Health Essentials
Acute Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis (Apollo/Pink Eye)
An appollo infected eye
We are seeing a number of people in some clinics with red eyes with discomfort and a sudden increase in num¬ber of people wearing protective glasses. This week I am excited to introduce Dr. Nana Kofi Osei who has been doing a terrific job of helping people manage these conditions as well as teaching groups of people how to reduce one’s risk or prevent infection.
….and he writes;
Acute hemorrhagic conjunc¬tivitis (AHC) is a severe form of viral pink eye that could cause eyelid swelling, eye discharge, and bleeding. There’s no cure, but treatments can help you man¬age the symptoms until the virus clears.
HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?
Conjunctivitis is highly contagious.
AHC is usually transmitted through hand-to-eye contact, meaning you touch an infected surface or object and then touch your eye. You can also contract the infection by using an object that carries the virus on your eyes, such as a towel or makeup tool.
The infection can also be spread to others through close contact, such as a handshake, hug, or kiss. Coughing and sneez¬ing can also spread the infection.
You are at increased risk for pink eye if you wear contact lens¬es, especially if they are extend¬ed-wear lenses. That’s because bacteria can live and grow on the lenses.
Additionally, adenoviruses can spread through infected parti¬cles in the air that can land on or around your eyes.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS?
Symptoms of AHC usually come on suddenly.
Common symptoms of AHC include:
• a feeling that something is in your eye
• watery eyes
• swollen eyelids
• fluid-filled, blister-like growths on top of the eye surface (che¬mosis)
• bleeding from blood vessels below the eye surface (sub conjunctival hemorrhage)
• blurring of vision or difficulty seeing
• sensitivity to light (photopho¬bia)
• fever
The earliest symptoms of AHC may be mild. But symptoms such as chemosis and hemorrhaging can become very painful and cause your eye to look bloodshot or com¬pletely red as blood leaks into the tissues under the eye’s surface.
HOW LONG DOES ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS LAST?
Most cases of AHC last five to seven days before symptoms start to go away.
However, the virus can still be contagious even after your symp¬toms subside.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS?
There’s no cure for AHC, so most treatments aim to relieve the symptoms while the infection runs its course. Treatment options include:
• cold compresses to relieve pain and swelling
• eye drops to help lubricate the eye and promote tears that can help reduce the concentration of infectious material
• medications to reduce pain, such as ibuprofen
A doctor may warn against using any over-the-counter or prescription treatments, such as topical corticosteroids, that oth¬erwise might be used to treat pink eye. This is because steroids can cause super infections to develop on the eye’s surface, which need separate treatment with antibiot¬ics or antifungal medications.
HOW CAN I PREVENT ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS?
Here are some tips to help prevent yourself from getting AHC and spreading it to others if you have an active infection:
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Try not to touch or rub your eyes unless you’ve washed your hands.
• Don’t share towels, makeup tools, exercise equipment, or other commonly shared ob¬jects with someone who has an infection or if you have an infection.
• Throw away any mascara or eyeliner that may be contami¬nated.
• Avoid swimming in public pools or using shared hot tubs or steam rooms, where infectious particles can easily spread.
• Clean your glasses regularly to avoid transferring infectious material from your eyes to your glasses.
• Don’t wear contact lenses while you have an infection.
• Avoid reusing contact lenses. Consider switching to single-use lenses if you don’t already use them.
• Once your infection has gone away, wash all bedding that you came into contact with while you had the infection.
AHC is a form of viral conjunc¬tivitis that can cause more severe pain and redness than most oth¬er forms of pink eye. Symptoms come on quickly but typically go away on their own within a week.
Most cases of AHC go away without any treatment, but you should visit an eye doctor or pri¬mary care specialist if you have a fever or experience pain that disrupts your life.
Written / Compiled by;
Dr. Nana Kofi Osei
Health Essentials Limited
(BSC Biochemistry, MBChB, GMC certified)
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)
Thought for the week – “If you plan to live to a ripe old age, make those golden years healthy ones and not bedridden years.”
A good relationship with your boss is critical for job success and career development. Supervisors have a great influence on your stress level, your team and company culture, and ultimately, whether you succeed or fail in a role.
They are also your best resource for support, problem-solving, and personal development. Building a strong relationship with them can be transformative for your work experience and professional growth, but navigating this connection can be complex.
Here are some key values and characteristics that will help you along the way.
- Be authentic
It is important to be yourself when building any new relationship. Do not be over-the-top trying to impress or kiss up to a manager. Be authentic and try to build a genuine connection with them instead. This will be incredibly helpful when it comes to dealing with personal issues, having difficult conversations, and building trust.
- Be empathetic and respectful
Bosses are human beings with their own professional pressures and personal lives, so it is important to maintain empathy toward them. Strive to get to know them on a personal level; you do not need to be best friends, but knowing the basics, like their family and hobbies, can be meaningful.
Also, help your supervisor look good. Every leader wants a high-performing and successful team. By developing trust, understanding, and excellent communication, you can help your boss achieve their goals.
- Build trust and add value
Showing initiative will win you big points with almost any boss. Whether setting up regular one-on-ones, volunteering for new projects, or offering help, the benefits of this dedication are twofold.
Proactivity makes leaders feel supported-like you are looking out for them. It also provides opportunities for your individual growth.
Whenever possible, add value beyond the limitations of your job description. Whether you have a special interest or extra capacity, find ways to support your team and relieve pressure. – Source:careers.vikingservice.com
..To be continued
This week I bumped into Deborah, one of my avid readers and I promised her I will be writing this weekend. So Deborah, this is for your reading pleasure and to pick some golden nuggets for the future.
The quest to find the best way to make one’s golden years, happy, exciting, healthy and a time most people look forward to continues unabated. One factor that keeps popping up is the need to grow friendships with people more than 20 years younger than yourself.
Do not take this for granted. It is a form of “social security” since these close friends who are much younger than you will step in to support you in more ways than you can ever imagine.
Some conditions may make life challenging for older adults but knowing these Geriatric Giants helps us to take the necessary steps to reduce our risk.
“Geriatric Giants” refers to a group of chronic health conditions that are common in the elderly, typically 65-year-olds and older.
These conditions quite often co-occur and can impact on the independence, dignity and overall wellbeing and quality of life of an elderly person.
These Geriatric Giants include:
- Impaired Intellect/ Memory (e.g. Dementia)
- one of the major battles we need to deal with is challenges with memory
- Exercise, adopt the Mind Diet, build a great social network and enjoy time outdoors
- Keep reading and solving puzzles for as long as possible
- Instability – leading to much feared falls
- A good reason to indulge in Balance Training and Core Strengthening exercises from today
- Ensure your home is safe; avoid clutter such as cables crisscrossing floors, toys etc. These are all trip hazards and should be avoided
- Many healthy, happy and fun-loving older adults have died soon after a fall with its attendant complications.
- Do whatever it takes to avoid falling
- Immobility (opening the doors to pressure sores, joint stiffness)
- Even when you are unable to move about on your own it is important to get support to change positions as often as possible or get an appropriate mattress or bed that prevents prolonged pressure over any single point.
- Make sure you passively or actively move joints daily.
- Incontinence (urine, faeces or both)
- This is one of the reasons older adults prefer to stay at home and avoid going out to meet friends etc.
- Iatrogenic Disorders – adverse effect of medication
- Quite often most older adults are on several medications and some side effects such as drowsiness may seem to cause more unhappiness and may even lead to falls.
- Inappetite – this may result in poor nutrition
- This may also be linked to loss of teeth thus making chewing very difficult or limited.
- The loss of smell and taste may also reduce the amount of food one may willingly eat.
The power to reduce the impact of the Geriatric Giants starts now and should be a lifetime commitment. It is never too early to start making the appropriate lifestyle modifications, nor is it too late to reduce the impact of the giants on one’s life.
Other conditions that significantly impact on the lives especially of the elderly are:
- Sleep Disorders
- Good sleep has the power to give us energy, improve our thought pattern and even helps us to make good choices.
- Good sleep sets the tone for a healthy life
- Constipation
- This is a challenge that confronts quite a number of older adults.
- Movement, fibre and lots of water go a long way to reduce the stress that frequent constipation generates.
- Fraility
- Muscle loss is real and as we age, we lose a significant percentage of our muscle plus our bones also become brittle.
- Make sure strength training is part of your exercise schedule
- Polypharmacy
- Another headache that needs to be confronted head-on
- Everyone especially older adults need a good primary care physician or a general practitioner who can coordinate all medicines from the different Specialists who may be attending to an elderly person. This ensures that unnecessary medicines are dropped
The goal of care at all times is to optimise the quality of life. As family, professional caregivers and friends we should always show respect so that the dignity of the elderly is preserved at all times. For those of us who are not yet in the age group with such challenges, we need to start the conversation about the type of care we will prefer and take steps to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. The goal should be a long Healthspan and not just a long Lifespan.
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 (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Esse
