chatwithketch

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Q: Good evening doctor. Thanks for enlightening us on health issues. Please ma’am, how long does teething pain last? Is there any drug for it? what are the symptoms of teething . My baby is 6 months old and is running temperature, cough and catarrh I don’t know if he’s preparing for teeth. Thanks so much ma’am

A: It is thought that the inflammation of the gum around the area where the tooth will erupt from may cause low grade fever which is why the babies may experience some fever.

Another significant symptom believed to be associated with teething is diarrhea. There’s no conclusive research that has shown any link between the process of erupting a tooth and diarrhoea. If anything, we’ve found out that this is the same period when children start picking up things and of course the natural ‘tourist’ destination for anything they pick up, is their mouths! J What happens? When they pick up dirty stuff and suck on it, it would ultimately lead to diarrhoea.

So, more than ever, that’s a time to be watchful and ensure that the children are not stuff their mouths with rubbish and ensure their toys are cleaned.

Having said that, how can I help my baby through teething what with the itch and discomfort they feel around the ‘erupting tooth’ area? Even the drooling? Well, here are a few things you could do:

Rub over the teething area with your finger (thoroughly scrubbed and clean, of course :D) or use a finger covered with clean gauze or even the baby’s wash cloth. If this is cool to touch, this is even better. Massage the teething area with this…it helps to soothe the discomfort.

Teething rings are great ideas too and you could also refrigerate these to provide more comfort. Please do not freeze them.
Clean off the drooling saliva as this could cause irritation around the baby’s mouth, worsening his crankiness.

Over the counter analgesics like paracetamol could also be helpful provided it’s given in the appropriate dose for the baby’s age. This will also help with the fever. Please avoid Aspirin as it causes a disease called Reye’s syndrome.

Several studies have been conducted on the efficacy of gripe water though it is liberally used by parents and doctors alike, and it has not really been found to be particularly useful in teething. Older formulae contained alcohol which were thought to be perhaps, responsible for the soothing effect it had. Other components like the herbs etc may not go down well with all children.

If the fever continues, please take the baby to see the doctor to rule out other causes of fever. Dehydration is the more critical issue. If your baby is still stooling, fluid needs to be replaced. Please take him in to see his doctor to determine if the fluid loss is serious enough to warrant replacement. In the meantime, keep breastfeeding.

Cough and catrarrh are not typically associated with teething. 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 which 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. Most people quickly administer antibiotics to their babies without even consulting a doctor. 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.

Now, what can you do in the mean time:
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 night, everyone J

Ever wondered what foods can help keep your mouth smelling nice and fresh? Well, let’s teach you!

Q: Doc please I need to know what is going on with my partner and I. When we have (sexual) intercourse, we both feel pain and we do not have HIV/AIDS and there was no blood after our intercourse and it was the first time we felt pain during intercourse and when he was inserting his penis it was difficult too. I want to know what is the problem or if it may be because of penis enlargement or my vagina became too small?

A: Thanks for writing in.

Pain during sexual intercourse is not a typical symptom of HIV/AIDS J For more on symptoms of HIV/AIDS, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/07/daily-health-tips-what-are-the-first-symptoms-of-hivaids/

Pain during sexual intercourse is more common with women but can also happen in men. 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/

Have a great night, y’all 🙂

Find yourself wondering whether healthy can ever equate yummy? Well, we’ve got just the right combination of healthy and yummy in this salad. Click on the link and get the recipe. Try it out and let me know!

Q: Good day ma. Please I’m 4 months pregnant and I’m having pain at my lower abdomen to my back. The pain is so severe. What is the cause ma’am?

A: Hello dear, thanks for writing in and congratulations on your pregnancy. 4 months puts you firmly in the second trimester of pregnancy. If you had had a traumatic first trimester with nausea and vomiting, this would usually ease up during the second trimester 😀 Unfortunately, this may not be the case in all women!

Different women feel the movement of their babies at different times. It usually ranges between the 16th and 25th week of pregnancy. Of course for pros, like women who have had babies before 😀 they recognize the movements earlier.

You may start to experience more backaches as the weight you have put on starts to take its toll. Be sure to sit up straight on chairs with proper back support to help with this. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs will also help. This may be the cause of your backaches but if they are very discomforting, please see your doctor. Better safe than sorry.

Your breasts are probably big enough to necessitate a bigger bra size. Be sure to get a comfortable and good support bra.
Heartburns, constipation and leg cramps are more frequent at this time too. Heartburns occur due to one of the hormones produced during pregnancy. For leg cramps, be sure to let your doctor know that you have these cramps, especially if applying a cold pack to it or stretching does not help them.

A thin milky discharge is normal during pregnancy and is seen during this period. But if this becomes yellow, greenish or foul smelling, please see your doctor.

You could also have haemorrhoids. These haemorrhoids develop when there is undue pressure in the pelvic and anal area as can occur in pregnancy (especially the last 6 months)
Other symptoms that may become more common include bleeding gums, varicose veins and nose bleeds as you experience more blood flow due to the effect of pregnancy hormones. To guard against bleeding gums, use a soft-bristled brush during the pregnancy.

Be sure to look out for the red flags of pregnancy at any stage of the pregnancy though. For details of this red flags, please click on this link:https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/10/26/baby-in-the-tummy-its-all-up-to-mummy-is-it/

For related posts, please click on this: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/10/19/daily-health-tips-how-soon-after-pregnancy-does-a-baby-start-moving/

Have a great day, everyone 😀

Q: Good afternoon doctor. I can’t thank you enough for what God is using you to do in our lives especially the pregnant women. May God always meet you at the point of your needs. Amen. Dr., please can I take glucose in my pregnancy? It’s giving me strength and it drives away the urge to throw up. I don’t know if it’s advisable for me to continue taking it. Thank you ma’am

A: Hallos! Thank you so much for your kind words! I love you right back.

Now, feeling drained in pregnancy is not very strange but there are optimal ways of recouping your energy and definitely, other ways of stopping the vomiting. Glucose D has very high glycaemic index and so once taken, it goes straight to the blood stream, increases the blood glucose level and can lead to sugar swings when taken in excess. I would suggest complex carbs which release ‘sugar ‘more slowly into the blood.

Glycemic index, by the way, is a measure that ranks foods that contain carbohydrates on a scale of 0 to 100. The higher the number, the faster the food is digested, causing fluctuations in the blood sugar level and the lower the number, the slower the food is digested causing less fluctuations in the blood sugar level. So the focus should be on foods with low glycemic index. If you reduce your portion sizes and are exercising and generally doing the right things, you may still be adding weight or not losing weight if you’re eating a lot of food with high glycemic index.

So here goes: principles of low glycemic eating:

Eat a lot of beans (any and every type), non starchy veggies (garlic, onions, leeks, chives, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers etc) and fruits like apples, berries, peaches and pears.

Eat a lot of grains in their natural state like natural granola, brown or local rice and muesli cereal

Reduce your intake of concentrated sweets like fruit juices (no more than half a cup daily…if you must) and other sugar loaded or sweetened drinks.

Load up on healthy proteins like fish, skinless chicken and beans…again 😀

Reduce your intake of refined grain products like white bread and polished rice.

Reduce your intake of bad fats by avoiding fast foods and limiting your intake of animal products. Focus on healthy oils lik Olive oil and nuts like almonds etc. However, even these should be taken in moderation as even healthy oils are full of calories! 😀 It appears as if you just can’t win!

Be sure to take your breakfast and eat 3 meals with a snack or 2 (healthy options, of course)

Finally, remember to eat slowly to give enough time for your stomach tell your brain that you’re full…and then stop!

For morning sickness, he standard teaching is to try eating some bland foods like Crackers biscuits or dry toast. That personally didn’t work for me. I preferred tart things…which some may want to avoid. I loved lemons during my pregnancies. They were the one thing guaranteed to ‘wake up’ my mouth and chase nausea far away. I also had a particular brand of very tart bubble gum, I indulged in J These were key for me because, though I didn’t have the real bad case of morning sickness that sent you to the hospital, brushing my teeth in the morning always sent me into a bout of retching/vomiting. So, I always had a ready supply of the gum or lemon/lime to pop into my mouth once I was done brushing/retching! Not a very pleasant memory ;D

So, if lemons work for you to prevent nausea, go for it. Remember that moderation is key. A few drops (one or two) in a glass of water are enough to provide that tart kick that sends nausea far away. There is a catch here though…remember the heart burn associated with pregnancy. The acid content of lemon might make the heartburn and any pre-existing gastro-esophageal (stomach and esophagus/gullet) problems worse. So, this is all the more reason to be very moderate or stop if it exacerbates an already bad case of heartburn. Wherever and whenever in doubt, please be sure to see your doctor.

Other tips:
• Eat little amounts of food frequently as an empty tummy increases the likelihood of throwing up. Remember this is not an excuse to binge and over eat J
• Avoid fatty and greasy foods.
• Avoid smells that trigger nausea
• Cold foods may be preferable to hot as the former does not give off smells that may cause you to feel queasy.
• Get loads of fresh air and rest
• And drink sufficient fluids daily

I hope this helps. You should also have a chat with your doctor about your diet.

Have a fab weekend, y’all 😀

Headaches may be primary, in which case they are due to problems with the structures sensitive to pain in the head. Or they may be secondary in which case the pain is due to an underlying disease that causes the pain-sensitive structures in the head to be activated.

For more on this, please click on the link http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/troubleshooting-constant-headaches

Have a good night, y’all 😀