Daily Health Tips: It’s International Women’s Day!

Posted on March 8, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
It is International Women’s Day! Women are in the news and for this years celebration, the focus is on pledging for parity. If you’re a man, what efforts are you making to help women in your life achieve their ambitions? Do you build them up or put them down…at home and/or in the workplace? If you’re a woman, what effort are you making to help other women fulfill their dreams and potentials?
 
Food for thought for all of us! In celebration of the day, we tackle a ‘mainly’ ‘woman’ issue 
 
Q: Good evening ma’am. Please, I want to know what type of medicine I should take because I have breast milk coming out of my breast, although it is colourless. I am not breastfeeding any baby
 
A: There are different issues that can cause nipple discharge. The discharge can be bloody, milky, clear etc. The colour may not tell us much as to whether the discharge is normal or abnormal.
 
Causes of breast discharge include:
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding: The release of milk may also persist for a while even when breastfeeding has been stopped.
• Stimulation of the nipples during sexual foreplay or even pressing the nipple by people who are worried about the nipple discharge or friction between fabric and nipple can lead to nipple discharge.
• Breast abscess or infection
• Hormone imbalance
• Injury to the breast
• Some medications
• Cancer of the breast
 
Some women who are not pregnant may have milky fluid come out of their breasts when they are not breastfeeding or even in women who have never been pregnant. This is called galactorrhea (pronounced gulactoria). This is not a disease on its own but a symptom of a problem. The hormone, prolactin which is responsible for lactation in nursing mothers, is usually produced in these cases.
 
This milky fluid can be expressed by pressing or it can spontaneously come out on its own. It can affect one or both breasts and usually there are no blood stains involved.
Sometimes, the cause of this discharge may not be known but some causes could be some medications, some drugs like cocaine, spinal cord injuries, some birth control pills, stress and even excessive stimulation during sexual intercourse.
Galactorrhea can also happen in men and new born babies! In new born babies this can happen if the mother has a high level of estrogen which crosses over into the baby and stimulates the formation of breast tissue and sometimes, some milky white discharge. Please note: this is NOT witchcraft! 😀
If you notice this, please visit your doctor who may try to express this discharge to study. The discharge may also be clear (as in your case), bloody or even tinged yellow. These need further evaluation and the presence of lumps should also be checked for. The level of prolactin will also be assessed. This may, however, be normal in people who are overly sensitive to prolactin. In this class of people, prolactin level is normal but there is still milky discharge from the nipples.
To determine cause, the doctor may do a scan, take tissue sample to examine (biopsy) etc
Bloody discharge, discharge from one breast only and discharge that happens spontaneously without the breast being touched or pressed is likely to be abnormal. These should be checked out as soon as possible in the hospital.
If the discharge is present during a menstrual period and persists into the next cycle, please see your doctor too.
 
Treatment is focused on the underlying cause if one can be found. If the problem is medication, please stop or switch to something else under the supervision of your physician (doctor). If there is a tumour producing prolactin, drugs can be taken to shrink it or surgery can be done. If no cause is found, drugs that reduce prolactin level are prescribed. Remember, that you could be pregnant and so a pregnancy test may not be out of place. If due to pregnancy or breastfeeding, it will eventually stop. If due to stimulation, the discharge will continue as long as the stimulation is present. If due to injury, it will also stop with healing. If the discharge is due to medication, stopping the medication is sufficient to bring this to a stop.
 
In the meantime, breast pads can be worn to prevent the embarrassing leaks from staining clothes, limit manipulation of breasts either by self-breast examination or during sexual activity and try not to wear clothes in which there would be friction between the nipples and the material.
 
Here’s wishing all you wonderful International Women’s Day!
 
Have a great one 😀
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Daily Health Tips: 34/36-Day Menstrual Cycle

Posted on March 7, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Dear Dr Ketch, I am a 27 yr old girl and since August last year I’ve tracked my menstrual cycle and noticed it’s up to 34 days or 36 days in most cases. I’m really worried about it. Is there anything I can do about it? Or is there any drug or medication I can be placed on?? Please Dr help me! Thanks
 
A: There are various shades of ‘normal’ in menstrual cycles with the menstrual flow lasting between 2 to 8 days and the cycle lasting anything from 21 to 35 days. A reduction in flow (scanty period) is called hypomenrrhea (pronounced hai-po-men-oria) and a reduction in the number of days of flow to less than 3 days is called oligomenorrhea (oli-go-men-oria).
 
Now at the onset of puberty, the flow and cycle can vary from one cycle to the other; the same goes for the other extreme of life (old age).
 
Other issues that can cause a decrease in flow include pregnancy (the supposed period may be an implantation bleed), crash dieting (when you want to lose all the weight you added in 5 years in one week :D), intense physical activity, Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD), imbalance of hormones and use of contraceptives.
 
Previous instrumentation like Dilatation and Curettage (D and C), where the procedure was too ‘vigorously’ done can result in a condition called Asherman’s syndrome which manifests as reduction in menstrual flow. In the same way that stress can delay a menstrual period, it can also cause a reduction in flow.
You must work with your gynaecologist in order to manage this. If the cause is PCOD, focus will be on the treatment; if due to intense exercise, reducing intensity will be helpful; if due to crash dieting, focus on eating a proper balanced diet will help etc. Your gynaecologist will carry out a detailed examination and investigation to arrive at the cause and advice on treatment.
 
Have a great evening, great people 🙂
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Happy Mothers’ Day!

Posted on March 6, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Happy Mothers’ Day to all the beautiful and wonderful mothers out there…

Who consistently go over, above and beyond;

Who deny themselves luxuries so their children and loved ones can have what they need;

Who consistently pretend they never wanted that last piece of meat when there’s someone else who wants it;

Who dedicate themselves to bringing up great people: professionals (who will do exceptional work), husbands (who will be present in their homes and not cause pain to other people’s daughters) and great wives (who will do as she has done).

Today…
May you be celebrated!
May your homes ring out with laughter
May your hearts be filled with joy!
And May the good Lord reward you with perfect health to reap the fruits of your Labour!

Happy Mothers’ Day! 😀

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Fact Or Fiction?

Posted on March 6, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Want to hear more old wives tales and advice during pregnancy and my take on them? Here goes…

Advice
Pregnant women should eat native clay called nzu in Ibo. This helps wash unborn baby’s body so that when born the baby is very clean. It also stimulates an appetite in these pregnant women.

Fiction (False)
Eating loads of clay will only end up giving you constipation, can potentially harm your baby and where there is a craving for it, it may even be suggestive of iron deficiency anaemia.

Advice
Presence of a black line below the navel can tell you if the baby is a boy or girl.

Want to know whether this is true or false? Want to know my thoughts on other advice you’ve received from kind neighbours? Get details from 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) Jumia.com. Just click on this link http://www.jumia.com.ng/jumia-books-just-for-the-health-of-it-with-dr-ketch-179486.html and get a copy. You have the option of paying when the book is delivered to you or paying online. This service is available all over Nigeria.

 

4) 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

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

 

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 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: Female Circumcision

Posted on March 5, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good day Dr, please I need more enlightenment on child circumcision: is it also for female child? And what is the reason for it? Is there any negative effect?

A: Thank you so much for writing in. Circumcision is a no-no for the female child. This procedure called Female Genital Mutilation has been recognized as a violation of the fundamental human rights of the girl child and it has absolutely no medical benefit. Indeed, it subjects poor, defenseless and innocent children to needless pain and torture!

For those who don’t know, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also referred to as female circumcision is a procedure in which there is partial or complete removal of the female genitals or any other injury to the female genital organs for reasons other than medical. So, practices like cutting off all or part of the clitoris, cutting off the surrounding lips of the vagina, narrowing the vaginal opening, any harmful procedure to the female genitals like piercing, pricking etc in any combination, all form part of this very terrible act. Why do people do this? It is wrongly assumed in some quarters that this prevents a woman from being promiscuous in future (removal of the clitoris would greatly reduce sexual pleasure and for those that have the vaginal opening reduced, the sheer pain of having any object pass through that opening is enough to discourage sexual intercourse), it is culturally accepted as a means of showing modesty in some cultures, it is thought to be religiously appropriate (no one can show where any religion specifically states this) and others just do it, because everyone in their circle does this!

In the olden days, this was practiced by village birth attendants who would use unsterilized instruments, aiding the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS. Today, this is still a concern but even more discomforting is the fact that some medical personnel (???qualified) also participate in this.

FGM causes immediate and long term complications. Immediate complications are not far-fetched. The child is subjected to terrible pain, she could bleed heavily and could even end up in shock. There may be injury to surrounding genital tissue and there could be introduction of infection, especially if the conditions are not hygienic or when unsterilized instruments are used.

Long term complications include difficulty with sexual intercourse especially if the vaginal opening was reduced. This also presents a challenge during childbirth. Other complications include recurrent urinary tract infections and infertility.

So, my advice is to all mothers who wonder about female circumcision is ‘leave your daughter’s genitals well alone! Love and care for her and as she grows, encourage her to take pride in herself and who she is. Encourage her to go out and conquer the world.’ The reasons usually given for FGM really boil down to wanting to control the girl child. Why is it wrong for her to enjoy sexual intercourse when it’s time? Several homes have been wrecked by the fact that the lady who’s been circumcised cannot enjoy sexual intercourse and/or has to go through several episodes of pain (sometimes, even her partner suffers pain too) before she can finally settle into it.
Finally, join the fight against this horrible act. Tell every mother you know about what you have learnt. Together, we can stamp this act out.

Have a good night, y’all 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: Staph In The News Again!

Posted on March 4, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: How can I settle this staph infection to be normal and eradicated?
 
A: Thanks for writing in. I get a lot of questions on Staph aureus infections and though I have answered this a couple of times, the fact that they keep coming means that it is a topical issue. I will make a few comments and then place the link for the last post I made on this topic here.
 
Staphylococcus has received a bad rap over the years, especially in Nigeria. A whole lot of TV advert time in the past was devoted to traditional/alternative/native medicine practitioners who all claimed a cure for this ‘terrible’ Sexually Transmitted Infection. After the airwaves were made off limits, attention moved to the print media where all manner of cures are touted for ailments ranging from the indomitable staph to fibroids! Have you read about how some drugs can make people excrete their fibroids out???! I shake my head in wonder 😀
 
Generally, Staphylococcus, Staph for short, are bacteria which can be found in people’s noses or skin all over the body, minding their own business until a cut or injury occurs giving the germs access into the body. This is the reason why surgeons meticulously scrub sites for surgery before they make a single cut because infections caused by Staph can be deadly. They usually cause infections like boils but can also get into the blood, as described for surgery above, and cause infections too. They are also responsible for Staphylococcal food poisoning and Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS: serious bacterial infection of the blood) as can happen in people who use tampons.
 
People who are more at risk of Staph infections include breastfeeding mothers, new born babies, diabetics, people with sores/injuries of any sort and also people with compromised immune systems.
 
It is usually spread by direct contact with an infected sore or use of infected personal care items like shave sticks, plasters or bandages.
Technically, Staph infections are not considered Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI); however, because Staph is spread through skin to skin contact, it can cause an STI if there is contact between the genitals and the area with a Staph infection. Remember also, that these bacteria are found on the skin and so can show up in urine. Thus, if this was isolated in your urine, it does not mean that it is sexually transmitted. As part of the test carried out in isolating the organism in your urine, specific antibiotics would have been shown as being active against the organism. Be sure to use this and complete the dose.
 
Given that Staph infections are spread through person to person contact, practicing good hygiene is a great idea. Wash your hands often especially after contact with situations described above. Remember that you can also spread the infection from one part of your body to another, so it is important to keep wounds clean and properly covered. If a towel is used to clean the area, this should be done once and then the towel washed in hot water. Do not share items of personal care like towels and be sure to bath every day.
 
Menstruating ladies who use tampons should be sure to change them often to prevent TSS.
 
So eradication of this staph, depends on where it is causing an infection.
 
Have a great night, y’all 😀
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Daily Health Tips: Prostatitis

Posted on March 3, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Good afternoon Dr. I am 23years old and have a problem of Chronic Prostatitis and I’ve been going to different Drs for the past 8years but up to now, I’ve never been healed. Is there any cure for it or I should give up already? No Dr has ever answered this question but I hope you will. Thank you in advance.
 
A: The prostate gland is a small organ located just below the bladder. It produces semen and the urethra which transports urine from the bladder and semen from the prostate, passes through the prostate. This organ grows throughout a male’s life and sometimes grows so big that it blocks the flow of urine from the bladder. This condition is known as Benign Prostatic Enlargement or Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. This is more likely to happen as people age and when there is a family history of this.
 
Prostatitis refers to the painful swelling of the prostate gland which can be acute (in which case severe symptoms develop suddenly and require immediate treatment) or chronic (in which case the symptoms appear and disappear over a long period of time). Acute prostatitis is usually due to bacterial infection but in the more common chronic prostatitis, infections are usually not identified.
 
Prostatitis can occur in men of all ages and includes the following symptoms:
• Pain in the lower back, genitals and buttocks.
• Feeling like urinating very frequently
• When the person does start urinating, the flow trickles
• Pain when ejaculating
• Flu-like symptoms: high temperature, tiredness, aching joints and muscles, chills etc
 
Treatment usually involves:
• Medications to reduce the pain and swelling (inflammation). Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs like ibuprofen are helpful here.
• Antibiotics are useful to combat bacterial infections found in acute prostatitis. Sometimes, this is also given in chronic prostatitis to see if condition improves.
• Some medications called alpha blockers may be used in people who have problems urinating as this relaxes muscles at the base of the bladder and muscles of the prostate.
 
Prostatitis can be painful but usually gets better eventually.
 
Chronic prostatitis is particularly challenging, as in your case, because no cause is usually identified. But most men recover gradually with treatments noted above, over months and in some cases, years…as yours appears to be.
 
I hope this helps.
 
Have a good night, y’all 😀
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Daily Health Tips: What Do I Do To Have Sound Sleep?

Posted on March 2, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: What do I do to have sound sleep?
 
A: Thanks for writing in.
 
There are a couple of things you could do:
 
Have a regular sleep routine that allows you (an adult) about 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily. Go for the higher limit, by the way 😀
 
Cultivate good sleep habits
• No TVs in room
• No work just before bed time
• A warm bath before bed etc
 
Lay off the caffeine and alcohol before bed time too.
Regular exercise helps relieve everyday tension but vigorous exercise before bedtime may lead to inability to sleep too.
Make your room a haven for sleep and clear out all clutter and be sure that you have invested in a good mattress and pillows.
 
It’s a good idea to ventilate the day’s issues before you actually start getting ready for bed, so you can mentally file every issue away in a ‘to-do’ or ‘done’ box ahead of the next day.
 
So, practice this today and here’s hoping you get some much deserved zzzzzzs 😀
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Daily Health Tips: Muscle Spasms

Posted on March 1, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
And a big welcome to the month of March! How quickly the year is flying by 😀 Be sure you are doing something about those dreams every single day 😀
 
Q: Good morning Dr. I hope you are fine. You’re doing a great job, Dr. Please I need your advice. Sometimes, I feel a little part of a muscle in a part of my body moving without me moving them. Like a spasm. Sometimes, it’s a muscle in my wrist between my fingers or in my arm. Some other times, it’s the muscle just above my eyelid, before my brow. It only used to happen sometimes before; but most recently, it’s become frequent and it got me worried because I feel it’s not normal and I have no idea what it could be. Please I’ll really appreciate your advice Dr. Thank You.
 
A: Thanks for writing in and for your kind words.
 
I had the eyelid twitch a couple of weeks ago and can totally empathize. Eyelid spasm or eyelid twitching refer to different conditions. The twitch affects one eyelid at a time which can be the upper or lower eyelid. It can be bothersome or barely noticeable and usually disappear after a short time. In some instances though, they may recur.
 
A more uncommon and severe type of eye twitching, called blepharospasm, starts out with increase in blinking of both eyes and may progress to both eyelids being squeezed shut. The exact cause of this is not known.
 
Eyelid twitches can be caused by stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, use of alcohol, caffeine or smoking, bright lights, wind, irritation of the surface of the eye (cornea) or the inner surface of the eyelids (conjunctiva). Laying off the stimulants and avoiding triggers like wind and bright lights could help.
 
However, in your case, you do appear to have other muscle spasms going on. Generally, causes of muscle spasms include:
 
Thyroid problems which can cause involuntary spasms around the throat, arms, mouth and hands.
 
Nutritional deficiencies especially of vitamin C, E or potassium may lead to small spasms.
 
Stimulant use as noted above (caffeine, alcohol etc) for eye spasms may also lead to other muscle spasms.
 
Other causes include epilepsy, Lou Gehrig’s disease in which involuntary muscle spasms are accompanied by muscle wasting (muscle loss or decrease in muscle mass) etc
 
If you are on any of the stimulants mentioned, you may want to consider stopping to see if your symptoms disappear. If this does not help, please see your doctor for further evaluation.
 
Have a good evening, everyone 😀
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Daily Health Tips: Weight Loss Without Exercise

Posted on February 29, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hi ma’am, I watched your health tips on TV today. Please, I want to lose weight but I don’t have time for exercise due to my work. Please what will I take?

 

A: Can I lose weight without exercise? You can…if you watch your portions. However, exercise is useful for more than just weight loss. Exercise makes your heart strong and reduces your risk of other ailments.

 

Portion control is critical. Reduce your plate size and follow the 50:25:25 rule which is 50% of your plate filled with veggies, 25% (one quarter) filled with complex carbohydrates like beans, wheat meal, local rice etc and the last 25% filled with protein like fish or chicken. When you’ve taken the right portion, take your time about eating. Don’t wolf it all down because you feel very hungry. Take your time and chew every morsel. Beyond being in tune with etiquette 😀 it helps give your brain the time needed for it to receive the signal that the stomach is full. If you eat too fast, you would have stuffed yourself before you feel full. Remember that vegetables form soluble fibre which absorb water and thus give you a feeling of being full for a longer period of time.

You can have 5 meals per day: three major meals and then two snacks. While snacking, eat a handful of nuts, eat some fruit slices dipped in yoghurt or peanut butter, drink a glass of smoothie etc. Please click on the link below for more tips on snackinghttps://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/04/07/healthy-snacking/

 

Try to mentally confirm that you’re really hungry whenever you feel the urge to munch on something. Sometimes, it is thirst, boredom or some emotional stress that we are trying to deal with by eating.

Surround yourself with healthy snack and food options so that you are encouraged to do the right thing 😉

 

To encourage you to exercise, please click on this link for some fun/unconventional ways to exercise: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/05/18/daily-health-tips-is-it-possible-to-actually-enjoy-exercise/

 

Have a great night, y’all 😀

 

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