chatwithketch

Q: After eating and I sleep, especially siesta, I become more hungry than I was before eating. I don’t know if it’s normal?

A: Interesting question! Well, it depends on what you ate and how long you slept too.
Generally, foods with a lot of fibre when eaten, absorb water and give the feeling of satiety (feeling full) for a lot longer. These foods cause less fluctuations in blood sugar when compared with processed foods. So, if you ate fibre-rich foods, you would not be feeling hunger pangs too soon afterwards.

If however, you feed on processed foods like pies, cakes or even starchy foods like polished rice etc, the release of glucose from these foods into the blood prompts the release of insulin which efficiently moves the glucose into the cells. This prompts the release of counter hormones which cause hunger pangs soon after one had felt very full.

For a related topic, please click on this link:

Is A Diet Of Carbohydrates Only, Dangerous?

Have a good night, everyone 😀

Q: Good day doc, first, thanks for the good work you are doing. Please, my 2 month-old has catarrh and I have been managing it by keeping him warm, applying Vaseline on his nose and removing excess mucus using bulb syringe or nasal aspirator. But this would only work when his nostrils are not blocked, so my question is, what do I use to de-congest the nostrils when they are blocked? I learned I could use saline nose drops but not sure I can get this in our medicine stores

A: Thanks for writing in and for your kind words. I’m sorry to hear that your baby is feeling poorly.

You’re already doing well with the measures you already adopted but you are right, these may not work for when the nose is blocked. If you ask at a registered pharmacy shop, you should be able to get a saline spray. Use a humidifier or let your baby inhale some steam. For details of what to do, I reproduce here, a post I had made a while back which has the answers you are looking for.

Q: Good morning Dr Ketch, please this is very urgent. My two months old baby is having a serious cough and I took him to the hospital and I was told he cannot take a cough syrup until he is a year old. So they gave him some antibiotics but the cough is still persistent. Today makes it a week since he has been coughing. Please how true is it and what can I give my baby again to relieve him of this cough?

A: As a parent, it’s very normal for you to feel worried when your baby is ill especially when it appears you’re helpless and really can’t do anything to help him/her. However, when your baby has a cough, giving cough syrups may not be the way to go…and I’ll tell you why.

First, if your baby’s cough is due to a cold, you really don’t need to give your baby any drug. A cold is a viral infection and once it causes an infection, it will run its course before it stops. And so, with or without drugs, a cold will go. It would usually last for about a week to 10 days and then disappear. There’s no need for antibiotics for a viral infection. Indeed, taking antibiotics when they are not needed leads to antibiotic resistance where the antibiotics can no longer properly do their jobs when they are really needed to fight infections.

Then some of the ingredients in the cough syrups can also cause a baby’s heart to beat faster, may cause convulsions and basically do not treat the cause of the cough. They are actually not supposed to be used for children younger than 2 years of age.
Now, what can you do in the mean time:
Let your baby sleep in your arms or in a semi-upright position.

You can prop him up with lots of pillows at night.

Offer your baby fluids and if there is congestion in the nose, use a saline spray. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for this.

An air humidifier also moistens the air and makes it easier for your baby to breath. If you don’t have this, you can let your baby breath in steam from a hot shower.
A suction bulb can also help remove mucous from your baby’s nose. You can ask for one in the hospital or a pharmacy.

Please see your baby’s doctor if this cough continues and/or your baby develops a fever and this cough lasts more than 2 weeks. If your baby also has difficulty breathing, cannot breath or feed, you should also see his/her doctor.

Have a great night, everyone 😀

Q: Dr, please what causes dryness of vagina and what will I do to get wet again??

A: Vaginal dryness can occur due to variety of reasons and at any age. Usually the vagina has a thin film of fluid that coats it. This fluid helps lubrication during sexual intercourse, maintains the normal environment of the vagina preventing the overgrowth of organisms like fungi, flushing out dead cells and menstrual blood. The level of this fluid/moisture varies with the level of estrogen released in the body. During sexual intercourse, there is increased blood flow to the vaginal area leading to an increase in the volume of moisture. During menopause, however, the level of estrogen is very low leading to vaginal dryness, loss of elasticity and thinning.

The main consequence of vaginal dryness is the fact that it affects sex life such that these women experience significant pain and sometimes, bleeding. Other problems that vaginal dryness could cause include soreness, itching and burning around the vaginal area, recurrent urinary tract infections and frequency of urinating etc.

There are other conditions, other than menopause that can lead to low estrogen and consequent vaginal dryness. They include childbirth, breast feeding, cigarette smoking, some medications (like anti-estrogen drugs used to treat cancer) and douching. Douching refers to the practice of cleaning the vagina with a ‘cleansing’ fluid. For more on this topic, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/…/daily-health-tips-what-is-dou…/

Other very common causes of vaginal dryness include a lack of foreplay during sexual intercourse, feelings of guilt, relationship issues, allergy etc

Treatment depends on cause. If it’s due to low estrogen, the focus would be on replacing this either through Hormone Replacement therapy or through the insertion of estrogen pessaries (tablets, cream or ring) into the vagina) should help. If due to rushed foreplay, there should be a conscious effort to slow down allow enough time for foreplay and sometimes, discussion with the partner may be helpful. Avoid heavily perfumed products like sanitary towels, tissues etc which may lead to irritation of the vagina and subsequent dryness etc.

I hope this helps.

Have a good night, y’all 😀

Ever heard of those amazing pieces of advice that people have repeated and passed along through various eras that they have practically taken the place of the truth about pregnancy! I will address some of them and let you know my verdict…fact or fiction 😀

Advice
Pregnant women who deliver in hospitals are not brave

Verdict: Fiction
This is not true! This has led to a situation where women who ought to seek medical care in the hospital stay home to prove they are brave. Please be sure to register for your antenatal classes, attend regularly and follow your doctor’s advice to the letter.

Advice
Pregnant women should not sleep on their backs as this may damage your baby’s eyes

Verdict: Fact and fiction
In the first trimester, if you’re used to sleeping on your back, you can continue. However, as you get into your second trimester, it is fact that pregnant women should not sleep on their backs especially close to term. However, the reason is not because of damage to baby’s eyes. It’s because the woman may feel dizzy as the growing uterus puts pressure on the vein that returns blood from the body making the woman feel dizzy on getting up and the baby may also not get enough nutrients from the placenta in that position

Advice
If a pregnant woman drinks cold water, her baby may get pneumonia

Want to know what we think of the cold water and pneumonia advice? 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) 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.

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

Pregnancy is such an awesome time. Okay, I know those of you who have a hard time with pregnancy are wondering whether to throw rotten tomatoes at me 😀 Hold your peace! But the truth is, when you’re not feeling absolutely horrible, you’re elated at the thought of the life growing in you, aren’t you. It’s such an awesome responsibility to be given…the nurturing and birthing of this child. Don’t get me started on this….

Okay, with this huge responsibility comes even more responsibilities 😀 There is the need to eat right to nurture the growing life inside that huge tummy. Eating right is not necessarily eating for two…I know we’ve all heard the feeding for two fable. Trust me, in pregnancy, your calorie requirement doesn’t increase in first trimester, increases by just 300 calories in second trimester and about 400 calories in the 3rd trimester …if you’re carrying just one baby. For multiple pregnancies this increases slightly.

Here are 5 nutrition tips for a pregnant woman:
• Eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods from different food groups.
• Be sure to include a lot of high fibre foods like vegetables, whole grain cereals etc to deal with the constipation associated with pregnancy.
• Ensure you take your antenatal medications (prenatal vitamins) in addition to eating well.
• Be sure to also take foods rich in iron eg and foods rich in folic acid eg green leafy veggies and beans. Folate prevents deformities of the spine.
• Drink at least 4 servings of milk, other dairy products or calcium rich foods. If you don’t eat enough, your baby will start drawing on your own stock from your bones. So, drink up your milk!
Pregnancy provides an opportunity for a mother to adequately prepare her baby for life in 9 months. Make sure that you get all the nutrients that give your child a great health boost.

Have a great weekend y’all 😀

Q: How can high blood pressure be reduced besides taking bp tablets?

A: To reduce your risk of high blood pressure, incorporate these lifestyle measures:
Reduce your intake of salt. Use salt sparingly while cooking and there should be no added salt after cooking. Remember that there are hidden sources of salt that we probably don’t think of like in salted nuts, processed foods like bacon and sausage, chips etc

Eat less oil. If you have to use oil at all, be sure to do so sparingly. Even the heart healthy oils are loaded with calories.

Eat more fruits and vegetables as they contain loads of goodness. They also ensure that you do not pile on excessive weight that may also predispose you to high blood pressure.

Exercise or make sure that you are involved in activities for at least 150 minutes every week. This could be in the form of going to the gym or doing other activities that you enjoy that will add to your activity chart for the week. You could dance, skip, run, hike, climb stairs instead of using elevators etc.

Quit smoking and reduce your alcohol consumption.
Learn to cope with and manage your stress better. Stress is a part of everyday life and it is practically impossible to live without stress. What we can do is to manage our response to our everyday stressors.

Remember that high blood pressure is a silent killer and really doesn’t give any signs. If your friend is having headaches attributed to high blood pressure, then he really needs to do something NOW. Please let him go see his doctor to make a proper diagnosis and then recommend appropriate treatment.

For related posts, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Pre-hypertension

Daily Health Tips: My High Blood Pressure Risks

Have a good night, people 😀

Q: Good day doctor, please how does one take care of piles in a 5yrs old girl? That is the external one, in which the inner part comes out.

A; Piles known as haemorrhoids in children is not very common. Indeed, my first suggestion would be to get your baby checked out by a paediatrician to confirm that this is not due to problems like Crohns Disease (a problem-inflammation of the bowel) or even portal hypertension in which there is backwards pressure in the vein (blood vessel) that carries blood from the digestive tract to the liver.

Once these have been ruled out, we can focus on the more common cause of haemorrhoids in children which is constipation. The causes of constipation in children could be dehydration or even a lack of fibre in their diet. So, if you’re fond of feeding your baby highly processed foods without including fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates like local rice, beans, oatmeal etc, your baby could be at risk. If your child, also, does not get enough activity daily and spends more time in front of the television, computer or playing handheld/video games, this is a potential problem. Children who drink a lot of soda or soft drinks/minerals, as we call them in Nigeria, tea/coffee are prone to this. The caffeine found in these drinks causes the body to lose water and thus can cause constipation.

What can you do to help relieve the pain that your baby is feeling? Sitz bath is helpful. Help your child sit in a basin or bath tub of warm water several times a day (2 to 3 times). This helps to relieve the pain. When she uses the toilet, using regular tissue paper is out of the question as this will cause more irritation and itching. Unscented baby wipes or even wet tissue is a good way to go.

Pain relief can be with over the counter pain relievers (analgesics) like ibuprofen. You can also wrap some ice in a towel and have your child sit on this intermittently.
Childhood haemorrhoids usually go away with a fibre-rich diet, exercise, sufficient fluid intake in a day and loads of love 😀 If the symptoms persist after about two weeks, please check with her doctor again.

For related topic, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/03/12/daily-health-tips-help-please-i-have-chronic-piles-haemorrhoids/
Have a great evening, y’all 😀

Q: Please ma’am, a pregnant woman that her breast is swollen up and she is complaining that her breast is paining her…which drug can she take to reduce the pain?

A: Thanks for writing in, dear. Breast 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. To help out during this period, 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. Her partner should also understand this peculiar situation and refrain from touching her breasts during this painful period. The good news is that, this too, shall pass. Usually, by the end of the first trimester, the breast pain is history! 😀

For more signs of pregnancy, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/10/26/baby-in-the-tummy-its-all-up-to-mummy-is-it/

Have a great evening, people 😀

Q: Mum, please what can I use to get these stretch marks off my body because I have used many prescribed oils and drugs but still the stretch marks are a lot and due to this, I can’t wear short clothes.

A: Hi dear, I can certainly empathize! Not being able to wear what you want because of certain limitations can be a pain 😀 Here is a post I had done on this subject before. I hope it helps. Remember though, that true beauty comes from the inside and not necessarily from the things we wear 😀

Stretch marks occur when the skin is over-stretched like during pregnancy, during the growth spurt of the teenage years and during rapid weight gain or loss. So the skin, sort of, loses its elasticity leading to the formation of the marks.
Thus, the ‘damage’ to the skin is done from the inside and not the outside. This makes it difficult to really take care of it from the outside. Having said that, creams that contain shea butter, cocoa butter and Vitamin E are thought to be useful in causing the marks to fade.

Other creams that contain olive oil, castor oil and fruit acids may also be helpful. There are some other advanced treatments like glycolic acid peels etc, (that you must NOT attempt on your own) that are helpful with old and new marks. Discuss these options with your dermatologist.

For related topics, please click on these links: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/12/26/daily-health-tips-smooth-and-supple-skin/

Daily Health Tips: Pimples Re-Visited!

Have a good evening, y’all 😀

Q: Good morning Doc. Please, I want to know the cause and cure for my right breast which is bringing out milk and the left one is not. Please how do I treat it?

A: Hello and thanks for writing in.

Breast discharge in people who are not pregnant could be due to a variety of issues and is known as galactorrhea.

The causes include breast abcess (boil), injury to the breast, and hormonal imbalance. I had written a post on this before. Please click on the link below to read about this:

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Have Breast Discharge?

I hope y’all had a great day 😀

Here’s to a healthier you!