chatwithketch

Q: Good Evening Dr. Please, I need your help on this. I have been married now for 7yrs and I dated my husband for 2 years. Please, the problem is running nose. His nose never dries. In fact, it’s worse at night. Please, what can he use? Thanks 

A: Well, it may be due to allergy known as allergic rhinitis (pronounced Rine-Ai-Tis). This condition, also known as hay fever, occurs when your immune system over-reacts to certain substances in the air (allergens), marking them out as intruders. The resulting symptoms are due to some chemicals released in the body like histamine. These substances cause sneezing especially when you wake up in the morning, runny nose, watery itchy eyes and itchy ears, nose and throat, which could occur seasonally or be present all year round. In fact, the symptoms written above are as good as a text book description of this condition 😀

Oftentimes, in people with this condition, there is a positive history of a family member with asthma or other allergies. The first step towards dealing with this is finding out what the triggers (allergens) are. It could be dust mites, wood dust, smoke, pollen, grasses, cockroaches etc. Your doctor will ask helpful questions to help you identify the culprit. He/she, in the meantime, will prescribe some drugs, the commonest of which is an anti-histamine to help control your symptoms.

Other treatment options include taking allergy shots and going for a nasal irrigation (essentially rinsing out the mucous from your nose). Prevention is focused on identifying and reducing contact with allergens. This would include eradicating cockroaches from your house, using a mask when working outdoors, closing doors and windows when there are lots of pollen in the environment, not hanging laundry outside to prevent pollen sticking to them and causing problems later etc. Reducing dust mites by using oiled duster or damp cloth to clean, using allergen proof covers on mattresses etc will be helpful. So, get a doctor to prescribe drugs to tide you over (you should be able to pick up the prescription over the counter thereafter) and work with you to identify allergens and then you have to avoid them. Other causes of runny or stuffed nose 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.  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,

Ø try drinking a lot of water

Ø Use saline sprays instead of the nasal decongestants, if you’ve been indulging in this 😉

Ø Use a humidifier which loosens the mucous. Turning on the hot water shower and inhaling the steam is another great idea.

Ø Avoid irritants of the nose like smoke All these measures will help reduce the nasal congestion. 

Have a great night y’all 😀

Q: Hello doctor I do urinate frequently and I am not pregnant, My stomach pains me. What could be the cause and what can be used to treat toilet infection?

A: Frequent urination may actually be due to the simple fact that you’re drinking way too much fluid. However, where this is not the case, it is likely to be due to a health problem.

Some causes of frequent urination include:

1. Sexually Transmitted Infections as you have already noted.
2. Some medications
3. Drinks that contain caffeine, alcohol etc
4. Infections that along the urinary tract or changes to the bladder
5. Infection or enlargement of the prostate
6. Disease conditions like Diabetes Mellitus etc
7. Some cancer treatment eg radiation treatment for the lower abdomen

If this is due to excessive fluid intake, limiting this will help. If this symptom is associated with others like difficulty with urination, pain during urination, passing out bloody urine, incomplete emptying of bladder when urinating etc, please see your doctor ASAP.

So, I suggest that you just go and see your doctor. He will take a good history, examine you and order some investigations. The treatment of course will depend on the cause of the problem.

On toilet disease…

This entity called toilet disease is a well-known one, especially in Nigeria, but does not exist anywhere except in our imaginations 😀 Seriously!!! I would love to meet that person who caught a Sexually Transmitted Infection from a toilet seat. The reasons are 1) these infections hardly survive for long outside of the human body and 2) the cold and hard toilet seat is not a great medium for the germs to really grown and multiply. They are also not found in urine. Theoretically, if this is deposited on the toilet seat and one sits down on it immediately and this person has cuts and abrasions on their buttocks, perhaps this can happen. But the odds of this ever happening is seriously negligible…particularly because so many conditions will need to be satisfied! I think that going into the toilet, we should be more worried about observing personal hygiene eg washing our hands and drying thoroughly before leaving.

For related posts, please click on the following:

Daily Health Tips: Urinary Tract Infections In Men

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Have Pain When Urinating?

Daily Health Tips: Train That Leaking Bladder!

Daily Health Tips: Prostate Enlargement

Daily Health Tips: More on The Prostate Gland

All the best!

It has been an interesting year, so far for everyone all around the world. COVID-19 took the world by storm few weeks after we entered a brand new year and decade. So, right now in the environment, there are all the ingredients for, not just stress, but a melt down!

But hey…crises also present opportunities. If you look around, not everyone is having a meltdown. Some are going about their business albeit in a new social distanced way J, some are doing better than before and some others are just taking each day at a time. There are also those that are adapting to these new times and coming up with ideas made for these times etc.

So, what to do? Stress is a normal part of life and indeed, even if whatever was your source of stress were to be removed now, it’s only a matter of time before you have to face another stressor. It is really how we react to stress that makes it good stress or bad stress. Two people can experience the same problem and approach it differently. For instance, the woman who has never had a baby and gets pregnant is more likely to handle this issue in a more positive way (good stress) than a woman who already has 6 children and finds out she’s pregnant with another baby (bad stress). Same stressor, different reactions J

There are four things you can do (the 4As):
• Avoid the stressor: If this is possible, avoid the stressor, be they human or material. In these COVID-19 news saturated times, you may want to take heed what you hear. Reduce your intake of the bad news and focus on more uplifting sources of information
• Alter the situation: Make compromises, make a new financial plan that captures your new financial reality etc
• Adapt to the stressor: Find out what good can come out from this situation. Look for it and focus on it (remember how the bible says that all things work together for our good?). Remember that in the very midst of tough times, we can become very creative. So, stretch yourself and your mind. This may very well be the break you’ve been waiting for, if you can open up to the experience.
• Accept the things that you cannot change: Having done all the above, accept the things you can’t change and move ahead.
Remember the serenity prayer?
God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Obviously, when you’re stressed out, sleeping is a challenge. Please click on the link below for more information on how to deal with insomnia (inability to sleep) and stress
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/11/daily-health-tips-insomnia/
https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/03/08/this-thing-called-stress/

Remember that if you do not handle the stress, the problem with sleeping and anxiety will still remain. There are so many ailments associated with stress: hypertension, obesity, loss of libido, stomach ulcers etc. So, the first focus should be on the stress. Keep reminding yourself all the reasons you have to be thankful and be positive 😀

Have a goodnight, everyone 😀

Happy Easter, everyone!
I hope you have had a great day social distancing at home but still staying in touch with family through phones and other devices.
As we move into a new week and contemplate yet another seven days of working from home if you have that luxury, here are some tips to help you cope
Here are 5 signs that you could be suffering from stress:• Feeling of Light headaches, dizziness or faintness• Over-reactions to petty annoyances• Constant tiredness weakness or fatigue• Feeling overloaded or overwhelmed• Difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts Today, I remind you of fun ways to get rid of stress! How? Here are some tips! • Blow bubbles: You can do this alone or with someone. Watch the colors and shapes of the bubbles and how very beautiful they are• Remember the advert where a boss is dancing in his office and his staff join in? Be that guy. Dance. Turn on the music in your living room or bedroom and just dance. Beyond the feel good effect, this releases happy brain chemicals, endorphins• Buy a book of jokes and indulge in it when it looks like the sky is about to fall• Watch your favourite comedy and just let your laughter roar from somewhere deep inside• Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh and laugh often too. This lowers blood pressure, opens up creativity and stimulates the production of endorphins…the happy brain chemicals You only live once! Make the best of this one life you’ve got! 😀
Tomorrow, we will discuss other more ‘serious’ ways of dealing with stress.

Q: Good morning, Dr. My wife has a bent uterus. What is the cure? Please, help me

A: Normally, a uterus tilts forwards at the cervix towards the stomach. In some women, however, the uterus tilts backwards inside the pelvis towards the spine. This is called a retroverted or tilted uterus. Many women with this condition are born with it but some women may develop it after birth as a result of:

1. Pregnancy: During pregnancy, the ligaments holding the uterus in place become weak and so after pregnancy, some women now find their uteri tilted.
2. Prior surgery, infections and disease conditions like endometriosis may lead to a tilted uterus. In these cases, conception may be difficult but not impossible. Patients here may benefit from seeing a fertility doctor.

For more on endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Can PID Block My Fallopian Tubes?

Daily Health Tips: What’s An Ovarian Cyst?

1. Menopause: Estrogen deficiency in menopause also leads to weakened ligaments such that the uterus now becomes tilted.

A retroverted uterus is usually an incidental finding as most women experience no symptoms. The women with symptoms usually complain of pain during menstruation and pain during sexual intercourse. Other symptoms include lower back pain, incontinence, difficulty with passing stool or urine.

Treatment for this include:

Kegel exercises: The exercise mimics the movements we make when we want to stop the flow of urine. Try holding this for about 10 seconds and then doing about 10 repetitions per set. Try about 4 to 6 sets per day and increase this as you feel ready.

Knee to chest exercise: Lie flat on your back and place both feet on the floor with both knees bent. With your left foot still flat on the floor, bring your right knee to your chest. Hold this position for about 15 to 30 seconds and then return your leg to the floor. Do about 10 reps of this exercise on each leg 3 times a day. This can help return a tilted uterus to a forward position.

Vaginal pessaries (plastic devices) which help to hold the uterus in position.

Surgery can also help to shorten (tighten) the weakened ligaments and thus return the uterus to its rightful position.

Now, does a retroverted uterus stop one from getting pregnant? No. The sperm can swim just as easily here as they do in other uteri/wombs. However, given that some of the causes of retroverted uterus like endometriosis are associated with difficulty to conceive, then retroverted uterus may be associated with infertility even though it doesn’t cause it.

I hope this helps you. If you have more questions, please seek out a good gynaecologist and let him/her help you.

Have a good night, everyone 😀

Q: Learnt those who are negative later tested positive. Please how is this possible? Can someone have this virus and not show symptoms? Thanks

If someone tested negative and had never tested positive, the simple explanation can be that he became infected in the period after the previous test was done. It is important that we all understand that a negative result for someone who has never been infected does not mean a negative result forever. If the person does not keep to social distancing and hygiene rules described below, the person is likely to get infected at some point

If this question, however, refers to someone who had been infected, treated and then tested negative, becoming positive again, the response I gave to a similar question earlier this week,

We have seen some news coming out of China that suggest that some people who had tested negative to the virus, soon afterwards, tested positive again. And so the concern is, ‘does this mean a reinfection?’ or perhaps ‘the patient never really fully recovered from the initial infection?’ Or ‘maybe it’s the residual RNA (genetic material) from the virus?’ We don’t fully have the answers to this now – knowledge on COVID-19 keeps evolving.

What we do know is that with the other coronaviruses, the antibodies that patients produce during the infection confers some immunity for that specific virus which can last for months or even years

What is important for everyone to know for now is that nothing should give you a false sense of security – not masks, not the fact that you were infected and are now negative or that you feel your immune system is up to the task. Everyone should focus on doing the right things

1. Stay home
2. If you must go out, wear a face mask and practice social distancing. On wearing a mask, as I said before, new things keep coming to light about this virus and now there are concerns that it could be spread by even people who are not showing symptoms by just breathing or talking. So, protect yourself, you or the person you’re talking to could be asymptomatic (not showing symptoms). Use a cloth mask so we can save the hospital grade masks for the frontline medical staff who really need them
3. Wash your hands often with water and soap. Washing under running water is ideal. If you don’t have running water, have someone pour water over your hands. Do this for at least 20 seconds
4. For those times that you are not able to wash your hands, please use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Rub all over your hands in much the same way as when you’re washing your hands and rub until dry
5. If you need to cough or sneeze, do that into the crook of your elbow. If you sneeze or cough into a tissue, dispose of it immediately in a trash can/dustbin and wash your hands immediately. Remember that if you’re wearing an outfit that overs your elbow, you’ve deposited some germs there and it’s a great idea to wash these clothes at the end of the day. And take a bath!

I hope y”all are keeping safe

Q: Good morning Dr. Please, I have a question, ma’am. I’m trying to conceive but I want to lose some weight although have been taking green tea and lemon warm water for like 7 days now. I hope it won’t affect me or should I stop? Thanks ma’am

A: Thanks for writing in. This is a very interesting question.

To prepare for pregnancy, some lifestyle habits can help:

1. Healthy choices in terms of diet (practice portion control, eat lots of fruits and veggies etc), keeping a healthy weight (try and stay within your BMI)
2. Exercise most days a week for at least 30 minutes,
3. Manage your stress etc.
4. Folic acid supplements are also great as they help protect baby from defects in their neural tubes (spinal cord)
5. Having sexual intercourse closer to the time of ovulation may be helpful in increasing chances of pregnancy. Does this also increase the chances of having a baby boy or girl? Despite ‘claims’ that male chromosomes swim faster, there’s no guarantee that having sexual intercourse on any particular day, ovulation or otherwise, increases the chance of pregnancy with either sex. This matter is solely in God’s domain except sex selection is done as can happen for some IVF patients.
6. Stay off alcohol and smoking

You would observe that I have not asked you to stay off lemons 😀 This is because it does not affect your chances of pregnancy 🙂

Taking too much of it can hurt your teeth or make heart burn worse, especially in pregnancy. Where in doubt, always consult your doctor.

All the best!

DRINKING OR BATHING WITH HAND SANITIZER WILL KILL THE VIRUS

False

Hand sanitizer is meant to be used for disinfecting the hands alone. To keep other parts of your body clean, follow normal hygiene rules: bath regularly, brush your teeth regularly and wash your hands regularly. Hand sanitizer was not made to be bathed with or ingested and cannot be expected to perform its function if not used properly.

ARE ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE THE SAME?

No. Isolation is a public health measure used to separate people that are infected with the virus from those who are not.

Quarantine on the other hand is a measure used for people who have been in contact with the virus, to see if they become infected.

So, you go into isolation if you are COVI-19 positive and into quarantine, if you are suspected to be positive due to any kind of probable contact with the virus eg contact with someone who has tested positive etc.

How is everyone doing?

Lots of love and hugs coming your way….