chatwithketch

Q. Hello Dr. My question is when I eat I feel like something is hooking me in my chest. A week ago I suffered chest pain but I used tetracycline and Amoxicilin together with Gestid. For now I am feeling okay but it’s only the hooking in my chest. Ii need help on that.

A: Thanks for writing in. As every regular visitor to this page is aware, I always advice that chest pain be checked out in the hospital. Better safe than sorry. It could be nothing (perhaps just muscle pain) or perhaps an anxiety attack or it could be a heart attack!

Your question didn’t give much details. Who prescribed the antibiotics? For how long and at what does did you take them? Do you experience shortness of breath? Did you get any relief with the antacid you took? If you did, it may be related to acid reflux as can happen to people with GERD or even peptic ulcer. In both an acid reflux and a heart-related event, the pain appears to be behind the breast bone. Do you feel better when you change positions? Muscle pain and acid reflux may get better if you change positions but not a heart related ache.

So, as you can see, more questions than answers. Please go and see your doctor immediately.

I must address the issue of antibiotic abuse. If you prescribed this for yourself, I worry that you may not have taken the appropriate dose and for the right number of days. I’ve heard people say things like, I took a capsule in the morning and then in the evening and I was fine! This is wrong and indeed leads to antibiotic resistance such that when there is an actual infection needing these same antibiotics, they just don’t work.

For more on how not to be a pocket doctor and antibiotic abuse, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Are You A Pocket Doctor?

Daily Health Tips: How Do I Cleanse My Kidneys?

Have a good night, people 😀

Q: Good day doc, please what causes the colour of urine to change in pregnancy? Is it as a result of the baby’s gender? And what is the cause of morning vomiting most especially while brushing in pregnancy?

A: Hallos! I assume congratulations are in order! I hope you enjoy this beautiful new state 😀

Urine colour doesn’t necessarily change in pregnancy. What colour are we talking about here? If it’s darker, be sure that you’re getting enough fluids. You’re likely to urinate more during pregnancy though. Any colour change should be discussed with your doctor. And trust me, the urine colour says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the sex of your baby! Where did that come from? 😀

Morning sickness in pregnancy is due to the cocktail of hormones that your body is producing for your singular pleasure 😀

For more on pregnancy, what’s normal and what’s not, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/10/26/baby-in-the-tummy-its-all-up-to-mummy-is-it/

You can also get other details of what to expect during the whole period of pregnancy and afterwards in the book, Just For The Health Of It.

Have a good night y’all 😀

Q: Hi Doctor Ketch, thanks for being there all the time. Please ma’am, I want to know the causes of body itching after bath despite the cleanliness of the bathroom, steady wash of towel and sponge sterilizing? Thanks ma’am

A: Thanks for your question. It is important to ensure that your bathroom is clean, the towels frequently washed and your sponge clean. However, the cause of your body itch may be something completely different.

Take a look at a post I made some months ago!

Are you one of those who experience a severe itch after taking a bath on most days? Have you ever wondered why? That itch is usually caused by skin that has been excessively dried out by soap, cold or dry air and/or hot baths. This causes the skin to lose the protection of its natural oils and makes the nerve endings to become super sensitive leading to the itching. What to do? After a bath, try dabbing your skin so that it is still slightly moist before applying a moisturizing lotion that locks in the moisture. Drying your body completely aggravates the dryness and itching as this encourages more evaporation from your skin, more dryness and therefore more itching. Lotions that contain glycerine, lactic acid and panthenol are very good. Body washes with moisturizers are also be a good for those with this problem as they will not dry out your skin when you take a bath.

If the itching continues, however, please see your dermatologist to rule out other causes.

Have a great night y’all 😀

This Week on The Dr Ketch Show, we focus on how to ensure that your kitchen is the right place to prepare healthy foods. Do you know those areas of your kitchen you hardly ever clean? Do you know that preparing your meals in an unhygienic/dirty environment can make you end up with diseases you didn’t plan for? Do you soak your kitchen sponges for days on end in slimy soapy water…breeding even more germs that will go onto your plates and hands?

We give you the low down on how to ensure that your food is prepared in a hygienic environment. Our kitchen visit is so interesting as it gives you a one – week schedule to ensure that you touch base with all parts of your kitchen on a regular basis. We cat h up with a very interesting personality (actress, On Air Personailty) who shares her own kitchen hygiene tips. You will learn one or two things…trust me!

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

Tell your friends 😀

A lot has been said about the strange disease in Irele town of Ondo state. Questions have been asked about whether it’s Ebola or whether it’s a curse from the gods? Well, here’s all we know now about the disease. We’ll update this page as more info comes in. Click on the link for all about this new illness. https://storify.com/ondostatemoh/ireleoutbreak-10-things-to-know

Is your hospital bag ready? I use the word ‘bag’ advisedly! 😀 I know some of you have huge bags…scratch that! I know some of you have huge boxes packed full with every imaginable (and unimaginable) thing you can think of. But guess what? You just may not need all those. Are you also worried about what to expect, how much the pain would be etc? Well, you should certainly read this 😀

As a medical student and young doctor, I spent a lot of time in the labour wards and seeing women in labour gave me very clear ideas about what I wanted and did not want to happen when it was my turn. First, not for me, all that screaming and moaning and shouting at any and everybody, including present or absent husbands who got them pregnant! Nope, I wasn’t going to do that I was going to maintain my dignity and if need be, just moan fashionably :DI had also been told that a popular old wives’ tale had it that if you screamed in your first pregnancy, you were likely to scream for every other pregnancy afterwards. Seriously!!! Of course, I knew there was no truth to that, but not screaming was also in keeping with my original plan, so why not?! The funniest part of this plan is the fact that I had no plan to use epidural anaesthetic (the injection that makes women not feel pain during child birth)! So how on earth was I not going to scream? Not the best of plans, aye?! 😀

Then, all that drama with the pregnant women practically stripping themselves naked from the pain et al,- that just wasn’t going to be me! Nope! I would check into hospital with my fashionable ‘big gown’, red in colour…of course…to suit the purpose. Not for me the stripping naked in front of all those male doctors…most of whom I knew, making it even more embarrassing!

My hospital bag? Oh, I felt I had time. And so, it was 2 days before I eventually put to bed that I finally felt the pressure to ensure that I was all packed up. After I came back from shopping, I went into labour the next day and put to bed early hours of the day after. You don’t want that to be you! 😀

Let’s make this easier for you. Here are the top essentials for your carry-on luggage to the hospital. We’ll break it up into things for you, things for him, (your loving hubby), and things for your new baby. We’ll further break the requirements for mum and baby into need to have, nice to have and absolutely not!

Things for mum
Need to have:
• Health Insurance/plan card: You don’t want to have to pay money when you’re on a plan that covers this service
• Tooth paste/brush, creams and lotions and other toiletries including make-up: Yes, make-up. We still have to look and smell good through it all 😀
• ………………………………….

Nice to have:
• Camera with charger and other consumables needed
• A ‘wow’ outfit to go home in. Honestly, this is a must-have for me now that I’m older and wiser 😀 I didn’t have it any of the 3 times I passed through this, though, but should have 😀 Truth is, you can very well go home in the outfit you came to the hospital in except you’re the princess of Wales and you know the whole world will be waiting outside to see what you look like.
…………………………………………….

Absolutely not:
A year’s supply of clothes for baby…or even you! 😀

For him
• Tooth paste/brush and toiletries
………………………………..

For baby
• First wears
…………………………………………..

For details of these requirements and so much more, get a copy of the book, Just For The Health Of It.

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

Here are some quick tips to ensure that you have fresh breath all day long.

• Limit or stop tobacco use. If you smoke, quit. Your bad breath may be due to other causes, too, but tobacco use is a guarantee of bad breath. If you are ready to quit, ask your doctor or dentist for advice and support.
• Watch what you eat. Certain foods, such as garlic, contribute to bad breath, but only temporarily. Once they are absorbed into the bloodstream, the smell is expelled through the breath, but the odors remain until the body processes the food, so there’s no quick fix.
• Drink/sip some water often. If your mouth is extremely dry, there is not enough saliva to wash away excess food particles and bacteria, which can cause an unpleasant smell if they build up on the teeth.
• See your dentist at least twice a year: That smell may very well be due to an infection. Bad breath that seems to have no other cause may indicate an infection elsewhere in the body. If you have chronic bad breath and your dentist rules out any oral problems, see your doctor for an evaluation. Bad breath can be a sign of a range of conditions including respiratory tract infections, chronic sinusitis or bronchitis, diabetes, or liver and kidney problems, so it’s important not to ignore the problem.
• Use the right toothpaste and brush. The best way to improve bad breath is to follow a thorough oral care routine including twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing to remove the food particles and bacteria that can cause bad breath. Mouthwashes only improve bad breath for the short term.

For more oral health tips, please visit https://www.facebook.com/oralbnigeria?fref=ts

Q: Dear Dr, I watch your health tips always, I’ve been married for some years without a child. It’s been revealed that I have tiny fibroids. What kinds of foods and drinks should I avoid so the fibroids would not get enlarged? Thanks

A: You didn’t tell me how long you’ve been married for or better still, how long you’ve been trying for a baby. Usually, if it’s not up to one year of frequent, unprotected sex, then we would not be quick to say there is a problem. By the way, frequent unprotected intercourse means that sexual intercourse is not less than 3 times a week and it is done without any means of contraception.

Fibroids may or may not cause inability to have a pregnancy. It depends on size and position. Big fibroids in the area of the womb where a baby is meant to implant may cause a miscarriage or indeed, failure of the fertilized embryo to implant. Your doctor will take a decision on what to do with the fibroids based on size, symptoms etc

What foods to avoid? Once fibroids have been developed, shrinking their size can be conveniently done using medication. There’s no evidence to support the role of food in shrinking fibroids.
For more on fibroids, please click on the link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/05/29/daily-health-tips-are-there-other-treatment-methods-for-fibroids-other-than-surgery/

Have a great weekend, everyone 😀

This week on the Dr Ketch Show, we explore healthy snacking…especially in children. We also take a peek into the snack box of some child celebrities and find out what’s in there. We provide helpful recipes in the kitchen to aid the busy mother rustle up some healthy and tasty snacks for her children and hey, they are also good for you…the adult 😀

If you missed the show yesterday, catch it on Africa Magic Showcase:
Today (Friday): 11.30am
Saturday: 4pm
Sunday: 7pm
Monday: 11.30am

Have a great day at work, people 😀

Q: Good evening ma’am. Please, I have a question for you…after giving birth I didn’t really take ‘udah’ n ‘aju Mbaise’ because the udah was giving me seriously tummy bite so I stopped taking it and I did exclusive breastfeeding just for 1month. I met with a doctor and I told her about this and she screamed and told me that it’s only those things that can contract the womb after child birth. I am really scared. Please, Doc does this mean my womb is still open? I will really love to have more kids. Thanks

A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in. If you’d like to have more kids…then more kids you’ll have! Provided that there is no other issue except the ‘herbs/spices’ you didn’t take 😀 I believe these are spices used to make Nigeria’s speciality pepper soup for women who just delivered. I understand the spices are meant to increase blood flow and help the tummy return to its normal size. The good news is, you don’t need the soup to have good blood flow or for your tummy to return to normal size.

Exclusive breastfeeding, usually, is for 6 months after which other feeds are added. Aim to do this for your next baby…except there’s a medical reason why this cannot happen. Breastfeeding helps the process of the womb contracting and returning to its normal size (involution). This process takes about 6 to 8 weeks and the womb (uterus) should be back to its pre-pregnancy state. Note that I said that breastfeeding speeds up this process, but even without it, the uterine involution continues. Trust me, I didn’t have the Mbaise udah and aju and I managed to have three children with no issues and my womb is absolutely NOT open! 😀

So, relax. Your womb is not open…unless you have some retained products of conception in there etc and not because you didn’t have the pepper soup. Retained products would present with bleeding (amongst other symptoms) and your doctor would know and take appropriate actions.

For more on your tummy after your baby, please click on this link:

Daily Health Tip: my tummy after my baby

Mbaise people on this page, feel free to tell us more about what these ‘spices’ are meant to do.

Have a good night y’all 😀