Daily Health Tips: What Is Douching?

Posted on September 30, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning Dr Ketch, I liked your page some weeks back and I must say it’s quite educational. May God continually bless you. Please Dr, I need you to throw more light for me on the word “douching” Thanks

A: Thanks to all of you who like this page and visit every day for health tips. I’m glad to have touched your lives in some way 😀
Douche is a French word which means to clean or soak. People who douche usually inject/spray a mixture of water and vinegar into their vagina. Other douches contain antiseptics and fragrance too. They believe that douching serves one or more of the following functions:

• Cleaning the vagina
• Cleaning out menstrual blood after a period
• Prevent pregnancy
• Prevent STIs
• Get rid of odour

Unfortunately, douching serves none of those purposes and indeed, may even be harmful.

To clean the vagina during or after a menstrual period, one does not really need anything other than water. Mild, unscented soap may also be used on the outside. Douching disturbs the natural balance between the good and bad bacteria which live in the vagina, causing other organisms like yeasts to over grow the vagina. So avoid this and other scented feminine hygiene products.

Douching does not prevent pregnancy as loads of sperm may have already swum up to the womb before douching is done, after sexual intercourse. In fact, for those that may not have reached the womb (uterus), the force of douching may very well help deposit the sperm firmly in the uterus 😀 Talk about a boomerang!

STIs cannot be prevented by douching. In fact, if anything, if there is a vaginal infection, douching can actually push it all the way up to the fallopian tubes, potentially. These may lead to pregnancy complications in baby, labor and indeed, preterm delivery.

The vagina has a natural musky smell and one doesn’t really need douching for this. If, however, one suspects that the smell is foul and the discharge, thick, white and cheesy or even yellowish/green, there is pain when urinating and during sexual intercourse, a visit to the doctor would be helpful in making a proper diagnosis.

In summary, leave douching well alone! 😀

Have a good night y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: How Can I Speed Up My Mother’s Recovery After A Partial Stroke?

Posted on September 29, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning Dr Ketch. Thank you for your constant advice. May God richly bless you and keep you in good health. Please I need your advice. My mummy had partial stroke four years ago and she is getting better but not as fast as I want her to. She still walks with the aid of a walking stick and the unaffected leg bends backwards each time she walks. Please is there any drug she can take to help speed up her recovery? My brother massages her after she takes her bath every morning and she does some exercises on her leg and arm every morning. Also, she’s naturally a slim person but ever since the sickness, she has lost so much weight and I’m really concerned. Please what type of food should she take? I need her to put on flesh because seeing her the way she is presently makes me sad. Thank you and God bless you.

A: Stroke as the name implies refers to an incident that happens suddenly…without warning. It usually occurs when the brain is deprived of some of its blood supply and consequently oxygen supply. This can happen when there is a blood clot in a vessel in the brain or due to a burst blood vessel leaking blood onto the substance of the brain or around the brain. This blood leakage can lead to undesired pressure on the brain.

There is really no such thing as a partial stroke. Oftentimes, people refer to a Transient Ischaemic Attack, as a partial stroke. This condition occurs when a blood vessel is partially blocked. This would usually be resolved within 15 minutes and is a sign that a major event (a stroke, proper) may not be far off. This is a warning that should be taken seriously. Given how long your mum’s symptoms have lasted, her condition is more likely to have been a stroke, proper.
It is important to know the signs of a stroke because if action is taken immediately, it can prevent permanent damage from being done. If the brain is deprived of its blood supply for about 4 minutes, irreversible changes begin to occur in the brain. If this deprivation continues beyond this time, permanent changes would have occurred that may affect different facets of the individual’s functions.

The signs of stroke to look out for are known by the acronym FAST.
• F stands for drooping of a side of the face. Ask the patient to smile and you will observe that the smile looks lopsided.
• A stands for weakness of one side of the body. Ask patient to lift both arms and it will be seen that one side is being ‘dragged’ or lagging
• S stands for speech difficulty like slurring. Patient cannot enunciate words properly again
• T stands for time. Once these symptoms are notices, it’s time to call for help. In climes where there are emergency numbers like 911 or 999, please call these. Otherwise, efforts should be made to take the person involved to the hospital immediately.
Patients may also complain of sudden inability to move legs, feel confused, have blurred vision etc

There are risk factors for stroke and they include:
• Age: The older you are the more prone to stroke. People from age 55 years are more likely to have a stroke, though this can also happen in children eg those born with heart defects and those with Sickle Cell Anaemia etc
• Race: Africans and Asians are more at risk
• Sex: Females are more at risk…as if we don’t have enough problems 😀
• Family history of stroke: The presence of this increases risk
• Previous history of a stroke.

Other risk factors:
• Hypertension
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Overweight
• Sedentary lifestyles
• Not eating healthy
• Smoking
• Drinking Alcohol

The rate at which one recovers from stroke and indeed the degree of symptoms experienced, depends on the area of the brain affected, how serious the damage to the brain is etc and so recovery will be different for different people.

Patience is key. Speech therapists may be needed to help the person re-learn the art of speaking. Physiotherapists will help improve motion on the affected side and indeed, mobility. Other therapists may help with eating…if swallowing is a problem, relearning the art of reading and reasoning etc

Usually, people who visit find it difficult to understand their speech during recovery and this can put even more pressure on the patients. Speak slowly and listen carefully so you can understand what they are saying.

Perhaps, swallowing is an issue in the case mentioned above. Apart from that, if Diabetes is an issue, she needs to be on a strict diet and that will determine what she can or cannot eat. This will ultimately affect weight gain or loss. If this is a big concern, please discuss with her doctor. She may need to walk with a stick as she re-learns the art of walking. Recovery may be long and tedious but you’ve got to keep encouraging her.

All the very best. I sincerely wish her quick recovery of all lost or partially reduced functions.

Have a great night, everyone 😀

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Daily Health Tips: How Long Should I Let My Baby Sleep Without Waking For A Feed?

Posted on September 28, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good evening, doctor. Please, I want to ask you how long I should allow my baby to sleep? He’s only 7 weeks old and he sleeps much especially during the day. Today, for instance, he has been sleeping from past 9 a.m till now and it’s almost 5p.m. I’m afraid he might be hungry though he wakes when he is hungry. But please doctor, is this ok for him? If not, for how many hours should I allow him to sleep before I wake him? God bless u doctor!
A: In the first few days and weeks of your baby’s birth, he’s likely to spend a lot of time sleeping. Indeed, he may be sleeping up to 16 hours per day…but really not at a stretch, usually. Ordinarily, he should be breast fed on demand and that means everything he asks for a feed. The problem is that your baby may just forget this all important function, ‘feeding’ 😀 and sleep for a looooong time! At this stage, you should never let your baby sleep for more than 4 hours at a stretch without waking him up for a feed. When counting the hours between feeds, remember that you are counting from when your baby started feeding and not when he stopped feeding. For instance, if your baby started feeding by 9am and finished at 9.30am; if he sleeps off, he’s due for another feed by 1pm and not 1.30pm. He should regularly be having about 7 to 9 feeds per day now. And just to be sure that he’s getting enough to eat, he should be having at least 8 diaper changes per day.
As your baby grows and becomes more aware of his environment, his sleeping and feeding needs will change to accommodate his new stage. Where in doubt, always have a chat with his paediatrician. The times you go for your baby’s vaccinations should be good times to check in with the doctor.
For more information on breast feeding and related issues, please click on the links below:

Daily Health Tips: Breastfeeding Challenges

Daily Health Tips: Can My Diet Cause My Baby To Have Diarrhea While Breastfeeding?

Daily Health Tips: Breast Feeding Strike And Menstrual Migraine.


Have a great week, ahead y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Does Celibacy In A Man Cause Abdominal Cramps?

Posted on September 27, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good evening ma’am. Please, if a guy is having abdominal pains or cramp…some said it’s lack of sex, as in sperm accumulation. What could be the cause and what is the remedy? Thank you
A: There are various causes of abdominal pain in men which include constipation, indigestion, lactose intolerance, ulcers etc but I can safely announce that staying off sex is not one of the causes 😀 You are more likely to get an STI by indulging in sex with unfaithful and/or unfaithful partners and some of these STIs may manifest with abdominal ache.
So, see your doctor to find out the cause of the abdominal pain 😉
Have a great weekend ahead, people 😀

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Daily Health Tips: How Do I Brush My Teeth Right?

Posted on September 25, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good day Doctor, please which is the best way to brush teeth, is it up and down or side ways? Please, let me know. Thanks and God bless
A: Good question and one that we all take for granted…how to brush the teeth right?
A good method is a circular motion with your tooth brush slightly tilted at a 45 degrees angle. I can just hear you asking how to measure the 45 degrees angle 😀 If you can’t figure that out, just focus on the circular motions and be sure to brush the outer surface of your teeth, the inner surface, the chewing surface of the teeth and of course the tongue…a major reservoir of bad smells. Try to catch the space between the teeth too as best you can with your brush and a floss later.
Be sure to use a tooth brush that has a small head for easy access to all corners of your mouth. And remember the rule of twos: Brush for at least 2 minutes, brush at least twice a day and visit your dentist at least twice a year.
For more information on taking care of your teeth, please click on the link below

Daily Health Tips: Bleeding, Swollen Gums



Have a good night, y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Breast Feeding Strike And Menstrual Migraine.

Posted on September 25, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Thanks ma’am for always being there. Please, my 9 months doesn’t like to take breast milk again, though she takes solid very well. But I’m not too comfortable with that. Any side effects? Secondly, I discovered that I do have headache all through my monthly period since my monthly flow started after 5 month of my delivery. My concern is that it has not been like that before even after I had my 1st baby. Please I’ll await your prompt response.
A: Breast milk is the best milk and food for baby from birth till 6 months. From 6 months, breast feeding is meant to be continued but other complementary foods should be added as breast milk is no longer sufficient to take care of baby’s nutritional needs. So, it’s a good thing that your baby is taking solids, however, the fact that she appears to have stopped breast feeding doesn’t mean is weaning herself. This situation may be due to a breast feeding strike 😀 Can you beat that? A strike…from your loving baby who you’ve given up so much for? 😀 Don’t worry…it’s nothing personal 😉
Breastfeeding strikes usually happen in children between 6 and 9 months and can be due to the fact that at this stage they have discovered the world and so cannot seem to give their full attention to breast feeding any more 😀 The ills of 24 hour TV et al….sigh! Other causes of this strike may be:
• A cold which stops baby from breathing well while feeding or an ear infection which hurts when she sucks
• A change in your perfume to a scent your baby doe not like
• A decrease in the volume of your breast milk due to the introduction of complementary feeds
• A change in the taste of your breast milk…may be due to the return of periods
• Infection of your breast duct (mastitis) causing the breast milk from that breast to be kinda salty (who wants salty breast milk? Eeew!)
• Teething
• Long separation from mother
In the meantime, express the breast milk to prevent having a blocked duct. Then try feeding your baby when he’s sleepy…he may be less willing to fight then 😀 Breast feeding in a dark, quiet room may also be helpful in limiting the distractions that your baby may have. Try different nursing positions and try to pay more attention to baby…keep her especially close. Remember that the solids he’s taking are great but he also needs the breast milk.
A paediatrician will help confirm if there’s an ear infection. If you’ve just changed your cream or perfume, you may want to switch back to what you were using earlier to see if it helps.
Headaches during menstrual periods are referred to as menstrual or hormonal migraines and are due to a drop in the level of estrogen, a hormone. For a headache to be classified as this, it would happen anytime between about 2 days before a menstrual period to about 3 days after the first day of menstrual period. Some of these women find relief during pregnancy as the level of estrogen rises.
To pre-empt this, you can take pain relievers that are also anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen at the start of the period or even about a few days before the start of an expected period until the bleeding stops. If you’re asthmatic or have peptic ulcer disease, this drug is not a safe choice for you.
Have a good night sleep, y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Have Stuffy Nose All Year round?

Posted on September 24, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Good day Dr, may God bless you for what you are doing for people all over the world. Please I have this problem. I have constant cold even when the weather is hot always…blowing my nose. It goes on round d clock every day, all through the year. It makes me so unhappy. I’ve been to the hospital but no solution. Please help me.
Amen to your prayers 😀
I’ve been asked this question several times and in different ways. But ‘why is my nose blocked all through the year?’ is the common thread that runs through all the questions. ‘Stuffy nose’, ‘blocked nose’ or nasal congestion are different names used to describe this condition. In the simplest of terms, this condition refers to a situation when there is an obstruction (blockage) to the flow of air, in and out of the nose. This may be due to swelling of nasal tissues (tissues in the nose) and blood vessels with excess fluid.
Some causes include:
Common cold. We are all familiar with this common cause of nasal congestion 😀 This causes blockage of the sinus which results in nasal congestion.
Allergies in which an individual’s immune system reacts in an exaggerated manner to certain foods or to pollen is a cause of nasal congestion. This ailment tends to run in families and so history of people with same condition or asthma etc in that family is not uncommon.
A nasal septum (the wall between the nostrils) that is crooked or bent to one side may cause nasal congestion. This ‘deformity’ may be from birth, due to injury or occur as a process of growth.
Excessive use of nasal decongestants can also lead to this as after the decongestant is stopped, there is rebound nasal congestion. And so, one ends up with the same situation they were trying to solve from the beginning! 😀 So, if you must, do not use your nasal decongestants for more than three days
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses (air cavities) that line the nose. When these air cavities (which are supposed to be filled by air) become filled with fluid as a result of blockage, bacteria, fungi and viruses can thrive in this environment and cause infection. Pus-like nasal discharge, facial pain and persistence of symptoms for more than a week, maybe suggestive of this.
Other conditions include:
• Cold weather
• Foreign body in the nose
• Presence of tumour or polyp (a small growth with a stalk protruding from a surface)
• Medications for high blood pressure
• Spicy foods (remember how you start sniffling once you start on a hot dish?)
• Stress etc
There’s a pretty long list of causes, but your doctor will attempt to narrow down to what the probable cause for you is.
In the meantime,
 try drinking a lot of water
 Use saline sprays instead of the nasal decongestants, if you’ve been indulging in this 😉
 Use a humidifier which loosens the mucous. Turning on the hot water shower and inhaling the steam is another great idea.
 Avoid irritants of the nose like smoke
All these measures will help reduce the nasal congestion.
I hope the week has started on an upbeat note? 😀
Have a great night y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: How Can I Improve The Quality Of My Eggs As I Get Older?

Posted on September 22, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good Day Doc, please kindly instruct me on how to improve the quality of egg for a 39 year old woman for conception.
A: Every woman is born with about 1 million eggs. These eggs in the ovary die steadily such that by the time she gets to puberty, she has just about 300,000 left. These eggs are released every month in sync with the menstrual cycle. A woman will release about 300 to 400 eggs in her lifetime. As a woman ages, the quantity and the quality of the eggs reduce. Indeed the ovary’s ability to release eggs reduces until it can no longer release any eggs (menopause). The quality also reduces such that as one ages the eggs are more prone to having problems leading to miscarriage, birth defects etc
How can you improve the quality of your eggs? A study by some scholars at medical school shows that calorie restriction, which has been shown to reduce age-related problems and diseases, is also useful in improving quality of eggs even in old age. Calorie restriction involves limiting one’s normal calorie or food intake with the primary aim of slowing ageing and indeed, improving health. So this is an option. You will be losing weight or keeping trim while improving the quality of your eggs 😀
Egg freezing is also an option to preserve the quality of the eggs you have now, if conception is not yet on the cards.
Other lifestyle factors that may help give you a better shot at pregnancy include:
Eat healthy.
Keep your weight healthy. Avoid the extremes of weight: underweight or overweight
Exercise. Ensure that you are active at least 30 minutes every day. Goal is at least 150 minutes every week
Stay away from tobacco, alcohol and other drugs of addiction.
You can have more of an in-depth discussion on this with your obstetrician who can also let you know other procedures available to you based on your specific history.
Have a positive attitude too and keep those fingers crossed 😀
Have a great night, y’all 🙂

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Daily Health Tips: What Is PID?

Posted on September 22, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning Doc. Please, I was diagnosed of PID and my period runs for 2 days instead of 4days. Please I want to know what that PID means and please text me the drug and injection to use so that I can buy them and treat myself. Please, I’ve been to doctor. Wasted my money and their drug prove abortive. Please help
A: PID known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is an infection of the reproductive organs of a woman (uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and surrounding tissues) and it’s usually due to infections which may or may not be sexually transmitted (more likely to be the latter, though). The two most common causes of PID are 2 bacteria: Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Other bacteria found in the vagina and cervix (not associated with STIs) can also travel up the vagina and cause a PID.
People more at risk of this condition include people with multiple sex partners, people who use Intra Uterine Device as contraceptive, people who douche ( douching involves injecting fluid up the vagina to cleanse it. This process can carry bacteria up the vagina), people who have had an STI, young women less than 25yeras who are sexually active.
How do you know if you have this infection? Sometimes this is difficult as it may not give any symptoms. However, in other cases, patient could complain of vaginal discharge, painful urination and sex, fever, lower abdominal pain and irregular bleeds.
If this is left untreated, it may lead to ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy that implant outside the womb), infertility and long term abdominal pain.
To diagnose the condition, your doctor may take samples from the vagina and cervix (mouth of the womb), carry out blood tests and he may also want to look-see using laparoscopy.
Based on the results, he will prescribe a course of antibiotics which has to be adhered to and the dose completely finished even if one feels better before the complete dose is finished. It is important that there is no sexual intercourse until infection is treated and indeed, sexual partner should also be treated as well. Remember the ABCs of sex.
So, I suggest that you go see a gynaecologist. You can check the Teaching or Specialist Hospital closest to you. As noted here, the treatment is based on the result of your tests. Please schedule this specialist appointment as quickly as possible…the consequences of untreated PID are severe. If any damage to the reproductive organ has already occurred, starting treatment may not reverse them. So the earlier you deal with this, the better.
For related articles:

Daily Health Tips: What Are My Options After Ectopic Pregnancy And Failed IVF?

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


I wish you the best!

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Daily Health Tips: Is It Safe To Treat Candidiasis In Pregnancy?

Posted on September 19, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please help me. I’m in my first trimester of pregnancy and I have vaginal discharge which is very itchy. I went to the hospital and the doctor prescribed clotrimazole tablets and cream which I bought. My problem is that I don’t know if it is advisable at this stage. I’m just 4 weeks pregnant!!! Please I need your urgent advice before I start to use this drug.
A: Hello dear, your doctor probably diagnosed vaginal candidiasis. This occurs when the fungi which live normally in the vagina overgrow and cause an infection. Usually, there is yeast (fungi) in the vagina and they generally mind their own business until something comes along to disturb the peace of the environment. This disturbance can be in the form of abuse of antibiotics (which kills off the good bacteria that hold the fungi at bay causing them to take over and overgrow the environment) or even in pregnancy (where the estrogen hormone produced in pregnancy messes with the normal order of co-existence of fungi and bacteria, again, allowing the fungi to take over). Other conditions associated candidiasis include Diabetes Mellitus, disorders of the immune system, use of oral contraceptives, the hormonal changes associated with menstrual cycle etc
In pregnancy, the decrease in tolerance to glucose which may occur, also means that the vagina has a rich supply of sugar which encourages the fungi to grow and multiply as they love the dark, warm, moist and rich environment 😀
How can this be prevented? Trust me, I’m not going to suggest not getting pregnant 😀 There are things you can do to reduce your risk of this infection. They include:
• Wear cotton panties instead of tight fitting nylon panties.
• Always wipe from the front to the back, after using the bathroom
• Do not use perfumed personal care products like sanitary towels, tissue etc
• Do not spray perfumes in your genitals and avoid perfumed soaps
• Change out of wet swimming gear as soon as possible
Now, this infection can be treated using oral drugs (tablets to be taken by mouth) but these are not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Vaginal pessaries and creams are better bets in pregnancy. However, because of the very small possibility of hurting your cervix (the neck of the womb), it is advisable not to use the applicator to administer the pessary. Instead, use your finger to insert the pessary. It may be necessary to continue the drug application for about 6 days as opposed to the shorter 3 day course. Your doctor will advice on duration.
For more on candidiasis, please click on the following links:

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Have Recurrent Candidiasis?

Daily Health Tips: Toilet Infection…seriously???

Daily Health Tips: Is Vaginal Discharge Normal?


Have a great weekend, y’all 😀

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