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
The conventional wisdom has always been that we should all strive to keep our blood pressure low. Even though this is true, having really low blood pressure can be dangerous, as it can impair your body’s ability to absorb oxygen, resulting in damage to the heart and brain.
Low blood pressure is when your blood pressure reading is lower than 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for the top number (systolic) or 60 mm Hg for the bottom number (diastolic).
Low blood pressure (also known as hypotension) can occur in anyone, though it may be more common depending on your age or other risk factors: genetic makeup, taking certain medications, and having certain diseases (diabetes, heart conditions).
The cause of low blood pressure isn’t always clear. However, it may be associated with the following:
- pregnancy
- hormonal problems
- some over-the-counter and prescription medications
- heart failure
- abnormal heart rhythms
- widening or dilation of the blood vessels
- heatstroke
- liver disease
- loss of blood from bleeding
- low or high body temperature
- a severe blood infection
- severe dehydration from vomiting, diarrhea, burns or fever
- a reaction to medication or alcohol
A sudden drop in blood pressure robs the brain of adequate blood supply. This can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness. Other symptoms include fainting, blurred vision, nausea, fatigue, lack of concentration, and in extreme conditions shock.
If you experience any of the above symptoms, seek emergency medical attention as it is important to determine the cause of low blood pressure so appropriate treatment can be given.
Some people are known to take alcohol in an attempt to increase their blood pressure but that is a path I will not recommend. Others opt for caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea. Caffeine can increase blood pressure due to peripheral pooling of blood and may cause complications.
Dr Kojo Essel often recommends that one engages in exercise, which is your best “weapon to normalise blood pressure.”
Quite often when one has low blood pressure, standing still for long periods of time can cause a further drop. In such people, Dr Essel highly recommends taking several steps even if standing in one place to help maintain blood pressure at a safe level.
Other ways of managing low blood pressure are:
- adding a little salt to food (do this with caution to avoid excesses and downsides of increased salt intake)
- increase water (other fluids) intake to increase blood volume
- may need to wear compression stockings in extreme situations
- some may require medication
- pay attention to body positions; do not move quickly from sitting to standing position for instance
- eat small portions of food at a time
- exercise should be a combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise that increases heart rate
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).
Source:
Maureen Masopeh, Content Creator (Health Essentials Ltd)
References:
- Dr Kojo Cobba Essel; Unravelling the Essentials of Health and Wealth
- Mayoclinic; Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
- WebMD
By Dr Kojo Cobba Essel
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
IF you truly love yourself, you had better read this piece while standing!
The other “inactivity” that rivals sitting for long periods when it comes to poor health and untimely death is LONLINESS! Sitting and Loneliness are the new Smoking.
It is often common to hear a parent tell a child, “Sit quietly and watch television and I will make a quick dash to town.” Well, this harmless and well-meaning statement is now being vilified. That parent could have said “smoke a few sticks of cigarettes while I dash off to town.” Yes “sitting is the “new” smoking.”
Scientists: they keep coming up with many weird findings and unfortunately, we realise after much ado that they may be right. People with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular (heart & blood vessel) diseases as those with standing jobs – the bankers are cringing in their seats I bet.
It appears that compared to sitting,
• Sitting continuously brings similar challenges that smoking poses a gossip team. After an hour of sitting, if you walk for a minute or two.
Standing is hard work. Imagine that you need to engage many muscles to stand upright, and this burns energy. Sitting on the other hand is extremely relaxing.
When we sit, the “physiology of inactivity” kicks in and when we think we are relaxing in a chair made from heaven, our body instead rewards us with many bad things; enzymes that break down fat may drop by about 90 per cent calorie burning drops to frightening low levels and soon good cholesterol that protects us also drops. If you sit long enough even your insulin effectiveness drops and you will be courting diabetes in the long run.
I sincerely believe in getting a workout during the day, but you should not think that it gives you a license to sit at your desk for hours on end. We should ensure that we get up from our desk to walk briefly or even stretch. I am not giving you an excuse for loitering around your office or forming ings. When you have a meeting with a handful of people you could lace your boots and start walking while you talk. Who knows being out of a box (office etc) could help you think “out of the box” or even think like “there is no box”. The best aspect of such a meeting is people are more attentive since they are unable to fidget with their smart phones and other gadgets.
All lectures and classes (children are really suffering in school these days) should have a “Heart Preserving” five-minute break after every hour. Spend that time walking and stretching.
All long movies should have commercial breaks that should be used to at least stand
Whenever in doubt, at least stand for a while.
Well some people are trying innovative ways of even having small treadmills at their desk that keeps them moving, others are adopting a new chair design that essentially makes you stand at your desk, a few others sit on exercise balls that forces them to adjust their positions all the time but for the rest of us simply taking breaks and using every opportunity to move is just what the doctor prescribed.
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/Medics Clinic
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
Dr. Essel is a medical doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He 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 – For good heart health; exercise often, eat healthy, do not smoke, minimise alcohol and sit less
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
