chatwithketch

Q: Please throw more light on genital tract tears and uterine ruptures, its effect on a woman who had a big baby through vaginal birth. Thanks and God bless

A: Genital tract tears or perineal tears during childbirth (vaginal delivery) as well as uterine ruptures are quite common especially in the resource poor nations where most pregnancies/deliveries do not receive adequate care or supervision.

Genital tract tears, in most cases occur when the baby’s head passes through the birth canal, or for a number of other reasons, and to differing degrees. The tear can range from a first degree tear involving the skin around the vagina alone, and no muscles involved to a fourth degree involving the perineal muscles, and extending up the anus and rectum. The risk factors include, a big baby(as you have mentioned) or if the baby’s head is big, having a previous perineal tear, an episiotomy(a…

Did you know that research shows that one out of every five people do not wash their hands after using the toilet. Then, 40% of people wash their hands for less than 10 seconds…and yet, you need at least 20 seconds to get your hands all squeaky clean! Finally, men are twice as likely not to wash their hands with soap or hand wash! Oh dear, just think about all the people we shake hands with, trusting and hoping that their hands are clean!

Diseases like respiratory infections and diarrhea cause up to 20 percent of the burden of disease in children. It has been found that in places where hand washing was instituted, this burden of disease has been cut by about 50%. This is a huge number…from hand washing alone! In hospitals, it was also found that the spread of hospital-acquired infections was encouraged by lack of hand washing…

Q: Good evening Dr. Please I have been having constant boil in my armpit. Please can I know the reasons? A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in. Sorry to hear about your challenge.

Pain and swelling in the underarm (which is how a boil would appear) can be very uncomfortable.

There are a couple of things that can trigger these:

• Deodorants: These can cause skin irritation which can lead to boils. The delicate and sensitive skin of the underarms and the sweat that can accumulate there making it a rich culture medium for germs are factors that have been implicated. Solution: You may have to try another one…find one without fragrance or perhaps, formulated for sensitive skin. Reading the labels will provide this information

• Shaving: A lot of people can identify with this…bumps in the underarm after shaving. This can happen if you do not shave properly. Try…

Do you know that healthy living starts in your kitchen with the little things…washing your hands, how you treat the food you eat etc

Here are some tips to set you on the right road to hygiene and health.

Wash your hands before and after handling food

Use separate chopping boards. 1 for Fruits and fresh vegetable for salads, 1 for poultry, seafood and meats and another for all other produce. This prevents cross-contamination of foods.

Wash your knives, boards and other utensils before using on a different set of produce. Again, this prevents cross-contamination of foods.

Freeze/refrigerate meats you are not going to use immediately.Constantly bringing out your meats, thawing them and then freezing them back again, provides an opportunity for bacteria to thrive. So, if you buy a lot of meat, put them in small packs according to how much you use every time. This way, you ensure…

Q: Hey Doc. I have a nine months old son and since I had him up till this present moment, I do pee whenever I laugh, cough or sneeze. My question is, is it normal for me to still be experiencing this and also what can I do to stop it? Do I need to visit a Doctor? Thanks for always being there. God bless you always.

A: God bless you too and congratulations on your new baby, though he’s all grown up now…all of 9 months!

As a result of the pressure and stretch experienced by the pelvic floor muscles (which support the bladder and other organs) due to the pressure of the growing baby and pregnancy hormones, stress incontinence (urinating when you sneeze or cough or even laugh) happens. It is not abnormal and there is a very simple exercise that helps you deal with this. It’s called…

Q: Please what causes itching
rashes on the body?

A: Body
itching can be caused by different conditions including:

• Skin reactions to heat or
  allergies
• Skin conditionslikeeczema, dandruff or psoriasis. For more on eczema and
  dandruff, please click on these linkshttps://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/03/01/daily-health-tips-what-can-i-do-about-the-eczema-on-my-skin/;https://chatwithdrketch.com/2017/05/18/hlwdk-daily-health-tips-help-with-dandruff/
• Parasitic
  infestationslikescabies. For more on scabies, please click on this
  link:https://chatwithdrketch.com/2017/07/22/hlwdk-daily-health-tips-scabies/
• Fungal infections like jock itch
  orathlete’s foot. For more on scabies, please click on this link:https://chatwithdrketch.com/2018/03/31/hlwdk-daily-health-tips-athletes-foot/
• Hormonal changes during
  pregnancy or menopause
• Other medical conditions like
  thyroid, liver or kidney problems
• Dry, cracked or irritated skin.
  For more on eczema and dandruff, please click on this link:https://chatwithdrketch.com/2017/12/29/hlwdk-daily-health-tips-i-itch-after-every-bath/
• Nerve dysfunction
• Medications

Treatment
of skin rashes is, of course dependent on the cause. It may include any or a
combination of medications (anti-histamines), wet dressings on affected areas
and phototherapy. If the itch is severe enough to affect your daily…

Q: Good Day Dr, Please, I need your advice. I’ve been experiencing pains and an urge to wee again each time I finish urinating for the past 6 days now. Rashes all over my neck and shoulders, though we’ve been battling scabies my son brought home from boarding school since 3 months now. These rashes are itching me badly. The vaginal pains started 2 days after unprotected sex with my hubby. We’ve using condom since after my fourth baby.

A: Urinary Tract Infections occur anywhere in the urinary tract (Genius me, right? :D) and include infections of the kidneys, the ureters (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder (the reservoir or store house for the urine) and the urethra (the tube that transports the urine from the bladder to the outside).

So, who is more likely to have an infection and why? Women are more likely…

Q: Doctor, why do my gums bleed while I’m cleaning regularly?

A: Gum bleeding during regular cleaning may be due to a number of causes.

Gum Infection, wrong cleaning method, use of hard bristle brushes and, bleeding disorders could all cause this.

I would advise you be gentler in your brushing, it’s not how hard you brush that gets the teeth clean; it’s the method used.

Brushing in a circular motion removes all the particles in between the teeth and prevent holes forming in the teeth or other infection. Brushing from side to side is not a good method and should be avoided as the gums often get injured when using this method.

Brushing twice a day, spending at least 2-3 minutes on this activity is recommended. Use of saline gargles can also help. This is prepared using a glass of warm water, add half a teaspoon of salt, mix…

Q: What can I eat to have a lovely skin?

A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in.

I will give you general tips for keeping your skin, nice and healthy.

Moisturise, mositurise and moisturise! Long hot showers/baths may sound very tempting but they dry out your skin. Opt for short showers. Immediately after you have a bath/shower (with cold or warm water as opposed to hot water), pat your skin dry…leaving some moisture still on it, and then apply moisturizer at this time. This locks in the moisture. Look for moisturisers that contain ingredients like isopropyl palmitate, propylene glycol linoleate, squalene, and glycerol stearate, jojoba oil, lanolin, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, sorbitol, propylene glycerol, urea, and lactic acid (Long list, aye :D). These ingredients provide the mix of keeping the skin soft, smooth and pliable and then also draw moisture from the atmosphere to the skin’s surface increasing hydration.

If you…

Q: Good day Dr, please what could cause a 23 year old girl to be bed wetting? My niece that stays with me bed wets almost every night while my less than 3 year old son does not.

A: Bed wetting hardly happens once a child gets to the age of 7 years. However, for a small percentage of children, this continues for a while longer. We will talk about bed wetting in children another time. Today’s bed wetting discourse is about this problem in adults. What could lead to bed wetting in adults?

This usually indicates a medical problem like Diabetes Mellitus, prostate problems (prostate cancer or prostate enlargement), bladder cancer, urinary tract infections or urinary tract stones. Sometimes though, it could also be due to an emotional disturbance or anxiety.

Treatment of adult bed wetting will be focused on the underlying cause. For instance, if it is due…