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 past few years I have been thinking a lot about how to make the life of elderly parents fulfilling and with less stress on our lives. How we should also prepare adequately for our golden years while we provide guidance to our children and grandchildren.
These thoughts have on several occasions shifted to peri-menopause and menopause, and the role of finance and wellness in all this cannot be taken for granted.
As Christmas draws closer, thoughts of people being “so busy” we neglect the elderly keeps flooding my mind. Age does creep up on us. One minute you are a toddler, then a teen, with neither fears nor cares, and in a blink of an eye you are a parent of teens who will remind you that being around for over half a century is old.
Is 50 that old? I do not think so, but a lot depends on what we have been doing for most of the 50 years. It is never too late to make changes.
As we trudge through life most of us never think about the challenges that our elderly parents may face, and we are just not prepared when reality stares us in the face. Every age bracket has its unique issues and between 40 to 65 years we often have quite a lot on our plate; supporting our elderly parents, putting our own lives in order and guiding our young ones.
Necessary steps to enhance life of elderly
- Never boss or try to “parent” your parents
- Think about this; we unconsciously start “ordering” our parents. Telling them what to do without finding their preferences etc. Parenting our parents is one of the challenges many elderly parents endure silently. Stop It!
- Ask for their opinion
- Being old does not mean one no longer has opinions. Ask. Argue in love, discuss issues such as exercise, medication, hospital visits, food, friends, religion, and politics. Everything. By all means seek their opinion.
- Do not over treat them medically
- Not every change you see in an elderly person requires medical intervention. Be careful what you buy medicines for and stay away from unnecessary tests. Make sure you speak to a knowledgeable health professional.
- Hospital stays should be as brief as possible
- Plan hospital or clinic visits to make them as short and convenient as possible. If possible, get tests and consultations done on the same day. If it is not an emergency find out if the medical facility has special arrangements for the elderly and also check the time of days with the shortest wait time. Many elderly people do not like the stress of hospital environments and why should they?
- When admitted for an illness, work together with the medical team to ensure they are home as soon as possible. Most of them do best in familiar surroundings and home is numero uno.
- Have them stay at home for as long as possible
- Sometimes children are in a hurry to send parents off to homes that care for the elderly. People often ask where they could get such support. I think we should all plan to keep parents at home for as long as humanly possible. Sometimes we do not have the option of having them at home, but we need to explore all our options.
- Help them to socialise
- Organise time with friends etc. at home and out of home. This brings a breath of fresh air to everyone including our elderly parents. This makes them happier, healthier and they live longer.
- …and the more time we spend with our elderly parents, the longer they live.
- Ensure physical activity
- No matter one’s age and medical condition, there is always a form of physical activity to engage in. It may be as simple as making fists or moving arms, but every movement goes a long way to make life better
- Sunlight is a must. Do whatever it takes to ensure at least one gets a few minutes of sunlight a day.
- The presence or chance to see beautiful plants is a bonus worth going the extra mile for.
- Spend quality time with the elderly this Christmas
- We are already in December and the world is already preparing for Christmas. Spending time with the elderly during the season is PRICELESS!! Yes, you can make some time for that.
Steps to prepare for our own golden years
- Start a wellness plan or continue if you already have one
- It is a must!! Learn to breathe, build muscle, move to ensure your heart is happy and even more important parts of your brain that protect you from dementia will grow.
- Keep in touch with your classmates
- They have known you for years and a phone call or occasional visit or gathering definitely ignites memories and it brings “warmth” beyond your wildest imagination
- Surround yourself with younger people
- They can support you in many ways and their visits brighten your day while your advice is priceless to them. It is a win-win situation.
- Avoid loneliness at all costs
- You are not an island. Even if you think you are better off on your own and with your thoughts, nature does not agree with that. Kindly make a few good friends.
- Protect your brain / memory
- Dementia is a matter of when and not if; exercise will enlarge the part of the brain that controls memory. Having a larger hippocampus means it takes longer for dementia to show up.
Age will definitely catch up with each of us if we hang around Earth long enough. It is a matter of when and not if so we should take steps to make our golden years and those of our loved ones happy and fulfilling. I will choose SUCCESSFUL ageing over USUAL ageing any day.
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 (1) – “Ageing comes with Psychosocial challenges such as neglect, abuse, sexual adjustment, emotional disorders, other mental health challenges, issues with living arrangement and several others. Let us all help to make life easier and more enjoyable for the elderly”-Kojo Cobba Essel
BY Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
“Me nyare n’anso me nti ap)” is a popular Akan saying that can be translated into English as “I am not ill, yet I feel unwell.” It is that feeling when you just can’t place a finger on what is not right with you.
Today, I can confidently inform you that if you have felt this way in the past, you certainly had a point. Medical science has come a long way, and we know that health and wellness go far beyond the physical aspects such as pain, heart disease, or infections.
Other equally important aspects of wellness exist, and these may be classified as Social, Mental, Spiritual, Financial, and Digital Health and Wellness.
Do not be surprised when your doctor begins to ask you questions about your social network, such as those you have close ties with—family, friends, or both. Longevity depends to a large extent on one’s social support system or network.
As the American Heart Association notes, “lack of SOCIAL CONNECTION is associated with increased risk of premature death from all causes, especially among men.”
This is no open ticket to spend all of one’s after-work hours hanging out with friends under the disguise that you are prolonging your life. Moderation is key in all things, and your strong social ties need not be a whole village. All you need is a handful of loyal friends or family who know you inside out and have your wellbeing at heart.
If you are stressed out or have any mental health challenges, you should be able to speak to a close friend. Sharing your challenge may just be enough, or this friend may be able to advise you appropriately. It is easy to laugh with such friends and not be worried about being judged. Laughter, as you know, is medicine.
Close contacts may prompt you to take your physical health seriously, but even if they don’t, that bond you share produces feel-good hormones that protect you and prolong your health span.
I prefer health span to lifespan simply because lifespan refers to just being alive, but one may not be “living”—you could be bedridden, in a coma, or have multiple organ challenges. We should all aim for a long health span.
The art of building strong social connections is one reason we need to work on getting our children away from their phones and other gadgets that deprive them of the opportunity to talk to peers, share physical contact, and form lifelong relationships.
Dear friend, choose your friends wisely if you want to live a long, healthy, and happy life.
While you work on your social connections, let us breathe our way to great health by following the steps below. Repeat these steps daily:
- Sit in a quiet place.
- Avoid tight clothing (loosen your belt, necktie, or other constricting clothing).
- Take deep breaths through your nostril and exhale slowly through partially closed lips.
- At the peak of your initial inhale, take in another breath and hold for a count of 4 before exhaling.
- Expand your belly as you breathe in.
- Focus on your breathing and forget about everything else.
- When your focus drifts off (and it will about 50% of the time), acknowledge the thought but quickly return to your breathing.
- Continue breathing in and exhaling for five minutes.
- Increase the duration of this breathing/mindfulness over time.
…and remember to teach your friends to breathe too. After all, together you will live a long, healthy, and enjoyable life.
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 (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 (1): “Lack of sleep may predispose you to many diseases including a STROKE. Jump into bed an hour earlier and sleep a stroke away.”
Thought for the week (2): “There is no magic formula to being happy, but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.”
Join us at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel for our end-of-year Wellness Festival on Saturday, 29th November 2025, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. You should not miss this event. All six pillars of wellness will be at play.
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
