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What You Need To Know About Reproductive Health

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Whenever the subject of reproductive health comes up, most think this is limited to reproductive organs. While they play a crucial part, sexual & reproductive health factors in complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. As we celebrate the month of love, let’s show some love to our bodies’ wellbeing by conducting a refresher on reproductive health.

 

Step 1: Safe Sex Life

Good sexual reproductive and sexual health calls for safe sex life, which is also tied to the ability to reproduce. While some forms of contraceptives (i.e. condoms – Goodlife has a range of condoms to suit every diverse need – https://www.goodlife.co.ke/products/ ) work in ensuring safe sex, other forms of contraceptives go the extra mile of ensuring the freedom to decide if, when and how often one is interested in having children. Thus, family planning is a vital part of reproductive health. Speak to your doctor or a healthcare professional and exhaustively investigate before picking a contraceptive option.

Step 2: Access to information

Maintaining great reproductive health calls for access to accurate information. From the basics of the working of the human body to information on contraceptives, accurate information should also include affordability of contraceptives and transparency on the various options available (and the after effects of each).
This information is available at hospitals, clinics and pharmacies; our pharmacy technicians are happy to walk through the process with you.

 

Step 3: Protection from STIs.

In an age where sex is not as big a taboo as it previously was, infection control is important. Sexual and reproductive health calls for one to be informed on the different sexually transmitted infections that are prevalent in the society and be empowered enough to be able to protect oneself from these infections. Talking with your doctor or gynecologists is one way to become garner the necessary information. Additionally, you can be proactive enough to schedule body checkups which take into account your wellbeing, here’s list of the different tests offered at Goodlife- hyperlink.

Sexual and reproductive health is a personal matter and each individual has the right to make decisions pertaining to their own health. When you need an expert opinion, feel free to pop in to one of our Goodlife Pharmacies for discreet and personalized one on one!

The Basics Of Healthy Living

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February is marked as the Healthy Awareness Month and while that’s a great initiate, stepping back and looking at how to best live better lives, it can feel a little daunting. But it doesn’t have to be.

Healthy living doesn’t mean breaking the bank as you shop for exotic vegetables, neither does it mean breaking your back with an expensive gym membership. There are a few things you can do, without breaking a sweat that will see you lead a better life. Here’s a list to help you get started;

 

  1. Cut down on sugar
    Sugar tastes great, but it doesn’t always sit that well with your body. This would explain why your older loved ones cut back on sugar as they age. You can beat that clock by limiting your sugar intake from a younger age.
    A great way to do this is reducing the amount of sugar you add onto tea and foods in general. Alternatively, you could use sweeteners in the place of sugar. Options like stevia and honey are readily available at your favorite cafe, at no extra cost. You can also shop for them at local supermarkets and fresh produce markets.To beat down those oh-so-notorious sugar cravings, grab a fruit. The crunch of an apple or the juiciness of an orange sates those cravings, without compromising on your health. The secret? Always have a fruit with you, throw one into your bag as you leave the house.
  2. Go easy on the salt
    There’s a reason our mums didn’t favour adding salt to already cooked food. Too much salt increases blood pressure which might lead to heart diseases and/or strokes. You do not have to completely get rid of salt from your diet- it’s a great source of vital iodine- but you can limit your usage to just what’s necessary.A great way to measure the salt that goes into your food, is opting for home cooked meals as opposed to eating out. This way, you are able to weigh in, quite literally, on what goes on your plate and into your body.
  3. Limit your alcohol intake
    Alcohol is often hailed as the life of the party, but too much alcohol is not the best thing for your body. For starters, it poses a risk to your liver, an organ that plays an important role in the body’s metabolic processes.
    Heavy drinking can cause chronic diseases such as HBP (High blood pressure), heart disease, stroke and digestive issues. There’s also a risk of alcohol poisoning, which has been known to lead to death.

Excessive drinking also increases your risks of getting cancer and cardiovascular disease.

 

  1. Exercise
    The gospel of working out has been preached since time immemorial, we will not bore you with its benefits. After all, we all want great skin, strong bones and muscles, so why repeat these old facts. Instead, we would like to mention easy ways to exercise without breaking the bank.
    Working out at home is the easiest one, with a yoga mat or just a plain old carpet, you are ready to go. There are countless videos online offering guided home workouts, most of them are available for free. Another option is going for a run, there’s something about the clarity of thought after a good run!
  2. Regular body checkups
    Sometimes, you need some insight on the workings of your body and there’s no better way or place to get through these than by attending medical checkups. There is a variety of checkups available, depending on what part of your health you are interested in. In fact, at Goodlife, we offer a myriad of tests, here’s (hyperlink) comprehensive list that should help you take care of your body this healthy lifestyle month and throughout the rest of the year.

Pediatric Twitter Chat Recap

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QUESTIONS ABOUT BABY ANSWERED

In the month of January, we had Dr. Mary speaking with us on the intricacies of raising a child. She answered a few questions from mums on our social media platforms. Here’s a recap:

 

  1. Could washing a newborn with e.g. Johnsons top to toe wash immediately after birth cause skin conditions early enough such as eczema and psoriasis?

Those conditions are mostly genetic. There are babies who are genetically at risk. And would usually have triggers.
So yes, you can wash and observe the baby’s response. Not all babies will react.

 

  1. My son always has recurring tonsillitis, we don’t do sodas or cold stuff. He also blocked nose and sneezes every morning what do?Seems like the baby has allergic tendencies. It would help if they got evaluated by a pulmonologist. A pulmonologist; a chest and respiratory system specialist.

 

  1. My baby has rashes on his face any recommendations?
    It would help to have baby checked most rashes can only be diagnosed after seeing. However, if the rash is on areas that sweat a lot it can be heat rash. In this heat try not to overdress the baby.
    additional info on how to take care of your baby in the heat; Baby can be bathed. Cool environment.
    If it’s hot for an adult it’s also hot for the baby.
    Ensure hydration. If breastfeeding ensure feeding on demand. If the child is older give more fluids.

 

  1. My baby who is one month old is fed on formula and breast milk and his stool seems hard and it’s hard for him to pass stool.
    Formula milk may make some babies stool a bit hard. If possible, feed more on breast milk. It digests easier. There are some relief suppositories that can be prescribed by a doctor to relief if the baby is unable to pass stool.

 

  1. Okay. Is there like a permanent way of controlling sinus infections? A baby who’s going to school and is exposed to various triggers every day.

 

Those infections are called upper respiratory infections and will unfortunately get those when in contact with other children and they transmit to each other.
Flu vaccines helps to some extent. But the bright side they will outgrow.

 

  1. My little one has atopic dermatitis are there any foods in particular we should avoid?

Different foods have different and varied allergenic potential. So, baby has to go through an elimination process. Proteins like egg white and fish and peanuts are highly allergenic. There is also a service where a baby can go through allergen testing.

Re: Allergen testing the skin is subjected to a variety of allergens and an observation is done on the reaction to each. Usually is done by an allergy specialist.

 

  1. Is it normal for a baby to prefer one boob over the other and totally refuse to take? What could be the cause?

Yes, it is possible. There are varied reasons with the most common being the shape of the nipple and how fast and house easy it is to obtain milk during breastfeeding from that particular breast.

It would help to start with that ‘unpopular’ breast. And always ensuring its emptied to ensure constant milk supply.

 

  1. My baby’s legs and hands tend to feel a bit cold or cool to the touch while the rest of the body is warm. Is it normal?

This could be a way of getting rid of excessive heat. It also happens when a baby has a fever. Check the baby’s temperature.

 

  1. My baby has been having kikohozi since birth and it does not seem to go away. He is now three months. What should I do?

The baby needs evaluation by a pediatrician.

 

Got any baby related questions? Feel free to ask in the comment section of our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!