Tips For Healthy Living With Dr Ketch (video): How To Prevent Your Cold From Spreading

Posted on July 5, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

http://youtu.be/SxPXPGX0TsE

Nobody wants to be the one who made a cold spread round the office, right? 😀 Let’s teach you how to prevent that cold from going round.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Is Virginity Associated With Fibroids?

Posted on July 4, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good evening doc, my question goes like this: since a young lady that keeps her virginity long is likely to suffer from fibroid, what is your advice since such a young lady does not want to lose her virginity?

A: Fibroids are common in women of African origin, women who are aged between 30 to 50 years and women who have a family history of this. Women who have had children have a lower risk of developing fibroid. So, the converse side of this is that, if you have not had children, you are at a greater risk of having fibroids. Perhaps that’s where this virginity gist came from 😀 Remember that not having children does not necessarily mean one is a virgin…

My advice? That’s pretty simple! Please keep your virginity for as long as possible as your virginity has nothing to do with having fibroids 😀

Remember that with this, you can prevent all the different Sexually Transmitted Infections milling around out there 🙂

So, there you go.

Have a good weekend, y’all 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Have A Pot Belly And Yet I Don’t Drink Alcohol?

Posted on July 3, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good day Dr ketch ,I need help on the proper diet to take to reduce my pot belly. I normally take rice, yam, beans and swallow. The thing is that I have never taken alcohol but my belly gets big anytime I eat and drink water. Thanks

A: I’ve been getting a lot of questions on pot bellies, big tummies after child birth or just big tummies…after nothing, full stop:D So, I’ll reproduce part of a post I’d written on this subject (the trio of diet, exercise and stress). Remember that you can always visit my blog http://www.chatwithdrketch.com and type in any subject you want to know about in the search box. You will be presented with all my posts on that subject. There’s a lot I’ve written on weight loss et al 😉

I hate to be the one to break it to you…but alcohol is not the only thing that gives you a pot belly!:D Pot belly is caused by consuming way too many calories and these can be from your chilled bottle of beer or from your huge bowl/basin of rice (especially polished white rice) or yam. It is important to know what to eat, how to eat it and how much of it to eat.

The bad thing about tummy fat, is that it is not on the outside. It is actually on the inside, around the organs. So, no amount of sit-ups can touch this fat…exercise can help tighten abdominal muscles (especially for those who just put to bed) but it won’t get to the fat around organs (visceral fat). This fat is associated with some disease conditions like Diabetes Mellitus etc.

A diet full of junk food (meat pies, doughnuts) is unhealthy on a lot of fronts. It contains empty calories which give you calories you don’t need and make you demand even more calories in a short while. They also cause your blood sugar to yo-yo (jumping up) jumping up and down in a way that doesn’t help blood sugar control. A diet that is also full of white carbs like white bread, polished rice etc is also not ideal for the same reason. So what should we eat? A balanced diet…a diet that contains all food groups in sufficient amounts for the body to use them efficiently.

I have had cause to describe the ideal plate of food several times: Half the plate should be filled with vegetables, a quarter with complex carbohydrates like beans, local rice (like Ofada/Abakaliki/brown/wild rice), sweet potatoes, oatmeal etc and the last quarter with protein (fish, chicken etc). Remember that carbs are necessary to provide the energy needed for our daily activities. So, do not ‘demonise’ (:D) them….however, not all carbs are created equal. Complex carbs are superior because they supply energy and fibre and some also supply minerals and vitamins.

Then remember portion control. Reduce the plate size you usually use, if you need to lose weight. This automatically reduces the quantity of food you can eat.

Remember also to make a conscious effort to chew your food properly and take your time. Don’t wolf it down…or inhale it 😀 Chew intentionally so as to give your brain sufficient time to process the signal from your brain which says that you are full. Have you observed that when you rush your food, you move from being very hungry to being completely stuffed! There’s no in-between, where you realize that you’re full before you get to the stuffed part. That’s because your brain didn’t have enough time to process that info before you became ‘over-full’.
Note that, even if a food is considered healthy, it doesn’t mean you should eat as much of it as you want. For instance, beans is healthy on so many levels but it also high in calories and so you still need to stick to the portion described. Moderation in everything!!
Exercise is critical because it makes your heart strong, improves your body’s ability to break down food, resist diseases and generally provides a feel-good attitude. It also helps you lose weight. Mathematically, exercise helps to burn what you have eaten such that, if you do enough and watch your portions, at the end of the day, there will be a food balance between what you have burnt and what you have taken in. If you have not been engaged in any exercise for a long time, please see your doctor before you start any vigorous regimen. A minimum of 150 minutes of exercise per week is essential for good health. Try to get this exercise anyway you can: walking, dancing, skipping, arm wrestling, pillow fights etc. All the activities count and help you keep you fit, trim and healthy. If you use the gym, that’s great. You can get the instructor to put you on a regimen that involves aerobics, strength training (training with weights) and then focus on troublesome spots like your tummy etc. (in that order) or suggest useful regimens that are helpful.
Finally, I will talk about stress because quite a number of us are stressed out. Stress causes the release of a hormone called Cortisol which, amongst other things, causes fat to be deposited around our tummy. So, reduce your stress consciously by figuring out how to better cope with your sources of stress or even eliminating the stresses that you have control over. It’s your life after all.

I suggest you also click on this link to read my post on low glycemic eating https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/02/16/daily-health-tips-low-glycemic-eating-whats-that/

Have a good night, y’all 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Should I Use Emergency Contraception As My Regular Means Of Contraception?

Posted on July 2, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning, Doctor. Please as the subject states its rather an emergency. For the first time in 23 years of my life I had unprotected sex. I lost my virginity in the process due to my inexperience with things like this. I did not know what next to do. When I felt a bit strange, I decided to go for series of tests: Pregnancy test, HIV and ulcer. Only the ulcer came out positive; the rest were negative. After 2 months, I had sex again and it was painful. I spotted blood. Also, I quickly took a contraceptive and after three days I started having serious abdominal cramps and I saw blood like I was on my menstrual period and I had already seen it this month, that is, making it 2 times in a month. These cramps hurt like hell and I am scared. Please, what is the cause and possible solution?

A: Hmmm, I’m not sure where to start from. From your panic and worries when you had sexual intercourse for the first time, it’s clear that you were not certain whether the person you had sexual intercourse with was infected with any sexually transmitted infection etc but you still had sex with the person :O

First, a pregnancy test cannot read positive, if indeed you’re pregnant, immediately after intercourse. It reads positive about 6 to 12 days after implantation has occurred. There are two types of pregnancy test (PT): the blood PT which is more sensitive and the urine PT. So, I suggest you go for a proper pregnancy test and indeed, after three months, please repeat the HIV screening.

Now, it also appears that you are making a habit of having unprotected sexual intercourse. There is a simple ABC that guides these affairs. The first is abstinence. Honestly, this is your safest bet. If you’re not ready to deal with the responsibilities of having a baby, please leave well alone. You can’t have an STI, HIV/AIDS, or otherwise if you don’t have sex. And of course, you can’t get pregnant. Now, if abstinence is a problem, be faithful to one partner…who hopefully is being faithful to you too. If you can’t swear on this, revert to plan A. Finally, if all else fails, ensure that you use a condom to prevent STIs and pregnancy.

As for contraceptives, I’m not sure what you took but the answer to proper contraception is not popping a pill in panic whenever you happen to have sexual intercourse. Emergency contraceptives have their place but they are not meant to take the place of regular contraceptives as they are less effective than the regular ones. Regular use of these emergency contraceptives may cause your periods to become irregular and unpredictable. I’m sure you don’t want to have this problem 🙂

Please see your gynaecologist as soon as possible to discuss this pain you have and indeed for a full/proper examination.

Have a good evening, people 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Daily Health Tips: What Can I Eat To Prevent My Body From Shrinking While Waiting For My Life Partner?

Posted on July 1, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good day doc. My question is, assuming a faithful sister is waiting upon the lord for a life partner. Her body somehow shrinks. She looks old. What are the foods and drugs she should take in order to be ok in outward appearance?

A: Great question! First, you’re doing the right thing by prayerfully waiting for the right guy. Loads of people rush into marriage because it appears that time is fast ticking away and then they rush out almost immediately! However, there is really no relationship between waiting for a life partner and shrinking body…trust me. Even waiting till menopause does not mean that you literally shrink.

What foods to eat? The usual suspects 😀 Loads of fruits and vegetables. These ensure that you’re loaded with disease-preventing anti-oxidants that keep you strong, healthy and definitely looking young 😉 Aim to have half your plate filled with fruits and vegetables at meal times and then devote the other half to carbohydrates (one quarter of the plate) and protein (the last quarter of the plate). Not all carbohydrates are created equal; so go for complex carbohydrates like beans, oatmeal, whole wheat bread or whole wheat meal, local rice etc. For proteins, more of fish and poultry is advised. An example of a meal following this principle is a plate of whole wheat meal with vegetable soup and fish. Ensure that you have more soup than wheat and try not to fry the vegetables to death 😀 Eating them in as fresh a state as possible ensures that you get the best of the nutrients.

Then, exercise or just make sure that you’re active for at least 30 minutes every weekday. This has all sorts of benefits that include making your heart strong and healthy and also releasing happy brain chemicals which make you the pleasant personality that awesome brothers are attracted to 😉

Drink sufficient water and really just practice all the principles of healthy living. For more topics on healthy living, please visit my blog http://www.chatwithdrketch.com

Now, the thing is, while ‘waiting’, don’t make it an occupation! Waiting for a life partner is not day job and so the focus should be on living an absolutely full life, filled with all the things that matter: family, friends, fulfilling work, hobby, social community (in church etc). Don’t also make this waiting the subject of all conversations. It gets pretty boring and even desperate and you may scare off the people you’re trying to attract 😀

Then remember to practice personal hygiene; take a bath at least twice a day and use deodorants too. Dress well and carry yourself well. Remember to dress the way you mean to be addressed.

There are lots of people who become octogenarians and look decades younger than they are. It’s all in the lifestyle and attitude to life. They eat healthy and have positive attitudes to life etc. That can be you! 😉

Here’s praying along with you for Prince Charming to hurry up and show up already 😉

Have a good evening y’all 🙂

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Daily Health Tips: My Baby Is Having A Reaction To Her Diapers!

Posted on June 30, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Dr please my one month old baby is having some kind of reaction caused by diaper, please Dr what should I do?

A: You didn’t describe what sort of reaction your baby is having. I’m assuming they are rashes. If so, your baby may be having a diaper rash.

To prevent diaper rash,

  • Change baby’s diaper more often than you would normally do.
  • Let baby’s bottom air dry during a diaper change and if possible, leave the diaper off for a while, if you can.
  • Use unscented, mild soap and a warm washcloth to clean baby during a diaper change. Perfume and deodorant soaps can be harsh on baby’s skin.
  • If you use baby wipes, choose those that are free of perfume, alcohol, and chemicals.
  • Whether your baby has a rash or not, always carry a small tube of Diaper Rash Ointment. Vaseline and other readily available zinc ointments are good examples.  Ask at your local pharmacy. You never know when you will open the diaper and see the beginnings of a rash, and the sooner you attend to it, the faster it will heal.

I hope this helps. If the rash/reaction does not clear, be sure to see your baby’s doctor. It is also possible that your baby is reacting to the brand of diapers you’re using. If so, a change to another brand may be helpful 🙂 Have a chat with your baby’s doctor and take it from there.

Have a good evening, folks 😀

 

  

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Placenta Previa

Posted on June 29, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Dr. please, what is the cause of placenta previa ? Can it be cured or prevented ?

A: Placenta previa (PP) is a condition associated with the placenta…you already figured that out, right? 😀 The placenta is created during pregnancy and is attached to the wall of the uterus (the womb) by blood vessels. It is through the placenta that the baby receives vital nutrients and oxygen and also through this that it excretes waste products. The baby is connected to the placenta through the umbilical cord. So this is a pretty important organ in the general scheme of things. The baby’s and mother’s blood do not mix in the placenta usually, though. The baby’s blood flows on one side and the mother’s on the other side.

The placenta usually implants at the top part of the uterus or the side, but in placenta previa the placenta attaches low in the uterine wall and covers the mouth of the womb (the cervix) partially or completely. It could be just low lying, near the cervix but not covering it, just covering part of the cervix or fully covering it. Due to this abnormal placenta position, pregnant women with PP would show up in hospital with bright red vaginal bleeding which may happen with or without contractions.

What causes this? Well, in instances where the placenta is bigger than normal or in cases where surgery had been performed on the uterus. Thus, women with multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets etc), who have had fibroid surgery or previous Caesarian Section, who have had children before may be at risk of this. Other risk factors include age at pregnancy older than 35 years, smoking, use of cocaine etc.

The doctor (obstetrician) will order a scan to confirm the diagnosis. Low lying placenta that hardly get to the opening of the cervix can actually be ‘drawn’ up as the uterus expands to accommodate the growing baby in it. However, the women with complete PP are most likely to go through Caesarian Section.

Can you prevent it? No, you really can’t 😦 What to do? Once you notice any vaginal bleeding, please be sure to see your doctor. PP is likely to cause bleeding from sometime around the second trimester of pregnancy, but of course, every episode of bleeding in pregnancy, irrespective of trimester, should be checked out in the hospital. Depending on the severity of the bleeding and the age of the pregnancy, the doctor would decide whether bed rest or emergency Caesarian section would be applicable. If bed rest is recommended, sexual intercourse and physical exertion including exercise, at this time may not be wise. Please discuss this with your doctor.

You’ve got to make sure that the person with PP is under the care of a good obstetrician. This is not the time to play hooky and try out different treatment options from unorthodox practitioners (not that any time is a good time, anyway :D). It may very well be that if the bleeding continues significantly, the baby may be delivered pre-term. So you have to be in a center that is equipped to handle that eventuality. Better safe than sorry 🙂

Have a fabulous evening 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Daily Health Tips (video): Flossing

Posted on June 28, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Flossing is one small activity with loads of benefits. Ever wondered what all the hype is about? Take a look at this clip.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Have Scanty Periods?

Posted on June 27, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

It’s Friday! The end of yet another working week! I trust y’all did great things 😀

To the concluding part of our discourse yesterday…the initial part of the long mail from yesterday.

Q: Good Morning Dr, I saw your program on Africa Magic yesterday on period and am hoping you can help me out with mine and some other issues

Ever since I started my period it was just 3 days and it flowed well,but along the line it reduced to a day and half and doesn’t flow too well, but the menstrual cycle is regular (25 days), I would like to know if there is an underlying cause for that and if there’s a test I can do to determine what’s wrong. I am 28yrs old.

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 good night y’all 🙂

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Have Recurrent Candidiasis?

Posted on June 26, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Last year July I noticed some warts like stuff around my anus, thigh and labia (and it itches a little). I did series of tests. The first came back as candida albicans (treated but no result), did another candida again + E.coli, treated but the stuff didn’t disappear; so I went to another lab this year March. The result came back with candida + staph aureus. I was given fluconazole, mycoten insertion cream, sevedox and I took injection (certriaxone) for 5 days but it still didn’t disappear.

Just did another test last week and it shows the candida (moderate growth) is still there, but the staph is gone.

My questions are, was I given the wrong treatment? Why is candida so hard to get rid of? Can it affect my reproductive system and my period? Does it show warts-like symptoms? Any other test I can do aside the HVS (both swab and urine) that I have been doing?

A: This is one part of a long mail. I will address this part today and deal with the other part tomorrow. First, anything that looks like warts in the genitals should be checked out in the hospital. Please see your doctor for a proper medical examination.

I have addressed these issues before and will just pull from the posts I’d written before.

E.Coli is found in faeces and would usually cause infections in the vagina due to the proximity of the vagina to the anus. Good personal hygiene is helpful in preventing this. Doing things as simple as wiping your genital from the front to the back can stop the deposition of E.coli at the doorstep of your genitals and thus prevent E. coli infections.

Staphylococcus aureus 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.

And for candidiasis: this is caused by an organism called Candida, a fungus (yeast). This infection can result in cheesy white (like ground melon/egusi seeds) vaginal discharge and vaginal itching. This itching can lead to irritation in the vagina which can become further infected by bacteria.

Candidiasis is very common in diabetics (the sugar in their urine makes the vagina a rich culture medium for them) and pregnant women who have altered glucose tolerance. This infection is also common in people people whose immune systems are compromised and people who wear tight panties that do not allow their delicate inner selves to ‘breath’. Preferred materials for undies would be cotton and should be loose (I see my fashionistas frowning :D). It also happens in people who take a lot of antibiotics. Normally, some bacteria and fungi (yeast) co-exist peacefully 😀 in the vagina. To encourage this peaceful co-existence, the bacteria produce some acid that hold the yeast in check and prevent their over-growth. When antibiotics are abused, this leads to a situation where the yeast takes over 😉 (almost like a coup, right?). Though this infection can be passed on through sexual intercourse…especially oral-genital contact, it’s not really called an STI because women who are not sexually active can be infected with this.

Treatment is with anti-fungal vaginal tablets and/or anti-fungal cream which can be used for between 1-3 days depending on drug of choice. A single course dose of Fluconazole can also be taken orally. Any of these regimen may be extended if the infection is complicated…let your doctor be the best judge of that 😀

Prevention is targeted at causes:

  • Wear loose fitting cotton undies 😀
  • Stay away from or limit time spent in hot tubs or saunas
  • Stick strictly with the prescription for antibiotics in terms of quantity and duration
  • Change out of wet clothes eg swim suits as soon as possible

And so answering your questions, you were given the right treatment but this treatment will not work if you keep exposing yourself the risk factors like wearing tight, nylon undies, taking antibiotics indiscriminately etc. Candida infections would usually occur about a week before a menstrual period (though it can and does occur at other times too) and it does not appear as warts. Your doctor, when doing a pelvic exam can decide to take a sample of discharge from the mouth of your womb, the cervix as opposed to the High Vaginal Swab, he had done. This is sent to the lab to confirm what type of yeast (fungal) infection that is present.

I hope I answered all the questions,,,and a lot, they were too! 😀

Good night people 😀

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments