Health Essentials
Medical challenges that may fall below the radar
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Your Health is Your Responsibility – Take Control!
It is important that we do everything possible within our power to ensure that we stay healthy. Having the appropriate knowledge is very important in our quest to remain healthy so that we can do more of the things we enjoy. Some conditions have a way of escaping our memory and we occasionally need a reminder.
Independence Day is just around the corner and over the past few years I get very anxious in March; when countries are so blessed but we do everything possible to mess up then you really wonder what else we expect of the Almighty.
Let us look at some easy to forget medical conditions and hopefully the engagement will ease my March anxiety.
- Pregnancy complications of Rhesus Negative mothers
- Bell’s Palsy or Facial Palsy
- Post Partum Blues or Depression
- Underperformance in school children
- Pregnancy complications of Rhesus Negative mothers
- This is a potentially serious condition but easy to correct. Could this be the cause of the poor pregnancy outcomes or multiple abortions you are experiencing?
- If a woman is Rhesus (Rh) Negative and carrying a baby who is Rh positive, then the mother’s immune system will see the baby’s red blood cells as “foreigners” and will make antibodies to fight and destroy the baby’s red blood cells. This may not be a problem with the first pregnancy but subsequent ones are at risk since the antibodies would have built up significantly.
- This process of antibody production could occur when an Rh negative mother has a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and induced abortion. It is IMPORTANT to know your blood group – O negative, A negative (and all the ones that are followed by a negative), will need to alert your health care giver when pregnant.
- If you are Rh negative, it is important that to protect your babies, you are given an injection called Rhogam (this is no advertisement), which is a type of vaccine. It should ideally be given when your pregnancy is 28 weeks old and then repeated within 72 hours of delivery if baby is Rhesus positive.
- There may be some issues with Rhogam but the benefits outweigh the downsides.
- Bell’s Palsy or Facial Palsy
- This is not a STROKE but seek immediate medical care since you may not know what it could be heralding. Bell’s palsy is a sudden weakness of the face causing one half to droop. Your smile is one sided and your eye on one side resists closing.
- It may occur at any age. The exact cause is unknown but it affects a nerve controlling muscles of the face. It is sometimes considered to be a reaction that occurs after a viral infection such as a common cold and may occur also in pregnancy.
- Bell’s palsy is often temporary and most people experience total recovery within six (6) months. Rarely it may leave permanent tell-tale signs and may recur in a handful of people also.
- One may experience increased sensitivity to sound on the affected side, headaches, pain around the jaw or behind the ear on the affected side. There may also be abnormal production of tears and saliva. Seek medical care.
- Post Partum Blues or Depression
- We all expect a new addition to a family to bring excitement and joy but sometimes it may cause depression. Post partum depression is not a character flaw or a weakness and with the right intervention at the right time and with good family support, you can enjoy your baby.
- Post partum blues is a milder form of post partum depression. In some cases one may even develop post partum psychosis after you have your bundle of joy. This is in no way a thesis to scare you away from childbirth but rather to make you aware so that you can take the appropriate steps quickly once you are confronted with the situation. Always SEEK prompt medical care, there is no point “waiting to see.”
- One may often experience some of the following; loss of appetite, inability to sleep, intense irritability and anger, overwhelming fatigue, lack of joy in life, difficulty bonding with baby, feeling of shame, guilt or inadequacy and even thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Avoid diagnostic greed, do not wait for many symptoms before seeking help, you are better off seeing a professional and being declared okay than to wait until things become complicated.
- Underperformance in school children
Quite often, children may not be performing well in school and we unfortunately resort to the cane, screaming at them and heaping insults on them without finding the root cause. We will be complicating matters and eventually set the stage for rebellion in addition to poor or underperformance in school. We need to consider the following (other reasons or causes exist) before drawing conclusions and as parents or guardians, our input is extremely important.
- Poor Nutrition
- Food is fuel for the body and the brain can never perform appropriately without the proper “fuel”. We need to ensure that children eat a balanced meal before going to school. Hunger or poor meals could distract a child at school and prevent him/her from understanding what the teacher may be imparting. Check the meals and you may realise you have a straight As child!
- Poor Eyesight/vision
- The child may not be doing well simply because he is unable to read from the board. It may only need a simple test of vision to correct this.
- Hearing Challenges
- Certainly if the child has a problem with hearing, he may miss so many things discussed in class or even hear the “wrong” things. Your guess in such a situation is as good as mine.
So the next time your child finds himself/herself at the bottom of the class check the above and get medical assistance, you may be hosting a genius. I believe you are aware that some children will bloom late and at that point there is just no way to stop them, even the sky limit cannot limit them.
The drill remains the same, you will cope better with all the above if you stay healthy – exercise often, eat right, drink adequate amounts of water and get enough sleep hours.
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
(dressel@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 – “Lack of sleep may predispose you to many diseases including a STROKE. Jump into bed an hour earlier and sleep a stroke away. You cannot be healthy during WAR or VIOLENCE, let’s all pray and work towards PEACE in our WORLD”
References:
- www.mayoclinic.com
- www.healthessentialsgh.com
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
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
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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 betide 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 is not 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
- Create darkness in the room
- Sleep is easier when your room is dark. A bright room may be a challenge especially if you already have a bunter with sleep.
- Have a Regular sleep plan
- Keep to the safe time you go to bed and also time you wake up. Regularity is key.
- Ensure room is cool and well ventilated
- An extremely hot or cold room may keep you awake just tossing and turning. A nice breeze makes sleep even better.
- Wind down or unplug about an hour to bedtime
- 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 5 minutes meditating or speaking to God.
- Avoid phones, laptops, work in bed/bedroom
- 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 give you a nightmare with your eyes wide open.
- Exercise
- 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.
- Watch your food intake; don’t overeat, avoid spicy food and lots of oil
- 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.
- Watch what you drink; stimulants may affect your sleep e.g. caffeine, fizzy drinks, alcohol and energy drinks
- If you have trouble with sleep or you do not want your sleep to be disturbed in any way, avoid these 4 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.
- Discuss with your doctor when to take some of your prescribed medication
- 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.
- Writing your TO DO LIST for the next day relaxes the brain
- 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.
- Get professional care to diagnose and manage medical conditions
- 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
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
