HEALTHFIRSTAF: DO YOU KNOW THAT CANCER IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE; L...

HEALTHFIRSTAF: DO YOU KNOW THAT CANCER IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE; L...:    Cancer is a disease that affect millions . Once diagnosed of the disease, people often feel it is a death sentence.  It is a misconcepti...

DO YOU KNOW THAT CANCER IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE; LEARN MORE.

   Cancer is a disease that affect millions . Once diagnosed of the disease, people often feel it is a death sentence. 
It is a misconception. About 80 percent of cancers are curable. The treatment and cure of cancer is easy when detected early. It is easily treatable and curable due to age, person's underlying health condition  and a person's lifestyle in most cases. A person who has uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension will have less chances of being cured than a person who has no underlying health issue. An elderly above 80 years will have less chances than, a 30 years old with no underlying health issue. A smoker and alcoholic will have less chances of survival. Fighting cancer is all about early diagnosis, not ignoring your symptoms, yearly checks with your doctor, eating and living healthy.
     

CANCER IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE.

HEALTHFIRSTAF: Q-TIPS UNHEALTHY WAY TO CLEAN YOUR EARS

HEALTHFIRSTAF: Q-TIPS UNHEALTHY WAY TO CLEAN YOUR EARS:     Q-tips is one of the most inexpensive household item. A lot of people  clean their ears with Q-tips. Anytime you clean your ears with Q-...

Q-TIPS UNHEALTHY WAY TO CLEAN YOUR EARS

    Q-tips is one of the most inexpensive household item. A lot of people  clean their ears with Q-tips. Anytime you clean your ears with Q-tips, you do harm to your ears. The human ear has a mechanism by which it cleans itself deep inside. Q-tips pushes the wax or dirt deep down the ear  where it can naturally clean  out its self. The more a person uses Q-tips , the more dirt is pushed down the ear, that may eventually plug the ears and cause some hearing loss.
     The use of Q-tips can also cause harm to the ear canal by causing wound. The wound may get infected by bacteria that  may cause ear infection and severe pain.
         Follow my blog next week on safer ways to clean your ears.
 

Do not stick Q-tips inside your ears

HEALTHFIRSTAF: EASY WAYS TO INCLUDE EXERCISE AS PART OF YOUR DAIL...

HEALTHFIRSTAF: EASY WAYS TO INCLUDE EXERCISE AS PART OF YOUR DAIL...:     Exercise is one of the easiest way to prevent heart disease. Due to busy lifestyle , quite a number of people find it difficult to exerc...

EASY WAYS TO INCLUDE EXERCISE AS PART OF YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

   Exercise is one of the easiest way to prevent heart disease. Due to busy lifestyle , quite a number of people find it difficult to exercise.
Here are some tips , to help you include exercise as part of your everyday routine;
  1, Take the stairs instead of the elevator, if you do not have breathing problems or if your body can take it. The fewer the number of stairs the better.

2, Take walks with your friend, spouse or loved ones in cool weather. You can take walks about 2 to 3 times a week. It is a lot of fun to take walks with people close to you. You talk all the way and may not even realise you have walked quite a distance.

3,When you go to out, park far away from your destination and walk down.

4, Try to do your own gardening.

5, Clean around the house. Shovel your snow in the winter.

6, If you have  a job that you sit all day, trying getting up from your chair to  get something, like papers, staplers , paper clips etc. People who work sitting down  have tendencies to reach for things in by wheeling themselves in their chairs.

Making these tips as part of your life style will go a long way to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. You do not need vigorous exercises always to keep fit.
      

HEALTHFIRSTAF: THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO WHEN WITH STOMACH PAIN AN...

HEALTHFIRSTAF: THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO WHEN WITH STOMACH PAIN AN...:    Stomach pain and vomiting are usually signs and symptoms of underlying issues. After episodes of vomiting caused by stomach pain, it is n...

THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO WHEN YOU HAVE STOMACH PAIN AND VOMITTING

   Stomach pain and vomiting are usually signs and symptoms of underlying issues. After episodes of vomiting caused by stomach pain, it is normal to feel hungry and thirsty due to dehydration. Do not attempt to drink while you are still actively vomiting, because it will make you vomit more. Avoid eating regular food right after vomiting and stomach pain. Your stomach lining is still  very irritated . Eating regular food right after will make your pain return or worsen the pain and increase vomiting .This may lead to hospitalization.
    Once you get relief from stomach pain and vomiting, try sipping on clear fluids bit by bit for a while, like apple juice or any juice with low acid content or water. If able to tolerate clear fluids then progress to thick fluids like soup. This helps your stomach to gradually regain normal function. Make sure to reintroduce all intake very slowly. Once you are able to keep thick fluids down, then you can start normal foods gradually. This may take a day or two. Follow up with your doctor for vomiting that lasts more than one day or more than 3 episodes of large amount of vomit.

Vomiting cartoon man

THE AMOUNT OF SALT CONSUMPTION ACTUALLY DETRIMENTAL TO THE BLOOD PRESSURE

   Salt is something we almost cannot do without in our daily lives. Salt is consumed in different forms like  in table salt, in processed foods and in natural foods. Salt is an essential mineral we need  to live, it  becomes harmful when  consumed in excess.       
The  recommended amount of salt for daily function is 2300mg/day  (1 tsp.) for anyone over 2 years, and 1500mg(3/4tsp.)  /day  for people living with kidney disease, diabetes , heart failure, blacks ,adults over 51years old, and those with family history of hypertension.
    When salt is consumed above the recommended dose and in excess, it causes the body to retain water. Due to excess water in the body the blood volume increases, which causes the heart to require more and higher pressure to pump it to the rest part of the body thereby raising the blood pressure. Excessive salt consumption, causes the blood vessels to become thicker and smaller, making it difficult for blood to pass through normally, except with a higher pressure. This deprives the body  from getting proper blood flow that provides it with nutrients and oxygen.

The blood pressure police  and the salt.

DRASTIC WEIGHT LOSS CAN CAUSE HARM TO YOUR BODY

     The global awareness about obesity and its danger, has led many into finding the best  and quickest ways to lose weight.  Many lose weight progressively, through proper meal planning and exercising. While some have tried to lose weight by taking diet pills, drastically reducing their daily calories and starvation. These will lead to drastic weight loss. Drastic weight loss will cause harm to the body. The safest and recommended weight loss per week is 1 to 2lbs anything over this is drastic weight loss. It poses risk of muscle loss and wastage. When you lose weight too quickly, you do not loose fat initially but water and tissues. It is hard to burn too much fat within a short period. It lowers the body’s metabolism and increases risk  of getting diabetes The body undergoes a lot of  stress during drastic weight loss. A person may begin to experience headaches, dizziness, weakness and fatigue. It leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which is a life threatening condition.

Do not try to lose weight too quickly

 

 

THE DANGEROUS EFFECT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OFTEN IGNORED

            The dangers of high blood pressure are often ignored. Due to the nature of the disease , that does not show immediate signs and symptoms in most cases. High blood pressure or hypertension if not treated,  can lead to worse  health issues. The more complex a health issue the more expensive and more difficult they become to  treat.

       1, Due to the high pressure with which the heart pumps blood in a person with high blood     pressure, the blood vessels may develop a bulge and weak spots making them more likely to burst. Depending on where this bulge occurs and bursts’ overtime, maybe in the abdomen or the brain. A person may die suddenly due to the bursting of blood vessels, if immediate medical attention is not received.

2, Hypertension puts strain on the heart leading to hypertensive heart disease and coronary artery disease. It affects the ability of the heart to pump blood to meet the body’s demand leading to heart failure.

3, Hypertension causes strain on the heart which also leads to   strain on the blood vessels, causing strokes or heart attack which may cause sudden death. It causes the buildup of plaques that causes strokes and heart attacks. Hypertension is the cause of 50% of certain strokes and increases risk of stroke. It is the single  most important risk factor for stroke.

4, The heart may become enlarged and weakened due to hypertension, because it has to work harder to pump blood in hypertensive persons. At this stage a person will begin to experience heart failure.

5, The blood vessels may clog more easily leading to heart attack, stroke or kidney failure due to lack of sufficient blood flow to the kidneys.

      6, Hypertension can decrease a person’s life span if not properly managed.
    
      7, It can also lead to loss of vision.

 

DO NOT HOLD YOUR PEE (URINE)

Urine is a waste product from the kidneys .When the urine waste in the bladder gets to a certain  amount, the brain send signals to the body to expel urine through urination or peeing. When urine  is held for too long , it does  harm to the bladder and  kidneys. When the bladder is overstretched with holding pee for too long, it may loose its elasticity. When urine stays too long in the bladder it may cause a bladder infection, which may also lead to infection of the  kidneys. When the bladder gets too full, urine  may begin to back up into the kidneys (imagine something meant to be waste product going back to the body), it may cause kidney infection and over time may cause kidney damage. A  problem is created when there is not supposed to be one. When the kidneys becomes infected it may lead to serious health issues, because of  its vitality.


Holding your pee can damage to your bladder and your kidneys

WAYS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

    As we know our immune system is our body’s natural antibiotics

and defense. It is important for us to preserve our immunity by

cultivating healthy habits and life styles like:

EXERCISING: This is the most important part of healthy living. It

should be part of life style and routine. Exercising equips your

immune system to fight against foreign invaders.

PROPER AND HEALTHY DIET: Avoid too much red meat. Cook

meats thoroughly if you must eat them. Bacteria tend to grow

easily on meat but cannot survive high temperatures, hence

thorough cooking of meat kills bacteria. Avoid processed foods if

possible, because of their high sugar, salt and chemical content.

Eat foods high in fibre, vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND REST: Break down your task. Live a very

organised lifestyle. Get some rest whenever you are  tired. Avoid

being unnecessarily busy. These help to decrease your stress level.

BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO FIGHT OFF  GERMS AND INFECTION

HABITS AND LIFESTYLE THAT CAN INCREASE YOUR RISK OF HYPERTENSION

  Millions of people worldwide live with hypertension than any other disease. The older a person gets the more susceptible they become to a disease, if they live  unhealthy lifestyle.  The factors that puts a person at risk for developing hypertension are;

OBESITY:  The more a person weighs the more blood flow they need to supply oxygen and nutrients to their tissues and vital organs. As

The volume of blood circulated through the blood vessels increase, so does the pressure inside the blood vessel (arteries) increase thereby causing the blood pressure to rise.

SMOKING: Smoking makes the body unable to circulate blood properly due to the nicotine contained in cigarette, thereby raising the blood pressure.

INCREASE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: Having more than two drinks per day can cause hypertension by activating a person’s adrenergic nervous system, causing tightening of the blood vessels and simultaneously increasing the blood pressure and heart rate. Alcohol excites a person’s nervous system, which causes the blood vessels to tighten up, thereby making the blood require more force or pressure to pass through the blood vessels.

STRESS: High level of stress can lead to a temporary but dramatic increase in blood pressures. Negative emotions are  also considered stressors to the body, like sadness,  anger and rage.

LACK OF EXERCISES: Lack of exercises increases the risk of being overweight, thereby making a person be at risk. Exercises increases blood flow through all the blood vessels which leads to release of cytokines that relax blood vessels which in turn lowers blood pressure.

INCREASE SALT INTAKE: Too much salt in a diet can cause the body to retain fluid and also cause the blood vessels to constrict (tightens) thereby increasing blood pressure.

FAMILY HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION: Hypertension may run in some families. It may be hereditary. If you have a family history, take steps to prevent yourself from becoming hypertensive through healthy living and exercises.

 

 

HEADACHES YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT

    Many people suffer from one form of headache or the other all over the world. Some times headaches are caused  by stress, sinus  infection, fever, and lack of sleep. These are normal headaches we should not be worried about. They usually subside with rest, sleep and medication. However, there are some headaches that are abnormal. Any new, severe and sudden headache like you have never felt, that quickly gets worse. Headaches that cause dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting. A headache that starts slow and gets worse slowly over several weeks. Headaches accompanied with neck pain. Headaches with visual disturbances, either blurry vision or double vision. Sudden headache like you have not experienced  before while walking or after exercising.
If you or your family members are experiencing these types of headaches, go to your doctor immediately.

UNUSUAL HEADACHES

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM:HABITS THAT WEAKEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

       Your immune system is a vital part of your health and daily living. There are everyday habits and lifestyles we may not be aware of, that can weaken our immune system. Some of these  are; 

1.       Lack of sleep or inadequate sleep: Adults need between 6 to 8 hrs of sleep every day and children need 10 to 12 hrs of sleep. Inadequate amount of sleep will weaken the immune system.

2.        Unhealthy Diet: Not eating balanced meals consisting of all the nutrients the body needs to function, will weaken the immune system. Inadequate nutrition put the body under physiological stress. Avoid processed food as much as you can. If you cannot abstain from them, eat them rarely.

3.       Stress: Any form of stress weakens the body’s defense. Stress can be emotional, physical, mental or physiological.

4.       Smoking: It depresses antibodies and cells that are in the body to protect against foreign invaders.

5.       Alcohol: Excessive alcohol consumption impedes the immune system’s ability to fight infections and diseases.

6.       Antibiotics abuse: see previous post on antibiotics abuse and how it affects your immune system.

 

7.       Excessive consumption of processed sugar : When refined sugar is consumed in excess,  the ability of the white blood cells to kill germs is reduced  by 40%.

 
 8.    AIDS: HIV virus depresses the immune system.

Habits that weakens your immune system.

WAYS YOU CAN FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE HYPERTENSION.

     In many cases a person may not know they have hypertension as they may not experience any symptom. Hence it is called the “silent killer”.

Some people may experience headaches at the back of their head, especially in the morning. Some may feel lightheaded, vertigo (spinning sensation), buzzing in the ears, altered vision and fainting spells.Hypertension may only be detected through screening (blood pressure check) or seeking help/medical care for unrelated illness or symptoms.It can also be detected through routine checkup.

Diagnosis of hypertension is established when 3 separate blood pressure measurements with one month interval is greater than or equals to 140/90.During the diagnostic period, be sure that you nurse or doctor checks your blood pressure manually and also on both arms.

    Avoid using electronic blood pressure device during initial diagnosis, as some of them may malfunction. You can start or continue using electronic machines once you know your baseline, then you can compare manual readings and electronic readings. The range difference between both readings should not  be greater  than 10mmhg on both the systolic  (Upper number) and the diastolic  (Lower number). If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above or you have a family history of hypertension,  get yourself checked.

HYPERTENSION DIAGNOSIS

SOME EBOLA FACTS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF

The globe is currently experiencing an EBOLA pandemic. There are some facts about EBOLA virus that may  not be  displayed as much as  the symptoms .EBOLA cannot be spread through air, water or food. Once some one recovers from EBOLA, they are no longer contagious. The virus maybe in the semen for up to 3 months. As we all know , EBOLA  is transmitted through direct contact with body fluids, like faeces, urine, vomit, breast milk,  saliva and semen of an infected person. Protect yourself against this deadly virus, through proper hygiene and hand washing. Keep your immune system strong by getting enough rest and eating properly. Abstain from infected people except you have received special training on how to protect yourself.

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

The environment we live in, is one where germs and bugs easily thrive. It is impossible to completely eradicate these germs .The reason people  do not get sick from these germs , is because the immune system protects the body against them. The immune system is the body's natural defense against foreign bodies or germs. It is the body's natural antibiotics. It is very important to preserve the immune system. It can either be  boosted  or busted through life styles and habits .Healthy habits, healthy immune system and  unhealthy habits, unhealthy immune. What are your habits or lifestyle?
Find out more on "Habits and life styles that will bust or destroy your immune system " on next week's blog about "Your  immune system".

CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION

CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION

Hypertension can have primary or secondary causes.

PRIMARY CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION:

90%-95% of hypertension are primary which means they have no underlying cause.

Primary cause may be genetic, life style , obesity, and physical inactivity.

Genetic in the sense that a person’s parents or relative may have hypertension.

Life style: Lack of healthy eating and smoking.

Obesity/ overweight: when a person is overweight or obese, he/she is at risk for developing hypertension.

Physical inactivity: Lack of exercises

 

SECONDARY CAUSES OF HYPERTENSION.

In this case hypertension is caused by underlying conditions like kidney disease, blood vessel disease and conditions that affect the endocrine system like thyroid problems.