chatwithketch

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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:

• Middle ear infection
• Ear wax build-up
• Inner ear damage
• Some medications like aspirin taken in very large doses and some antibiotics like Neomycin etc
• Medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes etc
• Perforated ear drums caused by violent events

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 😀

Q: Good evening Dr. First of all I must appreciate your good works, you have been helpful in tremendous ways. God bless you. Please I will like to know what kind of anti fungal medication that will be effective for Athletes foot. Thank you.

A: Thanks for your kind words.

Fungi are invisible (to the naked eye) micro-organisms that are plant-like. They love and thrive in dark, warm, moist areas and can attack skin in situations of low immunity or when there is an injury to the skin or nail. Examples of fungi are mushrooms (yes…the same one we eat :D), mildew (the one that grows on that towel that didn’t dry well :D) and mold (the type that grows on bread that is left for too long :D). Yep! So, we all know this guy FUNGUS!

There are typically three common fungi infections: Ringworms (which most people have heard about), athlete’s foot and jock itch.

Ringworms are small, round, ring shaped rashes/patches on the skin…but are absolutely not worms 😀 They usually happen when people have minor injuries on skin, scalp or nails and when people sweat a lot. This can be prevented by keeping personal things personal: don’t share towels, clothing, undies, head coverings (caps, hats etc). Keep your skin nice, clean and dry. This process can be helped by taking a bath regularly J and towelling off. Be sure to shampoo after a haircut and dress for the weather. With our hot sun, those fungi have no hiding place! Let them bring it on 😀

You know those sores between toes that happen especially if you are fond of walking around barefoot in wet areas, wear tight shoes and synthetic socks (that don’t allow your feet to breath) and if you don’t clean properly between your toes after a bath? That’s called athlete’s foot. So, to prevent it, avoid the above. Wipe between toes et al after a bath, wear socks made from fabrics that ‘breath’ like cotton, take a break from tight footwear and try not to share your shoes. Buy shoes that suit our weather too. For instance, while a pair of boots may make sense in winter, it may not be such a great idea in these hot climes (Africa) where the weather is hot and our feet need to breath If you can get away with it, wear sandals.

Have you ever seen anyone closing their eyes and intensely scratching their crotch area? Well, they could have jock itch! This again happens when people sweat excessively…the groin area is not spared. Prevention involves not sharing towels and under-garments, keeping them clean and washed, wearing clean socks and keeping it cool down there by wearing under garments made with cotton, which are not tight fitting 😀 A bath after a hectic exercise or sport session will also not go amiss.

Treatment of these fungal infections will involve the use of anti-fungal creams and where the infection is significant, oral anti-fungal creams are added. Antibiotics may also be indicated where there are bacterial infections…as can occur from the scratching of jock itch. But you have to see your doctor to confirm the diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate anti-fungal.

So, there you have it. In this instance, an ounce of hygiene is certainly worth a pound of cure!

Enjoy your day 🙂

Q: Dr. please I will like to know if it is safe to take drugs (anti -malaria/ typhoid) alongside herbs (Agbo).

A: I have seen people who swear by Agbo and claim not to have been to the hospital for ‘gazillion’ 😀 years as a result of the fact that they take this. This cuts across different social strata as I have met people in different strata of the society that use it. So, is it effective? This herb is thought to be effective against malaria, typhoid, sexually transmitted infections etc.

Now, I am always personally worried when one drug cures a multitude of things…it’s sorta worrisome. However, some scientists have done some work and noted that the original Agbo herbs have some anti-oxidant activity and so it could very well be curative of some illnesses.

However, the alcohol and other additives that are packed into it makes one even more skeptical about its usefulness in treatments except the aim is to knock out the person taking it 😀

Again, there are no specific dosages for these herbs and they are generally hawked in very unhygienic conditions. Some of the components could also pose health threats to children and adults alike if it is not known whether they are allergic to these components.

All in all, a lot of work needs to be done on Agbo, if it is to be accepted as a useful treatment for any ailment. This will help confirm exact components, dosage and possible drug interactions.

So, in the meantime, leave well alone…the last thing you want to do is take it together with another medication when we have no idea of how both of them will interact and/or react in your body.

I know the faithful agbo drinkers will let me know what they think 😀

Happy Good Friday, folks!

Is being lonely a health risk? You might want to read this to find out!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/im-so-lonesome-i-could-cry-2018032113512

Q: Good evening, Doctor. Please I want to ask a question. Each time I take ferrous, I usually have scratches on my leg. Am I allergic to it or am I taking the fake one. Thanks. Will be waiting for reply

A: Iron supplements are used to prevent anaemia (blood shortage) but just like any drug, people could experience adverse drug reactions. These supplements can cause the colour of stool to become black. Other side effects include heartburn, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea/vomiting.

Allergy to this drug could show up as rashes, hives (sudden outbreak of swollen, red bumps on the skin), itching, tightness in the chest, trouble with breathing, swelling of the face, mouth, throat, tongue etc

So, you could very well be allergic to the supplement. Please see your doctor and let him know this. He will confirm what exactly the problem is and where necessary, prescribe alternatives

All the best 🙂