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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Daily Health Tips (video): Diaper Tips For New Mums

Posted on June 14, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

If you have a new baby and are confused by the many advice coming from different angles on how to diaper your baby right, this one is for you 😀

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Daily Health Tips: How Can I Prevent cancer?

Posted on June 13, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Dr., please what is the best way to prevent cancer? Both Body cancer and also breast cancer.

A: There are different cancers and different risk factors for them. However, there are quite a number of risk factors that are generic to all of them. They include:

Eat healthy. More fruits and vegetables which are full of anti-oxidants which help protect the body against free radicals that lead to cancer. Eat less animal fats and

Quit smoking. Smoking is one avoidable lifestyle habit that increases your chances of a lot of diseases like cancer) of the mouth, throat, stomach and cervix high blood pressure etc. Even second-hand smoke (inhaling smoke from someone else who is smoking) has been implicated in lung cancer.

Reduce alcohol intake: Limit alcohol consumption to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women with at least 2 alcohol-free days per week. However, even these recommended amounts are still associated with significant health risks include cancer

Exercise as this helps you lose weight and reduces your risk of certain cancers like those of the breast, kidney and oesophagus.

There are vaccines to prevent some cancers like those of the cervix. You could also take the Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent long term damage to the liver and cancer.

More importantly, study, know and understand your body and be sure to notice any change(s) like change in skin colour, development of a lump etc.

Please click on the links here to read more on cancer:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/12/13/daily-health-tips-superfoods-that-fight-cancer/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/02/04/daily-health-tips-debunk-the-cancer-myths/

Have a lovely weekend ahead. The winners for 2 weeks will be announced tomorrow and then we’ll post our quiz for this week.

Have a great night and an awesome weekend 😀

 

 

 

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Daily Health Tips: Pre-hypertension

Posted on June 12, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning doctor,please i have friend whose blood pressure is 135/90,but what he usually experience is a strong headache which always began when he was doing hard work but relieve him immediately he manage to finish the work. Please,what is happening to him and what can he use as drug?

A: Good question. Normal blood pressure is 120/70mmHg and high blood pressure is 140/90mmHg. Anything in between is pre-hypertension. Having a blood pressure in the pre-hypertensive range (like your friend…though he’s practically out and into the hypertensive range) is a call to lifestyle modifications that will help bring his blood pressure back to the normal range and not tip it into the hypertensive range. For diabetics or people who have chronic kidney disease, a blood pressure of 130/80mmHg is considered high.

It’s also important to note that we’re not quick to label people as hypertensive because there are lots of things that can affect blood pressure. Coming into the hospital to see a doctor after battling through Lagos traffic and perhaps, being hit by a Danfo driver, your blood pressure will certainly be higher than normal. Getting to the hospital at that time and having your vital signs checked, will reveal a blood pressure in the abnormal range. Allowing the person to relax for about 5 minutes may present a different and normal blood pressure reading. In addition, some people have ‘white coat’ hypertension. This is high blood pressure reading that occurs once the people involved get to the hospital and see the doctor. It can be attributed to fear and anxiety.

Usually, blood pressure that is measured to be high, has to be taken on another occasion after the person has relaxed to be classified as hypertension. However, very high readings require immediate attention. To be sure of your actual blood pressure, the doctor may give a 24 hour blood pressure monitor that checks blood pressure over a 24 hour period. Then he decides the treatment protocol suitable for the patient.

To reduce your risk of high blood pressure, incorporate these lifestyle measures:

Reduce your intake of salt. Use salt sparingly while cooking and there should be no added salt after cooking. Remember that there are hidden sources of salt that we probably don’t think of like in salted nuts, processed foods like bacon and sausage, chips etc

Eat less oil. If you have to use oil at all, be sure to do so sparingly. Even the heart healthy oils are loaded with calories.

Eat more fruits and vegetables as they contain loads of goodness. They also ensure that you do not pile on excessive weight that may also predispose you to high blood pressure.

Exercise or make sure that you are involved in activities for at least 150 minutes every week. This could be in the form of going to the gym or doing other activities that you enjoy that will add to your activity chart for the week. You could dance, skip, run, hike, climb stairs instead of using elevators etc.

Quit smoking and reduce your alcohol consumption.

Learn to cope with and manage your stress better. Stress is a part of everyday life and it is practically impossible to live without stress. What we can do is to manage our response to our everyday stressors.

Remember that high blood pressure is a silent killer and really doesn’t give any signs. If your friend is having headaches attributed to high blood pressure, then he really needs to do something NOW. Please let him go see his doctor to make a proper diagnosis and then recommend appropriate treatment.

Have a good night, people 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Insomnia

Posted on June 11, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

 

Q: Good morning, Dr. Please, Sir am suffering from Insomnia. How can I overcome this Sir? I don’t usually sleep in the night, and in the morning, I don’t usually feel comfortable. Thank you Sir.

A: Insomnia refers to a situation when one is unable to fall asleep or the person falls asleep but wakes up often during the night and is unable to continue sleeping once he wakes up. Usually this person wakes up extremely tired and feels sleepy during the day.

This can be due to events of sudden onset like work or emotional stress, jet lag after travelling across time zones, medications, late meals, taking a lot of caffeine, alcohol and smoking etc. It can also be of a longer duration when the person finds himself unable to sleep for about 3 nights per week. The causes of the latter include depression and stress that has been going on for some time.

Treating insomnia depends on the cause. Your doctor may provide some counseling in helping you or could give you some drugs to help you relax for a short period of time…so you don’t get dependent on them. He may also want to try some behavioural therapies with you.

Here are some tips that may help with insomnia:

Take a warm glass of milk before bed.

Remove all distractions from your room (like television) and make it a haven of peace and sleep

As much as you can, try sticking with a particular sleep schedule so that your body falls into that pattern

Limit day time napping. Save it all up for the night 😀

Limit your intake of fluids before bed to avoid waking up to urinate and being unable to get back to sleep.

Limit your intake of stimulating foods/drinks containing alcohol or caffeine.

So, try out one of these tips tonight. Good night y’all 😉

 

 

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Daily Health Tips: Pimples In The Pubic Region

Posted on June 10, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please Doc, what could be the cause of pimples growing in the pubic region. Do you think it is normal? Please clear me.

A: Pimples in the pubic region are, usually, due to an infection of the hair follicles and is known as folliculitis. People with thick and curly hair in the pubic region are most prone to this. The likely causes of this are infections from bacteria, fungi or bacteria (mainly because the hair provides a nice, warm and moist environment for these organisms to thrive) and due to friction (from shaving, ingrown hair etc). These red bumps may also have pus in them and are generally tender and itchy.

If you experience this often,

Give shaving a break for a while…2 months is a good number 🙂 And then, when you get back to it, be sure to shave along the angle of the hair. Another option is to use clippers.

Then take a bath at least twice a day and be sure to pay attention to this area.

Ensure that you dry up properly so as to starve the micro-organisms that love moist areas, of the perfect environment for growth.

Be sure to see your doctor if your bumps don’t clear up after a week. It could be that this is something else. Better safe than sorry 🙂

Good night everyone 😀

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Daily Health Tips: More on Blood Group

Posted on June 9, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Hallos! I hope you’re all good? Had a productive day? I sure did.

I’ve received a lot of questions on blood groups since I put out the post a few days ago. So, I’ve decided to write a bit more about it.
Everyone’s blood contains antigens and antibodies which form the blood’s defence against foreign bodies. The antigen and antibody present in your blood determines your blood group.

Your blood is made up of red blood cells (which carry oxygen round the body), white blood cells (which help fight infections) and platelets (which help clotting) suspended in plasma (a liquid).

Your blood group depends on genes inherited from your parents.

There are 4 main types:

A: People with this blood group have A antigen on their red blood cells and Anti-B antibodies in their plasma. Thus, giving this person blood from someone with blood group B will lead to the antibodies (anti-B) attacking that person’s B antigen.

B: People with this blood group have B antigen on their red blood cells and Anti-A antibodies in their plasma. Thus, giving this person blood from someone with blood group A will lead to the antibodies (anti-A) attacking that person’s A antigen.

AB: People with this blood group have A and B antigens on their red blood cells and but have no antibodies. People with this blood group can accept blood from any blood group as they have no antibodies against either the A or the B antigen.

O: People with this blood group have no antigens but have Anti-A and Anti-B antibodies in their plasma. People with this blood group can donate to anybody as they have no antigens.
Transfusion of the wrong blood group to anyone can lead to fatal reactions that can result in death.

Now to the Rhesus compatibility…those + and – signs at the back of our blood groups 😀

Our red blood cells may also contain another protein called the RhD (Rhesus D) protein. If this is present on the surface of the red blood cells, the person is Rhesus D positive and if absent, the person is Rhesus D negative.

This Rhesus factors are particularly important in pregnant women. If a Rhesus D negative woman gives birth to a child who inherited Rhesus D positive gene from the father, then the woman must receive the anti-D immunoglobulin to prevent sensitization (a process in which her body sees her baby’s red blood cells as a foreign body causing her to produce antibodies to fight her baby. This is likely to occur during the separation of the placenta). In her first pregnancy, this is not a problem, because essentially her body just produces antibodies and your own immune system quickly gets rid of the circulating red blood cells in your body; but if she’s exposed to Rhesus D blood again, perhaps through another pregnancy, these antibodies are produced again and cross the placenta to attack the baby’s red blood cells and this can continue even after birth. If you and your baby have the same Rhesus factor, then there’s no cause for alarm 😀

So, I hope I got it all covered now 😉

Have a good night y’all

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Daily Health Tips: Body Odour (Video)

Posted on June 8, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

It is really embarrassing for people who have body odour to see people turning their noses at them. This video teaches you how to avoid this.

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Daily Health Tips: What Blood Group Is The Best?

Posted on June 6, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please my Doctor, which of the blood groups is the best?

A: Good question 😀  None is better than the other per se; however, they may different blood types play different roles at different times.

People with blood group ‘O’ are known as universal donors and people with blood group AB are known as universal acceptors. Thus, blood groups O+, O-, AB- and B- are always in hot demand. Even if you don’t have any of these ‘fashionable’ 😉 blood groups, your blood group still counts.  

In terms of blood donation, all blood groups count. You have to be at least 17 years or over, in good health with a healthy blood count and weigh more than 50kg, you can donate whole blood every 56 days and your blood will be screened for viruses and bacteria. If you’re female, please don’t donate while menstruating or soon after. We don’t want to drain the life out of you, do we? 😀 

Have a good weekend people 😀 TGIF

Here’s to a healthier you!

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