Daily Health Tips: 5 ways to keep your memory sharp (Harvard Health)

Posted on April 15, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Worried about those senior moments you seem to be having more and more of? Well, this is for you!

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/tips-to-get-the-most-from-your-memory

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Daily Health Tips: How Do I Get Rid Of Acne?

Posted on April 14, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hi Dr Ketch, I have a 15 year old boy who has a lot pimples on the face. So I’d like to know how to help him.

A: Thanks for writing in. The post below should help. Cheers

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Q: Hi Dr I have acne/pimples. What can I use to get rid of them?

A: Questions on pimples are very frequent as people wonder how to stop getting them or what to do to get rid of them. So here goes:

Pimples or acne are always a serious concern for males and females of all ages. When you’re a teenager, it appears life is generally miserable when you have a lot of these and when you’re older, it’s embarrassing and almost as if, you didn’t pass through rites of the teenage years and now have to deal with it at this age 😀 Either way, it can be a source of emotional upset. Stressing out about it, now makes it even worse as stress can make acne worse even if it doesn’t directly cause it.

Acne happens when hair follicles get blocked by dead skin cells and oil. They…

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Daily Health Tips: Microwaving Food In Plastic: Dangerous Or Not – Harvard Health

Posted on April 13, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Everyone has heard one story or the other about how to cook with the microwave oven or indeed why you should not use it.

In this article, Harvard Health addresses.this issue:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=952569274864710&id=376440139144296

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Daily Health Tips:Male Circumcision

Posted on April 12, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Good day to you, Doctor. Thank you so much for all the useful health tips and advice! Please doctor, my sister just had her baby boy circumcised in five days. The plastic ring has dropped by itself. The tip of the penis now looks very fragile. We’re thinking of applying a little bit of petroleum. Although we’ve called the pediatrician and he advised that we leave it like that. In what other ways can we keep caring for the baby to make him comfortable and aid quick healing of the penis? Thanks!
 
A: Thank you for writing in and for taking your job as aunty very seriously! 😀 By the way, congratulations!
 
Male circumcision is the removal of the fore-skin of the penis. This practice is usually tied to religious beliefs, traditions and sometimes, just personal preference. More recently, it has been suggested that circumcision may also have some medical benefits like decreased risk of sexually transmitted infections, decreased risk of urinary tract infections, decreased risk of cancer of the penis/foreskin and also better hygiene…it is that much easier to wash a circumcised penis than an uncircumcised one.
In Nigeria, this is usually done on the 8th day of life. Adult circumcisions can also happen.
 
Circumcision, methinks, is usually more painful for the mother than the child. I remember weeping (yes, weeping and not crying :D) shamelessly as my son was circumcised. I was too pained to even feel embarrassed at the fact that I should be not be doing that as a doctor 😀 Who cares?! 😀
 
Back to our gist…
 
Usually the penis is cleaned and an anaesthetic injection or cream applied to the penis so that baby feels no pain. A special plastic ring or clamp is then applied to the penis before the foreskin is removed. Afterwards, an ointment eg petroleum jelly is applied to the skin and it’s loosely covered with gauze.
 
Healing happens within 10 days and the plastic ring would fall off within this time. In the meantime, ensure baby is kept comfortable by changing the diaper often, applying a dab of ointment to the tip of the penis when changing baby’s diaper (to ensure that it is not sticking to the diaper) and fastening baby’s diaper loosely.

If the ring does not fall off after 2 weeks or you find that there is a foul smelly discharge from the penis or baby cannot urinate 12 hours after the procedure or indeed, there is persistent bleeding, please see your baby’s doctor immediately.

 

It does appear your nephew is healing well. I would like to assume that you meant to ask whether you should use petroleum jelly and not petroleum! What?! Please don’t get any petrol close to the baby…if you find some, please use that in your car! 😀
 
Where in doubt, please visit your baby’s paediatrician.
 
I hope this helps
 
Have a good night, y’all 😀
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Running injury? Maybe you’re doing it all wrong

Posted on April 11, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

 A new study of female runners suggests that an individual’s running style may play a role in susceptibility to injury.

Source: Running injury? Maybe you’re doing it all wrong

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Could lack of sleep trigger a food “addiction”?

Posted on April 11, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

An experimental study has found that lack of sleep can increase the levels of brain chemicals that make eating pleasurable. 

Source: Could lack of sleep trigger a food “addiction”?

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Daily Health Tips: Why Can’t I Get Pregnant After Having My First Baby?

Posted on April 9, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please Dr Ketch, I delivered through C /S. Can this delay conception again?
A situation in which a woman who has had a baby before finds it difficult to have another baby, is called secondary infertility. The post below speaks to more of this.

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Q: Dr. I am a lady of 28 years. After my 1st child I began to experience irregular flow. My baby will be 3 years old by March 27 this year I can’t get pregnant

A: Madam, I empathize with you. I had a similar experience following the birth of my first child. It took 3 years too, before I got pregnant again. So, I truly understand your fears and concerns.
Secondary infertility is very common, but not often talked about. Even when women present themselves to the hospital, they don’t come out straight to let the doctor know what actually brought them to hospital, and rather list a series of symptoms most often, unconnected to their primary (main) concerns. Secondary infertility is the inability to become pregnant, or carry a pregnancy to term following the birth of one or more children. There however has to be frequent (at least…

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Daily Health Tips: Corset Vs Waist Cincher

Posted on April 9, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Good day Doc, I really appreciate your words for healthy living. Please, can you help me with the difference between waist corset or cincher and is it healthy to put them on?
 
A: Okay! I’ll probably make enemies after this post! 😀
 
The corset has been used by women for centuries to get that absolutely fabulous hour-glass figure! This appeared to die off after a while but has made a huge resurgence since a TV star made it a signature piece 😀 It’s usually made from cotton and is laced at the back. Cinchers on the other hand, can be seen as types of corsets and can be made from cotton or latex fabric. They usually come with hooks for fastening or even zips.
 
Wearing a corset changes your shape by shifting your existing mass into a new shape creating the hourglass silhouette: D This may be just awesome for that event you want to attend, so that you look absolutely fabulous! 😀 But, the mass (weight, I you like) is all still there! A waist cincher provides waist compression and flat abdominal region. Remember that, if you have visceral fat (fat around your internal organs which has been associated with heart disease etc, corsets and cinchers, even if they make you look good and appear trimmer, do not affect this fat. Your risk for these disease will remain irrespective of what your outside looks like.
 
Are these garments healthy? Well, they definitely are able to provide the silhouette you desire. They can also help posture (better back and abdominal support) as you most definitely have to sit upright with all those bones digging into you 😀 (for those with rigid bones) or just as a result of the tightness! While wearing it, you will definitely be eating less food which, of course, will help with weight loss.
 
But here’s the bad news, especially when these garments are worn for too long and are laced or hooked too tight : Remember that I mentioned the fact that these garments shift your mass? The same goes for the organs of the body such that organs are displaced and squished together. This could affect blood supply to them. The capacity of the lungs is reduced as these organs in the abdomen push upwards and one finds herself taking shallow breaths (as much as can be allowed by the constrictions). For people who try to wear these during exercise, this could be even more dangerous. Leg and pelvic pain could result from nerve compression.
 
So, healthier ways of achieving these results would include exercise and eating right…especially watching your portions and including more fruits and veggies to your diet. If you also want to have a ‘clean’ silhouette while working on losing weight, there are other shape wear that give you this effect and do not put your internal organs at risk.
 
If you must wear these garments, perhaps for that event where you want to be remembered for your ‘fabulousity’ 😀 you may be willing to put up with this for a couple of hours but ensure that you do not wear this for too long and definitely do not lace up too tight. Listen to your body…you will definitely know when it’s too tight or it’s been worn too long.
 
Remember that ultimately, sustainable weight loss requires some lifestyle adjustment in terms of food and activity. While most women are used to the saying that ‘beauty is pain’, perhaps, this is one pain you may want to re-consider! 😀
 
Have a great weekend, people 😀
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Daily Health Tips: I’m Trying To Stop Smoking Pot.

Posted on April 8, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please Doctor, how can someone be free from drug addiction?
A: Thanks for writing in. You did not specify what addiction you are trying to be free from. I will share the post of someone who was trying to be free from ‘pot’ addiction and other resources I have put together over time on this.

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Q: Good evening ma’am, how’s work and the family? Ma’am, please I have an issue which I think I would want to talk to you about and seek for help. I was once into drugs, and decided to stop after some few months. During that period, I experienced withdrawal symptoms. By the grace of God, I went through that stage. Few months later, I went into smoking pot, and for over a year now, I have smoked on constant basis (every single day). Eleven days ago, I decided to quit and face life, because everything seemed to be going wrong. I spent so much money trying to smoke. So I decided to call it quits. I once tried this, but went back after a week, but I am determined to quit this time around. My problem now is, I have vivid nightmares whenever I sleep at night. I hardly eat…

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Daily Health Tips: It’s World Diabetes Day…Stay Lean And Stay Active!

Posted on April 7, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Today is World Health Day. For this year, the theme is ‘Beat Diabetes’. This message is so appropriate for this time given the sedentary lifestyle of a significant percentage of the population.

This post was made on World Diabetes Day, two years ago; but the message still resonates!

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Today is World Diabetes Day.

The theme for this year’s activities is Diabetes: Protect Our Future.

The key messages for this year’s event are:
• Making healthy foods the easier choice
• Making the right choice in terms of healthy eating
• Eating breakfast everyday as a means of starting up the day right and ensuring healthy eating.

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…

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