chatwithketch

Most people stock up on Vitamin C tablets as soon as they suspect they have a cold. Is this a useful practice or not?

Read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/cold-and-flu/can-vitamin-c-prevent-a-cold

Q: Hello, I am getting sick for one or two weeks and I vomit blood when I am on my menstrual period. And when I menstruate, I am on heavy flow with thick clots. My period doesn’t stop on the fifth day. I continue to menstruate for more than 10 day

A: A ‘regular’ menstrual cycle is supposedly one in which the cycle (the length of time from the 1st day of a menstrual period to the first day of the next menstrual period) is about 28 days but there is nothing abnormal about cycles that fall outside of this range. It could range from about 24 days to 34 days with ovulation happening at mid cycle. Indeed, in some women each period appears to have a different cycle. For young girls who have just started menstruating, skipped or irregular periods may occur. So, if you have a 24-day cycle, technically, you could see your period twice in a month.

There are also people with irregular periods. What do people refer to as irregular periods? Well, if the time between each period changes, or the length of days of the period changes or indeed when the quantity of blood lost during each period changes, the period is termed irregular. What can cause these changes? They include:

• Changes in hormone levels, as is common in the puberty period or menopausal period.
  • Stress
  • Excessive weight loss or excessive weight gain
  • Fibroids
  • Problems with the thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
  • Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD)
  • Scarring from previous surgery in the uterus
  • Pregnancy cannot be overlooked as a cause of irregular bleeding and has to be checked out.
  • Breast feeding mothers may also experience irregular periods as the hormones released may delay return of menstruation. Remember, however, that this is not an effective means of contraception.

So, it’s always a good idea to keep a record of your periods: length of cycles, number of days the period lasts, presence of pain etc. If you keep a chart of this over time, you would be able to know what is normal for you.

Treatment of irregular periods depends on cause: fibroids, PCOD, hyperthyroidism all have to be treated. If irregularity is due to stress, learning coping mechanisms or relaxation techniques may help. Reduce weight or go easy on your exercise routine, if weight issues are a problem.

However, be sure to see your doctor if your period is consistently below 21 days or more than 35 days, if you menstruate for longer than one week, bleed in between periods or experience severe cramps.

For related topics, please click on https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/06/27/daily-health-tips-why-do-i-have-scanty-periods/

Daily Health Tips: Are There Other Treatment Methods For Fibroids Other Than Surgery?

For clots, there are usually differences from one woman to the other and even from period to period in the same person.

The uterus (womb) usually prepares to receive a fertilized egg every month and when that fails, the thickened lining of the uterus which had prepared to receive a baby is shed. Usually, this blood does not contain clots as anti-coagulants in blood ensure that this doesn’t happen.

However, if the blood is flowing faster than the anticoagulants can work, then clots appear. This would usually happen on the heaviest day of the flow as appears to be the case here. So, clots do not necessarily suggest a problem.

But, if this appears to be the case on all or most days of the period, or you find that you’re using a sanitary towel per hour for several hours, please see your gynaecologist. Conditions that may lead to excessive bleeding and therefore, clots in blood during a menstrual period include a miscarriage (of a pregnancy), fibroids, dramatic recent weight loss, thyroid problems, large uterus etc If this is further accompanied by feeling of faintness, tiredness and paleness, you should head to the hospital immediately.

Vomiting during periods is not strange. It is due to one of the hormones released during the menstrual cycle, prostaglandin. It causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches. Vomiting blood though is a symptom of something completely different eg bleeding gut. Please check it out in the hospital immediately.

I hope this helps 🙂

Hello Ma’am, I’m having a serious problem, I had my periods from the 9th till the 13th of October, the 14th I slept with hubby.  After 5 days, on the 18th, I saw drops of blood. On the 21st I went to the clinic because there were drops of blood and I found out I was pregnant, it stopped on the 26th of October. I need to know what could have been going on with me.  Thanks in advance 🙏🙏

A: Bleeding during pregnancy can be worrying whether it’s a little or a lot. But, it may not necessarily be the sign of a problem.

Bleeding can occur in early pregnancy, close to or about the same time as the menstruation would and thus be mistaken for a period. This bleeding could be due to implantation as the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus (womb).

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 bleeds are usually described as spotting, as they just stain the panties
• Menstrual blood is typically bright to dark red. Implantation bleed is light pink to dark brown
• Implantation bleeds are usually shorter in duration than normal

As a rule of thumb really, any bleeding in pregnancy should be investigated as they may be due to more serious conditions like ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and infections.

I hope this helps.

Good night y’all 😀

‘ Your diet clearly plays a role in determining your cholesterol levels, but if you’re like most people, the most important factor isn’t how much cholesterol-rich food you eat. Rather, it’s what else you eat. Figuring this out has been a learning process.’ Want to know more? Read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/cholesterol-and-heart-disease-the-role-of-diet

Q: Good morning, I need an answer. Please. I gave birth to my 7 month-old baby last August 24, 2019. Then I got my period from September 29 to October 4 (very light period) but it takes almost 4 days. After that, me and my husband made love on Oct 6. He didn’t wear a condom, and I’m not taking pills. He just did a ‘withdrawal’. And he didn’t ejaculate it in my private area. I know that, and he knows that. Is there any possibility that I got pregnant? Last week, I experienced a jelly discharge, and milky discharge. And I thought I was just ovulating. Please I need an answer.

A: Withdrawal method involves pulling the male organ out of the vagina just before ejaculation. This method may protect against pregnancy if used well. It has been argued in some quarters that the pre-ejaculate (a lubricating fluid) may contain some sperm cells and so even if your partner is able to withdraw before ejaculation, the harm would have been done. However, the sperm in the pre-ejaculate is not there at the time the fluid is produced, but is sperm from previous ejaculations that was probably left in the urethra. It is believed that urinating and cleaning the tip of the penis before sexual intercourse helps to clear the urethra of the sperm left from previous ejaculations.

So, is it possible that you could get pregnant with this method of contraception? The answer is yes.  I suggest that you visit your doctor for confirmation of pregnancy – though most GPs would ask that you wait until you actually miss your period. Then, if you are not pregnant, I suggest that you visit a family planning clinic for help with choosing a means of contraception. 

All the best!

‘What may seem like harmless lifestyle habits may really be robbing you of your get-up-and-go.‘ Examples, you demand? Well, read!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/losing-steam-avoid-these-energy-zappers

Q: Doc, which is the best? Please,,,

A: This question in response to the post yesterday on side effects of the copper IUD, I assume, is referring to the best type of contraceptive. The question below which I answered a couple of years back, answers that question.

Q: Doctor, good evening sir. How is the family? Please Doc, is family planning good? I just heard someone saying it kills.

A: The answer to the first question is, yes, family planning is good. Remember that family planning means planning how many children to have and when to have them. Now, if you’re a catholic and you’re just deciding whether you want to stone me today or leave me to suffer that tomorrow 😀 remember, that the natural rhythm method advocated by the church is also a means of family planning. So, there you go 😀 More seriously, planning your births, gives the woman time to rest in between babies and recover fully from her last delivery before embarking on the ‘missionary’ journey again 😀 This ensures that this woman is alive to take care of her children. Another reason for spacing these births is also related to the economics of taking care of a large house full of children in these economic times.

Now, does family planning kill? I’ll answer it in this way. Every medicine is a potential toxin that can cause problems in the body. For instance, pain relief using the most common analgesics in our environment is risky because these drugs could cause significant medical side effects that can also lead to death. In that same way, family planning products can also produce side effects that could be fatal. However, these side effects are not the ‘rule’. Before the choice of family planning method is made by the client, the healthcare provider takes time to present the different methods available and advice on their side effects and benefits. Depending on the client’s medical history, the doctor will also state specific risks associated with any peculiar medical condition. This is all done to ensure that all risks have been accounted for and the client has chosen the method that will, hopefully, work best for her.

So, all things being equal, using contraception/birth control methods does not equal death 😀

Good night, guys. Sleep tight…don’t let the bed bugs bite 

Q: Hey Dr what’s the cause of having cramps after a week of putting the iud (copper one)and comes in the evening?

A: Hi dear! Thanks for writing in.

The Paragard IUD is a copper-containing IUD. This is probably the one you had inserted. The copper is poisonous/toxic to sperm and the IUD also prevents implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterus, should fertilization still occur. Paragard can be used during breastfeeding and its removal leads to a quick return of fertility, generally. It usually prevents pregnancy for about 10 years after insertion. Side effects of Paragard include back ache, cramps (Surprise! Surprise! 😀 ), severe pain during menstrual period and heavy bleeding etc while Mirena can cause breast tenderness, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles etc

Other general facts to note about IUDs include:

• They are more than 99% effective
• You and your partner cannot feel the IUD either during sexual intercourse or while checking for it
• Your partner may however be able to feel the string during sexual intercourse and the string can also be felt if a finger is into the vagina.
• Bleeding in between periods may also happen.
• There is a risk of infection if the user of IUD or her sexual partner have other sexual partners.

Please see your doctor immediately, if you observe any of the under listed:

• Severe vaginal bleeding with at least 2 sanitary towels soaked every hour for 2 or more hours.
• Smelly vaginal discharge. This could be associated with fever and chills
• Severe pain in abdomen or pelvis

All the best!