chatwithketch

Lack of self-acceptance can actually affect your brain as well as your self-esteem.

Source: Greater self-acceptance improves emotional well-being

Q: Good day Doc.My baby is 4 months old. Can she take anti-malaria? Mosquitoes have been biting her face,

A: Thanks for writing in.

When you have a brand new baby, one of the investments (which thankfully does not require a lot of money) you should make is to buy a mosquito net. This protects your very vulnerable baby and prevents malaria which can be quite severe in this age group.

Children become especially vulnerable to malaria at about 3 months of age when the immunity they received from their mothers start to reduce.

First tip is, do not treat your baby at home. Take your baby to the hospital. The doctor needs to confirm that what your baby has is indeed malaria. This involves running a test to check for the presence of malaria parasites.

The treatment of choice is still Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT). Be guided by your doctor for dosage and duration of treatment.

For more on malaria, please click on the link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/05/04/kill-a-mosquito-with-a-sledge-hammer-heck-yes/

Have a good night, everyone 😀

It’s 3:00 in the morning—far too early to get up for the day. But you can’t get back to sleep because your mind keeps rehashing past and future worries—and fretting that you’re going to be exhausted all day long. Sound familiar? Known as sleep-maintenance insomnia, this common problem often crops up in mid-life.

Want to know more? Please click on http://www.health.harvard.edu/sleep/awake-at-3-am-strategies-to-help-you-to-get-back-to-sleep?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WR20160930-Sleep&utm_id=263987&dlv-ga-memberid=11052531&mid=11052531&ml=263987

Have a great day!

Pregnancies affect daddies too! First, this amazing woman they love suddenly becomes a bundle of emotions. He’s not sure from day to day, what is appropriate. Today, he wasn’t affectionate enough; tomorrow, he’s too affectionate in front of people? And the bursting into tears at the most improbable times? What’s going on? Is this the picture of marriage he has to deal with for the rest of his life from now? ‘And then, there’s the constant chatter about the baby!

Honestly, I get it. I’m excited too. This is our first baby. A symbol of our love for the whole world to see. I truly can’t wait to also see whether he/she will look like me or her (honestly, I don’t even really care!), whether he/she will share those character traits from my family that have been strong through a lot of generations etc. But honestly, I don’t want to spend every waking moment talking about that nor picking out clothes, colours etc. I sincerely want to be there for my wifey but this is just too much. Am I being selfish?’

No, you’re not! It’s a normal reaction which you’re entitled to, but really have to deal with quickly😀 That didn’t sound very sympathetic, right? Some of the issues on the minds of fathers are worries over an ‘impending’ starvation of sexual intimacy, increase in financial responsibilities etc. These are enough to stress the potential Daddy out and lead to the release of the stress hormone, Cortisol, which reduces libido. But, pregnancy does not mean starvation of any kind😀

For details of Dr Ketch’s thoughts on intimacy during pregnancy and to answer the question ‘when is the right time for a woman to resume sexual intercourse after child birth??’, get a copy of the book, Just For The Health Of It.

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

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

4) 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

For week 3 (24th of September, 2016) of our Complan Saturday Challenge, winners are: Hadesanya Oloruntohyin (from facebook)

Obumneme Offorkansi (from facebook)

Amaka Oshiomele Isedu (from facebook)

Congratulations to you all!

Y’all have won: A pack of Complan, a beautiful Complan water bottle, A Complan jotter and an information leaflet on Complan.

Aren’t y’all lucky?! 😀 Please send in emails to healthylivingwithdrketch@gmail.com confirming your identity. You will get the details on pick-up of prizes.

Want to join the winning team? Stay tuned. This week’s nutrition challenge has been posted! Get ready to win with Complan.

Q: Good morning doctor, please I want to know the symptoms of thyroid and how it can be treated .

A: Hyperthyroidism is a condition that occurs when your body produces too much thyroid hormones. These hormones are usually produced by a butterfly shaped organ located at the front of your neck, called the thyroid gland. These thyroid hormones produced typically control the rate at which the body converts food t energy (metabolic rate) and also controls a whole lot of other cells and tissues like your bones (the hormones determine how your body incorporates calcium into your bones), the rate of your heart beats, your muscle contraction, cholesterol levels etc

Most cases of hyperthyroidism is caused by Graves’ Disease in which the body no longer recognizes the thyroid gland as part of it and produces antibodies to fight it. In response, the thyroid gland produces excessive amounts of thyroid hormones.

As in the case above, there may not be any family history though it is known to run in families.

Thus in hyperthyroidism, you may have no symptoms (leading to a chance discovery) or symptoms would include fast heart beats/palpitations, swelling of the thyroid gland which is seen as a neck swelling (goiter).The higher than normal metabolic rate would lead to symptoms like increased appetite, weight loss, sweating and increased sensitivity to heat, restlessness, tremors, tiredness, difficulty sleeping etc. In Graves’ Disease, there are also eye symptoms which include protrusion of the eyeballs, red and swollen eyelids, watering of the eyes and double vision.

The doctor will examine the person with symptoms and run blood tests to check for the level of thyroid hormones. Treatment could be with medications or through surgery or a combination of both.
The drug you have been prescribed has the active ingredient carbimazole which stops the thyroid gland from making new thyroid hormones but does not affect the hormones already produced. As a result, it may take a while to notice an improvement in symptoms. The use of this drug may be for about 12-18 months in the first instance. This may be sufficient to deal with the situation. In some instances though, this may recur needing more treatment, probably with a different drug.

You will need blood tests regularly though to monitor the level of your thyroid hormones.

Depending on your degree of weight loss, you may need to have a dietician walk you through your diet paces and ensure that you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Wearing sunglasses, using eye drops that moisten the eye (artificial tears) and ensuring that the head is elevated when sleeping or lying down will help reduce the symptoms of Graves’ Disease. If you smoke, stop…this may help prevent developing Graves’ Disease or prevent the eye problems associated with it, if you already have the disease.

Treatment for hyperthyroidism is usually effective and so you should be able to live a normal life. You’ve got to focus on the positives and take on each day as it comes. You may not have to take drugs all your life but then again, depending on the outcome of your initial therapy, you may have to. This may sound daunting but really shouldn’t be. Lots of people take ‘self-imposed’ vitamin supplements every day

Just have a positive attitude about it and learn to look at this cup as half full rather than half empty. Keep your chin up and keep me posted.

Conversely, in hypothyroidism, the body does not produce enough of the thyroid hormones due to an underactive thyroid gland. They symptoms include tiredness, weight gain, constipation, increased sensitivity to cold, depression etc

Causes of hypothyroidism include autoimmune diseases (when the body turns on itself, producing antibodies that attack and destroy the thyroid gland), inadequate iodine in the diet, radiation therapy to the neck, thyroid surgery (in which some or all of the thyroid is removed) etc. Other factors associated with this condition include pregnancy, certain drugs etc Risk factors for hypothyroidism include white race, growing older, having prematurely graying hair etc.

The major issue causing the symptoms is the lack of thyroid hormones and so treatment is targeted at that. Synthetic thyroid hormones will be prescribed to help combat these. Effects on fatigue may be observed as early as two weeks after treatment is started.

So, whatever your thyroid problem is, please see your doctor for a proper examination and he/she will make a diagnosis after which a course of action will be determined.

Have a good night, everyone 😀

Q: Hi Doctor, please I want know the reason why someone gets headache before and after menstruation and how can it be eradicated.

A: Headaches during menstrual periods are referred to as menstrual or hormonal migraines and are due to a drop in the level of estrogen, a hormone. For a headache to be classified as this, it would happen anytime between about 2 days before a menstrual period to about 3 days after the first day of menstrual period. Some of these women find relief during pregnancy as the level of estrogen rises.
To pre-empt this, you can take pain relievers that are also anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen at the start of the period or even about a few days before the start of an expected period until the bleeding stops. If you’re asthmatic or have peptic ulcer disease, this drug is not a safe choice for you.

Be sure to discuss this with your doctor and be guided by him/her.
Have a good night sleep, y’all 😀