Health Essentials
‘Kooko’ (haemorrhoids) everywhere can’t possibly be ‘kooko’
Many of us over the past year have spent hours sitting at a desk engrossed in work and may even forget to drink adequate amounts of water or even walk occasionally. We may be thinking about back and neck pain as well as other lifestyle diseases BUT this new pattern may be an invitation to a guest you would hardly have considered; haemorrhoids.
Depending on who you listen to or consult, haemorrhoids aka piles aka “kooko” may be found in every part of the body and not even our eyes will be spared. My “comrades” especially the bus-inspired “health and motivational speakers” are extremely convincing in that regard but kindly disabuse your minds from now. If it is not in the anal/rectal area then it CAN’T possibly be haemorrhoids aka kooko and that is FINAL!!
We all have haemorrhoids. Yes we do and not just one but two; an internal set and an external one. And they are found ONLY in the anal/rectal region. At all times these haemorrhoids which are a group of blood vessels remain “quiet” no bleeding, not visible. Just minding their own business, which include probably helping to maintain the integrity of the anal sphincter. In simple words haemorrhoids help to prevent one soiling himself or herself specially when you ply the slippery slope of determining if it’s liquid or gas that is attempting to escape.
Kooko is common. By age 50 most people would have had at least one challenge that makes the often quiet haemorrhoids enlarge and begin to show where power lies.
WHAT PLACES US AT RISK OF DEVELOPING KOOKO
- Genetic factors; some families have a weakness in the structure of these strategically positioned .blood vessels
- Increased venous pressure from various causes. Anything that causes pressure in the abdomen to increase
- Rectal tumours & causes for incomplete evacuation of stool
So to expand on the above; some factors we can easily associate with
- Straining, constipation and chronic diarrhoea
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Prolonged sitting especially on the potty since you unconsciously strain
- Heavy lifting
- High socioeconomic status; maybe too much refined food?
- Other family members have it
- Rectal surgery/colon cancer
- Anal intercourse
HOW MAY HAEMORRHOIDS aka KOOKO SHOW OF
- Painless bleeding from the anus
- Bright red blood splashes in toilet bowl and also on toilet paper when you clean up.
- Anal itch
- Anal pain or burning sensation
- Discomfort in the anus when sitting: causing people to perch right at the tips of their seats
- Swelling in the anus
ANY COMPLICATIONS?
- Anaemia from chronic bleeding leading to tiredness, headaches etc.
- Strangulation or clot formation both of which lead to pain
- Infection that also leads to pain and can spread through the blood stream
- Gangrene
- Prolapse; a swelling that comes out through the anus when you strain. May return on its own but as worsens it no longer “returns” even if you tried to push it back
A PRESCRIPTION WORTH TRYING
- Watch what you eat – fibre/roughage is king
- Treat your gut right; more whole fruits and vegetables, less refined foods such as white bread and white perfumed rice.
- Increase water intake
- This softens stools and reduces constipation as well
- Please the caffeinated (coffee, tea etc.) drinks cause dehydration and so do not assume they are replacing your daily water intake. Get more water!
- Exercise ; hmmmm it’s a love-hate relationship here
- Exercise makes your body healthy and easy to move your bowels but those that require you to strain e.g. as you work out with weights increase pressure within the haemorrhoids making it rear its ugly head
- Careful with laxatives but may need stool softeners
- Don’t find the urge, go if you have to go
- Please I am not advocating open defaecation. Find a convenient spot and go.
- Don’t be like those who claim their butt knows only their “pot” at home.
- Avoid straining for long periods
- If it ain’t coming maybe it’s not time and don’t assume you have to go everyday like some others do
- If you have a library in your toilet where you spend hours on end reading, sleeping, chatting on the phone etc. then friend it’s time to close that library. As you sit for long periods you unconsciously strain and you know what that means.
- Get positioning right if that is what it takes
- So the open air-brigade as they position themselves with knees towards chest tend to have the large intestine with rectum and anus in the perfect alignment to be assisted by gravity to download your “goods”. If you have a challenge while seated on your comfortable pot, you could still sit on the potty and have your feet on a stool or books (did I really type books?) or get one of the fancy gadgets so you can mimic the position nature intended it to be.
WHEN PAIN/DISCOMFORT STRIKES & STRIKES BAD!
- Wrap ice-packs in gauze and place on affected area
- Sitz baths; the steam from the water gives a soothing effect
- Be wise in your choice of what you sit on
- Use of suppositories/soothing creams
- Take a pain killer
- GET PROFESSIONAL HELP!!!!
I paraphrase a quote I heard some time back but can’t remember its source “IF YOU TREAT YOUR GUT RIGHT, YOUR BUTT WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT”
Finally except for menstrual flow (even that can be abnormal sometimes) every bleed from any part of the body is abnormal, so get checked even if you are so certain you are dealing with kooko.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/Mobissel/St. Andrews Clinic
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week – “17th May was World Hypertension Day and the theme for this year is; MEASURE YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE ACCURATELY, CONTROL IT, LIVE LONGER.”
Assistance from:
- Professor Jonathan Laryea. Colorectal Surgeon, USA
- Dr. Dakubo, Surgeon. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Health Essentials
Children Believe, Norsaac present medicines, medical equipment to three Health Directorates
THE Northern, Upper East and Savannah Regional Health Directorates have taken delivery of various medicines and medical equipment to improve care for pregnant/lactating mothers, adolescent girls and children under five years.
The medicines and medical equipment, worth GH¢1.6 million, were procured with funding support from the Canadian Government through Global Affairs Canada.
They included Combined Iron (III) Hydroxide Polymaltose and Folic Acid – 5,500 Boxes, Mebendazole (Wormalex 400mg) – 10,000 Packs, Albendazole (400mg) – 20,000 Packs, Combine Ferrous Sulphate and Folic Acid (Folidyn Tab mp) – 2880 cartons, Tarring Weighing Scale- 18 pieces, Digital Thermometer – 108 pieces, and Height Rod in CMS/Feet HOM Stadiometer – 27 pieces.
The rest were Blood Pressure Monitor Digital, Andon- 27 pieces, Ultrasonic Pocket Doppler, 1.5v Sonotrax Basic – 9 pieces, Glucose meters – 54 pieces, Glucose meter stripes (50’s)- 500 pieces, Delivery set (used for facility-based delivery) – 27 pieces, Hb Testing System/URIT -12 – 36 pieces, Hb Test Stripes (50’s) – 800 pieces, Weighing Scale, Hanging (Salter) HOM- 27 pieces.
Some 96,374 individuals comprising pregnant/lactating mothers, adolescent girls and children under five years in nine districts in the three regions are expected to benefit from the medicines and the medical equipment.
A total of 54 health facilities in the nine districts, namely Bole, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, East Gonja, Tolon, Kumbungu, Nanumba South, Builsa South, Kassena-Nankana West and Kassena-Nankana North, are to benefit from the supplies.
They were donated by Children Believe, an international NGO, under the Championing Nutrition and Gender Equality (CHANGE) project, which is funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The CHANGE project is being implemented in partnership with Norsaac; the national implementing partner, amongst other governmental agencies.
The overall objective of the project is to improve nutrition for the poorest and most marginalised, especially women and adolescent girls.
Madam Esenam Kavi De Souza, the Country Director, Children Believe, speaking to hand over the medicines and the medical equipment to the authorities of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) at the Regional Medical Stores in Tamale, said it was geared towards achieving the project’s commitment to improve women’s leadership and control resources for community and individual gender equitable nutrition practices.
The authorities of the GHS in the Upper East and Savannah Regions also received their share of the donated items in their respective regions.
Madam De Souza said the gesture followed assessments conducted with the GHS to identify the most critical healthcare needs in the targeted communities. She said the intervention was designed to ensure that the support would make a meaningful difference in healthcare delivery for the poorest and most marginalised populations in the targeted districts.
Dr Chrysantus Kubio, the Northern Regional Director, GHS, who received the items, said they would significantly improve health service delivery in the beneficiary districts in the region.
He said as part of the project, motorbikes and laptops were also supplied to the districts to facilitate the work of health personnel and improve data analysis for health services.
He lauded the project saying such partnerships were crucial in supporting vulnerable populations, who faced financial barriers to healthcare and expressed appreciation to Global Affairs Canada and the implementing partners for their support. —GNA
ZERO Maternal Mortality was recorded at Awutu District Health Service in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Dr Felix Gerald Kwaning Darbbey, the District Health Service Director, disclosed this in a presentation at the 2025 Annual Performance Hearing summit at Awutu Bereku.
The Health Directorate has 30 Community Health Planning and Services compounds, Two Health Centers, Two Polyclinics, five Maternity Homes and three Private Clinics working under it. He said the theme for the meeting: ‘Reboot, Re-Center, Drive Universal Health Coverage,’ encouraged them to think about their journey together, reassess their priorities and confidently work towards their goal for everyone in the district, support the Service and the mission of the World Health Organisation to ensure that people accessed healthcare efficiently without hindrances.
According to Dr Darbbey, 3,258 deliveries was recorded in 2023 against 2,932 in 2024 but increased to 3,280 in 2025. Anemia in pregnant women at 36 weeks reduced from 3,029 in 2023 to 2,815 in 2024 and increased to 2,973 in 2025, skilled deliveries reduced from 3,258 in 2023 to 2,923 in 2024 and increased to 3,280 in 2025, while Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) deliveries dived from 211 in 2023 to 74 in 2024 and further up to 61 in 2025.
According to him, Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendants decreased from 163 in 2023 to 75 in 2024 and increased to 193 in 2025, with clients insured cards increasing to 71,721 in 2023 as against 81,111 in 2024 and to 90,363 in 2025. Hypertension cases went up to 684 in 2024 from 595 in 2023 and rose to 765 in 2025. The Directorate recorded 392 accidents in 2023 against 373 in 2024 and 353 in 2025 at the OPD. 279 tested positive in 2023, 63 in 2024 and 39 in 2025.
Darbbey mentioned some of their major challenges to include deplorable nature of roads which hampered monitoring and supervision, inadequate office at the district level, yet still low reporting rate by private facilities, low skilled deliveries in most facilities, low recording of epidemic and other prone diseases.
“The results came about due to integrating some funded activities with other activities, improved behavioural change communication, mostly on skin diseases and advent of wellness clinics, quarterly TB case searches and mop-up exercises and contract tracing conducted as well as intensified monitoring and supervision at the sub-districts facilities.”
He said Antenatal Clinic attendance reduced from 6,094 to 5,600 in 2024 and increased slightly to 5,829 in 2025, teenage pregnancies reduced from 681 in 2023 to 563 in 2024 and increased to 603 in 2025, pregnant women who tested for HIV increased.
“To sustain our achievement we must have the courage to face issues, we must be honest, welcome new ideas, find new smarter ways, focus on what really matters at providing services, especially on mothers who need care, vulnerable children, teenagers and adolescents who need help in navigating the health issues that they encounter.”
He said to move forward they need to focus on strengthening primary healthcare services which is the solid base of primary healthcare delivery, encourage community involvement at ensuring that persons who had not yet enrolled on NHIS had access to free service delivery when they were sick. —GNA
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