chatwithketch

You’re trying to lose weight – doing all the right things: eating right, exercising, reducing stress levels etc and yet you can’t seem to win. The weight is just not coming off! What’s going on? Well, your ‘loving’ body senses all of that weight loss going on, it worries that you’re starving and therefore, reduces your body’s metabolic rate – the rate at which your body burns calories to keep your basic body functions working. So, if you’re not burning enough calories…it kinda sounds like you’re retaining them right?! Very depressing – sounds like ‘no work done!’

This is an interesting read! Enjoy!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/does-metabolism-matter-in-weight-loss

Q:Please I have a question pertaining to cough and catarrh syrup and all that. You made us understand that when a child is given such medication, it depresses the respiratory track or something like that. Please from what age can someone start taking such medication for cough and catarrh? Thank you Ma, awaiting your response. God bless you

A: As a parent, 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. However, when your baby has a cough, giving cough syrups may not be the way to go…and I’ll tell you why.
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:

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 if there is congestion in the nose, use a saline spray. 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.

A suction bulb can also help remove mucous 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 this cough lasts more than 2 weeks.  If your baby also has difficulty breathing, cannot breath or feed, you should also see his/her doctor.

Have a great day, everyone 😀

Q: Good morning Doctor…. Please! My younger sister is 13 years old and started her menstrual period January 13th this year and up till now she hasn’t seen her period again… Please is there any problem that we will worry about? Your answer will be of great help, thank you…

Q: I want to ask about my friend’s period. Actually, from last few years she started facing change in her periods. Actually, she bleeds less almost 1 and half pads but her periods come every month. Her problem is about less bleeding. Her ultrasound is also clear. Please, tell me early is it dangerous? Or it can create disturbance in her marriage because she is going to marry soon but she is very frightened about her less bleeding. Please help her as soon as possible

A: So many questions on menstrual periods J I’ll try to address everyone in this post

A ‘regular’ menstrual cycle is supposedly one in which the cycle (the length of time from the 1st day of a menstrual period to the first day of the next menstrual period) is about 28 days but there is nothing abnormal about cycles that fall outside of this range. It could range from about 24 days to 34 days with ovulation happening at mid cycle. Indeed, in some women each period appears to have a different cycle.

The menstrual flow lasts between 2 to 8 days A reduction in flow (scanty period) is called hypomenrrhea (pronounced hai-po-men-oria) and a reduction in the number of days of flow to less than 3 days is called oligomenorrhea (oli-go-men-oria). Now at the onset of puberty, the flow and cycle can vary from one cycle to the other resulting in skipped or irregular periods; the same goes for the other extreme of life (old age).
What do people refer to as irregular periods? Well, if the time between each period changes, or the length of days of the period changes or indeed when the quantity of blood lost during each period changes, the period is termed irregular. What can cause these changes? They include:

Changes in hormone levels, as is common in the puberty period (like in the 13-year old) or menopausal period
Stress

Excessive weight loss or excessive weight gain

Crash dieting (when you want to lose all the weight you added in 5 years in one week :D)

Intense physical activity
Fibroids

Problems with the thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD)
Scarring from previous surgery in the uterus like D and C
Pregnancy cannot be overlooked as a cause of irregular bleeding and has to be checked out. The bleeding may be an implantation bleed
Breast feeding mothers may also experience irregular periods as the hormones released may delay return of menstruation. Remember, however, that this is not an effective means of contraception.

So, it’s always a good idea to keep a record of your periods: length of cycles, number of days the period lasts, presence of pain etc. If you keep a chart of this over time, you would be able to know what is normal for you.

Treatment of irregular periods depends on cause: fibroids, PCOD, hyperthyroidism all have to be treated. If irregularity is due to stress, learning coping mechanisms or relaxation techniques may help. Reduce weight or go easy on your exercise routine, if weight issues are a problem. So, each individual case is different but may not necessarily lead to infertility. The gynaecologist will advice based on specific history and cisrcumstance(s).

However, be sure to see your doctor if your period is consistently below 21 days or more than 35 days, if you menstruate for longer than one week, bleed in between periods or experience severe cramp.

I hope this helps

Today is World Tuberculosis Day and this is the same day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes Tuberculosis. The theme this year is “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world.” The focus for this year is building commitment to end Tuberculosis all levels of leadership – international, national, state, local, you and I.

Some background…
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.

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.

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.

Are you a leader for a Tb-free world? How are you contributing to ridding the world of this disease?

Today is World Tuberculosis Day and this is the same day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes Tuberculosis. The theme this year is “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world.” The focus for this year is building commitment to end Tuberculosis all levels of leadership – international, national, state, local, you and I.

Some background…
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.

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.

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.

Are you a leader for a Tb-free world? How are you contributing to ridding the world of this disease?

Q:Dr., can u enlighten us about autoimmune diseases pls. A lot of people are good through dis condition and they don’t know what exactly is wrong because in Nigerian, they don’t really call patients attention to it unlike in America. Kindly help discuss about it.

A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in. You are correct. Many people do not know about auto-immune disorders. So what is an auto-immune disease? This condition refers to a situation in which the body .for some reason, turns on itself and starts to attack itself. It sees healthy cells and tissues as unhealthy and infected cells and starts to attack these healthy cells.

Some common examples of this condition include:

Graves’ Disease in which the body no longer recognizes the thyroid gland as part of it and produces antibodies to fight it. In response, the thyroid gland produces excessive amounts of thyroid hormones.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of the joints, causing rapid cell division with thickening of the lining of the joints, causing inflammation, swelling and disfiguring of the joints.

Lupus is different from other autoimmune diseases as it does not affect one specific organ….it could affect different organs in different people with episodes of pain known as flares. In some, it affects the skin; in others it affects the joints.

Women are more likely to have auto-immune diseases. Some auto-immune diseases are more common in certain ethnic groups eg lupus is more common in African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Hispanics. A diet high in processed foods, sugar and fats have also been linked to these conditions.

These conditions cannot be cured but can be managed with pain relief, immune-suppressing drugs and eating healthy. So, east or west, there’s no escaping the amazing benefits of eating healthy and exercising J

I hope y’all had a good week? Have a great weekend J

Remember that if we do not build up a good stock of calcium in our youth, we stand the risk of having brittle bones and fractures, later in life. So, please read up!Remember that if we do not build up a good stock of calcium in our youth, we stand the risk of having brittle bones and fractures, later in life. So, please read up!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/5-ways-to-boost-bone-strength-early
And to encourage your journey towards stocking up on calcium, I share my yoghurt recipe with you 🙂
Remember that yoghurt is full of healthy bacteria that may help fight vaginal infections, prevent brittle bones (osteoporosis) in old age because of the calcium content and help digestion amongst other uses. And now for my home made brew…without fancy machines and stuff…
• Get your measuring cups, warm water, a clean dish towel,, some already made (store bought yoghurt with pro-biotics, an airtight container and milk. This recipe uses powdered milk

• Mix one cup of milk with 4 cups of warm water. Whisk it all up

• Scoop out one cup of the mixture and add a quarter cup of your already made yoghurt with pro-biotics (Any already-made yoghurt will do, really)

• Then pour the mixture from the point above to the milk mixture and whisk

• Pour in an air-tight container and cover with the tea towel

• Do not move, mix or stir the mixture during the ‘setting’ process. Leave it for at least 4 hours. I usually leave mine overnight and wake up to a jar of fabulous home-made yoghurt!
So, mix up your own batch and after the first go, feel free to mix and match the recipe as you like. As you can see, there was no added sugar to mine 😉 If you ant a healthy sugar kick, you can blend some fruits eg banana ith the yoghurt. Tastes….delumptious!
This recipe can also use bottled milk in which case it has to be warmed before (not boiled) before use and repeat all other steps as above.

Q: Hi Dr. Ketch Have a nice day. I’m from Philippines 18 y.o, I just wanted to ask about the effects of wet dreams in our health? Is this having a negative effect? How I can prevent wet dream because every time I sleep, I also experience wet dream

A: In young men going through puberty, wet dreams (also called nocturnal emissions) may occur as the body starts producing testosterone. This presents as ejaculation during sleep leading to wet PJs and embarrassment when the gentlemen wake up. Note that not every teenage boy goes through this experience though most guys will experience it at some point during puberty and sometimes as adults, too. As men grow older though, this phenomenon happens less.

Wet dreams are a normal part of growing up and cannot be controlled – you really cannot stop them from happening. Hopefully as you get older, they will stop. If you feel particularly embarrassed, please find a trustworthy adult who you can talk to and discuss your concerns.

People say that having a wet dream as a teenager means you are ready for sex…this is not true. As explained above, it is part of the normal process of puberty and the only thing it says, is that a boy is physically able to ejaculate. A sexual relationship is a completely different matter requiring great levels of maturity, because there are consequences 🙂

Have a good night y’all 😀

Q: Good morning, Dr. I was raped in 2014, I did not go for any medical test because I didn’t know what to do. Sometimes last year(December) I had sex for the first time, unprotected, my partner feel ill after that, does it mean that I infected him. Meanwhile I have done HIV/AIDS test severally. Please doctor what should I go. I am so scared.

A: Hello dear, my heart goes out to you for what happened. There are two things every rape victim must always do…report the rapist to the police and get yourself checked out in a hospital. Usually when people are raped, they experience a deep sense of shame making it difficult for them to seek help and indeed prosecution for the person accused. This should not be. Please seek help…for you to ensure that you do not end up with any STI, for emergency contraception, to get checked out by a doctor especially if you suspect you have a tear etc and to ensure that your predator is not emboldened to do this to another person, ever again. Going to law enforcement as soon as possible would help as the clothes may contain some forensic evidence.

Now in your case, you did not do any of this. However, you should still get yourself checked out. Go and see your doctor and let him know what happened to you and let him decide what tests are relevant now. In addition, seek counseling too. That your partner got ill after unprotected intercourse does not mean you infected him…especially, if the doctor confirms you have no infection. If there is an infection though, open up to your partner and both of you should get treated at the same time. Hopefully, your partner sticks around for the long haul; but if he doesn’t, it’s his loss. You need to focus on you now. You have to let go of the experience you had in order to begin your life afresh without fear and hang-ups.

Having said all of that, unprotected intercourse is a sure-fire way of getting pregnant and getting STIs. Generally, remember the ABCs. Abstain…which is always the best bet if you’re not married, be faithful to one partner (who is hopefully being faithful to you) or use condoms.

To help prevent other incidents of rape, practice personal safety and trust your instincts. If the situation looks or feels fishy, it probably is. Try to ensure you go with company if you must visit any friend of the opposite sex or better still, meet in a public place etc.

If you’re in Nigeria, Project Alert (http://www.projectalertnig.org/) and the Lagos Domestic Violence centers  (http://domesticviolence.com.ng/help-for-domestic-violence/) will also be able to provide some more practical support in terms of counselling and probably legal help, if required.

Stay safe, okay?!

Loads of love and hugs coming your way…

Have a great night, people 😀

In response to my post yesterday, someone asked the question, ‘Thanks doctor, please what is diaper ointment’. To answer this, I repeat a post on diaper rash, which is really what the ointment is used for. I don’t really mention brand names on my page, but if you follow my suggestion, you will get the best one for your baby at any pharmacy.

Q: Dr. please, my one month old baby is having some kind of reaction caused by diaper. Please Dr. what should I do?

A: You didn’t describe what sort of reaction your baby is having. I’m assuming they are rashes. If so, your baby may be having a diaper rash.

To prevent diaper rash,

• Change baby’s diaper more often than you would normally do.
• Let baby’s bottom air dry during a diaper change and if possible, leave the diaper off for a while, if you can.
• Use unscented, mild soap and a warm washcloth to clean baby during a diaper change. Perfume and deodorant soaps can be harsh on baby’s skin.
• If you use baby wipes, choose those that are free of perfume, alcohol, and chemicals.
• Whether your baby has a rash or not, always carry a small tube of Diaper Rash Ointment. A diaper rash cream provides a protective barrier between your baby’s bottom and potential irritants, like urine especially if there is prolonged contact with baby’s bottom. A diaper rash cream can prevent a nappy rash and protect your baby’s bottom; it can also heal your child’s bottom, if a diaper rash already exists. Vaseline and other readily available zinc ointments are good examples. Ask at your local pharmacy. Some also have soothing ingredients to help calm inflammation and heal irritation.You never know when you will open the diaper and see the beginnings of a rash, and the sooner you attend to it, the faster it will heal.

I hope this helps. If the rash/reaction does not clear, be sure to see your baby’s doctor. It is also possible that your baby is reacting to the brand of diapers you’re using. If so, a change to another brand may be helpful 😀 Have a chat with your baby’s doctor and take it from there.

Have a good evening, folks 😀