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
A health & wellness revolution starts with sleep
Sleep comes in different shades. There are those who sleep pretty and hardly move an inch in bed. Then we have those who are virtually at war when in bed and may turn a whole 360 degrees several times in the land of the unknown.
Woe betides you if you find yourself in the same “sleep ring” with such a fighter. The most “decorated” ones bring music to sleep and the noise that exudes from their throats, nostrils and mouth could compete with any orchestra except that harmony is often thrown to the wind; those of us who belong to this category know ourselves.
Inspite of all the above, when I am hard pressed to pick one thing that has the greatest impact on one’s health, I will say SLEEP reigns.
Too many challenges spring up when we fail to get enough sleep and it’s no wonder that at the doctor’s office we hear many complaints of not being able to sleep.
Most of the time the solution does not lie in popping pills but the Sleep Hygiene Tips below will go a long way to make a difference in your sleep and subsequently your health.
Sleep hygiene tips
1. Create darkness in the room
a. Sleep is easier when your room is dark. A bright room may be a challenge especially if you already have a bunter with sleep.
2. Have a Regular sleep plan
a. Keep to the same time you go to bed and also time you wake up. Regularity is key.
3. Ensure room is cool and well-ventilated
a. An extremely hot or cold room may keep you awake just tossing and turning. A nice breeze makes sleep even better.
4. Wind down or unplug about an hour to bedtime
a. Rushing throughout the day and then diving into bed may not be the best remedy for sleep. Slow down, start putting off lights, stop working and maybe spend about five minutes meditating or speaking to God.
5. Avoid phones, laptops, work in bed/bedroom
a. These have no business in your sleep area and should not be in your bed for sure. The glare from lights, the vibrations or sounds from messages and even calls may keep you awake and be a nightmare with your eyes wide open.
6. Exercise
a. Exercise and laugh and you will be preparing yourself for a sound sleep. You may exercise anytime of the day but when you struggle a lot with sleep the ideal time may be four to six hours before bedtime. Exercising an hour or two before you sleep may rather keep you alert and awake.
7. Watch your food intake; don’t overeat, avoid spicy food and lots of oil
a. Gluttony is definitely “sinful” and one of the instant punishments is discomfort and difficulty sleeping. A full stomach at bedtime makes one wish for daybreak. The spices can also cause havoc especially when eaten late. That heartburn will wake you up and keep you sitting and cursing all night.
8. Watch what you drink; stimulants may affect your sleep e.g. caffeine, fizzy drinks, alcohol and energy drinks
a. If you have trouble with sleep or you do not want your sleep to be disturbed in any way, avoid these four clear hours or more before sleep time. ACOHOL deceives you into thinking you will sleep only to wake up early, feeling unrested or making dashes to the washroom.
9. Discuss with your doctor when to take some of your prescribed medication
a. Sometimes some medications we are on may cause us to wake up several times to urinate and should preferably be taken much earlier in the day. Others keep us alert over several hours.
10. Writing your TO DO LIST for the next day relaxes the brain
a. The brain sometimes will keep “working” in an attempt not to forget what you need to do the following day. Hack your brain by writing down or typing out your To Do List for the following day and you will be blessed with good sleep.
11. Get professional care to diagnose and manage medical conditions
a. Sometimes it’s a medical condition that is directly or indirectly depriving us of good sleep and our health professional can help us find and treat this so we can once more enjoy the bliss of the Lotus Eaters. Maybe it could be a medication that is just not right for you.
Popping pills to sleep in most cases will not solve the challenge and should never be our first line of correcting our sleep wars. Adopt these hygiene tips today even if you sleep well and your health will be on the right path. Not even the decorated bedroom trumpeter or the sleep fighter can take your sleep away from 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/ Medics Clinic
(www.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 – “ A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” – Irish Proverb
Health Essentials
Do you want to be happy?
Don’t we all dream of a life that is filled with laughter? That may be a reason for chasing big bucks, which like the Golden Fleece eludes the majority of us.
Financial Wellness is extremely important but there are other factors that make us happy and healthy and eventually wealthy.
I will introduce a few everyday activities that are guaranteed to make you happy if you continue practising them.
You definitely do not need to live in Finland to experience happiness even though many people agree that is the “headquarters” of happiness.
1. Wake-Up Ritual
a. Say to yourself that today will be a beautiful day or a great day!
b. Ask God what He has in store for you. Use me Lord (if not a Christian what you believe in will be useful as well.
c. Remind yourself of your purpose in life and get out of bed.
d. Do Not grab your phone as the first thing for the day.
2. Pray
a. Talking to God has a way of calming our nerves. It brings about unexplained peace and when we add praise and worship then the floodgates open. That is how to win battles against unhappiness.
3. Smile
a. Definitely floods your body with feel good hormones and insulates you from stress.
b. Smiling is infectious so the more you smile the better and you set off a smiling OR happiness domino effect.
4. Meditate
a. Extremely good for your brain and an easy way to start is to do deep-breathing and just focus on your “breath” excluding all others. That is what some will prefer to call mindfulness. Being in the moment has immense benefits. Things you never knew existed suddenly spring up.
5. Exercise
a. That wonder drug that trumps virtually all others. Like smiling it does pour out feel good hormones. Strength training even goes an extra mile causing our muscles to act as “pharmacies” that pour out life-changing signals every time they contract.
6. Be kind to yourself & to others
a. We are often too harsh on ourselves. Give yourself a break. Self-care is the real deal!!
b. Being harsh to others has no benefits.
7. Spend some time doing nothing!
a. We need to re-set from time to time. Spend about 10 minutes a day doing absolutely nothing. There is happiness and innovation in “idling”. Do not abuse idling though.
8. Spend time with loved ones.
a. This is another powerful happiness “hack”. You have to make time and be intentional about this; talk on phone, send messages, arrange to meet for a drink or meal. Social Wellness ranks very high on the happiness index and it’s fairly easy to plug into it.
b. While spending time together remember that your choice of food and drinks also impacts on how happy or sad or anxious you may feel.
9. Indulge in a hobby.
a. Our bodies and brain love variety. Do you have a hobby? Get one
10. Write in your gratitude diary.
a. That is all it takes – keep doing it regularly.
11. Get a pet.
This list is not exhaustive but definitely a good start. Share your happiness hacks with me via email and together we can keep the world smiling and happy.
At the end of each day ask yourself if you did better than the previous day. That is all it takes. Doing better than the previous day for 365 days, for 5 years, 10 years… How amazing that will 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
(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 Essel
