Health Essentials
‘Bad roads, deadly car tyres’(2)
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Bad-road-Pix.jpg&description=‘Bad roads, deadly car tyres’(2)', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Bad-road-Pix.jpg&description=‘Bad roads, deadly car tyres’(2)', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
• Our road could be discribed as death trap
[This is the final part of the article we carried on page 14 of The Spectator on Saturday, March 11, 2023. The first part of the article basically talked about the vital part of our road safety that we so often take for granted. Below is the rest of the article]
ii. Balance & Alignment: This ensures the safety of the driver and the performance of the vehicle.
Unbalanced tyres cause road vibration, which leads to driver fatigue, premature tyre wear. Tyres should be balanced when they are mounted on wheels for the first time or when they are remounted after a repair. They should be rebalanced at the first sign of a vibration or shimmy, and should be balanced at least once a year, regardless. A vehicle is said to be properly aligned when all suspension and steering components are sound and when tyre and wheel assemblies are running straight and true. Proper alignment is necessary for even tread wear and precise steering.
iii. Regular Rotation: Regular rotation is necessary to maintain even tread wear.
There are several methods of rotation. For most vehicles on the road, tyres from the rear axle are moved to the drive axle and crossed to opposite sides of the vehicle. The tyres from the drive axle are moved to the rear, but remain on the same sides. This is known as the “modified X” pattern.
For four-wheel-drive vehicles, it is recommended to switch all four tires, both from side-to-side and in axle position.
If no rotation period is specified on the vehicle owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s rotation recommendations, tyres should be rotated every 5,000 – 8,000 miles. Four-wheel-drive vehicles may require rotation as soon as every 4,000 miles.
iv. Visual Inspection/Tread Depth: Take a look at the treads for any sharp objects that may have punctured the tyres. Even if the puncture is not deep enough to flatten the tyres immediately, the cracking and pitting caused by smaller punctures can eventually worsen and lead to problems down the road.
Look at the wear patterns on the treads as well. Excessive shoulder wear can indicate under-inflation, while wear to the center of the tread can mean over-inflation.
Tyres have tread wear indicator bars moulded into the tread. When the tread is worn down to where you can see a solid bar of rubber across the width of the tread, it is time to replace the tyre. Another method for checking tread depth is to place a coin (20 pesewa) in the tread groove, a tyre with a good tread depth should admit about half of the width of the coin.
Tyre pressure should be checked when the tyres are cold, at least once a month and before long journeys or when carrying heavy loads.
v. Repairs: It is important to know when to repair a tyre and when it should be replaced. If a tyre loses its air pressure, it must be removed from the wheel for a complete internal inspection to be sure it is not damaged.
Most punctures, nail holes or cuts up to 1/4 inch can be repaired by trained Technicians as long as the damage is confined to the repairable tread. DO NOT repair tyres with tread punctures larger than 1/4 inch, or any sidewall puncture. Also, never repair tyres which are worn below 1/16 inch of tread depth.
Replacement of tyres: Tyre age is also crucial to safety on the road. Even though tyre life generally depends on service conditions and the environment in which tyres operate, some vehicle manufacturers recommend that tyres be replaced every four to six years regardless of use. Always, check the owner’s manual for specific recommendations for your vehicle.
Can you tell when your tyres were made? The date tyres were manufactured are indicated on the sidewall of the tyres in the form of four numbers usually preceded by the letters DOT. The four letters represents the week and year of manufacture. In most instances, there are 12 numbers after the DOT but the first four numbers are considered in identifying the age of the tyre. For example, DOT 1015 or DOT 1015 243/47R18 means 10th week of the year 2015.
KCE: Are you willing to meet with companies, groups of people etc. to promote this campaign on safe tires?
AA:Oh yes! I cannot keep this to myself. Safety on our roads is a shared responsibility and as long as individuals, groups of people and companies are willing to get more of such knowledge, I am willing to steer them towards road safety. I intend to work in collaboration with National Road Safety Commission too.
KCE: Is there a slogan on Tyre Safety you would like to leave us with?
AA:Tyre Smartness Saves Lives, Play Your PART (P- Pressure, A- Alignment, R- Rotation, T-Tread)!
KCE: What are your final words on tyre safety?
AA: We all sit in cars, be it our own or as passengers. Cars move with tyres and the safety of tyres plays a significant role in reaching our destinations in time, delayed, dead or alive. Hence, let us all be tyre safety conscious and always remember to play your PART in order to be tyre smart!
KCE: Thank you very much Abenaa. Almost everyone comes into contact with a car tyre on a daily basis and will find these tips extremely beneficial.
AA:Thank you for hosting me! Let us all join hands to promote tyre safety in order to save lives, properties, disabilities, avoid litigations and compensations. Let us always remember that generally, Safety, Health and Environment incidents are rare but they have huge impacts, when they hit us, they hit us badly. Thank you.
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
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified 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 – “Whatever you practice grows stronger. What will you like to see grow stronger in your life?”
Resource Person: Abenaa Antwiwaa Adusei
Her References:
1. Basic Tyre Fundamentals, GOOD YEAR PLUS, www.goodyearplus. com
2. ABC News: http://abcnews. go.com/Blotter/story?id=4988518
3. Rubber Manufacturers Association: http://ww.rma.org
4. The telegraph, www.telegraph. co.uk
Abenaa may be reached on: healthandsafetygh@gmail.com or 0500777 775.
Our road could be discribed as death trap
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
There are thousands of diet plans and some people change them almost as often as they change their underwear. We have fallen in love with pills and injections all in a bid to fast-track the wellness dream. The plastic surgeon’s blade and even prayers have all been called upon to perform miraculous acts. Is there a single path to achieving Wellness or has man found that wonder pill yet?
Is the result of an annual medical examination all that is needed to determine how well one is? Can you have great reviews in the clinic yet feel tired and unhappy? Does wellness obey the all or none law or is it a whole spectrum where majority of us fall within?
Wellness involves at least six (6) areas or pillars that we need to balance since they all work together to make us the best versions of ourselves.
When we fall short in any one of them, it may have consequences in other areas but we don’t need to be perfect in any area; balance is all that is needed. The era of lockdown for instance brought to the fore the importance of Social Wellness; many of us felt isolated when we had to avoid our work colleagues for weeks on end. Even the output of some of us dipped. Oh, you surely are not alone. Even people you detested meeting in the office you now longed to spend time with. Breathe a sigh of relief; that feeling is normal, nothing untoward is happening to you. The majority of us humans are social beings and we blossom when surrounded by family and friends and hugs and handshakes are the norm.
The Six Pillars of Wellness.
- Physical
- Mental
- Social
- Financial
- Digital
- Spiritual
Physical Wellness
Are you taking proper care of your body? Do you exercise, eat right and get your regular medical examinations?
Avoid awkward postures like sitting slouched forwards or bending at the waist to pick an object. Surely you are washing your hands regularly with soap and water. Have you noticed the loud silence from cholera when handwashing was fashionable during the pandemic?
Mental Wellness
The way you think, act or feel falls into this category but it is definitely not an island on its own. Your physical well-being and all the others impact on your mental health.
Time to relax, sleep, manage your time, enjoy nature and be kind to others. These together with deep breathing and laughter, go a long way to keep your mental health in great shape.
Social Wellness
The relationships we have and the way we interact with others. Your mental health, physical health all impact on your relationships. When you exude happiness, people give it right back to you. Build strong relationships; just a few trustworthy people who you can share your challenges with will go a long way to stabilise your mental health and pave the way for all others to flow. When you feel unduly stressed do you have anyone you can speak to before getting professional help? Do not be a loner.
Financial Wellness
How secured is your money? Are we prepared for emergencies in an uncertain future? We need baseline financial security to be able to get all the other pillars working seamlessly. How can you eat well or get medical examinations done with no financial backing? Finances tend to be one of the greatest stressors in life. Do not ignore the need for financial stability, you need it more than you can imagine. Speak to someone who can assist you plan your future TODAY.
Digital Wellness
What measures are you taking that aim at regulating and improving healthy use of technology? If you set virtual meetings, training programmes etc. all day because you are working from home, then when do you get to rest your mind, eyes and back from prolonged sitting among many others? One thing will lead to another. Many of us can hardly unplug. Our phones are on 24/7 and we think sleep is a luxury. NO! Inadequate sleep will open the floodgates to a tonne of health challenges including stress, overeating, alcohol abuse, fatigue and even accidents from fatigue.
Get sleep; it’s a lifeline!
Spiritual Wellness
Are you connected to a greater being who provides us with a sense of purpose, values, principles, morals and beliefs among many others?
If you asked for my opinion, I recommend God. Speak to him daily (prayer) and he will set you on the right path.
In all things do not specialise in one or a few of these pillars of wellness. We should all aim at getting a fair balance in each area and we can be the very best of ourselves. Now do not put unnecessary pressure on yourself; everyone has challenges but taking one step at a time and always remembering that we need different aspects to make life the best that it can be.
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/Medics Clinic
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, 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 Essentisals of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week – “Defining health and wellbeing; The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO, 1948).”
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
It appears I am stuck in sleep mode; last week we discussed sleep hygiene and now it’s napping. Could it be my brain doing its best to make me understand it needs more sleep?
Many of us developed a love for afternoon naps while in school because it was mandatory to “sleep” after lunch. It may have been a luxury to get restful sleep in one’s junior years but our brains got the message: sleep after lunch to get a boost in energy to prepare you for the rest of the day.
As the years rolled by sleeping after lunch, for instance, has become a mirage but everyone loves a “power nap”. The French do a great job when it comes to their afternoon break.
If you enjoy your naps, you may have experienced that feeling of extending your sleep once you go beyond half an hour. It’s that feeling of no turning back. On the other hand, if you nap for just about 30 minutes you seem to have a new lease of energy.
I love naps whenever I get a chance to squeeze one in, but school had siestas that lasted about an hour so sometimes I love to revisit the days of old. A new research finding is, however, about to trample on that glorious time spent hitting on the snooze button and being at peace with the sheets, chair or even bench or floor in some instances.
We all appreciate that getting enough sleep is key to good health but this study suggests that long daytime naps may not be in your best interest.
The researchers found that long naps in excess of 40 minutes and excessive daytime sleepiness were associated with an increased risk for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol; collectively referred to as metabolic syndrome.
The research showed that people who napped for less than 40 minutes were not at increased risk for metabolic syndrome. In fact, those who napped less than 30 minutes had a slight decrease in risk.
The findings seem to point accusing fingers at those of us who nap for over 40 minutes; that is when the problems seem to begin. I am sure you can confidently guess what happens when people nap for over 90 minutes; the risk of developing metabolic syndrome increased by as much as 50%.
“The review also found that napping for more than an hour or being overly tired during the day were both linked with a 50 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes.”
“However, the study only found an association between these factors, and did not prove that excessive sleepiness and long naps actually cause metabolic syndrome or diabetes.”
Is it possible that those of us who nap for long periods of time also avoid physical activity and probably over-indulge in comfort foods, hence increasing the risk for these lifestyle diseases?
One thing is certain, you cannot go wrong with a short nap; it can be extremely satisfying. So while the scientists continue to explain and maybe confirm these findings, let us limit our naps to 30 minutes. If you have extra time take a walk or get some work done.
This may be a reminder that too much of even a good thing may be harmful. Sleeping has great benefits including reducing our risks for developing heart and blood vessel diseases such as stroke, it improves our immunity and also enhances our performance in all spheres of life.
Just as sleeping in excess of 9 hours at a time has been linked with bad outcomes, excessive daytime napping is now getting its “day in court”. Moderation in all things must be key!!
A nap is essential for every individual
A 20-minute nap in the early afternoon may:
• Ease your stress
• Sharpen your memory
• Help you react faster
• Improve your job performance
• Boost your energy
• Lift your mood
• Make you more alert
How long did you nap today?
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERY DAY 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/ Medics Clinic
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
Dr. Essel is a medical doctor with a keen interest in Life Style Medicine, 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 – “Sleep is an important component of our healthy lifestyle, as well as diet and exercise,” says Dr. Tomohide Yamada. “Short naps might have a beneficial effect on our health, but we don’t yet know the strength of that effect or the mechanism by which it works.”
References:
- WebMD News from HealthDay by Robert Preidt
- Extract from “The Importance of Obtaining Adequate Sleep” by Dr. Obo Addy
Your Weekend Companion
www.spectator.com.gh
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
