chatwithketch

Hello everyone. I trust y’all had a great week. As I promised earlier in the week, I will be writing on meningitis today. Everyone has heard, I believe, about the outbreak in Nigeria and the fact that deaths have been recorded. What appears even more scary is the fact that it is moving from the north to the south. So, this information pertains to everyone and should be taken seriously.

Cerebrospinal meningitis is an infection of the covering of the brain and spinal cord known as meninges. The infection could be bacterial, viral or fungal. The infection making the rounds in Nigeria is linked to the organism, Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus). This causes an upper respiratory tract infection, which can also cause meningitis when it enters the blood stream. It is a droplet infection and very contagious, spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing, sharing utensils, toothbrushes and cutlery. Thus, conditions of overcrowding may encourage its spread with school dormitories/hostels, boarding houses etc being at risk.

The early symptoms include high temperature, headache, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck and sensitivity to light (photophobia). Other symptoms include difficulty concentrating, seizures, sleepiness, loss of appetite etc. In children, the symptoms include fever, neck and body stiffness, bulging anterior fontanel, sleepiness, poor feeding, irritability etc.

There is a vaccine for the prevention of meningitis and treatment would usually involve antibiotics (in bacterial meningitis as in this outbreak) to prevent further spread of infection.

Prevention is however key given the means of spread of this infection.

• Personal hygiene is key. Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.
  This is a no-brainer, right? If you sneeze into your hands and then touch your face or nose, you are constantly re-infecting yourself and so you may remain a major source of infection for a while. If you leave your face, well alone, then you are more likely to kick the bugs faster.
• Keep your drinking glasses and towels separate from other people.
  Again, this appears to be common sense. Don’t drink from the same glasses as other people and please keep your towels separate from other people. Be sure to remember that these ‘other people’ include our significant others. Kissing is also on the list of activities that can promote spread of this infection. So, if someone has meningitis, you may want to give up kissing that person until infection is treated. Mhmmm! So find other ways of showing love at this time 😀
• If possible, avoid being close to other people
  As much as possible, avoid invading other people’s private spaces and stop people from invading yours. That way you don’t expel your droplet infections right into their faces and bodies. In fact, if you have a baby, you may have to use a face mask. Be sure to cover your cough!
• Do not shake people if you have just coughed or sneezed into your hands.
  Just in case, in spite of your best efforts, you still find that you have just sneezed or coughed into your hands, be sure not to shake anyone and wash your immediately.
• Stop spitting indiscriminately. People can ‘catch’ droplet infections like meningitis from this.

If you or anyone you know experience any of the symptoms noted above, please go to the hospital immediately. Do not attempt self-medication at all.

That’s it. Stay safe y’all 😀

Today is World Health Day and this year the theme is Depression: Let’s Talk

WHO estimates that over 300 million people worldwide are living with depression. With the news of suicides and attempted suicides in Nigeria, it is not difficult to believe these figures.

A couple of days ago, I had posted on depression, symptoms, triggers and treatment options available. Today, we will explore another type of depression: postpartum depression.

In our African environment, mothers with post-partum depression feel ashamed to admit the fact that they are finding it difficult to bond with their babies, feel inadequate and just feel withdrawn from everyone. You’re not alone J
Post-partum depression (depression after having a baby, sometimes called baby blues) can occur within 6 weeks of having a baby but often times becomes obvious only around 6 months. It usually announces its presence with persistent tearfulness, moodiness and irritability. It could be due to the physical, psychological, mental, emotional, financial and other stress involved with having and looking after a baby. It could also be linked to the hormonal changes that happen after having a baby. People at risk of this are those who have experienced it before, people who have a history of depression before or during pregnancy.

Treatment is focused on the cause. Counseling may be used to discover the root cause of your depression and proffer better ways of coping/dealing with the issues raised. Hormone replacement therapy may be used to deal with depression related to decrease in estrogen (a hormone) level after having a baby. And then, anti-depressants are also an option.

Having a strong supportive group in church or a supportive group of friends or family can also be helpful at a time like this.

For subsequent pregnancies, this can be prevented by eating well, exercising, creating me time and ensuring that you praise yourself for achievements, while setting goals that are realistic. And try not to bottle up your issues…air them out with the caring people in your trusted circle.

As you would see in this post too, focus is always on talking`: the person in question seeking out people to talk with and/or people around sensing something is wrong and initiating a discussion.

Whatever we do, we must keep the conversation lines open, seek to help and not judge.

For more on this topic, please click on the links below:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2017/03/21/daily-health-tips-dont-judge-the-depressed/

Have a good night y’all…and let’s keep talking J

Q: Good evening Dr., I have been having this really disturbing itch on the left side of my breast nipple. Please, I want to know what could be the cause?

A: There are many different causes of nipple itch and they include:

• Eczema that is usually found to run in families with a history of allergies. Preventive/control measures include using mild soap to take a bath, followed by a mild moisturizer. Also do not use water that is too hot for a bath as this dries out your skin and makes the itching from eczema worse. Use warm water if you must and then dab your skin leaving some moisture. Lock in this moisture with a moisturizer. Stress is also a trigger for this and so reducing your stress levels and exercising may be helping in more ways than one. Anti-histamines (helpful with itching) and over the counter steroid creams are also useful. For severe cases, please see your doctor for a prescription of more potent steroids, immuno suppressant drugs, ultra violet light therapy etc.
• Friction: In this case, not wearing a bra or wearing a poorly fitted bra during exercise routines may lead to rubbing of the nipples against the fabric and consequent itching and/or pain.
• Sensitivity to the weather (hot or cold), certain fabrics, detergents or even creams/lotions may lead to nipple itch and pain. If specific detergents or creams cause this, you may have to change them.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding can also lead to this condition. In pregnancy, the pregnancy hormones lead to the nipples being extra sensitive and during breastfeeding, the baby may not latch on well to the nipple, there could be blocked ducts or mastitis or breast abscess etc leading to pain. During pregnancy, be sure to choose bras made with fabric that can ‘breath’ like cotton. And during breastfeeding, be sure to get help with making sure you know how to put baby to the breast to prevent sore nipples etc.
• Cancer (Paget’s disease of the breast) can also be a cause of nipple itch with eczema-like symptoms on the nipple and/or surrounding areola.

So, where in doubt…especially if you have tried to rule out the causes above, please see your doctor.

Have a fab night, y’all 😀

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Q: Doc what causes pee urine that has blood? I have a friend…She is having itching on her vagina and as a result anytime she urinates she sees blood coming out as she urinate. What kind of infection is that?

A: This question is quite common…but comes with a couple of variations. I repeat a post ?I/ had made to a similar question in the past.

A common cause of this is Urinary Tract Infection. This is an infection that occurs anywhere in the urinary tract (Genius me, right :D) and includes infections of the kidneys, the ureters (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder),  the bladder (the reservoir or store house for the urine) and the urethra (the tube that transports the urine from the bladder to the outside).

So, who is more likely to have an infection and why? Women are more likely to have infections and this is because they have short urethrae (those tubes that transport the urine outside) and because the opening of this tube is very close to the opening of the anus. And so, if a woman urinates and has not quite mastered the art of cleaning from the front to the back, she could transfer bacteria from her anus to her urethra and this in turn travels up and infects the bladder.

Women who also use the birth control method, diaphragm are also at risk as it may cause the bladder not to empty completely when they urinate. Indeed, not urinating immediately after sexual intercourse in women may also predispose to this as the urethra may have may have become irritated, making it easier for germs to move in. People with depressed immune systems, frequent constipation and some people born with some disorders of their uro-genital system are also prone to UTIs. In men, narrowing of the urethra which may happen in men who have had straddle injuries (eg falling astride {with legs apart} on a pole…ouch!), history of STIs or prostrate problems may make a man open to UTIs.

What symptoms does a person with UTI have? They would complain of feeling they have to urgently urinate often and then when they do get to the toilet, they can only pass out very little urine, pain or burning sensation during urination, pain in the flank (just under the ribs at the back), the urine may be cloudy or reddish or coke coloured, fever with chills and rigours etc. Where these infections are due to candida albicans, there will be associated itching.

UTIs have to be treated because these infections could keep back tracking from the urethra to the bladder to the ureters and then to the kidneys…we don’t want that do we?! 😀

Treatment is focused on eradicating the infection…of course 😀 Usually a urine sample is taken to the lab. Part of the lab work is a culture and sensitivity test to find out the organisms causing the infection and the specific antibiotic that is active against it. Please take your prescription for the right period of time even if your symptoms disappear before you finish. Your doctor may also order other tests as he sees fit eg checking out for congenital defects etc.

Apart from the preventive tips above, be sure to drink lots of water which help dilute your urine and help flush out the bacteria. As I have written several times before, leave douches well alone, ladies! This habit may lead to irritation of the urethra and we don’t want that J

Other causes of blood in urine include:

• Kidney stones
• Bladder stones
• Kidney infection
• Kidney disease
• Cancer
• Medications

I hope this helps.

Have a goodnight, everyone 😀

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Erectile dysfunction (ED), once shrouded in secrecy, is now in the spotlight, thanks to high-profile advertisements for drugs like Cialis, Viagra, Levitra, and Stendra. But despite this greater awareness of ED, many men — and women — don’t really know much about this condition. Here are four things to know about ED.

Want to know more, please click on the links below: below: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/4-things-you-should-know-about-erectile-dysfunction

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/5-natural-ways-to-overcome-erectile-dysfunction

Have a great weekend