chatwithketch

Q: How to deal with stomach ulcers?  Especially food wise..

A: Thanks for writing in.

There are two conditions that may often be confused, one for the other: Peptic ulcer and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Gastric acid is secreted normally in the stomach to help the process of digestion. Peptic ulcer is a sore in the stomach, esophagus or duodenum and occurs when there is either over-production of this gastric acid in the stomach or reduction in the quantity of mucous that protects the stomach from the acid. Infection with an organism, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been found to be a cause of peptic ulcer.

GERD, on the other hand occurs when stomach acid backtracks into the esophagus causing heart burn.

In the past, it was thought that spicy foods caused peptic ulcers. However, there’s no evidence to support this, though spicy foods can certainly make the symptoms of…

Q: Can you shed more light on using contraceptive for the treatment of hormonal imbalance associated with hirsutism? Thanks for your response

A: Hirsutism can be caused by any situation that increases the male sex hormones (androgens) or increases the response of hair follicles to androgens. Some conditions that can cause this include Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), some drugs, obesity etc It is more likely in people who have a family history of this and in people of Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern origin. This can also be found in women with no risk factors and women where no specific cause can be found.

Specifically to your question, birth control pills (contraceptives) used over a period of 6 to 12 months may improve this condition by helping reduce the effects of androgens and reducing the production of more sex hormones. Anti-androgen drugs can also be used.

However, if specific…

Q: Good
evening. Trust you are well. Kindly advise. I have just confirmed that I’m pregnant.
I’m a bit scared, I lost my pregnancy this year in march. It was about 5 months;
it was one painful ordeal. My doctor told me to rest and not to get pregnant
soon but I believeGod has good plans for me. It came unexpected and I’m
here embracing it well. Kindly advise – how can I take care of myself.
Thank you

A: Oh sweetheart,
condolences. I feel really sad that the miscarriage happened! But it’s all good

There are no
standard answers really, as to when to start trying to get pregnant after a
miscarriage. If this is the first time you’re experiencing a miscarriage, some
doctors still advice people to wait 3 to 6 months before trying again so that
it’s easier to date the pregnancy etc. Others will just ask…

Q: Good morning Doctor, I would like to find out how do you keep the vagina clean from sperm after intercourse? I got married a virgin so it’s been embarrassing for me to ask anyone this question. The sperm does not come out all at once after intercourse, and becomes smelly as days go by as it comes out in bits. Please help.

A: Congratulations on your wedding and marriage…and don’t be embarrassed to ask. I’m here to answer your supposedly embarrassing questions! 😀 Welcome to a new world.

The sperm, after sexual intercourse travels a loooooong way…trust me, you would not want to wash all the way there. When a man ejaculates, the initial force of that pushes some of the semen a significant way into the vagina. The rest of it flows back. Some sperm cells are retained at the back of the vagina, some make it all…

Q: Doctor hi, am three month pregnant, I had ultra sound where the doctor to noted uterine fibroid measured 2.56*1.7cm. Will it affect my baby, am i going to take medication during pregnancy?

A: Fibroids can co-exist with pregnancy in which case pregnancy may be normal or associated with breech pregnancy, pre-term delivery (delivery of pre-mature babies) etc. However, once a woman registers in a good antenatal center under a good obstetrician, these issues will be anticipated and addressed promptly. Please be sure that you are seeing an obstetrician who will help you during this pregnancy. Many patients with fibroids in pregnancy have normal pregnancies and deliveries.

Some women find out for the first time that they have fibroids when they get pregnant. Most of them cause no problems during pregnancy. However, some of them may act up.

Fibroids during pregnancy are managed conservatively…that is they are not managed aggressively…

Q: Can abortion prevent me from conceiving?

A: Difficulty with conceiving in a woman could be due to problems with ovulation, problems with the uterus and cervix, blockage or damage of the fallopian tube, thyroid problems, cancer, previous instrumentation resulting to damage to the lining of the womb etc.
Previous instrumentation (like Dilatation and Curettage, D and C, where the procedure was too ‘vigorously’ done or even in situations where the placenta attached too deeply into the womb making it difficult to remove retained tissue) can result in a condition called Asherman’s syndrome which manifests as reduction in menstrual flow. Severe forms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can also cause Asherman’s Syndrome. For more on PID, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/09/22/daily-health-tips-what-is-pid/

In Asherman’s Syndrome, adhesions/scar tissue form inside the womb or moth of the womb, cervix. This leads to stocking together of the front and back walls of the…

Q: Hello. I’m a nursing mother. I have no appetite. What can I take to boost my appetite? Is appetite pills good for me to take them?
A: As a nursing mum, you need to keep your strength up and so dealing with loss of appetite is a no-no!
The first thing really, would be to find the cause of the loss of appetite. Some people experience this as a symptom of an underlying disease which can range from thyroid problems, infections to cancers. So, excluding all these is important

Then what to do?

• Eat smaller and more frequent meals/snacks. Some people naturally, ‘freak out’ when they see a huge bowl of food…how much more someone trying to get back into the grove of food

• Limit your fluid intake when you eat and much as it breaks my heart to say so, do not fill up on too…