Daily Health Tips: Placental Abruption!

Posted on March 26, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Dr, your programmes are wonderful. During delivery of my baby girl two years ago, I had placental abruption. It came with severe bleeding. I want to know if there is a possibility of it recurring in my next delivery and if so, how can I avoid it. God bless you.

A: Amen! God bless you too!
The placenta is an ‘organ’ which develops during pregnancy, attached to the side of the uterus and is the means of transport of nutrients and oxygen to the baby and transport of wastes out of the baby via the umbilical cord. So, the placenta is absolutely essential during pregnancy. It maintains its position, normally during pregnancy until the baby is born and the placenta is then delivered.

In the situation described above, placental abruption, the placenta separates, completely or partially, from the wall of the uterus before the baby is born. This situation is not very common but when it does happen, it can deprive the baby of vital nutrients and oxygen and lead to bleeding in the mother. This situation may happen suddenly or may develop gradually with symptoms like vaginal bleeding, abdominal and/or back pain, sore uterus, fewer baby movements, contractions etc

We don’t really know the cause of placental abruption apart from the fact that it could be caused by trauma to the abdomen. Other risk factors include:
• A previous history of placental abruption
• Multiple pregnancy
• Premature rupture of membranes
• Substance abuse eg smoking
• Maternal age greater than 40 years

Now, remember that having a risk factor doesn’t automatically mean that you will come down with the ‘disease’.

Treatment depends on the severity of the abruption, the age of the pregnancy and the effect on the baby. Your doctor will make the call as to whether to go for an emergency Caesarian Section or keep patient on bed rest while waiting for baby to mature some more, depending on these factors.

Can this be prevented? Well, given the fact that we’re not quite sure of the cause, we can’t really do much other than try to guide against risk factors that can be prevented like not smoking.
Just be sure to let your doctor know that you have had this problem before so he can be extra watchful. With the right care, you should be fine.

By the way, if you’re in Nigeria and a Nigerian, I hope you have your PVC. Be sure to use it and take a stand for the kind of government you want. No violence, please!!!

Have a good night, y’all 😀

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Camera! Lights! Action!

Posted on March 26, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

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Don’t miss today’s show! Why do we have menstrual pain? Ever wondered how to relieve it? Should you take alcohol? Sweet things? Pain relief? Sleep it away? What exactly helps?

This week, The Dr Ketch Show, explores this with medics and a celebrity. In the kitchen, we show you some foods that may be helpful during this period …no pun intended 😀

Broadcast Schedule on Africa Magic Showcase:
Thursday: 6.30pm and 11pm
Friday: 6.30am, 11am and 9pm
Saturday: 4pm
Sunday: 7pm
Monday: 6.30am, 11.30am

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Daily Health Tips: Gall Bladder Disease

Posted on March 25, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hi Dr Ketch, please my mum have just been diagnosed with gall bladder disease. I need you to shed more light on the disease and is there any cause for alarm? I’m really disturbed. She is being given a two weeks appointment to come back to see a Doc. She is in pain, not able to eat and has lost a lot of weight. I hope to hear from you. Thanks for being there.

A: The gall bladder is a small pear-shaped organ located under the liver on the upper right hand side of the abdomen. This organ usually stores bile which is released through the bile duct to aid digestion. Bile is a greenish-brown liquid which helps digestion and usually contains bile salts, bilirubin, cholesterol, water etc. When the bile duct is blocked by a gall bladder stone due to the ‘hardening’ of digestive fluid then a gall bladder disease develops. In rare instances, one can also have cancer of the gall bladder.
What can cause gall bladder stones? If the gall bladder contains too much bilirubin or too much cholesterol or the gallbladder doesn’t empty properly making the bile to become concentrated and thus form stones.

One with gall bladder stones (called cholelithiasis) may experience no symptoms, in which case it is left well alone. However, in some instances like in your mum’s case, it may give rise to pain in the upper right hand side of the abdomen or pain in the center of the abdomen and this pain may radiate to the right shoulder. Some may also complain of yellowness of skin and eyes and there may be fever.

Diets low in fiber, high in fats and cholesterol, rapid weight loss perhaps through some of those crazy fad diets 😀 have been found to be contributory to gall bladder stones. Women, diabetic people and pregnant women are also prone to this disease.

Treatment may be surgery (in which the gall bladder is removed) or medications to dissolve the stones for those who cannot undergo surgery. If the gall bladder is removed, the liver will still produce bile but instead of being stored in the gall bladder, it will drip continuously into the small intestine…this is not a problem.

Prevention of this includes eating a healthy diet (more fruits and veggies, complex carbs and other foods rich in fiber, lean meat etc), exercise at least 150 minutes per week and avoid the fad diets which make you lose weight is days! Avoid very fatty foods like fried foods, fatty meats, processed foods (cakes, pies etc).

So at the end of the day, there’s really no running away from the recurring lifestyle dictum of eating healthy and exercising. Let’s start this now, people before we have complications to deal with. I hope your mum feels better soon. Please give her a big hug from me 😀

Have a good night, y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: World Tuberculosis Day.

Posted on March 24, 2015 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 to World ‘Reach, Treat, Cure Everyone” as a step towards eliminating this disease completely.

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: Pregnancy Related Pelvic Girdle Pain

Posted on March 23, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hello Dr ketch. Please, I have a question. How do a woman cope with symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) in pregnancy? Mine is so bad, I can’t walk anymore. I went to the hospital, was admitted but had no improvement. I’m 35 weeks pregnant and in pains. I need help

A: Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction is a condition that is now more commonly known as pelvic girdle pain or pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP). From the name, this condition would usually occur during pregnancy, during childbirth or can even happen after delivery. It does not affect the baby in the womb, though. It is more common in people who have had previous pelvic injury and can also be influenced by weight and position of the baby. People with this condition in pregnancy experience symptoms like pain over the front of the pelvis, pain on one or both sides of the lower back, pain in the perineum (the area between the vagina and anus), pain in the thighs, grinding and clicking in the pelvis etc

The pain experienced is usually worsened by standing, walking, standing on one leg, moving your legs apart, poor posture etc
What causes this pain? Well, as part of the process of pregnancy, the body produces a hormone called Relaxin. As the name implies this hormone relaxes the tissues of the body in preparation for the baby that will pass through. It relaxes and softens the ligaments of the pelvis and the cervix (the mouth of the womb) such that they can stretch easily and allow baby an easy passage out of the womb. You know those heart burns that women experience in pregnancy too? Well, you can also blame this hormone which relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter such that there is reflux from the stomach back into the esophagus. This reflux contains acid and so this can lead to the burning sensation in the throat typically described as heart burn.

How is this treated? Well, until you put to bed and the level of relaxin returns to normal, all your doctor may do is really just manage the symptoms. In some few instances, the woman may require treatment for this after pregnancy. A pelvic belt may help hold things in place down there preventing funny movements of bones when you move around 😀 Kegel exercises are also helpful.

For more on kegel exercise, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/09/daily-health-tips-when-is-a-good-time-to-resume-sexual-intimacy-after-childbirth/

Pain relief and use of crutches, if necessary may also help relieve the pain..

To prevent this pain as much as possible:
• Avoid positions that aggravate the pain and adjust to positions that reduce the pain eg dress while sitting instead of standing, keeping your knees together when getting in or out of a car
• Wear low heels and take the stairs, one at a time.
• Be sure to avoid:
o Standing or sitting for long periods
o Standing on one leg
o Carrying bags with one hand
o Squatting
o Lifting heavy stuff
o Crossing legs
o Any other position that brings on the pain

Vaginal delivery is still very possible with PPGP and rarely does a woman need to have a C-section on account of this condition.

Your medical team needs to know that you have this condition and they will work with you to ensure that delivery is not problematic.

I hope you feel better soon. On the bright side, you’re almost there 😀

Have a goodnight, y’all 😀

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This Week On The Dr Ketch Show…

Posted on March 23, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

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This week on the Dr Ketch Show, we explore menstrual pain. What’s normal, what’s not? What can you handle on your own, what gets the doctor’s attention? Any home remedies or foods that can help you deal with the pain?

We catch up with a celebrity (a singer, song writer) who takes us into her world of wellness and how she combats menstrual pain.

Don’t miss it!

Broadcast Schedule on Africa Magic Showcase:
Thursday: 6.30pm and 11pm
Friday: 6.30am, 11am and 9pm
Saturday: 4pm
Sunday: 7pm
Monday: 6.30am, 11.30am

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Daily Health Tips: Should I Stop My 7-Month Old Baby’s Late Night Feeds?

Posted on March 22, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hello Doctor, how are you doing? Thanks for really enlightening so many of us on this page. May God bless you ma’am. My baby is 7months old and loves to eat (pap) which keeps him happy, playful and relaxed. He gets hungry within 4 hrs and thereby eating 5 times a day (7am,11am,3pm,7pm and 10/11pm). Sometimes, he skips the first meal and eat by 9am when he wakes late. Now Doc, I am bothered about the last meal by 10/11pm. Sometimes he takes it at midnight when he oversleeps and wakes late. Will this food digest? Is it really okay for him? Should I quit this late feeding even though he gets hungry or is this okay for him? Your advice will be well appreciated, ma’am. God bless you, ma’am

A: Thanks for writing in. The weaning period is always a very interesting time in the lives of both parents and the children involved. I guess most parents think of it as more like torture 😀 as their children go through different phases of ‘I think I like this food’ and ‘I’m sure I absolutely detest this one’.

Your baby at this age should be getting a bit more than pap (corn meal made out of wet corn starch to which hot water is added). Our challenge in Africa is the fact that most of our foods are starchy and our weaning foods are exactly same. And so, it’s a good thing that your baby likes pap, but he should be getting some other foods. I have included a couple of resources for weaning below to guide you on this weaning journey. It describes different foods that can be given to children at different ages. Be sure to add milk to this pap, by the way.

Then, remember that at this stage your baby should still be getting his milk feeds (at least 24 ounces per day). A typical day’s schedule should generally look like this:
• Breakfast of cereal baby food oatmeal or pap with milk) is good about 7am. Try mashing some fruits like banana into the cereals as the baby tolerates the milky cereal.
• A drink of milk as a snack around 9.30am.
• Lunch could be taken about noon.
• A drink of milk as a snack around 2.30pm
• Dinner could be taken around 5 to 6pm
• A last drink of milk around 10/11pm before you turn into bed is great.

By the time your baby is 1 year old, he will probably have settled into the typical family schedule and your midnight feeds will end…Halleluyah!

Remember that the schedule above is really a guide as your baby may very well guide your weaning schedule.

In the meantime, continue to love and bond with your baby. There is nothing wrong with the late feeds your baby is getting. I know that part of your worry comes from the conventional wisdom that late night feeding is wrong…food won’t digest, it’s immediately converted to fats etc. But really, the jury is still out on this one. Some studies suggest that late night feeding may lead to weight gain but a lot more studies show no link between eating late and weight gain. Weight gain is really an equation governed by how much you take in and how much you burn. If you take in excessive amounts of calories and do not exercise to burn these off, you will most certainly add weight whether you eat this early hours of the morning or late at night! 😀 In the same way, if you eat moderately do not exceed 2000 calories per day, you exercise (get in your 150 minutes of exercise every week) and eat right (fruits, veggies, complex carbs etc), all things being equal, you will be trim even if you eat this food late at night.

Weaning resources:

Daily Health Tips: I Gave A Soft Drink (Soda) To My 4-Month Old Baby!

Daily Health Tips: Weaning Foods

Daily Health Tips: Should my children be on a diet?

Daily Health Tips: I Think My Daughter Is Small For Her Age!

Daily Health Tips: Weaning

Have a great week people 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Are You Salt-Aware?

Posted on March 20, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

It’s World Salt Awareness Week! This year’s event is from the 16th to the 22nd of March, 2015. This week usually tries to draw attention to the large quantities of salt that we usually consume in our foods, sometimes without even knowing!

Salt is important for our cells to function normally but too much can lead to high blood pressure and there appears to be some link between excessive salt intake and kidney stones, kidney disease and even obesity.
So, if you’re one of those who routinely reach for the salt shaker before you taste your food, this may be just the right time to re-think that! If you’re not in this group, don’t shout ‘Hurray’ just yet. Salt is contained in so many foods we eat, that if you’re not very meticulous about reading labels or even just knowing what foods are high in salt, you probably consume more than you need. Here are a few examples:

• Our dry fish in Nigeria (and I daresay other parts of Africa) are dried and preserved with salt.
• Dried meat
• The chicken cubes or other food seasoning cubes we use to cook
• Ketchup
• Bacon, sausages
• Pizza…Ahah! Yep, you’re wolfing down loads of salt with every bite…but I’m almost sure you knew that! 😉
• Salted nuts…when buying nuts, go for the unsalted variety. And remember that the nuts should be taken by handfuls and not by the bottle or pack or bowl 😀
• Try reading the packs of cereals before you buy. In fact generally do this for all packed foods…compare one with another and always choose a less salty variety.
• Always rinse out foods in cans like sweet corn etc to get rid of unwanted preservatives and of course, salt.

Remember that not eating salty food does not mean you’re eating boring food. Use spices like peppers, ginger, garlic, curry and herbs like parsley, our scent leaf etc to put that extra pizzazz into your food. Trust me, after about a week of training, your taste buds will get used to this new reality. This is particularly important for children because if they are not introduced to very salty foods when they are young, then it’s easier for them to stay on the straight and narrow road when they are grown.

So, kick all that excessive salt out of your diet and live healthier. Remember that if you ncan taste the salt, it’s probably too much!
Have a great weekend, people 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Pregnancy Myths!

Posted on March 20, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Excerpts 1 from JFTHOI

Did you catch our show on pregnancy myths? Well here is an excerpt from my book, Just For The Health Of It, with some of these myths.

Enjoy the read.

You can get a copy of the book in any of the three following ways:
1) By visiting jumia.com. Just click on this link http://www.jumia.com.ng/jumia-books-just-for-the-health-of-… and get a copy. You can pay when the book is delivered to you or you can pay online.
2) If you’re in Lagos, please visit Laterna Bookshop on 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off. Adetokunbo Ademola Street,. Victoria Island.

3) I you’re out of the country, please click on 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

Have a fab weekend 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Masturbation.

Posted on March 19, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Dear Dr, I always read your advices when advising people and it made me to grow from one level to the other. Can you please help our youth on the issue of masturbation and how dangerous it is, because I’ve a victim for 5 years whereby I masturbated 2-3 times a week sometimes four -six rounds a day. The problem is that I was not even enjoying sex then till I told myself and God that I must quit and indeed God helped me because now I’m single and no longer a prisoner of sexual desires. I can’t wait to hear words of advice to the victims of masturbation. Thanks in advance Mom

I’ve tried to avoid answering this question for a while; however, I’ve received so many questions on this that I believe it needs to be addressed. I trust that the expectation of the lovely person who posted this, is not for me to preach on the evils of masturbation. As I always say, I try not to pass judgment on this page…we have enough people who do that for us in all aspects of our lives. I will, as always, lay out the facts and hope that I have provided enough information for the right decisions to be taken.

First, thank you so much for sharing your story with us and telling us how you came through it. I’m excited that you were able to deal with your issue of masturbation and conquer! Masturbation is the act of sexually arousing oneself by touching the genitals. Medically it is believed that this is not considered abnormal especially as some children in early life explore themselves out of curiosity. Subsequently, it is thought to be a way for a person to figure out what he/she likes or does not like sexually etc. The stories that have been spread about masturbation: that it causes acne, madness, blindness, infertility etc really have no medical evidence.

Excessive masturbation can lead to soreness of the genitals and in males can lead to swelling which would typically disappear within a day or two. Enjoying sexual intercourse the ‘normal’ way may also become a problem as people become used to experiencing sexual release in this way.

By the way, if one is masturbating with another person, there is the possibility of an STI if objects (sex toys) are shared and/or if there is some exchange of body fluids.

It is generally thought that this act is wrong culturally and religiously. Medicine does not believe so. However, medicine, religion and culture find a meeting point when masturbation becomes ‘excessive’ (as in the post) such that the person involved withdraws from other people and activities, practices this in public, feels a compulsion to indulge in this often and on etc.

All the mails I’ve received on this issue, contain a common thread, that of feeling guilty. Some are also accompanied by a sense of low self-esteem which may have pre-dated this leading to excessive shyness and preference for masturbation, as opposed to talking to members of the opposite sex. The real challenge here is that there is nobody to talk to about these issues as we all tend to judge the people involved. The unfortunate fall out is that anxiety and depression may not be far behind if this cycle of guilt and low esteem is not addressed.

Any activity that holds one a prisoner of his/her desires has to be mastered. It has to be controlled otherwise, it rules the person’s life. Imagine being a slave to your sexual desires! :O And if this is accompanied by negative feelings like guilt, anxiety, depression etc, then it has to be decisively dealt with.

Counseling would be the way to go…I don’t know any of help groups here in Nigeria. I will make enquiries though. Or find someone who you feel you can trust and talk to. This person could be someone from home, church etc However, it’s important that people seeking help for any kind of issue, are not judged by anyone…from church or from other social circles. We all try to act as if we’re all holy and wonderful people but we all struggle with different stuff, just like every other person 🙂 Empathy is key here.

It is important to find out the why…what makes me want to do this again and again? What feeling am I trying to achieve? What am I trying to avoid? Indeed, going cold turkey and just deciding to stop could very well happen after this.

For a related post, please click on this post: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/05/daily-health-tips-depression-masturbation-and-over-protective-parenting/

I hope this helps.

Now that I’ve stirred the hornet’s nest, I’m off to bed 😀 Good night, y’all 😀

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