Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Always Have Muscle Cramps?

Posted on June 25, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: I usually suffer severe cramps all over my body muscles at night. I wake up, stand and stretch in vain. The pain is usually so intense that I feel like crying loudly like a baby. Doc, what is the cause of these cramps? Is there any type of food or drink to avoid? What medicine should I take to remedy them?

A: Cramps can be extremely painful…I know, I had quite a lot in my first pregnancy 😀 They are involuntary contractions of muscles which happen suddenly. Involuntary means that you can’t control them…you’re minding your business and then they just show up 😀

If you’re a sports enthusiast, you probably have experienced this after prolonged periods of exercise. You’ve also, probably, experienced this after sitting still for a long time or for women, during pregnancy. These cramps may generally be due to dehydration, deficiency of certain minerals like magnesium, calcium and potassium, poor blood supply to the muscle, some drugs etc.

During the episodes of muscle cramps, try stretching and massaging the muscle, use a warm towel on the area and if that doesn’t help, try the opposite…an ice pack 😀 Be sure to put a towel between your skin and the ice pack. Then you could try taking some over the counter analgesics to help with that episode of pain. If these muscle cramps persist, in spite of these measures, you have to see your doctor.

To prevent muscle cramps, make sure you drink adequate amounts of fluid daily, be sure that you exercise in a safe manner and kindly add stretching to your exercise routine…before and after. If pregnancy is the issue, I won’t suggest not getting pregnant 😀 However, be sure to let your doctor know that you have these cramps, especially if they are not helped by applying a cold pack to it or stretching. For foods that cab help…well, since some mineral deficiency may be responsible for cramps, loading up on foods that are rich in these nutrients may be helpful eg Magnesium-rich foods like fruits and veggies, grains like local rice, legumes like beans and calcium rich foods like dairy etc Note that, this will not be useful if the cramps are due to other factors.

Have a good night, y’all 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: My Fiancee And I Have AS genotype. Should We Get Married?

Posted on June 24, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: I have a girlfriend who is a virgin and we are about getting married next year but the risk I am taking is I am AS and she is AS. Do you think l am doing the right thing?

A:Doing the right thing? Well, what do you think? 😉 As I have explained in earlier posts, for every pregnancy, there is a 25% probability that you and your partner will give birth to a child with SS genotype, 50% chance that you will have children who have the trait (AS) just like you and another 25% chance that you would have a child with AA genotype. This is the information that you would be given at genetic counseling. Truth is, you could very well have all SS genotype children or all carriers of the trait or all normal genotype AA or any combination of the genotypes.

The decision as to whether to get married or not is yours. As adults, we always have the option of choices. This is the reason why, you are never forced into any procedure in a hospital, even if it is for your good. You must always sign an informed consent form stating that you understand what needs to be done, the risks involved and that you give your consent for the procedure to be carried out. In this case, it is important, however to weigh all the issues and consequences thoroughly before embarking on this lifetime voyage. Perhaps, it may be wise to visit a Sickle Cell Center and have a chat with the doctors about what to expect during a crisis or generally, just bringing up a child with Sickle Cell Anaemia. It is possible to know the genotype of the baby before birth through prenatal diagnosis. Speak with your doctor about this.

I have included a post I wrote a while back on sickle cell. Please click on it and read: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/06/29/love-is-blind-is-it/

Finally, I’m not sure whether you presumed that being a virgin makes a difference to the probabilities above, of having a child with SS genotype or indeed any other genotype. But, just in case you wondered, it doesn’t matter. Those probabilities remain the same, irrespective.

Have a good night y’all 🙂

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Daily Health Tips: What Can Cause Premature Menopause?

Posted on June 23, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

 

 

Q: Good morning, ma’am. Please I’d like to ask a question. If a lady does not have sex regularly, can she quickly enter menopause?

A: Interesting question! 😀

Menopause is a period defined by at least 12 months of cessation of menstrual period. It occurs as a natural process of aging which can start as early as late 30s as the ovaries start making less amounts of hormones with an average age of about 51 years. Menopause can also be induced by chemotherapy or radiotherapy (treatment for cancers), surgical removal of the ovaries etc.This is called Premature Menopause. This is also likely to run in families.

Now, in all the probable causes (natural or induced), none of it includes sexual intercourse (at all, a little or too much). Menopause is, absolutely, not affected by this.

Have a good night, peep 😉

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Daily Health Tips: What Are The Side Effects Of Gynecosid?

Posted on June 22, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hello, please help. I had unprotected sex the same day my menstrual flow ended. Few days later my breasts were getting bigger and my belly curved. I thought I was pregnant and so I took GYNECOCIDE. The second day, I did a pregnancy test, and It was negative. Please what is likely to be the side effect of taking GYNECOCIDE without being pregnant???

A: Thanks for writing in. First of all, your menstrual period is not a guide as to when it’s safe to have sexual intercourse without pregnancy resulting from it. It is very possible to get pregnant when presumably menstruating. You need to monitor your menstrual cycle over a couple of months to figure out your safe period. Please click on this link for my post on that: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/14/daily-health-tips-when-do-i-ovulate/

Then, secondly, Gynaecosid is an estrogen drug which induces menstruation provided the lack of a period is not due to pregnancy. The use of this drug for any other ‘ailment; other than this and indeed, using it without prescription, is really taking avoidable risks with one’s life. The drug is specifically noted as not to be used in pregnancy and indeed serious precautions should be taken, if indeed the doctor determines it should be given.

Side effects associated with this drug could include edema (body swelling), nausea (that feeling of wanting to vomit), headache etc

Please visit your gynaecologist for contraceptive options including the morning after pill which can be taken within 72 hours ( some can be taken within 5 days) of unprotected intercourse.

Be safe people.

Good night 🙂

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Dailyt Health Tips (video): Bad Breath

Posted on June 21, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Battling with bad breath or know someone who has bad breath? You might want to watch this 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Should Women Eat Alligator Pepper?

Posted on June 20, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Dr is there any side effect eating alligator pepper as a woman?

A: Good question. Alligator pepper is a spice used commonly in pepper soup, as an accompaniment to kolanut and garden eggs (egg plant) especially in Ibo land. It is touted as having quite a number of health benefits. However, a study carried out in 2009 by Inegbenebor et al, suggests that its excessive use in the first trimester of pregnancy may pose a health risk to women.

What’s a little, what’s a lot? 😉 I suggest that you leave well alone during the period of pregnancy.

Have a good weekend, y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Does Inguinal Hernia Surgery Affect A Man’s Fertility?

Posted on June 18, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Hello y’all. Had a good day? It is mid-day already! Where did all the hours race to? 😀

And to our question…

Q: Good evening, Dr Ketch, my question is…Does Inguinal hernia in men have any effect on his fertility?

A: Inguinal hernias usually do not affect a man’s fertility. However, there is a possibility that during the hernia repair surgery, the vas deferens (the tube that transports semen from the testicles to the urethra-the tube that takes the semen outside of the penis) may be cut. The blood vessels to the testicles may also be damaged leading to reduced blood supply and subsequent shrinking of the testicles. Potentially, these can affect a man’s fertility.

Good night, everyone. Sleep tight…and don’t let the bed bugs bite 🙂

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Daily Health Tips: I am Blood Group AB Negative. What Blood Group Should I Marry?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning ma’am. My blood group is AB negative, I am the first child of my parents. Whose blood is likely to be negative between my parents? Who can I marry?

A: Hmm, this our blood group gist is raising loads of wahala 😀 Sweetheart, trust me, you can marry anyone…well, any blood group technically. The main reason is because a higher percentage of the population is Rhesus positive and so if you have to wait for that Rhesus negative guy that you’re attracted to, you might be waiting for a long time 😀

More seriously though, every child inherits their blood type and Rhesus factor from both parents. And so, if you’re AB negative, you inherited the negative Rhesus factor from both parents. As I explained in my blood group post, if you are Rhesus negative and your husband is Rhesus Positive, your child could be Rhesus Positive or Negative (depending on the mix of factors he inherits from you and your hubby). If the baby is Rhesus Positive in the first pregnancy, this is not really a problem. At the time of separation of the placenta, some of the baby’s blood cells get mixed with the mother’s blood and sensitization occurs (the process by which the mother’s body recognizes the baby’s cells as foreign bodies and tries to get rid of them). However, the mother’s immune system is able to quickly deal with this such that it is not a problem. However, the next time the Rh negative mother is exposed to Rhesus Positive blood (through a blood transfusion or pregnancy), full blown sensitization occurs as the antibodies produced in the last pregnancy quickly spring to the attack and move in for the task of destruction of the baby’s cells .

Preventing this is easy as the Rhesus Negative mother has to take Anti-D immunoglobulin within 72 hours of having her baby to get rid of the circulating antibodies itching to get into her baby and destroy his cells.

If a Rhesus negative mother is pregnant with a Rhesus negative child, there’s no cause for alarm J

I hope this helps J

It was blood transfusion day a couple of days ago. Please try and give the gift of life. Donate blood today…okay maybe not today (if you’re in Nigeria :D). Tomorrow maybe…as it’s practically midnight 😀 The life you save may be your own.

For more on blood group and blood donation, please click on the following links:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/09/daily-health-tips-more-on-blood-group/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/07/15/can-you-give-the-gift-of-life/

Have a good night, y’all 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: More on The Prostate Gland

Posted on June 16, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Still on the prostate gland…

The condition we discussed yesterday, Benign Prostatic Enlargement/hypertrophy (BPH) is not cancerous. Cancer of the prostate can however occur and is most common in older people, obese people, people who have a family history of this and black people.

The symptoms include those of BPH like frequently needing to urinate, poor stream of urine, difficulty urinating, burning sensation when passing urine and ejaculating semen and other symptoms due to spread of the cancer like blood in urine, blood in semen, bone pain, lower back pain and erectile dysfunction.

Tests to confirm this diagnosis will be conducted by the doctor. Some of these tests include a rectal exam, ultrasound, taking some of the prostatic tissue to examine and some other tests t determine the stage of the cancer if confirmed.

Treatment options will be discussed by your doctor and include one or any combination of active observation (if the tumour is small), medications, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy etc

To reduce your risk of this, please eat healthy (loads of fruits and veggies…again :D), exercise, keep your weight within a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) range etc

Good night y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Prostate Enlargement

Posted on June 15, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Happy Fathers’ Day to all the fathers out there! I trust you have been celebrated by all the great women in your lives. My prayer for y’all is bigger, better, greater things ahead; the empowerment to perform all the roles that you find yourself playing and the grace to do them all happily 😀

Ladies, let’s celebrate these men. They absolutely rock!!! 😀

And now to a ‘man-matter’….

The prostate gland is a small organ located just below the bladder. It produces semen and the urethra which transports urine from the bladder and semen from the prostate, passes through the prostate. This organ grows throughout a male’s life and sometimes grows so big that it blocks the flow of urine from the bladder. This condition is known as Benign Prostatic Enlargement or Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. This is more likely to happen as people age and when there is a family history of this.

The symptoms of this include
•    Feeling like urinating very frequently
•    Feeling the need to urgently urinate
•    Not being able to start urinating immediately despite the urgency
•    Straining at urine
•    When the person does start urinating, the flow trickles
•    Feeling that the bladder was not completely emptied
•    Urinary tract infections due to the fact that there is always urine in the bladder encouraging the growth of micro-organisms
•    Bladder stones
•    With time, kidney function becomes reduced

These are some of the symptoms that may bring the person to the hospital. The doctor will perform a detailed examination which include a rectal examination. Tests like Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) assay, prostate biopsy (taking a piece of the prostate and examining it) etc will form part of the array of tests to be done.

Treatment modalities include medications and surgery. The doctor will determine which works best for you.

Prostate-friendly diets include loads of fruits and veggies and less fat in the diet. Exercising daily and limiting alcohol intake are also thought to be helpful.

Have a wonderful week ahead, y’all 🙂

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