chatwithketch

Everyone wants to know how to have the perfect, glowing and shining skin. How do you get this? By washing your face? By using egg wash on your face?

Well, the first thing to do is eat right. Want more tips? Please click on the link below: https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/daily-skin-care-in-3-simple-steps

Have a good evening y’all 😀

Q: Good afternoon ma’am. Thanks for the good works being rendered by you for masses. May God continue blessing you & your family &may your efforts be crowned gigantically. Ma’am, I want a lasting solution to the nerve pain problem I am having. I can’t walk a long distance. I can’t do exercise, I can’t do strenuous work. If I do, I’ll be having nerve pain all over my body in which analgesic drugs can’t work unless, I take carbamazepine or gabapentin. I’m not a diabetic patient. Please, which medication can I take for the lasting solution and for the avoidance of the problem? Ma’am, I’ll be expecting your reply to my inbox. I am very keen to hear from you soon. Thanks & God bless you ma’am

A: Thanks for writing in. The pain in your right leg/body needs further evaluation.

There are quite a number of causes of pain in the leg. Pain in one leg may be due to an injury, a fall or hitting the leg against an object. This pain may be felt immediately after the incident that caused it and subside after a few days, with the proper care. It can also linger for some time, if perhaps there was a break in the bone, which was not properly taken care of and affected some nerves.
Other causes include arthritis, leg swelling from different causes like infection, vein abnormalities, diseases like heart problems, diabetes, and liver problems. In long standing hypertension, or diabetes that is not properly managed, there could be nerve problems, often described as a cramp, feeling of lack of blood, or a feeling like pins pricking the feet. The pain could also result from a muscle cramp, which typically occurs at night and may last a few seconds to minutes. There is also condition known as familial recurrent knee dislocation, in which there is repeated dislocation of the knee, followed by a fall, due to lack of stability. It runs in families and can be very painful too. There are also some cancers that can give similar symptoms.

I would advice that you reduce stress on your legs as much as possible, i.e. avoid standing for too long. You could also start some mild exercises focusing on the legs. These may help to strengthen any lax ligaments and improve blood flow, thereby helping any nerve disease, if that’s responsible.

Good diet, rich in proteins and vitamins are also important. You may occasionally take a mild pain relief to reduce the pain (but do not make it a habit). If the pain worsens or continues despite pain tablets, please see your doctor.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend you see a doctor who will take a proper history and examine you thoroughly, and proffer a line of management for your symptoms.

Hope this helps

Q: Hello ma good after I’m a mother of 3 and my last child is a year 6months and after I stopped weaning him my period was normal but last month July I stopped seeing my period and I have done pregnancy test and its negative. Please ma’am what could be the problem with ma I’m desperate ma’am

A: Hello and Congratulations on your new baby! Return of menses following delivery is varied between individuals. Some women would see theirs a few weeks after, some others after a few months or even a year, while in others there is no return of menses before another pregnancy begins.

Different women also report different changes with their menstrual periods after childbirth. Some report longer periods. Others report shorter periods; some others report less pain and others observe absolutely no change at all 😀

However, the pattern of your menstrual cycle prior to your previous pregnancy (if it was regular or irregular) also plays a role. The duration of your labor and the presence of complications like bleeding after delivery could all play a part in the return of your period. Exclusive breastfeeding and presence of underlying infection also could delay the return of menses. Don’t stress out about this for now…. except if you are really looking forward to another pregnancy soon. If this is the case I would advise you see your doctor for a proper evaluation. Otherwise enjoy your period of no bleeds 😀

Good night y’all 😀

Antibiotic resistance is increasingly becoming a problem. People use antibiotics whether needed or not. They take these medications for few days and stop before completing the dose…because they feel better. If you are one of those parents or not sure if you are, you should read this article and take the quiz.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/parents-how-smart-are-you-about-antibiotics-2016111510678

Good night y’all 😀

August 1 to 7 every year is World Breastfeeding week. This year, the theme is ‘sustaining breastfeeding together’. Last year, the breastfeeding week was dedicated to linking the Sustainable Development Goals to breastfeeding. These goals can only be achieved by partnership at multiple levels.

Below is the post I made last year that shows the link between the SDGs and breastfeeding. Before you read, take a moment to ask yourself how you can be more supportive of breastfeeding and breastfeeding mothers J

Here is a list of Sustainable Development Goals and their links to breastfeeding:

1. No Poverty– Breastfeeding is very affordable. Mothers do not need to buy bottles, formulae or make any extra plans. It is readily available and can be given on demand.
2. Zero Hunger– Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their babies for 2 years but exclusively for 6 months. The breast milk provides every nutrient baby requires for the first 6 months and effectively prevents hunger.
3. Good Health and Well-being– Breast milk provides a great source of nutrition for baby but is also a source of bonding for baby and mother, promoting overall wellbeing.
4. Quality Education– Proper breastfeeding coupled with the right complementary feeds when baby is weaned helps prepare baby’s brain for learning thus increasing the opportunities for quality education.
5. Gender Equality– Breast feeding is the right of every child, male or female, and the woman is in control of how her child is fed.
6. Clean Water and Sanitation– Breastfeeding is all baby needs for the first 6 months and does not ordinarily require access to clean water or sanitation as bottles etc are not needed.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy– Due to the fact that no cooking, heating, boiling and/or ‘preparation’ is needed for breastfeeding, it reduces the need for water, cooking fuel (gas, kerosene) etc and thus conserves energy.
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth– When women are supported by their employers to breastfeed, they are more loyal and productive and ultimately, the business grows more.
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure– Employers can make the effort to support breastfeeding mothers through paid vacations after having a baby, having workplace crèches or having flexible ‘nursing mothers’ working time when they return to work.

• Reduced Inequalities– Breast milk is very nutritious and can help reduce inequalities between different social groups, especially in the poor and vulnerable.
• Sustainable Cities and Communities– There is a need to make public spaces safe for breastfeeding mothers and their babies and a special need for their interest to be protected when there are humanitarian crises eg war
• Responsible Consumption and Production– This is a natural, healthy and sustainable means of providing nutrition for babies.
• Climate Action– Breastfeeding safeguards children’s source of nutrition when there are natural disasters related to climate change.
• Life Below Water– Industrial formula production leads to the production of wastes that could pollute water bodies and endanger marine life. Breastfeeding on the other hand, produces less waste.
• Life on Land– Breastfeeding promotes and restores sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystemsas opposed to formula feeding which puts pressure on natural resources contributing to carbon emissions and climate change.
• Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions– There is need for more laws to protect the rights of mothers to breastfeed their babies.
• Partnerships for the Goals– This is a focus on partnerships to promote the cause of breastfeeding, globally.

So, there’s a whole lot of work to be done to ensure that breastfeeding becomes the ‘in’ thing!

For more resources on breastfeeding, please click on the following links:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/08/17/do-cool-mums-breastfeed/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/07/24/daily-health-tipscan-a-working-mother-practice-exclusive-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/05/16/daily-health-tips-safe-methods-of-contraception-while-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/04/18/daily-health-tips-breastfeeding-challenges-2/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/01/11/daily-health-tips-can-i-take-alcohol-while-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/27/daily-health-tips-all-about-breastfeeding/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/13/daily-health-tips-can-i-mix-exclusive-breastfeeding-with-formula-feeding/

I hope this helps all you breastfeeding ladies and intending mothers 😀 and your partners, employers and the whole wide world!

Have a fab weekend, y’all 😀

Should every man get a prostate screen? At what age is this really relevant? Does this test add any value to life? The post below addresses all that!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mens-health/does-prostate-cancer-screening-matter

Q: Good evening doctor. Please I want to ask, can a breastfeeding (exclusive) mother take emergency contraceptive ?

A: Well, a breastfeeding mother should definitely not be taking any medication without speaking to her doctor. That’s for sure! 😀 This is because drugs that you take will also end up in breast milk. Most times, the concentration of these drugs in breast milk is so small that it hardly causes any problems in the baby but in some instances, the drug could get very concentrated in breast milk, putting the baby at risk. So, all drug choices, be they contraceptives or otherwise, must pass through your doctor.

A very common question I get asked is if breastfeeding mums can get pregnant. The answer is yes. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, feeding your baby on demand (every 4 hours), you’re within 6 months of your baby’s birth and your menstrual period has not returned after the birth of your baby, you stand a better chance of not getting pregnant during this period. However, this is not a reliable method.

Birth control pills can help prevent pregnancy at this time. Pills that contain estrogen can lead to reduction in breast milk supply (and yes, combination pills contain estrogen). So, it’s a good idea to avoid such pills at this time. Pills that contain only progestin (like the minipill or progestin-only emergency contraceptive pills) are better options, as they do not affect breast milk supply. It’s usually taken at the same time daily. It’s best to start this discussion before you have your baby or immediately after so that your doctor can advise as to when you should start taking the pills, if at all.

Barrier contraceptives like condoms, diaphragms etc can also serve the purpose of preventing pregnancy at this time.

There are, of course, other methods of birth control available eg Intra Uterine Device (IUD), implants, patches etc also exist and you may want to discuss these other options with your doctor as you conclude breastfeeding.

Have a great evening 😀

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/11-foods-that-lower-cholesterol