Daily Health Tips: Unite To End Tb!

Posted on March 24, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Today is World Tuberculosis Day and this is the same day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes Tuberculosis. The theme this year is ‘Unite to End Tb’

Some background…
Tuberculosis (Tb) is a bacterial infection that mainly affects lungs. The infection could be active in which case the person is sick and can transmit the infection to another person or the infection could be inactive, in which case the infection is present in the body but does not cause infection neither can it be transmitted to another person. However, this latter case, needs to be treated as it can become active.

The issue of Tb has come more to the front burner with the advent of HIV/AIDS which causes a depression of the immune system such that the Tb infection can hold sway. Other conditions that depress the immune system include cancer treatment, some cancers, malnutrition, Diabetes Mellitus, extremes of age (very young or very old) etc

Symptoms of Tb include fever, cough that lasts for 3 weeks or more, coughing up blood, night sweats, weight loss etc
Treatment of Tb involves the use of a combination of drugs to prevent resistance. These drugs must be taken for the full course to prevent resistance. Common drugs used include Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol.

In countries like Nigeria, the vaccine BCG is the cornerstone of prevention and this is given to children at birth. Unfortunately, the poor economic conditions in most places in Africa makes this disease spread rapidly if one person gets it as overcrowding due to poor/inadequate housing helps the bacteria spread. Teaching people to cover their coughs and stay in well ventilated places also help.

For related post, please click on the link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/10/21/daily-health-tips-i-just-started-exercising-but-now-i-feel-pain-on-my-chest/

 

Have a great night, people 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: When Does A Pregnant Woman Start Producing Milk?

Posted on March 23, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Hey Dr … my wife wanted to know, ‘when does a pregnant woman breast start sending milk?’ She’s 3 months 1 week and 3 days pregnant?
 
A: Breast fullness with attendant pain/tenderness during pregnancy is to be expected and one of the signs of pregnancy. This is due to the hormones, Estrogen and progesterone, increase in blood flow and fat deposits in the breast…all in preparation for the job of breastfeeding the soon-to-be-born baby.
 
The breasts may start to produce milk as early as second trimester (from about 14 weeks) into the pregnancy. This may show up as leakage of fluid (breast milk) from the breast. This milk is colostrum, the first milk produced by a mother to feed her young. This milk is filled with antibodies which help protect and strengthen the baby’s immune system. This leakage can be prevented by using breast pads
 
To help out with breast enlargement and consequent pain during pregnancy, she should invest in a good bra that provides the right support and sleep with bra tops or sports bras when sleeping to give her more support if she’s uncomfortable while sleeping.
Please give her a hug for me!
 
Have a good night, y’all 😀
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Daily Health Tips:Why Can’t I Feel My Baby Moving Yet?

Posted on March 22, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Good afternoon Doc. Please ma’am, I am confused. My pregnancy is 20 wks now and the baby has not started kicking in my tummy. I feel a light movement once in awhile but I expected it to have started that kind of serious kicks. Ma’am please answer me to know what next to do
 
A: The first time you feel your baby’s movement is known as quickening and the time women feel it varies person to person. It ranges from 16 to 25 weeks but women who have had babies before may feel this much earlier. Women describe it as different things: a bubbly feeling; butterflies in their tummy; gas etc.
 
You may notice, though when you drink cold water, that baby moves around. This is, theoretically because the uterus/womb is close to the digestive tract such that the cold water in the digestive tract stimulates the baby to move. Women who feel concerned about their baby’s movements are sometimes asked to do this and check for baby’s movement.
 
I hope this helps.
 
Have a good night 😀
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Daily Health Tips: How Can I Control My Blood Sugar?

Posted on March 21, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning Doctor, I noticed in recent times that each time I take yoghurt or any ‘too-sugary’ drinks my urine will taste sugary, but when I check my blood sugar, the range is always 95/105. , therefore, decided to watch my consumption of sugar. But unfortunately, about a week ago I found myself taking ogi (pap). Unknown to me, the ‘sweetener’ content was an unnatural honey. Before then, I have taken yogurt the same day. To cut the whole story short, my blood sugar is now 140 as at yesterday. Please, what can I do before my situation gets out of hand? I don’t want to start with any anti diabetic drugs now. Thanks in advance.

A: Starting from the beginning, what’s Diabetes Mellitus (DM)? Usually starchy foods we eat are converted to glucose. The body, in response to the presence of glucose in the blood, releases insulin from the pancreas. The insulin helps the glucose to move into the cells where it is needed. In Diabetes Mellitus, it is either insulin is no longer or barely being produced (Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus) or the insulin is being produced in insufficient amounts or the cells no longer responds to the insulin prod (stimulus. The latter is called Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

There is little or nothing that can be done to prevent Type 1 as it is not yet clear what causes the body to destroy the cells that produce insulin in the body. People with this type of DM will require insulin injections. However, people with Type 2 DM can control their DM using a combination of diet and exercise (staying lean and staying active). With time though, they may require oral drugs and/or insulin.
Now, how do we make exercise a part of our day? You need at least 30 minutes daily. The requirement per week is 150 minutes and so you could do 30 minutes on 5 days of the week or 1 hour on 3 days of the week. Just break it up and find ways of doing the things you love in a more active way. Activity/exercise ideas are pillow fights, arm wrestling, taking walks, dancing, joining a gym, jumping jacks during commercial breaks etc. At work, being more active speaks to getting up and walking on the spot whenever you get a phone call, walking to the printer to pick up documents and walking to colleagues’ desks to ask questions/confirm issues, walking over to the bank ATM instead of driving there, using the stairs and not the elevators, installing an exercise/activity reminder on your computer to remind you to get active if you forget to do any of the above 😀

 

How can we make healthy foods the easier choice? Surround yourself with the right foods. Fresh fruits, veggies, dried fruits (which can also be added t nuts), nuts, dairy like yoghurt etc

Then make the right choices. It’s one thing to buy up all the healthy things that have been suggested, it’s another to eat them and not reach for the doughnut that your colleague just brought into the office.

In our high powered, we-are-all-busy-racing-to-somewhere world, eating breakfast may sound like a luxury, few can afford, but guess what? Studies have shown that eating breakfast may reduce the risk of obesity and Diabetes. So, whether you’re skipping breakfast because you think you don’t have time or because you want to lose weight by kipping meals, it’s bad news. So, how can you ensure that you’re not only eating breakfast but eating the right foods? Here are our tips for eating a healthy breakfast on the run:

Oatmeal is always a great idea. Rich in fiber which reduce cholesterol and help protect your heart and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. If you’re not a huge fan of oatmeal, you could sprinkle some cinnamon on it and be sure to take with skimmed milk. Another idea for oatmeal I learnt from a chef is overnight oats. Soak your oats with milk and unsweetened yoghurt overnight (just enough to cover the oats). Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning, bring out and sprinkle some cinnamon, add some apple or banana slices, a couple of nuts (optional)…and you’ve got a delicious bowl of healthy deliciousness in your hands! Some whole wheat/grain cereals (unsweetened) also not go amiss. Whole grain bread with peanut or almond butter (peanut butter is just ground up peanuts or groundnuts), an egg with a cup of fresh juice or some fruit slices also sounds good 😉

 

If you want to go for a smoothie, be sure to add some veggies (carrots, a handful of green leafy veggies etc) to ensure it is super healthy and not just another sugar rush 😀

 

Beyond these, get a dietician to draw up a diet plan for you and see a doctor asap to take a proper history and make a diagnosis.

 

Have a good night, y’all 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: Why Are My Breasts Swollen After My Stillbirth?

Posted on March 19, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Please Doc, I need to make a complaint. I gave birth to a dead child last two days and I’ve been having problem with my breast because it’s swollen and it gave me a lot of cold and headache. Please Doc, what can I do?
 
A: Condolences on your loss! I cannot imagine what you are going through. Please make out time to mourn your baby and then as soon as you can, open up your heart to the possibilities in your future. I hope you are surrounded by loving supportive family and friends. Hugs 🙂
 
Now, for stopping milk production:
In the good old days, mothers would tell their daughters to tie a wrapper tightly across their breasts. This helps. In fact, I believe that this is still being done by lots of people. If you’re more jet age, though wear a firm supportive bra, night and day.
 
For the pain, take analgesics and also apply cold packs to your breasts. These cold packs can be packs of frozen veggies or even cold cabbage leaves. For the latter, wash the cabbage leaves and put them in the fridge. Remove the areas that have big veins as they may hurt your tender breasts. Put this cold cabbage leaves in your bra and change to another set of cold ones every 2 hours or when the cabbage leaves feel limp.
 
Try not to stimulate the nipples during this period. Use a breast pad to prevent leakages.
 
If you find that your breasts still fill up, then express some breast milk. Express until you fill comfortable…not until you empty out the breast.
 
Keep hydrated and try to lie on your back or your side when sleeping.
 
Now, I’m a bit worried about the fact that it sounds like you’re feeling feverish. If that is so, if may be that there is an infection of a breast duct (mastitis) such that the skin over that area feels hot to touch, reddens, mum feels feverish, ill and aches all over. This infection is usually treated with a course of antibiotics, which will be prescribed by your doctor.
 
I suggest you see your doctor as soon as possible.
 
Your baby will always have a special place in your heart. And you will yet smile….very soon.
 
Loads of hugs…
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Daily Health Tips: Frequent Headaches

Posted on March 18, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q:Hello Dr, I’m having a headache almost twice in a week. What can I do or eat to prevent it? Please advice
 
A: I’m sorry to hear about your headaches. Hopefully, this post helps you out.
 
Headaches refer to pain or ache anywhere on the head. They 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.
 
Common causes of primary headaches include:
Tension headaches: This is the more common type of headache seen as the everyday sort of headache. It affects both sides of the head as a constant ache. Its causes are not very clear but they can be triggered by stress, hunger, dehydration, etc they can last a couple of minutes to several hours but are not severe enough to stop regular activities. Resting and sleeping well, eating properly and staying hydrated can help prevent this.
 
Migraines: These are felt as severe throbbing pain at the front or side of the head. Some people may experience other symptoms like nausea, vomiting and being sensitive to light. The pain lasts from a couple of hours or can stretch on for days. Thus, it is more severe than the tension headaches and can stop an individual from carrying out their daily tasks. Some find that they need strong medication prescribed by doctors to get relief but others are relieved by using over the counter medications.
 
Cluster headaches:These cause severe pain around one eye and are associated with red or watery eyes and a blocked nose or runny one. They tend to occur for one or two months at a time at about the same time of the year. Most times medications do not work for these headaches. Your doctor will prescribe specific treatment courses.
 
Chronic daily headaches may be due to medication overuse. This would occur in people who use pain medications too often and then end up with rebound headaches…the exact condition they were trying to avoid. Moral of the story: Never abuse your medications 😀 Use only as directed by your doctor.
Sex headaches: Yes, this can occur. For more on this condition, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/11/20/daily-health-tips-sexual-headaches/
 
Primary headaches may be triggered by stress, skipped meals and dehydration as noted above. However, they may also be associated with alcohol, foods that contain nitrates like spinach and bad posture.
 
Secondary headaches may be due to dental problems, hangovers 😀 ear infections, blood clot in the brain, wearing tight gear on the head like hats or even wigs (yes, I see you ladies :D) or even eating cold stuff like ice creams etc.
 
So, what should you do? If you find that tight head gear or eating ice cream is the problem, see if stopping helps.
If you find that these headaches are now more frequent than usual, more severe than usual, stops you from going about your daily activities, is no longer responding to the over the counter medications you used to take etc, please see your doctor. It could be nothing but it could very well be a serious issue. Better safe than sorry!
 
All the best!
 
Have a great weekend ahead, y’all 😀
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Daily Health Tips: Is It Okay Not To ‘Go’ For 3 Or 4 Days?

Posted on March 17, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Dr what could be my problem Dr? For me some times, I take 3 to 4 days without going to the toilet; sometimes it will be back to normal but mostly it’s irregular. What should I do?
 
A: Passing hard stools and having less than 3 bowel movements (in other words, stooling less than 3 times per week) is considered constipation.
 
Constipation occurs when faeces passes too slowly down the digestive tract causing the stool to become hard and brittle. It leads to a situation where a person has less than 3 bowel movements per week. The classic symptoms are straining to pass stool, having the feeling of incomplete emptying after a poo and sometimes having to press down on your abdomen to help emptying.
 
Sometimes, constipated people also insert a finger into their rectum to help the process along. Constipation becomes chronic when it persists for weeks on end.
 
Constipation may be due to blockages in the rectum, diseases like Diabetes Mellitus etc. However, they could be due to lifestyle issues like not drinking enough water, not eating enough fibre in our diets and being sedentary. Being a woman and getting older also pre-disposes one to more episodes of constipation.
 
Prevention is focused on ensuring that you have enough fibre in your diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grain), getting at least 30 minutes of exercise daily and drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily. When you have the urge to poo, try not to delay it for too long. Go and try to take your time to do your business! 😀
 
If these do not help, you may want to see your doctor for a proper examination to rule out other disease conditions.
 
Have a good night y’all 😀
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Daily Health Tips: Can I Be Pregnant Without Having Symptoms?

Posted on March 16, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Please Doctor, can someone be pregnant without having early signs like morning sickness?
 
A: Well, there’s a TV show focused on women who put to bed and had no idea they were pregnant at all! 😀 They only realized they were pregnant just before putting to bed…labour pains will definitely provide a not-so-subtle hint 😀
 
Pregnancy symptoms are always present but may be masked or mild in some people and assumed to be something else in other people. For instance, if pregnancy occurs at the same time one is going through a stressful time, there may be an assumption that this is due to stress or even the flu. I put down my own symptoms of pregnancy (during my first) to malaria! This situation is even worse in women who have irregular periods and thus may not notice the absence of a period. In some cases, women bleed and also assume that this is normal menstruation throughout their pregnancy.
 
The only sure-fire way to prevent being notified that you are pregnant at the point of delivery (oftentimes in the toilet :D) is to know the symptoms of pregnancy. It is also important to know what’s not normal so that quick and effective steps can be taken to protect mother and baby.
 
Generally, symptoms of pregnancy include:
 
Breast tenderness
Discharge: A thin milky discharge is normal during pregnancy
Heart burn and Constipation
Frequency of urination
Tiredness
Food cravings and aversions
Morning sickness/nausea
 
So, if you do suspect that you are pregnant, get yourself tested with a home test kit or see your doctor so he/she can order a pregnancy test for you.
 
Have a good night, y’all 😀
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Daily Health Tips: Cut Fallopian Tubes.

Posted on March 15, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good evening, Doc. The mouth of my fallopian tubes were removed. Do I have chance to get pregnant? It was thought tired it was cut off.

A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in.

Your question is quite confusing.

Does this mean that you had tubal ligation (a procedure in which the fallopian tubes are tied off preventing sperm from reaching the fallopian tube and meeting with an egg) and now you want to reverse that? If that is the case, this would involve removing the blocked part of the tubes and joining up the two ends. There is however, no guarantee that one would be able to get pregnant again as this method of contraception is quite effective.

Your question can also mean that you had tubal surgery and now wonder if you can get pregnant. Tubal surgery is usually done for people who have:

The decision to undertake repair with tubal surgery depends on the degree of damage. The doctor could decide to open up the blocked tubes with surgery or breakdown scar tissue that may have formed due to infections from PID. Again, pregnancy after this is not guaranteed and depends on the skill of the surgeon (ask for a surgeon who is specialized at this), the age of the woman, degree of tubal damage at the very beginning, the level of damage to the inner lining of the tubes which cannot be corrected etc

So, I suggest you book an appointment to see your doctor and have a long discussion on options open to you.

All the best!

Have a goodnight y’all 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: My Baby Poos A Lot

Posted on March 14, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Thanks so much Dr. I have an 8 month old child. I give him pap with peak123 milk and Friso gold rice base cereal. He poos a lot sometimes. Is it OK to give the two daily? Also is peak123 milk OK for an 8 month old? Thanks
 
A: Thanks for writing in and congratulations on your new baby! 😀
From birth to 6 months, you should give your baby only breast milk. From 6 months, you should still continue breastfeeding but other foods should be added. Most people start off with rice cereal. So, that’s okay. You can continue to give that but your baby should be having a whole lot more!
 
For tips on other foods for weaning, please click on these links:
 
 
Now as for the milk, there is a reason why it has 123 on it. It’s meant for children from the ages of 1 to 3 years old. Please continue to breast feed your baby. You can also use formula (milk). But no regular (cow) milk, please.
 
As for defecation (poo), the question is how many times does your baby poo now? What was the frequency before? If the number of times has significantly changed, then you may want to have a chat about this with your baby’s doctor.
 
In the meantime, be sure that you wash the baby’s utensils thoroughly and sterilize them. Wash your hands properly too before feeding baby. Be sure that anyone who helps take care of the baby observes the same rules of hygiene. Clean and sterilize his toys often too.
 
Hope y’all had a great day?
 
Have a fabulous night!
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