Monday 21 January 2019

STOP BUYING HERBAL MEDICATIONS IN A BUS

Some weeks ago,  I was traveling back and saw a group of people hawking orthodox medicine and I thought I'd seen it all.HERE

  The journey started and I put on my headphones and was trying to rest my head, when I heard people clapping and singing.  I thought the man was the regular prayer leader who normally led the prayers for safety, admonishes the passengers and asked for offerings or pleaded for their ministries to be supported.  The prayers ended and he started talking to the passengers. My headphones were still on, I noticed the lady beside me was bursting out with laughter.  I noticed that he was engaging the crowd. He made jokes about virtually everything. He talked about politics, the church, said some very ancient quotes and adages. I knew something was wrong!  No one just wakes up and decides to crack things as little as a joke to passengers.  He kept on talking and finally talked about health.  He talked about different ailments with very little knowledge on the ailments . He said a whole lot of wrong things and said it very boldly.  He had so much hatred for the orthodox medicine and for the medical physicians. He then brought out a bag.
  He brought out different substances and leaves and claimed to have cures for every form of disease. He also claimed to know how to treat all forms of ulcer and sexually transmitted diseases.  I will be highlighting why most herbal medicines are not to be trusted.
They are not regulated.
  These drugs are not regulated by the necessary regulatory bodies such as NAFDAC and as such are not reliable. In some cases they do have a registration number but the body warns that the claims of the drugs have not been verified.

They are toxic
 The seller had something like methanol and claimed that it could cure tooth pains and decay.  It was to be applied with a cotton wool.  The said substance could clean an ink on a glass very neatly. These chemicals go straight to the liver and are toxic hence causing lots of harm to the people taking the medication.  Also note that the sellers do not talk about the side effects or the drugs interactions with what we eat or drink.
  While we are always seeking for solutions to our various problems, we have to be careful.  Stat hydrated, see your physician today!

Sunday 13 January 2019

THAT ROADSIDE DRUG HAWKER CAN KILL YOU

 Nigerians put their lives at risk in a lot of ways. One of the many ways is taking non-prescription drugs.
 On a hot day , I took a bus.  Whilst waiting for the passengers to come on board,  I saw some men hawking some drugs and then I saw people buying drugs from them.  They asked "Aboki you get TM? " He nodded and looked round,  dipped his hand in his box and handed it to them.  It was really sad to see that drugs which were supposed to be controlled,  where flooding the streets . In this article,  I will be highlighting the downsides of buying drugs from street hawkers.  The reasons  are enumerated below.

 Improper storage of drugs.
  Most people buy drugs without knowing much about them.  Buying a drug from a reputable pharmacy  however,  protects you from buying drugs that may have not been properly stored . Some drugs require room temperature , whilst some need to be refrigerated . The street drug hawker has little or no knowledge on the storage of drugs and may eventually sell you a bad drug due to bad storage of the drug.

 They may be fake
 Most drugs sold on the streets or drugs being hawked, are not regulated and this causes a lot of worries as we do not know how they source for their drugs.  Most hawkers get expired drugs,  repackage it and sell to the public at ridiculously cheap prices.  That drug on the road is most likely fake .
They lack proper dispensing knowledge
  Most drug hawkers have no knowledge on drugs and have no idea as to how it reacts to the body.  They give drugs without knowing the prior medical condition of the person they are selling to.  They lack knowledge on the side effects of the drugs.  They can cause a lot of problems to you.  For example,  drugs with sodium are not good for hypertensive patients , most analgesic are acidic and triggers ulcer . Some people react differently to drugs that contain sulphur.

  Drugs are poisons and must be used with caution.  Always seek professional advice and always buy your drugs from reputable pharmaceutical companies.  Always check out for the expiry date , Nafdac number and confirm with the pin if you're in doubt . Stay safe!

Monday 7 January 2019

YOUR SIGHT AND YOUR GADGET



  The eye is an essential part of the human body. Sight is life they say as it enables us see and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. The eye has a lot of protective functions which enhances improved vision.
  

The introduction of technology has created more task for the human eye and also an increased protective function against the ultra violet rays amongst others with great appreciation to the ever working presence of the cornea and lenses which are of great importance and vital structures of the eye that enhances vision.
  These two structures prevent the passage of a great amount of ultra-violet radiation allowing the very little amount to get in thereby, affecting the photo receptor cells in the eye. The ultra-violet radiations unabsorbed by the cornea and the lens are composed of blue light (blue –uv) which results in CVS or VITS.
  Computer vision syndrome or virtually induced terminal syndrome is a condition that results from focusing their eye on any media that emits blue ultra-violet radiation.

 "Blue ultra violet radiation is scientifically any radiation between 350-500 nm"

Sources of blue light
  •    sunlight
  •    computer screens
  •    Television screen
  •    Smart phone screens
  •    fluorescent light

Symptoms of CVS
  •   fatigue
  •   dizziness
  •   eye strain even when we'll rested
  •   Headaches
  •   Myopia

Long term effects of CVS
o   permanent Blindness

Prevention of CVS
 CVS can be a serious issue.  Listed below, are precautions that can be taken to avoid CVS
 Use of anti reflective lenses- they absorb all unnecessary ultra violet radiation thereby reducing the risk of visual disturbance

  Practicing the 20-20 rule - This is for those who use phones and laptops for a long period of time on a daily basis like the bankers and the ever enthusiastic youth who are always on their phones.  The rule entails looking away at an object of distance for 20 seconds or more every 20 minutes. This practice is important to avoid adaptation to nearness.
 Use of sunglasses - Anti reflective lenses are best suited to prevent CVS but for the sake of fashion as it affects the modern man, sunglasses can be used for outdoor activities 


  While we use our gadgets and other machines, it is important to take really good care and always visit your physician if you have any issue with your sight. 


contributions from Dr. Martins agukwe



Tuesday 1 January 2019

2019 IN VIEW

 Hello readers, 2018 was a great year! we touched so many topics and did a lot. Hopefully, 2019 will be better.
 In the bid to creating health awareness, we would be touching a lot of pressing issues such as drug abuse, general health education and mental awareness. Strategic collaborations will be made . Later in the year, we may add a vlog to the mix too. Offline activities will eventually come up. 
  Happy new year ! Send in your ideas and let us achieve greater things this year
Your 2019 health goals should include:

- Going for regular check-up
- Taking your drug at the right time
- Don't assume,Ask questions about your health condition & medication from your health professional(you can seek for a second/third opinion)
- Stay fit
- Eat well


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