mind-to-control-pain
Q: Good day ma’am. Please, I want to find out if it’s risky to travel by road. I just discovered that I am pregnant and I’ll be travelling from Osun State to Cross River State.
A: Travelling during pregnancy whether by road, rail or air is generally safe for women with healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies, especially in the 2nd trimester, when you would have stopped the puking 😀 associated with first trimester and before you start to get very tired and your tummy begins to announce your presence as you get into the third trimester 😉 The obstetrician also has to be a part of this decision making process…he may very well advice against travel for reasons like pregnancy being high risk etc.
Here are some general tips if you plan to travel:
• Be sure to have travel insurance or health insurance, if this applies. You just don’t know if…
View original post 420 more words
Are you one of those who take pain killers – when needed and when not needed? You should read this!
7th April of every year marks the World Health Day. This year, the theme of the celebration is ‘Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere’
Do you know what universal health coverage means? It means that you (yes you!) have the right to receive good quality health services when you need it without getting into financial difficulties. This sounds like one of those high-sounding WHO declarations that mean nothing to you in your small corner of the world. But guess what?! This applies to you. Your government agreed to it, signed off on it and indeed declared that it would ensure that 15% of its budget was dedicated to health so that you will not have to suffer any financial difficulty in choosing to access care or worse still have to choose between certain death and financial ruin when you fall ill.
So, how can you ensure that in Nigeria (and other countries where a lot still has to be done) we have access to the care we need without becoming penniless? We hold government accountable. There’s no better time than now. It’s an election year in 2019. National discussions are ongoing. When there are major road traffic accidents, we spend a few days to castigate the country’s leadership and how they have failed us in years past – leading to poor health service delivery in all aspects. But guess what? You control the narrative now. As the elections draw closer, let’s ask all those who wish to lead us their plans for UHC. It’s not something that happens in foreign lands…no! Examples of amazing progress towards UHC abound around us from East, South, Central and other West African countries. We can replicate same and better in our various countries.
So, the next time elections come around, let’s vote with our heads (facts) and not our hearts (sentiments). We can get this right!
Have a great week y’all 😀
Q: Good day Doctor, may God continue to bless you for the words of encouragement and the tips you are giving to us. Thank you, Doctor . I am having problems with my ear and it’s over 2 weeks now. My ear is making noise. I met an ENT doctor last week about it and she washed my right ear and the noise now stopped; but I started hearing the noise again in my left ear. It is during the night when everywhere is cool that I notice it and it’s giving me sleepless nights. I am taking the drugs she gave me when I went back to complain about the second ear. Doctor what do I do? Please help me. God bless you and your family .
A: Thanks for writing in and for your prayers. Amen to every one of them.
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 ear wax 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 get your brother down to see an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. He/she will make a diagnosis and then advice on the next course of management.
Have a great evening, people 😀
Q: I’m doing well, I have a question. I had unprotected sex a month ago and developed slight itching at my penis and started taking antibiotics though still not healed completely. Can that infection be due to stress that I was infected?
A: Thanks for writing in.
Unprotected sex is always a no-no! Please remind yourself of the ABCs guiding this: The first is abstinence. Honestly, this is your safest bet. If you’re not ready to deal with the responsibilities of having a baby, please leave well alone. You can’t have an STI, HIV/AIDS, or otherwise if you don’t have sex. And of course, you can’t get pregnant. Now, if abstinence is a problem, be faithful to one partner…who hopefully is being faithful to you too. If you can’t swear on this, revert to plan A. Finally, if all else fails, ensure that you use a condom to prevent STIs and pregnancy. Interestingly, the latex used to make condoms may lead to balanitis and in such cases, treatment will focus on the use of latex-free condoms. Unprotected sex is never an option.
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. We will only dwell with one cause here.
Candidiasis, which is a yeast infection caused by Candida albicans, can occur in both men and women. This yeast (fungus) occurs naturally in the human body especially in warm, moist areas like the genitals and mouth. It usually does not cause problems unless certain conditions occur to upset the delicate balance between good bacteria and the fungi, making the latter to multiply.]
Candidiasis is very common in diabetics (the sugar in their urine makes the genitals a rich culture medium for them), in obese people and those whose immune systems are compromised. It also happens in people who take a lot of antibiotics (like yiu appear ti be doing now without a prescription) destroying the good bacteria as described earlier.
Personal hygiene plays a role in genital thrush. If you do not dry your penis properly after a bath, the warm, moist environment encourages yeast to grow and thrive. Perfumed soaps can irritate the skin of the penis, making thrush more likely. Though this infection can be passed on through sexual intercourse, it’s not really called an STI because people who are not sexually active can be infected with this.
Symptoms of genital thrush in men include:
· Irritation, itching or burning on the tip of the penis or under the foreskin
· Thick, whitish discharge under the foreskin, which may look like cottage cheese or egusi
· Redness under the foreskin or tip of penis
· Difficulty pulling back the foreskin of the penis
Treatment is usually with anti-fungal cream and/or tablet.
Until treatment is complete, please avoid sexual intercourse to avoid infecting your partner. Actually, both of you should be treated at the same time. If you must, please use a condom. To prevent re-infections, remember to clean your penis after a bath, wear loose fitting, cotton under-pants, avoid perfumed soaps and generally keep penis cool and dry.
I suggest you see a doctor to confirm that this is indeed thrush and not some other condition.
I hope this helps.
Have a good night everyone 
😀
Q. Does it get harder to cope with stress as you age? I feel like it takes more of a toll on me now than when I was younger.
Find out more here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/does-stress-management-become-more-difficult-as-you-age
Q: Can zobo drink improve my bone to be strong?
A: Zobo is a drink made from the Hibiscus flower. This drink is known by many other names depending on where you come from. Some popular names include Karkadi, Karkada, Zenaf, Sour tea, Roselle and of course, Zobo! There are many more names, by the way…but this post is not about the many names of Zobo.
Some people drink Zobo, because there is an assumption that it is a healthier alternative sugary, soft drinks. Well, it depends. If you prepare it with bottles of the sugary soft drinks you were trying to avoid ab initio, then maybe, it may not be so healthy, right? 😀
Again, some of the touted benefits of Hibiscus on hypertension, cholesterol levels, colds etc do not really have significant medical evidence to back them up.
However, it has been shown that taking Zobo with Acetaminophen (our regular Paracetamol) may lead to a situation where your body gets rid of the drug faster than it would have done ordinarily. This implies that in a short while the effect of the Paracetamol would have worn off and the person probably back with the ache.
What of zobo and pregnancy? There is not sufficient evidence to really confirm that this and a lot of other herbal drinks are safe in pregnancy. It has been suggested in some quarters that Hibiscus in excessive amounts could lead to menstruation leading to miscarriages in pregnant women. The evidence for or against this is not in great supply but it is probably a great idea to give it a miss during pregnancy. I would do so 😀 And yes I know a lot of women indulge in gallons of the stuff with no side effects 😀 Better safe than sorry…just saying J
About zobo and bone strength…I do not have any information. I do know Spinach, Soybeans, White beans, some fish, like sardines, salmon and oatmeal, and breakfast cereal contain calcium and help increase bone strength
Have a great evening 😀
chatwithketch 