chatwithketch

Q: Good
day Doc I would like to know. What is the cause of blood always reading
positive to pregnancy but urine doesn’t test positive? Looking forward to your
response.

A: When
pregnancy tests are done, they usually test for the presence of the hormone, Human
Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG). The presence of this hormone signifies pregnancy
and its absence denotes no pregnancy.

Blood
pregnancy tests are typically very accurate.

A
positive result on blood pregnancy test, as I already noted above, could mean
that you’re pregnant. If you’re not, then the false positive result could be
due to medications like fertility medicines or some meds used for the treatment
of seizures

It is also possible that one was
pregnant at the time of the previous blood pregnancy test and miscarried soon
after. This type of early pregnancy is referred to as achemical
pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy, a situation
in which…

Q: Good
evening Dr. Ketch. please can women with PCOS who can only menstruate, ovulate
by taking medication, conceive and put to birth without miscarriage?

A: Ovaries are small
bean-shaped organs on either side of your womb. Every month, your ovaries
develop sacs called follicles from where eggs are released monthly and female
sex hormones produced. After the egg is released every month, the sac
disintegrates. But sometimes, the egg is not released and the sac remains or
the egg is released and the sac does not disintegrate. This follicle becomes
the fluid-filled cyst sac. Usually this is not a problem as it could form
during every menstrual cycle and usually resolves on its own. These cysts are
called the functional cysts. However, these cysts could get very big and in
some instances become twisted or they could rupture causing problems. This
latter type is called pathological cyst.

Examples of…

Q: Good day Doc, please l want you to prescribe drugs to cure kidney stones for me. Thanks

A: If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, you surely remember it. The pain can be unbearable, coming in waves until the tiny stone passes through your urinary plumbing and out of the body. For many, kidney stones aren’t a one-time thing: in about half of people who have had one, another appears within seven years without preventive measures. Preventing kidney stones isn’t complicated but it does take some determination. Prevention efforts include drinking plenty of water, getting enough calcium from food, cutting back on salt (sodium), limiting animal protein, and avoiding stone-forming foods like beets, chocolate, spinach, rhubarb, tea, and others.

For more, read this! https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-steps-for-preventing-kidney-stones-201310046721

Q: Good day Doc, can sexual intercourse open the cervix at 39 weeks of pregnancy?

A: An open cervix, also known as a weakened cervix or cervical incompetence is a condition in which the mouth of the womb is open leading to a risk of miscarriage. This may be caused by a previous injury to this area, typically after a surgical procedure. The weakness of the muscle can cause the mouth of the womb (cervix) to open too early during pregnancy, leading to a miscarriage.

Having said that, if the cervical incompetence is not a pre-existing condition, sex is generally considered safe during pregnancy. If your doctor has noted some medical issues that may cause some restrictions on sexual intercourse, he will communicate that.

Some issues that may cause a doctor to issue some restrictions on sexual activity, apart from cervical incompetence, include:

• Threat of a miscarriage
• History of pre-term…

I was at the Redeemed camp on Thursday last week to give a talk on hygiene as preventive strategy. As usual, I was asked a lot of questions, many of which I couldn’t get around to answering. I promised to take them on this platform.

As a background to the questions, I discussed the four different aspects of hygiene:

Personal hygiene which involves taking care of ourselves with activities like taking a bath, brushing our teeth, washing hands etc
Hygiene at home which involves keeping our homes clean with activities like cleaning the bed rooms, bathrooms, toilets and areas we hardly think of which harbor a lot of germs like door knobs, light switches etc

Food hygiene which involves preventing food contamination and preparation of foods in a healthy and hygienic manner

Pet hygiene which involves ensuring we properly clean up whenever we have been in contact with animals, pets…

Q: Please ma’am, how many days can implantation bleeding last?

A: Implantation bleeding is typically a small amount of light bleeding that occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception. It could last anything from a couple of hours to three days. This is thought to be due to implantation as the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus (womb). This usually occurs in early pregnancy, close to or about the same time as the menstruation would be seen and is thus often mistaken for a period. But, it is usually lighter than menstrual…typically without clots. It would stop on its own and does not require further treatment. If the bleeding is heavier, associated with cramps or any other complication, please see your doctor.

Some tips to help distinguish implantation bleed from menstruation:

• Menstrual bleeding may have clots. Implantation bleeds have no clots
• Menstrual bleeding can fill sanitary towel(s). Implantation…

Our health tip today is on my pet peeve, people spitting in public places!

Sometimes, you’re just walking and minding your business when you happen across this ‘disgusting’ blob; other times, someone just spits out without minding if anyone is close by and you catch some droplets of it (Eew!) etc.

Apart from the fact that you can ‘catch’ some disgusting droplet infections (whatever disease the person was harboring in the saliva), it just makes everywhere more disgusting and dirty. I ask the question, ‘if you pass a dirty place that smells really bad and you spit there as a result, are you making it better or worse? Food for thought.

Please let’s stop this dirty habit as cleanliness starts from us and every little ‘good habit’ helps.

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…

Q: Dr, your programmes are wonderful. During delivery of my baby girl two years ago, I had placental abruption. It came with severe bleeding. I want to know if there is a possibility of it recurring in my next delivery and if so, how can I avoid it. God bless you.

A: Amen! God bless you too!
The placenta is an ‘organ’ which develops during pregnancy, attached to the side of the uterus and is the means of transport of nutrients and oxygen to the baby and transport of wastes out of the baby via the umbilical cord. So, the placenta is absolutely essential during pregnancy. It maintains its position, normally during pregnancy until the baby is born and the placenta is then delivered.

In the situation described above, placental abruption, the placenta separates, completely or partially, from the wall of the uterus before the baby is born. This situation…

Q: Please doctor, can tooth decay/toothache cause miscarriage? What can someone do if pregnant and have toothache?

A: Forcing dental floss in between your teeth can cause periodontal disease, which can cause a dull toothache. Where periodontal disease is not caused by wrong ‘hygiene’ techniques, it could be due to gum disease. Gum disease arises due to lack of good dental hygiene, which causes plaque forming bacteria to accumulate in the mouth and lead to swollen and bleeding gums. If this happens and is noticed early, it can be reversed before it starts causing tooth loss and weakening of the gum and bone structure holding the teeth (periodontitis). Other culprits could be hormones (during pregnancy or menstruation) and chemotherapy.

In pregnancy, the high level of hormones can make gums become more sensitive than usual and thus prone to gingivitis. If this is untreated, it can progress to periodontal disease with…