How much salt do you consume? Are you one of those who bring out the salt shaker even before they taste the food Ever heard of the salty six foods that can add to your risk of a higher blood pressure? Well, you should read this!
Have a great evening y’all 😀
Q: Please Doc, can you talk on tuberculosis and can it go on forever, if treated?
Tuberculosis (Tb) is a bacterial infection that mainly affects lungs. The infection could be active in which case the person is sick and can transmit the infection to another person or the infection could be inactive, in which case the infection is present in the body but does not cause infection neither can it be transmitted to another person. However, this latter case needs to be treated as it can become active.
The issue of Tb has come more to the front burner with the advent of HIV/AIDS which causes a depression of the immune system such that the Tb infection can hold sway. Other conditions that depress the immune system include cancer treatment, some cancers, malnutrition, Diabetes Mellitus, extremes of age (very young or very old) etc
Symptoms of Tb include fever, cough that lasts for 3 weeks or more, coughing up blood, night sweats, weight loss etc
Treatment of Tb involves the use of a combination of drugs to prevent resistance. These drugs must be taken for the full course to prevent resistance. Common drugs used include Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol. These drugs need to be taken for a long period of time, as adviced by your doctor…usually about 6 months, minimum because the bacteria die quite slowly. Don’t be tempted to stop taking your medication when you start to feel better. This may lead to drug resistance. However, a permanent cure can be achieved on completion of treatment.
In countries like Nigeria, the vaccine BCG is the cornerstone of prevention and this is given to children at birth. Unfortunately, the poor economic conditions in most places in Africa makes this disease spread rapidly if one person gets it as overcrowding due to poor/inadequate housing helps the bacteria spread. Teaching people to cover their coughs and stay in well-ventilated places also help.
A related question on the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis is posted below…
Q: Morn Doc, please help me clear out something. A new born baby that was given a first time injection (BCG).Is it a must that it must bring out pus. She is 3 weeks now.
A: The full meaning of BCG is Bacille Calmette-Guerin, named after scientists, Drs Calmette and Guerin who developed the vaccines. It was used for the first time in human beings in 1921. This is a freeze-dried live but weakened strain of Mycobacterium Bovis (very similar to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis), a bacterium found in cattle which can cause tuberculosis in man. This vaccine is part of the compulsory immunization schedule in countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis. It provides protection over a range of 10-20 years and so is not particularly useful in adults…sorry 😀
This vaccine usually causes a local reaction in most, but not all people. This local reaction gives rise to the ‘infamous’ scar 😀 but does not really act as a marker for protection against tuberculosis. So, if you don’t have a BCG scar, it does not mean that you did not respond to the vaccine and there’s certainly no need for you to take another dose of the vaccine. Sometimes, after the vaccine is administered, there is formation of an abscess. This could be due to wrong administration or it could occur as a common complication of this vaccine. It would usually heal on its own over a few weeks.
Have a great day, y’all 😀
Q: Hey Doc, I have chest pain since 2 days back and if it becomes severe, my breathing becomes abnormal (difficult breathing). I went to the hospital and was given painkillers. There’s no cough so what could be the problem?
A: Difficulty in breathing could be short term or long term.
Sudden onset of shortness of breath could be due to:
Chronic (long-term) shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing could be due to:
Given the association of this difficulty in breathing with chest pain, I suggest you see your doctor as soon as possible to rule out the causes mentioned above and arrive at a specific diagnosis.
All the best!
Have a great weekend, everyone 😀
It’s International Women’s Day! And today, the theme is Press For Progress!
Today I celebrate my sisters! Today, I celebrate all women!
I celebrate this woman…yes you!
The one who cries herself to sleep at night…so her children won’t see her tears;
The one who starves herself just so there’s enough for others to eat…and when you ask her why she didn’t eat, she says she wasn’t hungry anyway;
The one whose salary is spent, even before the money hits her bank account, not because she’s buying things for herself, but because she’s paying off debts or saving for that child to have a little extra;
The one who holds it all together, even when it looks like it’s all falling apart…
Yes, you! I celebrate you!
The one who has great ambitions and the world judges her for it because she’s a woman and not a man;
The one who has to deal with snide remarks when she’s seen as ambitious, even when the world admires the same traits in a man;
The one who is consistently under pressure to prove that she is as good as the ‘guys’ and yet oftentimes, she’s paid less than the ‘boys’;
Yes, you!
Your time has come!
No more shall you hide in the shadows
Arise and shine for your light has come
Your success will not be handed to you…no that would be too easy 😀
You will fight for it;
And you will win;
Because after this hard-won battle, we will not allow anyone to say, it was because of anything other than sheer smarts and grits
Then, you will pave the way for another sister!
And we shall all in unison say, ‘Never again shall we be looked down upon!’
It is our time…we arise and shine!
Q: Hi doctor, I am pregnant and also in my last trimester and I keep having toilet infection after it’s been treated. Please I want to know if it is normal to be having toilet infection continuously during pregnancy and if it will affect my baby. Thanks
A: Hey! Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Now my first question would be what’s toilet infection? Different people mean different things when they say that but they mostly refer to candidiasis. If that’s what you mean, then here’s a quick refresher class on why the infections occurs and returns after treating.
In pregnancy, the decrease in tolerance to glucose which may occur, means that the vagina has a rich supply of sugar which encourages the fungi to grow and multiply as they love the dark, warm, moist and rich environment 😀
Usually, there is yeast (fungi) in the vagina and they generally mind their own business until something comes along to disturb the peace of the environment. This disturbance can be in the form of abuse of antibiotics (which kills off the good bacteria that hold the fungi at bay causing them to take over and overgrow the environment) or even in pregnancy (where the estrogen hormone produced in pregnancy messes with the normal order of co-existence of fungi and bacteria, again, allowing the fungi to take over). Other conditions associated candidiasis include Diabetes Mellitus, disorders of the immune system, use of oral contraceptives, the hormonal changes associated with menstrual cycle etc.
How can this be prevented? Trust me, I’m not going to suggest not getting pregnant  There are things you can do to reduce your risk of this infection. They include:
• Wear cotton panties instead of tight fitting nylon panties.
• Always wipe from the front to the back, after using the bathroom
• Do not use perfumed personal care products like sanitary towels, tissue etc
• Do not spray perfumes in your genitals and avoid perfumed soaps
• Change out of wet swimming gear as soon as possible
Now, this infection can be treated using oral drugs (tablets to be taken by mouth) but these are not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Vaginal pessaries and creams are better bets in pregnancy. However, because of the very small possibility of hurting your cervix (the neck of the womb), it is advisable not to use the applicator to administer the pessary. Instead, use your finger to insert the pessary. It may be necessary to continue the drug application for about 6 days as opposed to the shorter 3-day course. Your doctor will confirm diagnosis and advice on medication duration.
For more on candidiasis, please click on the following links:
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/26/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-have-recurrent-candidiasis/
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/03/07/daily-health-tips-toilet-infection-seriously/
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/27/daily-health-tips-is-vaginal-discharge-normal/
Have a great weekend, y’all 😀
Q: Hi Doc, thanks for the good work you are doing. God bless you. My question is does mosquito coil cause barrenness when inhaled?
A: Hallos! Thanks for writing this.
Approximately 2 billion people worldwide use mosquito coils[1]. The quoted study stated that burning one coil produces the same amount of particulate matter as the equivalent of 100 cigarettes! To use the coil properly, it is usually lit and allowed to smolder. Â To get the best effects, the smoldering coil is left in a room with windows and doors closed. Imagine staying inside a room with 100 cigarettes smoldering and all sources of ventilation closed!
Studies have linked exposure to mosquito coil smoke to coughs, headaches, dizziness and sore throats. More long-term side effects include asthma, allergies and lung cancer. So, mosquito coils may not necessarily be your best bet for dealing with mosquitos. For more information on this, please clink on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/05/04/kill-a-mosquito-with-a-sledge-hammer-heck-yes/
Have mosquito coils been linked to barrenness? I have not come across any such study but I think it has sufficient side effects for you to look for other alternatives, don’t you think? J
Have a good night, y’all 😀
[1] Apte, K. and Salvi, S. (2016). Household air pollution and its effects on health. Version 1. F1000Res. 2016; 5: F1000 Faculty Rev-2593.
Q: Can I be cured naturally if I have cervical lesion?
A: Hello! Thanks for writing in.
I assume you mean precancerous cervical lesions. As the name implies, this is not a cancer but indicates an abnormality in the cells of the cervix that could, ultimately, become a full-blown cancer.
Common types of precancerous cervical lesions are:
Atypical squamous cells: This refers to abnormalities in cells of the cervix, referred to as squamous cells. Squamous cells are thin, flat cells that resemble fish scales. They are found in the tissue that forms the surface of the skin, lining of hollow organs in the body, and lining of respiratory and digestive tracts. Atypical squamous cells could be due to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is a common sexually transmitted infection that is spread through sexual, skin-to-skin contact. There is a vaccine to prevent this cancer now. Please ask your doctor where you can get it. Health conditions associated with HPV include genital warts, cervical pre-cancer and other cancers. A repeat pap smear is usually recommended after some months
Atypical glandular cells, which could be suggestive of a precancerous lesions in the uterus or upper cervix. Glandular cells are located in the inner part of the cervix or the lining of the uterus
Squamous intraepithelial lesion refer to changes in the cervix that could be precancerous. High grade squamous intraepithelial lesions are more likely to progress to cancer of the cervix.
Pap smears can detect cervical pre-cancers before they become actual cancers. If pap smear is suggestive of precancerous cervical lesions, further testing procedures will be indicated. Further tests that could be requested include repeat pap smear, cervical biopsy, HPV testing, colposcopy (using a magnifying device to get a better look at the cervix).
Now to the crux of your question, can you be cured naturally? I guess the question you really want to ask, if there are treatment procedures that exclude surgery. Yes. Available treatment procedures involve destroying the abnormal lesions in the cervix using a cold probe to freeze them (cryotherapy) or using an electrically charged wire or using laser. Â The surgical option, conization, involves surgically removing the area with the abnormal cells.
You need to have a long chat with your doctor to find out what options are available to you. Remember that the fact that you have precancerous cervical lesion does not mean that you will end up The earlier you get treatment, the better your chances of avoiding cervical cancer.
All the best!
Have a good night y’all 😀
chatwithketch 