Category Archives : HEALTH

One of the structures that can cause “make” and unmake” one’s face is he nose, hence one of the beautiful methods is a “nose job”. 

The nose also enables you to breathe, determines your ability to smell, and protects you from infection by filtering the air you breathe in. The nose also moistens and warms the air entering the lungs and determines to an extent the quality of your voice. These functions are often over looked until something goes wrong. We then suddenly realize we cannot breathe freely and cannot perceive odours. One of such conditions is BLEEDING FROM THE NOSE. 

Nosebleed is commonly from the front of the nose called the Little’s area; the area has a lot of blood vessels which help to normalize the air entering our body.  Occasionally it could be from the back of the nose but this is more common in the elderly. 

Nose bleed could be very scary but it is rarely fatal, most of nose bleeds could be managed at home.

1.Nose blowing
Trying to clear the nostrils by nose blowing can cause the rupture of blood vessels in the Little’s area resulting in a nose bleed.

2.Cold dry air
When the air we breathe in is cold and dry, the blood vessels in the nose become fragile and bleeding occurs easily.

3.Injuries to the nose.
The nose can easily be injured in a fight, road traffic accident and several other mishaps; the bone of the nose or/and the soft part (cartilage) of the nose can be broken in any of the above. The result is a nose bleed.

4.Hypertension
Nose bleed may be the first symptom of high blood pressure in an adult. When blood pressure is very high, it can rupture some blood vessels in the nose. 

5.Diseases.
Apart from high blood pressure and cancer of the nose, other diseases that can cause nosebleed include inherited blood diseases (blood clotting disorder and platelet disorders) which affect blood clotting; that means bleeding generally is more common and does not stop easily; these diseases  are rare but do occur. Some other diseases that can cause nosebleed include liver disease, and kidney disease.


6.Tumors of the nose
A rare cause of nosebleed is cancer of the nose 

7.Pregnancy
Pregnancy could lead to increase in blood pressure due to increase in blood volume; this in addition to hormonal changes (oestrogen and progesterone) can cause nose bleed.  

8.Drugs
Certain drugs such as cocaine and some nasal drops used to reduce nasal discharge can cause nose bleed. They dry up the nostrils and make the blood vessels more fragile. Blood thinning drugs such as warfarin and aspirin can also cause nosebleed.  

9.Colds/allergic rhinitis
The common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat characterized by repeated sneezing and running nose. When severe, it could be accompanied by nose bleed. This could be due to increased blood supply to the little’s area owing to the resultant inflammation.
The same could be said of allergic rhinitis; the nose runs copiously and there is repeated sneezing as a reaction to pollen, paint fumes and some other irritants, even the common insecticide used to kill mosquitoes.

Ebola fever is highly contagious and has a high death rate, about nine out of ten persons affected die if untreated. It comes into the human population through contact with the blood, secretions, meat and other body fluids of infected animals. It can also happen when animals with the disease (dead or alive) are handled by human beings. These animals include chimpanzee, gorillas, monkeys, fruit bats and antelopes.

Once it enters the human population, it then spreads from person to person through contact with the blood, saliva, nasal discharge, sweat, urine, tears and semen of the infected persons. Even poor handling of bodies of persons who died from the disease also help in the spread.

Being present in certain locations can increase the chance of getting infected.  Some of these locations are listed below.

1. Hospitals

Several germs (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) abound in a hospital environment. Consequently several infections could be contracted by hospital workers, those on admission

and those who come to visit a hospital. There is a name for this type of infection.

Being highly contagious, Ebola virus infection can easily be contracted by those who frequent hospital. Apart from instruments if poorly sterilized, other sources include hands of health workers, toilets, door handles, beddings and hospital furniture-bed railings, bed-side lockers, over-bed tables etc.

Persons are advised to thoroughly wash their hands from elbow to finger tips with soap and water after a visit to a hospital.

2. Public Transport System

By public transport, we are talking of buses, rail, planes, and taxis. Sick people do travel around until they are unable to move freely. Crowded buses, taxis and rail couches are fertile grounds for Ebola transmission:–people sneeze and sweat a lot during these journeys. Even in air travel, transmission can occur; hence some airlines in Nigeria now spray the interior of the plane with germicide before take-off.

3. Schools

One of the fertile grounds for transmission is a school; even with 35 pupils in a class, infection is very possible. Children are susceptible to little wounds in school and for fear of treatment may not tell the parents or teacher.  Besides they sweat a lot from playing and have very poor hand hygiene. Consequently if just one child contracts Ebola, several children will come down with it.

No wonder states in Nigeria have been advised to delay resumption. Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone have closed their schools for the time being.

4. Banks

Banking transactions entail placing hands on counters; if these were previously used by someone with the disease (Ebola) and were not sanitized, the next user may contract the

Banks are advised to regularly clean their counters with sanitizer.

5. Religious Houses

Ebola infection can easily be contracted in churches and mosques; there is a lot of handshakes, hand-holding, embrace and cheek to cheek greeting. Some churches have banned the mandatory hand shake during service for now, others have asked those from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to remain in their countries until further notice, no pilgrimage, no convention; this is highly commendable.

But we still have the problem of some fanatics who believe they are covered by the blood of Jesus and so cannot be infected even if they shook hands with an infected person. My position is that they should not drag the name of Jesus into this, God helps those who help themselves.

We should follow the above instructions by religious houses; besides once we get home from worship we should wash our hands thoroughly with soap and water or use a sanitizer once we exit the house of worship; one sanitizer should always be in the bag or car.

6. Social Gatherings

Social gatherings include marriages, birthdays, burials, meetings, any other type of party and political rallies, jamboree etc. These are all fertile grounds for contracting Ebola fever. They should be avoided as much as possible for now. If you must attend, carry your sanitizer, do not be ashamed to use it when necessary and once you get home wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. You could bring death to yourself and your family if you do not.

One of the structures that can cause “make” and unmake” one’s face is the nose, hence one of the beautiful methods is a “nose job”. 
The nose also enables you to breathe, determines your ability to smell, and protects you from infection by filtering the air you breathe in. The nose also moistens and warms the air entering the lungs and determines to an extent the quality of your voice. These functions are often over looked until something goes wrong. We then suddenly realize we cannot breathe freely and cannot perceive odours. One of such conditions is BLEEDING FROM THE NOSE. 
Nose bleeding in children is commonly from the front of the nose called the Little’s area; the area has a lot of blood vessels which help to normalize the air entering our body.  Occasionally it could be from the back of the nose but this is more common in adults. 

Nose bleed could be very scary but it is rarely fatal, most of nose bleeds could be managed at home.

In this write up, we are considering persons aged 0-12 years.

1.Severe Fever
Severe fever with temperature over 101 degrees F. or 38 degrees Celsius can cause nose bleed in children. In our environment this fever could be due to malaria, pneumonia, measles, or several other infectious diseases. 

2.Colds/allergic rhinitis
The common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat characterized by repeated sneezing and running nose. When severe, it could be accompanied by nose bleed. This could be due to increased blood supply to the little’s area owing to the resultant inflammation.
The same could be said of allergic rhinitis; the nose runs copiously and there is repeated sneezing as a reaction to pollen, paint fumes and some other irritants, even the common insecticide used to kill mosquitoes. 

3.Nose blowing
Trying to clear the nostrils by nose blowing can cause the rupture of blood vessels in the Little’s area resulting in a nose bleed.

4.Nose Picking
Children often pick their nostrils, even adults do that a lot. This action can and do injure the some of the blood vessels in the Little’s area resulting in nose bleed. This is more common if the nails are sharp. 

5.Injuries to the nose due to fights, road traffic accidents, etc
The nose can easily be injured in a fight, road traffic accident and several other mishaps; the bone of the nose or/and the soft part (cartilage) of the nose can be broken in any of the above. The result is a nose bleed.

6.Foreign body in the nose.
Children are quite adventurous and inquisitive, they easily introduce foreign objects into their nose, the introduction could cause nose bleed; so also is the attempt to remove the object.

Yellow fever is common in Africa, South and Central America but surprisingly not in Asia. Why it is not found in Asia is inexplicable though racial resistance is suspected. Epidemic outbreaks have occurred from time to time in the past in Sudan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and the Gambia. For Nigerians who travel to Central and South America, the disease is found in Honduras, parts of Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. 
Yellow fever is a notifiable disease and certain countries still insist on yellow vaccination for travelers from countries where the disease is common before entry. 
Yellow fever affects man and monkeys and can spread from monkeys to man.
A full recovery from an infection confers lifelong immunity.   

1. Q. What is Yellow Fever?
    A. Yellow fever is an infectious disease of sudden onset which is characterized by fever, yellowness of the eyes, bleeding from the nose/mouth/anus, body pains, headache etc. It could be confused with Hepatitis (infection of the liver), malaria, dengue fever and even Ebola fever. Differentiation is by laboratory tests.

2. Q. What Causes Yellow Fever?
    A.It is caused by a virus which is carried by a specific type of mosquito from man to man or from monkey to man. 

3. Q. How Does Yellow Fever Spread?
    A.Yellow fever is spread by a mosquito which carries the virus from an infected person or monkey to another person. 

4. Q. When Do You Suspect You May Have Yellow Fever?
    A. The symptoms of yellow fever include sudden onset of fever, yellowness of the eyes, dark urine, bloody stool, bleeding from the nose/mouth, body pains etc. Consult a doctor if you or your family member has the symptoms above for thorough examination and laboratory investigations. 

5.Q. What Can Put You at Risk?
   A. The disease affects both children and adults, there is no age advantage. However, farmers are more at risk of the jungle type of yellow fever; the type that affects man and monkeys. 

6.Q. What are the Possible Complications of Yellow Fever?
    A.  Most infections are mild but possible complications of yellow fever include delirium, coma and death

7. Q. How can you prevent Yellow Fever infection?
    A. Prevention on personal basis is by vaccination. A vaccination against yellow fever gives protection for about 10 years effective after 10 days of the vaccination. 
Use of mosquito net is also helpful as the virus is present in the blood of the infected person in the first few days of being ill and so can be picked up by the mosquito; in fact the sick person is nursed within a mosquito-netted environment.

Studies have shown that about 70% of all cancers have association with environmental factors. These environmental factors could be physical (air, soil, water), biological (virus, bacteria, fungi, plants, animals) and/or social (lifestyle). Of all these environmental factors, lifestyle is the most important.
Exercise, smoking and excessive alcohol intake are well known associates of lung and liver cancer respectively. The relationship between diet and some cancers is also well known.

1.Diet.
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables helps ward off cancer especially cancer of the stomach, and large intestine. For fruits, citrus fruits appear specially favoured. Reduce fat intake, also limit consumption of salt and salt preserved foods. Maintain a balanced diet and exercise to maintain healthy body weight.

2.Good lifestyle.
Alcohol and tobacco have long been known to be associated with lung and liver cancers. Duration and dose of these two habits are very important. Parents should avoid smoking in the presence of children to avoid spreading the habit; same goes for alcohol intake, having a bar in the house stocked with assorted alcoholic drinks though socially desirable encourages children to drink. Creating awareness in schools about health implications of alcohol/smoking will go a long way.

3.Reduce exposure to occupational/environmental Hazards
Cancers associated with occupational exposure include those of the lungs, bladder, nose and skin. Several chemicals and chemical groups have been identified to cause cancer.
Avoid or reduce exposure to them. Use protective clothing and equipment- insist on them. These chemicals include benzene, asbestos, soot, arsenic and wood dust.
Go for regular screening for levels of the chemicals (associated with your occupation) in your body.

4.Reduce or Avoid Exposure to Radiation.
Adopt sun protective behaviour, minimise time spent under the sun; ultra violet radiation from the sun is a known cause of skin cancer, accounting for about 80% of cases. The use of protective clothing, sunglasses, hats and sunscreens is recommended. Unnecessary exposure to medical x-rays should be avoided.

5.Immunisations.
Two infections are associated with cancer; Hepatitis B infection which can lead to cancer of the liver, and Human papilloma Virus infection which is associated with cancer of the cervix. Immunisation is now available against these two infections. You can consult your physician.

6.Prevention by use of drugs.
Some drugs and micronutrients are known to reduce the risk of some cancers. The cancers include breast cancer, cancer of the large intestine, cancer of the prostate. The micronutrients are vitamins and minerals which can be taken as supplements but better obtained through regular and adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women, with over one million women developing breast cancer world-wide every year.
While it also affects men, the number is quite small compared to women. In the developed world where records are better kept, it is said that one in nine women is likely to develop breast cancer in her life time.
The good news is that breast cancer is a very treatable cancer; the cure rate is very high. Below are the available treatment regimes and the possible sequence of treatment. The treatment adopted is usually dependent on the stage of the cancer, the type of cancer and the wish of the patient.  

1. Surgery
The commonest treatment for breast cancer is surgery; this could involve just removal of the tumour and the surrounding tissue (lumpectomy) or removal of the whole breast (mastectomy) and the nodes in the armpit. The decision to do which of the two operations depends on the size of the tumour, the location of the tumour and the involvement or not of the lymph nodes in the corresponding armpit. The decision also depends on the choice of the patient for cosmetic reasons.

2. Radiotherapy.
This involves the use of x-rays to kill the cancer cells. It follows surgery, must follow removal of the tumour in the breast but may not follow the removal of the whole breast if there has been no spread to the nodes in the armpit. 
The course of radiotherapy can last up to 3-6 weeks. It is associated with manageable side-effects.

3. Hormone Therapy.
Most forms of breast cancer depend on the female hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) for growth; consequently, disrupting the activities of these hormones puts a stop to the growth of the cancer cells. 
Breast cancer cells are said to have receptor points—oestrogen receptors and progesterone receptors to which the hormone (oestrogen) gets attached to promote growth of cancer cells.
These hormones are produced in the body, hormone therapy therefore involves blocking the production of the hormones by the body or preventing the hormones from getting attached to the receptor points of the cancer cells. Drugs have been developed to achieve this.
In some cases of breast cancer, the ovaries can be removed or suppressed.     

4. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill dividing or rapidly growing cancer cells, it does not stop the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells. Many drugs are available for this purpose.
The decision to use chemotherapy or not depends on several factors including the age of patient, fitness of the patient, size of the tumour, spread of the cancer, grade of the cancer among others.
The side effects of chemotherapy are several, ranging from hair loss, low blood level, bleeding from the skin to low resistance to infections. 

5. Biologic Therapy
Apart from hormone receptors on cancer cells, some of them may have growth factors called HER receptors; there are four of such HER receptors—HER 1,2,3 and 4. The most important of these is the HER 2.
About 15-20 percent of all breast cancers has HER 2 receptors and thus relies on HER 2 for growth. Drugs have been developed to prevent the attachment of HER 2 to HER 2 receptors and thus prevent growth of the cancer cells, this prevention leads to shrinking and death of the cancer cells. 

6. Sequence of treatment.
Treatment usually stars with surgery, followed by radiotherapy and then drug treatment to kill any cancer cells in other parts of the body.
However this sequence is not cast in stone, sometimes chemotherapy follows or precedes surgery  before radiotherapy.

Fish is a major source of protein in our diet. In the riverine areas iof our country it is the main source of protein. At a time in this country it was the cheapest source of protein; okweko, kote, or simply icefish was well known. Though there may be no scientific basis for this; people who live along the river side tend to have healthier weight than those upland and to an extent, healthier skin. Like I said it may just be an observation that has not been subjected to scientific challenge.

However, fish apart from being a provider of protein which is essential for growth and development, contributes immensely to our health because it has a lot of other nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins (D and B2) and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and potassium .

Not every fish is good, some contain mercury as a contaminant which is not good for consumption. The good ones are the oily ones like sardines, salmon, kote, icefish etc.

Below are some of the gains of eating fish regularly.

1. Less risk of heart disease.

Fish has a kind of fat called omega-3, this fat prevent the blood from getting too thick, if it gets too thick then it cannot flow freely in your blood vessel and that can affect the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart leading to heart disease. This omega-3 is also said to help lower a substance in the blood called cholesterol which can narrow the blood vessels after sometime; this can also cause heart disease. This problem is reduced if you eat fish regularly.

2. Less risk of high blood pressure and stroke

When the blood is too thick, it can stop the flow of blood to a part of the brain, the result is stroke. Again, if the blood vessels are too narrow the heart finds it more difficult to pump blood through them, the heart then has to pump harder leading to high blood pressure.

Fish also contains a lot of potassium and magnesium which help to control blood pressure.

Just eat fish twice a week and the risk is reduced.

3. Less risk of joint pains

The omega –3 and phosphorus in fish help reduce the risk of joint diseases such as arthritis, also joint stiffness and bone pain. The calcium in fish also helps maintain the strength of bones.

4. Better control of diabetes

Fish gives less energy than other sources of protein such as meat and chicken in the body that is available to be converted to glucose. Thus a diabetic can eat as much fish as he or she can afford.

5. Less risk of stress

Omega-3 contained in fish is said to help protect against depression and also lowers certain chemicals in the body that are associated with stress.

6. Easy maintenance of a healthy weight.

Fish gives less energy than other sources of protein such as meat and chicken in the body, that can be stored for future use.

Excess energy is usually stored in fat cells in the body-abdomen, buttocks and thighs. The number of fat cells is almost limitless, the more the energy that is available for storage, the more the number of fat cells. Consequently those who eat a lot of fish are less likely to be obese.

Stress is a natural occurrence, no one passes through life without stressful periods, this could be due to deadlines, workload, relationships, natural disasters, death of loved ones, divorce and financial commitments. There are so many stressors in the society, some of these life events can be prevented, you can prepare your mind for some and weather the storm while the others could be ameliorated by self-control in case of unexpected natural and financial disasters.

1. Social Networking
Social Networking helps to cope with stress. Regular communications either by visit and phone calls to friends and family members are quite useful. Most useful are calls or visits to those you feel most comfortable with. Those you love and who love you in return are invaluable in stressful periods.

2. Time Management
You can prevent stress by managing your time properly. Daily activities should be appropriately spaced out. In a city where the traffic situation is terrible like Lagos, enough lead-time must be given for appointment, otherwise you find yourself racing against time and that can be very very stressful.
In developed societies where even family visits are based on appointments and traffic not chaotic, it is much easier to manage time. In Nigeria, apart from the problem of visits without appointments, there is also the problem of “African Time”, managing our time is not easy.

3. Adequate Relaxation (exercise, eat well, sleep well)
Relax by regular exercise, meditation, or yoga if you are into that. You can also relax by listening to music that is suitable for you, or watching movies. Some others relax by reading novels.
Insist on your annual leave and travel out of your town of residence, could be to the village or out of the country.
Always try to have a good night sleep.  Finally, always make time to rest and relax.

4. Good Communication
Bottling up problems builds up stress. Communicate your problems or fears to those close to you, problem shared is problem half solved.

5. Self-Control
Exercising self-control in the face of disaster helps to bring down stress or prevent stress. Taking control of self makes it easier to manage a crisis situation more effectively. It is easier to deal with stress if you have self-confidence and persevere. Always be in charge

6. Avoid over-ambition/Set achievable Targets
Anyone who is not ambitious is not fit to live, one must be ambitious but must not set unachievable goals. Attempting to achieve what is unachievable under prevailing environment is a big source of stress. You will put yourself in over-drive.
Set achievable targets and gradually raise the bar, in that way, you are unlikely to create a stressor.

7. Outlook
Pessimism can easily lead to stress. One must be optimistic, optimism helps to deal with stress. Focus on the positive things of life and always believe that tomorrow will be better.