chatwithketch

Q: Ma’am, I did some test on semen analysis and culture, and the result was ok, but they detected infection. What drugs do you prescribe for a quick cure?

A: Several factors could affect the results of a semen analysis.  The results also vary from man to man such that results outside of the ‘normal’ do not necessarily mean fertility or having a baby is out of the question. Your doctor will work with you according to your specific context.

You have to be sure to follow all instructions given before the test. This includes abstaining from sexual intercourse for at least 3-5 days before sexual intercourse.

Using WHO reference values, a normal semen sample should fulfill the following:

• Volume amount of sperm produced in one ejaculation): Greater than or equal to 1.5 ml
• pH (whether acidic or alkaline. If less than 7, it’s acidic and greater than 7 is alkaline): Greater than equal to 7.2
• Viscosity (being semi-fluid):  viscous
• Transparency: opaque
• Motility (percentage of sperm that move forward normally):  This should be more than 40%
• Morphology (percentage of sperm that have normal shape): This should be greater than or equal to 15% normal, oval sperm heads
• Liquefaction (time taken for the semen to become ‘liquid’): This should be complete within one hour
• Total sperm count: This should be greater than or equal to 15 million.
• Pus cells should be less than 1 million/ml or less than 5/hpf

If you have an infection, this can be easily treated with antibiotics under your doctor’s guidance.

All the best.

Have a good evening, everyone 😀

Q: Good morning Doc. Please, what will I do? Anytime I finish giving my child breast milk and keep him on his bed, he will vomit all the milk. After a little while, he will begin to search for another feed, but he is healthy. Please, tell me what to do because he stresses me.

A: Thanks for writing in.

Please don’t be stressed 😀 The post below written in response to a mum like yours, should answer your question. Enjoy….

Q: Good afternoon Dr Ketch. I have a 3-week old son who vomits sometimes after breastfeeding. Please I will like to know what causes it and what I can do to remedy it. I intend to do 6months exclusive breastfeeding. Thank you and remain blessed

A: Hi dear, congratulations on your new baby. This baby will do super-amazing awesome things…Amen!

Now, is your baby ‘vomiting’ or spitting up the milk? Bear in mind, that when I say spitting up, it’s not the type that you and I do. Spitting up in babies refers to an easy flow of the milk your baby just took out of his mouth accompanied by a burp sometimes. Vomiting, however, is more forceful and would move a couple of inches more from the baby’s mouth.

What causes reflux? There is a ring of muscle that separates the stomach from the esophagus (the food pipe). In babies, this muscle is not well developed and so allows food that has moved into the stomach to sometimes come back up. This would continue, sometimes, up till when the baby is about 12 months but is more common within the first 3 months of life. It is also common in babies who are over-fed 😀

You can help to reduce this by

• Feeding your baby in an upright position and keeping baby upright, if possible, for a couple of minutes after breastfeeding

• Burping your baby after meals
• Feeding baby small and more frequent meals to prevent overfeeding at any meal time.For those bottle feeding, check that the hole in baby’s bottle teat is not too big.

• You can also check to see whether your diet is culprit. If you suspect one, eliminate for at least a week and see if there is an impact.

If your baby, however, ‘vomits’ forcefully, is not gaining weight, gags, has difficulty swallowing or sleeping etc, please see his doctor for a review.

Please keep your commitment to the exclusive breastfeeding plan. It’s a sure winner. My love to your baby!

Have a great evening, y’all 😀

Moderate exercising like walking the dog or riding a bike for just an hour a day could alleviate or even eliminate the dangers caused by sitting all day.

Source: Get up, stand up, for your health: A little exercise offsets a lot of sitting

Ever wondered whether your baby is too small for her age? Teething too soon or too late? What to do when your baby is teething? How to encourage your babies to read as they grow?

Just For The Health Of It With Dr Ketch explores this and other issues around parenting. You can get a copy via the shop now link on our facebook page. Or you can get it through:

1) Laterna Books online shop with nationwide delivery. Just click on this link: https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=15450&c=44

2) Another option for those in Lagos is Laterna Bookshop on 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Street,. Victoria Island.

3) If you’re outside the country, please visit Amazon through this link http://www.amazon.com/Just-Health-Ketch-Pregnancy-Parenting/dp/9789398026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426246647&sr=1-1&keywords=just+for+the+health+of+it+with+dr+ketch+olalere+nkechi

4) For those in Abuja and environs, please call 07030739403 or pick it up at No 5 Bricks Market, Dawaki 11 Market, Dawaki extension.

5) For those in Awka, please call 08189944090.

Remember that this book is a great gift for anyone who wishes to live and eat healthy, lose weight, get ready for pregnancy and parenting. Buy copies for bridal showers, baby showers, Christmas gifts etc. It’s a gift that keeps on giving 😀

Recent news reports say that there is no evidence that flossing promotes oral health, yet lack of evidence doesn’t automatically mean lack of benefit.

Source: Tossing flossing?

The world looks very different at 3 a.m. when you’re lying in bed staring at the ceiling or the clock. “How will I make it through tomorrow without any sleep?” you worry. If you regularly can’t get to sleep — or stay asleep — and it’s affecting you during the day, then you may have insomnia.

Click here for more: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/better-sleep-naturally

Many pregnant women turn to zero-calorie artificially sweetened beverages to help avoid weight gain. However, these beverages may actually cause weight gain—and even alter your digestion and sense of taste. Recent research suggests that pregnant women who drink diet beverages to avoid weight gain may end up with heavier babies. So, if you’re pregnant, you may want to rethink that zero-calorie soda. After all, the old adage about “eating for two” is a reminder to eat and drink in ways that keep both you and your baby healthy.

Source: Why pregnant women should avoid artificially sweetened beverages

A recent study shows that drinking more plain water can help you avoid excess calories and control your weight.

Source: The big benefits of plain water

Q: I have been trying to get pregnant for years now ma’am. We spent all we had. Just last month, I went (……. ) so where they said my womb is by the side. The woman said she is going to move it to the right place. Ma’am, please is it possible?

A: Thanks for writing in dear. Your question was not very clear and I had to piece it together.

I have had someone write in before and ask me whether it’s okay to go for womb setting. I would say, do not allow anyone who is not a medical practitioner lay hands on your tummy/uterus to set or reposition it. More harm than good may be done.

Now, if your womb is tilted, there is a medical solution to it.

Normally, a uterus tilts forwards at the cervix towards the stomach. In some women, however, the uterus tilts backwards inside the pelvis towards the spine. This is called a retroverted or tilted uterus. Many women with this condition are born with it but some women may develop it after birth as a result of:

• Pregnancy: During pregnancy, the ligaments holding the uterus in place become weak and so after pregnancy, some women now find their uteri tilted.

• Prior surgery, infections and disease conditions like endometriosis may lead to a tilted uterus. In these cases, conception may be difficult but not impossible. Patients here may benefit from seeing a fertility doctor.

For more on endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Can PID Block My Fallopian Tubes?

Daily Health Tips: What’s An Ovarian Cyst?

• Menopause: Estrogen deficiency in menopause also leads to weakened ligaments such that the uterus now becomes tilted.

A retroverted uterus is usually an incidental finding as most women experience no symptoms. The women with symptoms usually complain of pain during menstruation and pain during sexual intercourse. Other symptoms include lower back pain, incontinence, difficulty with passing stool or urine.

Treatment for this include:

Kegel exercises: The exercise mimics the movements we make when we want to stop the flow of urine. Try holding this for about 10 seconds and then doing about 10 repetitions per set. Try about 4 to 6 sets per day and increase this as you feel ready.

Knee to chest exercise: Lie flat on your back and place both feet on the floor with both knees bent. With your left foot still flat on the floor, bring your right knee to your chest. Hold this position for about 15 to 30 seconds and then return your leg to the floor. Do about 10 reps of this exercise on each leg 3 times a day. This can help return a tilted uterus to a forward position.

Vaginal pessaries (plastic devices) which help to hold the uterus in position.

Surgery can also help to shorten (tighten) the weakened ligaments and thus return the uterus to its rightful position.

I hope this helps you. Please seek out a good gynaecologist and let him/her help you.

Have a good night, everyone 😀

Q: Good morning Doctor, My name us Doris. I have a 16 months old son and a 6 weeks old baby girl. My son has this skin problem that started like fungi infection on the face then gradually, it’s all over his body . I later took him to a dermatologist who said its eczema. My daughter also has it as I have seen some skin rash and discoloration on her face. I have used all sort of creams and ointments prescribed by the hospital but still no improvement. Now I have been advised to use the Yoruba, ‘Agbo’ to cure it. Please what do you advise?

A: I have seen people who swear by Agbo and claim not to have been to the hospital for ‘gazillion’ 😀 years as a result of the fact that they take this. This cuts across different social strata as I have met people in different strata of the society that use it. So, is it effective? This herb is thought to be effective against malaria, typhoid, sexually transmitted infections and now eczema etc.

Now, I am always personally worried when one drug cures a multitude of things…it’s sorta worrisome. However, some scientists have done some work and noted that the original Agbo herbs have some anti-oxidant activity and so it could very well be curative of some illnesses.

But, the alcohol and other additives that are packed into it makes one even more skeptical about its usefulness in treatments except the aim is to knock out the person taking it 😀

Again, there are no specific dosages for these herbs and they are generally hawked in very unhygienic conditions. Some of the components could also pose health threats to children and adults alike if it is not known whether they are allergic to these components.

All in all, a lot of work needs to be done on Agbo, if it is to be accepted as a useful treatment for any ailment. This will help confirm exact components, dosage and possible drug interactions.

So, in the meantime, leave well alone…seriously 😀

Now as to the skin problem, eczema 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, immunosuppressant drugs, ultra violet light therapy etc.

If the situation is not improving with the prescribed medications, please see the skin doctor (dermatologist) again for other treatment options as noted above or perhaps, get a second opinion.

All the best!

Have a good night everyone 😀