With COVID-19 and the strict social distancing rule associated with it, the world has turned to technology. Online meetings, movie binge all day, music etc. And to enjoy all these, headphones come into the equation. Harvard Health says, ‘There is such a thing as healthy headphone use; you just need to know about safe sound levels and when to take a break from headphones.’
Want to know more? Read! https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/healthy-headphone-use-how-loud-and-how-long-2020072220565
Q: Good evening Doc, I am 38 weeks pregnant. On my last ANC visit the doctor detected a trace of +1 protein in my urine and my blood pressure was high. Please ma’am what food and things can I do to reduce protein and high blood pressure?
A: A high blood pressure reading in pregnancy with protein in urine is a worrying situation. Blood pressure readings are interpreted as same, pregnancy or no pregnancy. Any level more than 140/90mmHg is seen as hypertensive. This of course has some slight changes with the new classification of high blood pressure. A woman may already be hypertensive before pregnancy and on medication. She may be found to be hypertensive before 20th week of pregnancy in which case it is believed she had previously undetected high blood pressure or she may be discovered to have high blood pressure after the 20th week, in which…
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Q: What is the cause of enlargement of prostate?
A: 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.
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…
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Q: Hi, is there any problem when you are having sex and then the sperms came out with blood and then I bleed few drops of blood and then it stops? I was thinking I’m on periods but the bleeding stops. Is it normal or I’m pregnant?
A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in. It is certainly very disturbing to see blood in semen! This phenomenon, known as haematospermia or haemospermia in men under 40 years with no other symptoms related to more serious issues (which I shall discuss below) is usually not a major medical problem.
Causes include:·
Inflammation of the prostate gland (where semen is produced)·
Inflammation of the seminal vesicles (where most of the fluid in the semen is produced)·
Cysts in the seminal vesicles·
Sexually Transmitted Infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia etc·
Following recent instrumentation eg after prostatic biopsy
These conditions would usually resolve on their own…
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I got a heart-warming message from someone who is on the road to mending following addiction to Pentazocine. S/he wrote in response to my post on this. Please click here if you haven’t read it: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/11/04/daily-health-tips-pentazocine-addiction/
S/he sent in the question below…..
Q: I am also addicted to Pentazocine. And with the help of my family members I have abstained from it for more than a month now. I know it’s not so long but I believe it’s a good sigh because I couldn’t stay without it for 48hrs before. But do you really think I can stop using this method??
A: Hello dear! I am so happy to read from you! Great job! Way to go!
Can you go it alone with just family for support? Yes, you can. There are two options: cold turkey (where you stop completely at once and ride out the withdrawal symptoms) or where…
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Q: Good day doctor, please help me. I am pregnant (not my first child ooo) but I always experience serious stomach pains and whenever I use the toilet, my poop is always very black. What can be the problem?
A: Hi dear, thanks for writing in
Abdominal pain in pregnancy may or may not be serious.
Harmless causes include:
· Constipation
· Gas
· The growing womb (uterus)
· Braxton-Hicks contractions (these are ‘fake’ contractions preparing the womb for the main even :D)
Serious causes of pain during pregnancy include:
· Ectopic pregnancy. To learn about ectopic pregnancy, please click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/08/07/daily-health-tips-what-are-my-options-after-ectopic-pregnancy-and-failed-ivf/
· Pre-term labour. To learn about this, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/28/daily-health-tips-am-i-leaking-amniotic-fluid-liquor-amnii/
· Miscarriage. To read more on miscarriage, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/07/23/daily-health-tips-im-scared-of-getting-pregnant-after-two-miscarriages/
· Placental abruption. To learn more, click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/03/26/daily-health-tips-placental-abruption/
· Urinary tract infection. To learn more, please click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2016/02/19/daily-health-tips-re-visiting-chronic-utis/
· Pre-eclampsia. To learn more, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/10/23/daily-health-tips-protein-in-urine-during-pregnancy/
Having said all these, you probably have no way of knowing what is harmless or not. So err on the side of caution and see your doctor if ‘it just doesn’t feel right’.
On black poop….
During pregnancy, iron supplements are usually given to ensure that an adequate blood level is maintained during the pregnancy (due to increase need) and prevent anaemia. These supplements can cause the colour of stool to become black. Other side effects include heart burn, constipation or diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea/vomiting. But check this out with your doctor too.
All the best
Q: Dr. thank you for all the medical and health advice. Please I have hiccups or belching constantly such that my chest pains me most of the time. I have received so many treatments, done Echo test, MCR, several scan and X-ray, ECG etc that the Dr. advised me not to do or take more medications for that as I have taken so much over the years. Now I notice that if I keep away from food or heavy food, I feel better but I am leaning and feel tired because of hunger. What else should I do? Thank you.
A: Belching and hiccups are actually quite alike in terms of causes.
Belching is your body’s way of getting rid of excess gas.
‘Excess gas’ is produced in the body when we swallow it or when our body produces it as a result of what we have eaten. This is usually caused by the…
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Q: Hi Dr. Ketch Have a nice day. I’m from Philippines 18 y.o, I just wanted to ask about the effects of wet dreams in our health? Is this having a negative effect? How I can prevent wet dream because every time I sleep, I also experience wet dream
A: In young men going through puberty, wet dreams (also called nocturnal emissions) may occur as the body starts producing testosterone. This presents as ejaculation during sleep leading to wet PJs and embarrassment when the gentlemen wake up. Note that not every teenage boy goes through this experience though most guys will experience it at some point during puberty and sometimes as adults, too. As men grow older though, this phenomenon happens less.
Wet dreams are a normal part of growing up and cannot be controlled – you really cannot stop them from happening. Hopefully as you get older, they will…
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Q: Doc good evening. Please what is the remedy for body itching after bathing?
A: Thanks for your question. It is important to ensure that your bathroom is clean, the towels frequently washed and your sponge clean. However, the cause of your body itch may be something completely different.
Take a look at a post I made a while back!
Are you one of those who experience a severe itch after taking a bath on most days? Have you ever wondered why? That itch is usually caused by skin that has been excessively dried out by soap, cold or dry air and/or hot baths. This causes the skin to lose the protection of its natural oils and makes the nerve endings to become super sensitive leading to the itching. What to do? After a bath, try dabbing your skin so that it is still slightly moist before applying a moisturizing…
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Over and over again, I have had breast feeding mothers tell me that they don’t make enough breast milk to feed their babies. Or they would say, their babies get hungry too often and so it is difficult to keep up with the crazy schedule of ‘feeding on demand’ that breast feeding requires of you.
Breast milk is very important to new born babies and really no child should be deprived on the many benefits of breast feeding exclusively. There are some mothers who, by reason of specific health conditions, cannot breast feed their babies. However, the greater majority of mothers are able to make enough breast milk to keep their babies satisfied.
Here are our top five tips for breast feeding properly:
o Patience: You’ve got to have loads of it. Sometimes, your baby feeds and then stops a bit just to gaze into your eyes. Give him/her the time needed to bond with you.
o There are two types of milk in the breast milk: the fore and the hind milk. You have to be sure that your baby gets both during each feeding session.
o Give the fore milk to quench thirst. The fore milk is mainly water and low in fats. If you observe, it’s bluish in colour. Its high water content is the reason why you don’t need to give your baby extra water. It’s also rich in protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.
o Be sure to give the hind milk. Now, if you finish giving just the fore milk and stop, the baby will be hungry thereafter as she has essentially only taken water. The milk that comes after the fore milk is thicker containing fats and has a whole lot of calories. The baby needs this to be very well nourished and to satisfy the hunger pangs. The longer a mother waits between meals, the more foremilk is produced and it takes your baby that much longer to get to the more filling hind milk.
o Let your baby feed on demand and each session should last until the breast ‘feels’ empty. I say ‘feel’ because the breast never really empties out After this, change to the other breast.
Remember that breast milk is the best and cheapest food for your baby. It also helps fortify your baby against diseases…so, now you have the right tools to get this done right.
Go for it and have a great weekend, people 😀
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