chatwithketch

Q: Good morning Doctor. Thank you for the great work you are doing. May God reward you ma’am. Please, what’s the cause and treatment for pain while having sex and sperm discharge immediately after sex?

A: Pain during sexual intercourse is more common with women but can also happen in men. The first question above was sent in by a woman and the second one was sent in by a man. This condition is called dyspareunia in medicine.

Dyspareunia is a condition in which one experiences pain during or after sexual intercourse. In women, the cause may be due to:
• Vaginismus: a condition in which the vaginal muscles go into spasms when an attempt is made at penetration.
• Lack of adequate lubrication eg due to hasty foreplay etc
• Infections of the vagina (like candidiasis as mentioned in the question) or urinary tract can also cause pain during sexual intercourse.
• Injuries/wounds to the vagina
• Emotional issues like stress or emotional disconnect from partner.
• Fibroids around the vagina or cervix

In men, the cause of this problem could be due to:
• Infection of the urethra (the tube which conveys urine from the bladder out of the body and also conveys semen out during ejaculation)
• Infection of the prostate gland.
• Infections, some of which may be due to STI
• Emotional issues may also be involved eg feelings of guilt.

Treatment depends on cause. If due to infections, they have to be treated. If it’s due to lack of lubrication, that has to be handled. Some lubricating gels may be suggested. If no physical cause can be seen and the problem appears to be emotional, some counseling may be required. Understanding that when people get married, they are actually two ‘strangers’ trying to get to know each other, should form part of the incentive for slowing down and trying to find out what pleases each member of the union.

For related topics, please click on https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/22/daily-health-tips-why-am-i-not-into-my-husband/

Now to the second issue, lots of couples wishing to have a baby appear to believe that semen flowing out of the vagina signifies a problem and so, they do different things to stop this including, raising the female partner’s legs in the air or even performing a cycling motion. None of these need to be done, really.

A man’s ejaculate is made up of more than just sperm cells. The sperm count in ejaculate (which should be about half to 2 teaspoons in volume) is any number from 20million to several hundreds of millions! That’s a lot of sperm cells for 1 teaspoon, right? Now, when a man ejaculates, the initial force of that pushes some of the semen a significant way into the vagina. The rest of it flows back. In case you’re worried about the semen that flows back, just like the person who asked this question, the truth is that you don’t need more than 1 sperm cell to fertilize an egg.

Some sperm cells are retained at the back of the vagina, some make it all the way to the cervix and some others get into the uterus and make the trip into the fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg. And in addition, these sperm cells can remain alive and active for even up to 3 to 5 days after intercourse, depending on conditions. So, if there was no egg to fertilize at the time of intercourse, if the woman ovulates within this window of 3 to 5 days, she could still very well get pregnant.

Now, if you have been trying for up to one year to have a baby with no luck, please see your doctor and let him evaluate you and your partner. Analysis of the semen with sperm count etc will be helpful in defining course of treatment.

For more on this, please click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/12/14/daily-health-tips-miscarriage-and-infertility-re-visited/

Have a great night, y’all 😀

Q: Good evening Dr. Ketch God keep increasing you in knowledge and all for the great works you do. Please I am worried about something that I discovered in my daughter. I noticed she keeps scratching her vagina and once she sees me she will remove her hand instantly. I had to start asking her questions and she told me it has been itching her and she feels pains sometimes when she wants to urinate. I have to check her and noticed she is having a yellowish smelly discharge and that was few hours after having her bath that i checked…the discharge comes with part of it been slippery. I am worried because I soaked her pants with hot water and have taught her how to clean up after potty. Kindly assist on how i can treat this timely to avoid a complicated issue. She is just six (6) years old. Awaiting your response quickly. Thank you.

A: I am slightly worried about the fact that she was hiding when she saw you. She needs to be comfortable enough to tell you if anything is wrong. Sometimes, in our bid to protect our children, we over-parent them by being over-protective. Oftentimes, we do not let them express thoughts they have and so they end hiding things from us.

The cause of the vaginal discharge can actually be a foreign body that got in there…a hair bead or even a bit of tissue left after cleaning up, for example. That is sufficient to cause significant discharge. That is sufficient to cause significant discharge.

Other causes include:

• Prolonged contact between skin in the genital area and faeces and/or urine
• Other skin irritants like perfume, use of bubble bath and/or perfumed soap
• Lack of cleanliness.
• Bacterial infections
• Other infections like measles

Poor personal hygiene is a common cause as children start to go to school and begin to take care of their hygiene themselves especially after using the bathroom. It is critical that our babies are taught to clean themselves properly by wiping from the front to the back. Please do some sort of spot check to ensure that they have cleaned thoroughly 😀

If the discharge is cheesy white and thick, it may be candidiasis…given the itching associated with it.  Candida is not a usual cause of vaginal discharge in this age group, though. Please let the doctor confirm the diagnosis. He will take a detailed history and find out what exactly this discharge is or is not.

If it is due to candidiasis, it may be due to immune system compromise by antibiotics and is also found in children diagnosed with diabetes.

To prevent this discharge, start by ensuring your baby wears loose cotton undies and do not give her antibiotics she does not need. As had been mentioned on this page before, all that is needed to wash your delicate inner self is clean water and clean hands. Teach her that. Ensure that your baby dries properly, especially the vulval area (pat dry) after a bath to prevent the build-up of fluid and warmth that encourages fungal growth. Discourage tight clothing and if anything, encourage her to wear skirts. Encourage her to also sleep without underwear at night as often as possible and if your home situation is conducive enough for it.

More importantly, take her in to see the doctor and confirm the exact diagnosis.

Have a great day, y’all 😀

Q: Good afternoon doctor. Please I’d like you to advise me on what to do about hemorrhoid growing on my anus like that of a chicken. Somebody told me the permanent solution is to cut it off. I really do not like the idea because I believe there should be other treatments that can help. Please I don’t like this thing on my anus. Please Dr. I need your help. Thanks

A: Hi dear! Thanks for writing in.

The first thing I need to tell you is that you MUST NOT cut anything! Trust me, you run the risk of creating more problems!

Piles, known as haemorrhoids in medical lingo are swollen veins in the anal canal. They can be internal, external or both internal and external can co-exist. Internal haemorrhoids occur when veins swell within the rectum and external haemorrhoids are found under the skin around the anus.

These haemorrhoids develop when there is undue pressure in the pelvic and anal area as can occur when people strain to pass faeces (if they have diarrhoea or are constipated), in pregnancy (especially the last 6 months), in obese people, people who eat diets low in fibre and people who practice anal intercourse. When women strain in labour, haemorrhoids can also be made worse.

It is important to consult your doctor/obstetrician before using any medication in pregnancy including this.

In the meantime, limit the discomfort you have by keeping the anal area clean, using wet wipes (non-perfumed) or washing with unscented soap to clean up after using the loo, sitting on a bowl of plain warm water for about 15 minutes about twice or three times per day, applying cold compress and not standing or sitting for too long. Some believe sprinkling some powder there helps…it doesn’t! Avoid it 😀

To prevent this, ensure that your diet has sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables. Remember that if you take a regular flat plate, half of this should be filled with fruits and vegetables, half of the plate with complex carbohydrates and the last half with proteins.

Limit the time you spend sitting on the toilet seat (read your newspapers elsewhere :D), use the toilet as soon as you feel pressed (that way the fluid in the stool is not absorbed making the stool hard) and then don’t strain when you do go. Drink sufficient quantities of water daily, exercise (to keep everything moving along nicely :D). Use pain relief only under the supervision of your doctor.

I hope this helps you 😀

Q: Hello good evening Doc. My question goes like this; if a person is HIV positive, and then he cuts him/her with a blade, after 3days anther person uses da same Sharp object, and her also cuts him/herself with the same blade while the Blood is dry… How true is it that, if the Blood has dried out that u cannot get infected?

A: Thanks for writing in.

Once the blood on a blade is exposed to air, it dries out and because the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus is just too fickle, it dies very quickly and loses its ability to divide and multiply outside the human body.  So, it is unlikely that using same blade 3 days later will lead to infection with the HIV.

Having said that, my first advice would be to get tested immediately if you believe you have been exposed to risky behavior. Post exposure prophylaxis may be recommended by your doctor. These drugs used to treat HIV are usually taken daily for about 4 weeks to reduce chances of becoming HIV positive.

The length of time before a subject tests positive to HIV following exposure (sero-conversion), known as the window period would depend on the type of test done.

An antibody test can read positive from 3 to 12 weeks, if there is sero-conversion. An antibody is a disease-fighting protein produced by the body in response to an infection (HIV infection, in this case).

A combination antibody/antigen test (which detects both antibody and antigen…which is a part of the virus) can read positive from 2 to 6 weeks after exposure, if there is sero-conversion.

A Nucelic Acid Test (NAT) can detect HIV infection in the blood from 7 to 28 days following infection.

Generally, if the initial test is negative, a repeat test is done 3 months after the exposure to ‘close the window’. Some may stretch this to a further screen after 6 months. Be guided by your doctor.

I hope this helps.

Have a good night, everyone 😀

Do you have corns? Wonder what they are? Those hardened areas of skin found on the foot in people who wear tight shoes. Do you want to know what to do about them…apart from staying away from tight shoes? You should read this!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/finding-relief-from-calluses-and-corns

Q: Can micro-organisms live in cold places eg food in a refrigerator?

A: Absolutely, they can. Cold temperature only slows down the growth of micro-organisms but it doesn’t completely stop them. So, the better the condition of the food stored in the refrigerator, the longer it will keep and the worse the condition, the shorter the period it will keep. Bear in mind that these foods will not keep indefinitely.

Q: In a situation where husband and wife share a room, can it cause cross-infection?

A: Husband and wife should definitely share a room because this promotes bonding and emotional connection. Can cross infections happen as a result of this? Well, if one person were not observing hygiene rules and, for instance, developed ringworm, this infection could very easily be passed on by sharing bed linen, towels etc. So, the solution is to ensure that everyone obeys the simple rules of hygiene.

For more on this, please click on the link
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/05/30/daily-health-tips-i-have-ringworm-all-over-my-body/

Q: Please advice on dry gutters in or around the house. Also, dirty water on the floor in the compound.

A: Gutters (drainage gutters) around the house should always be scrubbed and cleaned. If not, they become a source of bad smells and pooling of stagnant water which encourage the growth of mosquitoes etc. Dirty water on the floor can lead to accidental falls and if the water is sufficient to become stagnant, again it becomes a breeding site for mosquitoes and other germs. Other probable breeding places for mosquitoes in the house are buckets of water, bathrooms with blocked drains, flower pots with more water than was necessary used for watering etc

For more on this, please click on the link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/05/04/kill-a-mosquito-with-a-sledge-hammer-heck-yes/

Q: Are females to wash their private parts with soap? Some people say it’s not good to wash with soap.

A: Generally, washing the vagina requires just water and your hands. That is more than sufficient to get the job done. If you wish, however, you may use unscented or lightly scented soap.

For more on this, please click on the link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/02/daily-health-tips-should-i-wash-my-intimates-with-disnfectant/

Q: How can one maintain a younger look…that is not looking as old as your age?

A: Well, cosmetologists will have a million and one things they can suggest you use. I will go from the medical angle. First, your mental and spiritual health…be at peace with all men and just keep it positive. There are bound to be people who wake up everyone making it their job to rile you…put it in a bubble and blow it away 😀
Then, your diet. Eat more fruits and veggies, Substitute empty carbs with complex carbs, drink a lot of water. This should help keep you looking very young 😀

Q: Ma’am, I sweat a lot even on my palms and under my feet, so when I put on shoes, my feet smell a lot. Please, ma’am how can I reduce sweating on my feet and palms?

Excessive sweating may happen in very hot weather, obesity, stress or medical conditions like thyroid problems or Diabetes Mellitus. Your doctor needs o check out if any of this is the problem. However, in the meantime, ensure you take a bath at least twice a day and use deodorants/anti-perspirants to ensure there’s no associated body odour. Then if the weather is hot, dress light…wear cotton fabrics that are not dark and not tight fitting. And try and substitute sandals for shoes. Oh and by the way, for guys, please change your socks and boxers daily to prevent an odour.

For more on this, please click on the link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/11/28/daily-health-tips-excessive-sweating-and-body-odour/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/07/17/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-sweat-excessively-even-when-its-cold/

Q: Good day Dr.

Please I have frequent urination and I don’t know what’s causing it. I always urinate at least 15 times during the day and 4 times during the night. I’ve been to the hospital and I was told to do E&U, CR and the results were within normal range, did MCS also and no microbes were found. Please help me, I am not comfortable going to toilet now and again. Thanks ma’am.

A: Frequent urination may actually be due to the simple fact that you’re drinking way too much fluid. However, where this is not the case, it is likely to be due to a health problem.

Some causes of frequent urination include:

• Sexually Transmitted Infections as you have already noted.
• Some medications
• Drinks that contain caffeine, alcohol etc
• Infections that along the urinary tract or changes to the bladder
• Infection or enlargement of the prostate
• Disease conditions like Diabetes Mellitus etc
• Some cancer treatment eg radiation treatment for the lower abdomen

If this is due to excessive fluid intake, limiting this will help. If this symptom is associated with others like difficulty with urination, pain during urination, passing out bloody urine, incomplete emptying of bladder when urinating etc, please see your doctor asap.

Kindly do not do anything stupid…whatever that would be! Just go and see your doctor. He will take a good history, examine you and order some investigations. The treatment of course will depend on the cause of the problem.

For related posts, please click on the following:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/10/02/daily-health-tips-urinary-tract-infections-in-men/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/07/09/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-have-pain-when-urinating/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/02/20/daily-health-tips-train-that-leaking-bladder/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/15/daily-health-tips-prostate-enlargement/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/16/daily-health-tips-more-on-the-prostate-gland/

Have a good night, people 😀

Q: Good morning doc. Please doc, I am 23 weeks pregnant and according to the test I ran, my blood level is just 32 which they said that it is low. What can I eat to boost it? I mean as a pregnant woman, my blood is low, 32. How can I increase it?

A: Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Have you always had anaemia/low blood level? Or have you just had malaria? If you have had malaria, a frequent cause of anaemia in our environment, to build up your blood,  your doctor will ensure that the Folic Acid dose you’re getting in your prenatal drugs is not more than 0.4mg. Doses of Folic Acid higher than or equal to 5mg affects the efficacy of the anti-malarial, SP. So, be sure to check with your doctor before you start buying other non-prescribed prenatal vitamins.

Other nutrition tips that will be useful for you include:

• Eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods from different food groups.
• Be sure to include a lot of high fibre foods like vegetables, whole grain cereals etc to deal with the constipation associated with pregnancy.
• Ensure you take your antenatal medications (prenatal vitamins) in addition to eating well.
• Be sure to also take foods rich in iron eg and foods rich in folic acid eg green leafy veggies and beans. Folate prevents deformities of the spine.
• Drink at least 4 servings of milk, other dairy products or calcium rich foods. If you don’t eat enough, your baby will start drawing on your own stock from your bones. So, drink up your milk!

I’m sure you know about insecticide –treated nets…and probably still don’t use them because of the heat 😀 Well, if you have nets on your windows too and have a good fan (praying that you’ve got electricity to power it), it is not really so bad. Some people react to the chemicals in the insecticide and so for these ones you may want to air the net outside for a couple of days before you start use. To encourage your children to use them, you could work it into the décor of the room and make them look like nice, funky four poster beds!

Be sure to fumigate your house to rid them of mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies. Ensure the vendor tells you what chemicals will be used, how long you need to be away and whether it’s compatible with artwork etc. Cover up foodstuff and take off beddings etc. and then do a major clean up afterwards.

Did you know that the buckets of water used to store water in areas where pipe-borne water is not constant, can be a huge source of mosquitoes? Have you observed them rising from these buckets of water when you approach in the evening? If you have to store water, get covers for them and ensure they are closed all the time.

Did you know that if your bathroom drain is blocked, apart from the fact that it’s unhygienic, the water there also acts as a comfortable home for mosquitoes? So, ensure that your drains are free-flowing with no stagnant water. Keeping it smelling nice and fresh is also a good touch ;D

Did you know that your flower pots with lots of water also serve as a breeding place for mosquitoes? The water used on the flowers should be completely absorbed by the soil with none left on top. Watch out for lazy helps who want to do a month’s watering in a day 😀

Did you know that the unwashed drains and gutters outside, bushy lawns, potholes and broken concrete slabs serve as lovely homes for mosquitoes? Be sure to clean up your environment often.

Have a good night, y’all 😀