chatwithketch

Q: Hello Dr ketch! Please, is vaginal odor common with every female? If not, please help with the cure because it’s really irritating! Please, help ASAP! Because I really want to retain my faithfulness! But the odor is trying to break me!!…. Thank you.

A: Yes some degree of vaginal odour is common with all women. In the same way, some degree of discharge is also normal as the glands in the vagina and cervix produce fluid which wash away dry, dead cells and flush out bacteria. A strong vaginal odour which appears different from normal especially when associated with other symptoms like a burning sensation, itching, discharge etc may be suggestive of a problem…some more easily solved than others.

For instance:
Poor vaginal hygiene. This can be easily remedied by washing daily with unscented or mildly scented soap and loads of water, not douching, cleaning from the front to the back etc. Vaginal odour may also be more pronounced during a menstrual period and after sexual intercourse. And so, more frequent baths (as much as practicable) during and/or before these periods may be helpful. Frequent change of sanitary towels and tampons are also helpful measures. Forgotten tampons are actually a cause of vaginal odour.

(For more on vaginal hygiene, please click on the links below: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/02/daily-health-tips-should-i-wash-my-intimates-with-disnfectant/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/10/24/daily-health-tips-should-i-add-vinegar-to-my-bath-water-for-intimate-cleaning/)

A fishy smell associated with vaginal discharge is suggestive of overgrowth of the vagina by bacteria (bacterial vaginosis). This may be caused by over use of antibiotics or douching.

(For more on douching, please clock on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/09/30/daily-health-tips-what-is-douching/)

Yellow or greenish or frothy discharge with a bad smell with pain and itching while urinating is suggestive of trichomoniasis infection (a sexually transmitted infection)

Some cancers like cervical or vaginal cancer may also cause vaginal odour.

What’s the remedy? Well, if it’s due to lack of vaginal hygiene, that’s easily solved as noted above. If there are other associated symptoms which may suggest other problems, than a proper diagnosis needs to be made so that adequate treatment can be given.

In the meantime, vaginal hygiene is a good place to start. Nicely suggest taking a nice leisurely bath before sexual intercourse, give broad hints about things you read in places that may be useful to her…be sure to also suggest some for yourself too, so that she doesn’t feel you’re picking on her. How this is communicated is key as offence may be taken, not necessarily because of what was said but because of how it was said. So, the right words are important 😀

I hope this helps.

Have a good night, y’all 😀

Q: Hello Doc. Is it normal to pass out clots during menstruation especially on the second day of the period? Thanks in advance.

A: For menstrual period, there are usually differences from one woman to the other and even from period to period in the same person.

The uterus (womb) usually prepares to receive a fertilized egg every month and when that fails, the thickened lining of the uterus which had prepared to receive a baby is shed. Usually, this blood does not contain clots as anti-coagulants in blood ensure that this doesn’t happen.

However, if the blood is flowing faster than the anticoagulants can work, then clots appear. This would usually happen on the heaviest day of the flow as appears to be the case here. So, clots do not necessarily suggest a problem.

But, if this appears to be the case on all or most days of the period, or you find that you’re using a sanitary towel per hour for several hours, please see your gynaecologist. Conditions that may lead to excessive bleeding and therefore, clots in blood during a menstrual period include a miscarriage (of a pregnancy), fibroids, dramatic recent weight loss, thyroid problems, large uterus etc If this is further accompanied by feeling of faintness, tiredness and paleness, you should head to the hospital immediately.

I hope this helps.

Have a good night y’all and a great week ahead 😀

On our 5-minute show on Wednesday, we talked about heart healthy diets. Trans fats were mentioned.

“For a chance to win any of our prizes, answer the question below’:

Is Trans fat good or bad for you? Why?

The first person to answer correctly, will win our prize.

Terms and conditions:
Participants must be fans of our facebook page, followers of our twitter handle and/or our blog. If you’re not a fan, like any of our social media sites to qualify.

The first correct answer is the winner of the 1st prize (a 3 litre bottle of Power oil, a Power oil apron, a Power oil T-shirt and pens)

The next 2 correct answers get a Power oil apron, a Power oil T-shirt and Power oil branded pens.

All winners will be entered into the grand finale challenge for this season happening in the 11th week. Mouth watering, exciting gifts!!!

(To qualify for the grand finale draw, all winners should send in pictures of themselves wearing their Power Oil aprons and cooking up a storm in the kitchen using Power Oil. The winners will be revealed in the 11th week.)

Only one answer per participant will be accepted.

If a participant provides more than one answer, the first answer will be used.

Edited answers will be disqualified.

This challenge lapses by 11.59 pm on Tuesday, the 9th of December, 2014

So, what are you waiting for?! Best of luck, guys!

Q: Thanks Dr Ketch for all your advice. Please, at what age should my hubby stop bathing my daughter? She is 6yrs old now. During the week, we leave home early and so we help each other because we don’t want to have a house help and most times he helps with bathing the children.

A: Hmmm! Very valid question! You guys are getting into interesting territories! Important territories, too 😀

This issue actually goes both ways and indeed, the question should also be asked about when mothers should stop bathing their sons.
Children need their privacy and sooner than later may feel the need to voice out their need for this. I’m sure the husband in this case does not fall into this category but stories of parents sexually abusing their children also exist. We need to also be mindful of this…sad but true.

By the time a child is about 2 to 3 years old, he/she should be encouraged to wash their genitals by themselves. So, the parent bathes the child, but allows the child to wash the genitals while instructing/watching/supervising. Remember that these areas generally need just the gentlest of washes and so a child’s soft touch is plenty. This re-enforces the message that these areas are private and that not even mummy or daddy should cross these boundaries. Indeed, if a child has an injury on the genitals and an ointment or cream needs to be put on it, the cream should be put on the child’s hand and he/she should apply it by him/herself.

By the time a child is 4 to 5 years, he’s generally able to bath himself and should be given the privacy to do so…by both parents.
You know how you used to feel free to undress in front of your children because you felt….well, you just felt it was okay? Well, stop feeling so! By the age of, about, 3 to 4, fathers should stop undressing in front of daughters and vice versa. Around the age of 7 to 8 years, it may also not be cool for mothers to undress in front of daughters and vice versa. Now these are guides and depending on how fast your children catch on to these issues, you may have to fast forward these timings.

Generally though, as soon as a child stops feeling comfortable having you around when they are undressing or in the bathroom, please respect that boundary. My son kicked me out of his room and fired me from bathroom duties just before he turned 5 years. I was absolutely amused but I gave him his space. And I absolutely knock on his door before I enter.

So, kindly give your husband his sack letter tonight and let your daughter understand that she’s just moved up one more rung in the responsibility ladder 😀

What’s your take on this?

Have a good evening, people 🙂

Q: Good morning, Doctor and God bless you much for always being there. I’m the lady that told you about my baby’s Mumps. She’s very fine now. Thank you so much

Doc I was wondering,..what should I teach her to call her Vagina? I don’t know if it’s proper and polite to use the real words as Vagina or Penis especially in public places. She’s my first child and I’m pregnant with my second child now.

Please help me out. Thanks a lot.

A: Hey you. Thanks for writing in. I’m glad your daughter is better.
Interesting question and I’m sure lots of parents will have lots of different views about what makes sense and what doesn’t.
Before I weigh in, I’ll tell you a story that I heard when in medical school. One of our professors was trying to explain why it was very important to ensure that in teaching couples about contraception, there should be no ambiguity. Say exactly what you mean and show it clearly with models or call precise names. So, the story was told of a medical doctor who was trying to explain to a couple how to use condoms. He didn’t have a model to use and show, had no pictures and probably figured that it didn’t make sense to ask the man to strip 😀 So, he told them to assume that his (the doctor’s) thumb was the patient’s penis. And he then proceeded to show the couple how to insert the condom over the thumb. It appeared communication had taken place. Everyone was happy, hands were shaken and everyone departed.

A few months later, a visibly upset and confused couple returned to the clinic to see the same doctor. In summary, despite following the doctor’s advice and doing exactly what he’d told them, his wife still got pregnant. The worried looking doctor mentally tried to review what he’d told them while scanning through the pages of the couple’s folder. He asks the man how exactly he used the condom. The man thrusts out his thumb and tells the doctor that he put the condom on his thumb in exactly the same way the doctor did it during their hospital visit! 😀 The rest as they say is history!

What am I saying? It is important to be very clear about what each body part is called and what can happen when inappropriate contact happens there. In these days where uncles, aunties and even parents have turned child molesters and pedophiles, it is important that children can adequately communicate what, if any inappropriate contact has taken place. It also helps the children to be comfortable in their skin and not feel that there is anything wrong with those parts of their bodies. They are private parts and should not be indiscriminately touched by anyone, even parents especially after a certain age, but they are also normal parts of the body.
Teaching the right name helps make the children comfortable with their bodies. Be matter of fact and remember that this is just a prelude to the even more cringe-inducing conversation that you are going to have in a few years about sex education 😀 So start your practice with this and try not to look embarrassed.

I know that the greatest fear is the embarrassment that one would feel if one’s child got up in public to scream ‘mum, my vagina hurts!’. I know. I would literally want to die too 😀 And why is that? It’s because we’ve literally made these words sound like bad words. They are not. They are names of body parts like nose, ankle etc. And if we all felt comfortable about it, there would probably be no shame.

When I give health talks in some places and the conversation veers towards reproductive organs, grown men and women start giggling. I find it really fascinating! Really? What’s so cute about the names? Nothing! They are just not used to hearing it and this is most likely a hang-up from early childhood.

Finally, if you don’t teach your child the right name, she will probably learn it from the internet as soon as she’s able to use a computer. And from then, all the other information you pass on may also become suspect 😀

That’s my take. What’s yours?

Have a good night, y’all 😀

Q: Doc, is it true that Ciprotab is a poison? Some people say that it causes paralysis as a side effect.

A: I love this question especially because it’s one I always love to answer. This answer is not only about Ciprofloxacin but about all drugs in general.

Every drug is a potential toxin….please mark the ‘every’! This is for every drug including the ones we refer to as common! How many times have you said, ‘ordinary Paracetamol’ or ‘common Paracetamol’? There’s absolutely nothing common or ordinary about these drugs or their side effects. Did you know that Paracetamol could lead to low blood pressure or even liver/kidney damage when taken in excess? So, for those people who take four tablets just to make sure that it has the desired effect, this is a wake-up call.

So, where am I headed with this? People should not abuse drugs. There are drugs called Over The Counter (OTC) drugs and these can generally be bought without a prescription. The other class is the ethical group of drugs which need a prescription before purchase. They include antibiotics etc. Whether these drugs are prescribed or not, there are recommended doses which must not be exceeded or used indiscriminately in combination with other drugs. If you took a moment to read the pamphlets that come with drugs and read the potential side effects, you’ll probably never take another drug…ever again! 😀 It is a doctor’s job, however, to weigh the adverse effects of drugs and compare them with the potential benefits. That’s why drugs are still prescribed, because if the side effects only were to be regarded, it would be too dangerous to take any drug! 😀
So, does Ciprofloxacin (the active ingredient in the named drug) cause paralysis? It can lead to that, as its use may be linked with a condition that leads to extreme muscular weakness that may affect the limbs. This is not a common side effect but has been documented in a few cases. Does this mean you should stop taking this drug? No! It just means stop taking this and any other drug without a prescription. Your doctor is in the best position to prescribe needed drugs based on what he knows about your medical history and other drugs you are taking.

So, stop indiscriminately taking antibiotics, anti-hypertensive drugs or indeed borrowing other people’s drug prescriptions!!!

Have a great week ahead, people! Can you believe it??? It’s December, already 😀 It’s Christmas month tomorrow. I just love Christmas!

Have a good night, y’all 😀

Izege Francis who posted on our blog is the winner of the 15th November challenge.

J-Whiteone Whiteone is the winner of the quiz on the 22nd of November, 2014,

Congratulations guys.

Please send a message to this page’s inbox, our blog, Direct Message to twitter or email (healthylivingwithdrketch@gmail.com) with your phone number and confirm your network too.

Cheers y’all 🙂