LIVING AND EATING HEALTHY DURING THE YULETIDE

 During this season of celebration,  there will be lots of eating and drinking and while this can be a good thing, it can be bad at times.  This article would remind you of what to enjoy and what to avoid . This will be according to different categories

Diabetic patients ; Those with diabetes should be mindful of what they eat and drink.  Steer clear of alcohol, beverages with high sugar contents and also remember to constantly check your fasting blood sugar level. Consult your physician for more information.

Hypertensives; Hypertension is fast becoming a menace . People that are hypertensive should always have a lot of rest, avoid excessive alcoholic intake and avoid food with lots of salt.  Also check your blood pressure regularly.

Ulcer patients ; People with ulcer,  should always be mindful of what they take and should avoid spicy foods which can lead to the increase in the acid level . They should also take their Proton pump inhibitors along. 
 Whilst enjoying this yuletide,  everything should be taken moderately.  Avoid excessive drinking, eating and also exercise regularly 

DOG BITES, SAFETY AND FIRST AID

 Dogs are domestic animals which have been known to be friends of man for a very long time. Some use it as pets while others use it for security purposes.
 Dogs like any other wolf, can be very aggressive and inflict serious injuries to people around

DOG BITES AND RABIES 
 When a dog bites, it is advisable to meet the dog owner and inquire its health status. If the dog owner owner does not vaccinate the dog or if it is a stray dog, you may need to quarantine the dog and place it under observation. The rabies infected may die within 10 days.

The quarantine is set at 10 days because a rabies-infected animal can only transmit the disease after clinical signs have developed and once these signs have developed, the animal will die within 10 days. If the animal lives beyond the 10th day, it can be said with certainty that it was not shedding the rabies virus at the time that the bite occurred. If the animal dies before the 10th day, it can be tested for rabies. If the test is positive, a human bite victim will still have enough time to receive post-exposure vaccinations and prevent the disease. It doesn't really matter if the rabid dog bites someone or not. The rabies virus will ultimately paralyse the respiratory system and asphyxiate the dog to death in a few days (10–30 days in most cases) after the animals starts showing rabid symptoms. Hence the assumption that rabid dogs die only after biting someone is false and that it is the normal course of the disease which results in the death of the rabid animal.

First Aid following a dog bite should go in the following steps:

1. Ensure that the victim and you the first aider are safe from another attack by the offending dog. Safety first. We don't want to have two or more victims instead of one. One is bad enough.

2. Quickly ascertain from the victim or those who witnessed the dog bite attack whether it was a provoked or unprovoked bite. Rabid dogs bite people even when unprovoked. It goes on a biting spree like a vampire in Blade: Starring Wesley Snipes and Triple H.

3. The first aider should try and examine the victim for dog bite sites. He or she should also try to classify the bite as category one( Intact skin) , category two (bruised skin) and or category three ( broken skin ). The veterinarian would perform a more detailed classification.

4. Try to reassure the bite victim, and keep a confident attitude along with a calm voice. Not all bites are death sentences, yet no bite incident is to be treated with kid gloves.

5. Attend to the wound if it is category two or three by washing the bite site with soap and clean water copiously. Let the water run over the wound from a height. Best if it is hosed down. This is to remove a lot of bacteria contained in the wound from the victim's skin and clothing, and from the offending dog's mouth (teeth, tongue, gums, saliva which would contain the rabies virus if the dog was rabid) and claws. 

6. Next disinfect with potent household antiseptic disinfectants like Dettol.

7. If you have Hydrogen peroxide, apply a solution of it unto the wound.

8. As soon as is possible, report with the victim to the nearest Veterinarian, Veterinary Clinic or a Hospital.

9. If the dog is yours or a neighbour's ensure it is quarantined until veterinary and medical investigations are concluded. Furnish the Vet or Physician with the dog's anti rabies vaccination status.

10. Follow your doctor's counsel and present the victim and offender as requested by the Vet or Physician.

11. A first aider could be a witness in a law Court following a dog bite case. So it is important to write down what happened in your diary or first Aider's report immediately after the incident.


Thanks. You might just have saved a human life and prevented an offending dog from being killed by a mob

 While it is good to have a dog, it is also important to vaccinate it regularly and also avoid stray dogs as they have no training and are mostly very aggressive .

Contributions from Dr Tagwi balami

THE TRUTH ABOUT EATING LATE

 Africans are known to eat late and this is because they spend most of the day trying to make a living.  We return late Friday work and eat late.  We are talking about the importance of eating early.

Reduce Gastric Ulcer
 Gastric ulcer is associated with heartburn.  In the evening, people always tend to eat high calorie food with no little nutritional value.  One way to avoid heartburn is to avoid large and fatty meals, late at night.  Eating early enables the food to digest quickly and properly.  This reduces the risk of acidic stomach contents going back to the oesophagus. This is known as 'acidic reflux ' . It often accompanies heartburn.  Lying down after eating causes heartburn. Leave a little time between dinner and bedtime.  This helps a whole lot.

Better Sleep
 Heartburn is caused by eating near bedtime.  This causes abdominal discomfort.  Eating early ensures digestion and a good sleep. 
 While eating early is important, the importance of eating a balanced diet cannot be overemphasized.

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS AND THE UNDERLYING FACTS

   Today,  millions of women take the emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) without the proper knowledge of it.  In this article,  facts about the ECPs will be stated
   The ECPs are tablets taken which can prevent pregnancy when taken up to 120hours after unprotected sexual intercourse . Examples of ECPs are postpill,  postinor2. An ECP should be taken as soon as possible after sex. The sooner they are taken after sexual exposure, the more the chances of preventing unwanted pregnancy.
 
   Some facts about the ECPs are stated thus:

•  ECPs are taken for emergencies and not for frequent usage. It is advisable not to take an ECP more than twice monthly.
• ECPs are available in health facilities and pharmacies
• There is a risk of ECP failure when used as a contraceptive repeatedly.  Contact your physician to give you more information on contraceptives and make your choice.
• ECPs do not stop or prevent sexually transmitted infections
• Taking ECPs prevents pregnancy only from sexual exposure that occurred a few days before
• They would not protect you if you take it before the sexual exposure . Kindly refer to your physician to let you know your options.
• ECPs can cause

1) Headaches
2) Abdominal pains
3) Nausea
4) Changes in menstrual cycle pattern
 These symptoms are completely normal.  Do not panic !

  
    Having said this, I must lay emphasis on the fact that ECPs are not contraceptives.  Talk to your physician today !

LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND DEPRESSION

   The world can be very intimidating as everything about the life of others can sometimes make us think less of ourselves.

   Almost everyone has something that they are ashamed of. It ranges from their background, their weight, disability, wealth, intelligence, their skin and even down to the way they speak. With the advent of social media, it has reached the top echelon as people are on a daily basis being intimidated because of what they see. The lives of people are being portrayed to be perfect as the people post pictures in luxurious places with all the good things of life and this makes people go into depression.
   When people are depressed it becomes very worrisome as they feel very useless and waste useful energy thinking. Some people go into the use of drugs to ease their pain. The truth that people do not know, is that behind the perfect lives they see, there are imperfections that they struggle with everyday.


   Depression is real and has eaten deep into the lives of people. I had a sickler who was always depressed and I showed her another who was living her best life.  Despite our imperfections, we can always make the best out of everything.  Do not be deceived by what you see on the gram!  They are fake.  Use every useful time and energy to build and develop you.  Do not make unnecessary comparisons as we all have different lives.  A wise man once told me  "follow your lane,  Na only your motor go know " .

HOW OFTEN DO YOU CHECK YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE?

   You have these serious headache, you are restless, you have sleepless nights. High blood pressure develops over the course of several years. Usually, you don't notice any symptoms, high blood pressure can cause damage to your blood vessels and organs, especially the brain, heart, eye and can eventually lead to a stroke .

   Narrow arteries increase resistance. The narrower your arteries are, the higher your blood pressure will be. High blood pressure can be controlled but you need to check your blood pressure regularly as hypertensive medications are modified with time .
   It was once said that said that blood pressure occurs averagely in people over years. However, young people now suffer from the condition. Visit your physician today! '' USE THE SPHYG AND GET OUT OF THE RING!''

checking the blood pressure

THE ENEMY CALLED PAIN AND THE SISTER SELF MEDICATION

   When pain comes, you cry and you try. Your head pounds and you try. Your head pounds, there is a sound. It whispers slowly to you “Take the pill and be chill’’. That is the genesis of the epidemic that has eaten deep into our system. The new norm called SELF MEDICATION

    At one point in our lives, we have self medicated without even knowing! Drugs are abused on a daily basis and the story always ends with regret

   Some weeks back, a patient took her diabetic medication while fasting and she was rushed to the pharmacy where I work. She was so weak! The pharmacist wanted to help. He was so worried and told them to rush her to the teaching hospital but she was taken to a ‘quack’ who poses as a nurse some streets away.  I called the next day to inquire about her condition and I was told that she was no more! It was very obvious that the lady did not know the importance of regularly checking her blood sugar level and did not also inform her physician that she was fasting. This also happens when you are hypertensive and do not check your blood pressure regularly but you keep taking anti-hypertensive medication

   In our society today, there are a lot of things we do without knowing the repercussions that emanate. They are enumerated and elucidated below.

v    Not completing given dose when we are sick; most people do not complete the dose of the drugs given because they feel better after a while. Most antibiotic drugs need to be taken for a minimum of five days this ensures that the organism does not form any kind of resistance to the drug. Most people in Nigeria take antibiotics like ‘ampiclox’, ‘lincomycin’ and others and abuse these drugs so much and this has caused a lot of damages to the people who engage in this behavior

v Searching for symptoms and seeking solutions online; most people go online and check the symptoms they have and try to read about them. Most of the people who do this, do not suffer from the problems and go ahead to take these drugs and because of the bad dispensing rules in Africa, they consume these drugs without even taking the proper dosage. Someone once took ‘ketoconazole’ for the wrong ailment and took it for an extended period until he had a liver problem. He was asked why he was taking them and he said that he saw the drug online.

v Addiction to substances; most people are really addicted to substances and drugs without knowing the repercussion that arises when you constantly take these drugs. Codeine, tramadol, rohypnol, diclofenac, alcohol and others are being abused daily without knowing the effect. A fifteen year old sickler sees ‘pentazocine’ as nothing as he always injects himself without knowing the adverse effect of the continuous use of the drug

   The problem of self medication is still far from being over as doctors and physicians hardly care for their patients as they toggle between the public hospitals and their private clinics and pharmacies. Most pharmacies in Nigeria lack the presence of a pharmacist. We owe it to ourselves to stop this epidemic. SAY NO TO SELF MEDICATION AND DRUG ABUSE