Health Essentials
Pause and reflect: Lifesaving power of pets
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In a country filled with stress, social unrest and lingering scars of a pandemic, pets have emerged as silent healers, loyal companions and even lifesavers.
From the bustling streets of Accra to the rural communities in the Northern Region, pets have been woven into the social fibre that offers a sense of hope. Science calls it the ‘Pet effect’, while others call it a blessing.
This marks the untold story of how pets are saving humans emotionally and psychologically across the globe.
Cultural tapestry of pets in
societies
Historically, animals have held diverse roles in societies – right from being guardians, through to being helpers on the farm and fast becoming symbols of spiritual importance.
In the Konkomba society for instance, certain animals like dogs, rabbits, and cats are revered; often associated with spiritual beliefs and cultural values. Proverbs such as ‘Taa bɛɛn Ubɔŋban daar’ (Don’t look for a dog on the day of hunting) underscores the significance of companionship as an attribute that pets embody in our society.
This cultural root significantly deepens the bonds between humans and their pets, reinforcing animals as a symbol of comfort.
Emotional boosters
In Ghana where mental health struggles are mostly stigmatised, pets offer judgment-free comfort. In Accra for instance, a number of households cherish dogs and cats hence nurturing bonds that transcend mere utility.
Pet ownership has grown as a natural way of promoting mental well-being and emotional support in times of personal or societal unrest, acting as silent witnesses and comforters.
Research from the American Psychological Association shows that interacting with pets lowers cortisol levels (stress hormone) while increasing serotonin and dopamine, chemicals linked to happiness.
The research indicates that Therapy dogs in hospitals, schools, and disaster zones provide comfort, proving that animals have an innate ability to soothe human anxiety and depression.
The use of therapy dogs as therapeutic agents helps in reducing aggressive behaviours, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms.
This suggest that animals provide a significant calming and therapeutic effect on patients with psychological disorders.
In an interview with a health expert at Nkwanta St Joseph Hospital, Doctor Emmanuel Mardo, said the use of trained therapy dogs was growing in the western part of the world due to health benefits on humans.
However, he noted that the use of these therapy dogs was rare in Africa. Even though most households have dogs or cat, these animals are there for security purposes and not as a companion.
“I’ve read about the benefits of therapy dogs in other countries like UK and America but it’s not a practice I know about here in our country,” Dr Mardo stated.
He acknowledged the potential benefits of such an initiative, stating that it could be very essential if implemented in our hospitals.
“Personally, I believe that it is a very good initiative and since it is working for other countries, it can equally work for us,” he added.
Physical health benefits
Having a pet encourages an active lifestyle. Dog owners, for instance, are more likely to meet daily exercise requirements through walks, which aid in reducing the risks of obesity and heart disease.
In an encounter with Mr Greg, an Australian dog owner in Osu-Accra, he shared benefits he derives from having a dog.
“Billy gives me the motivation to walk longer distances and yeah, his presence provides a sense of security for me. He deters potential threats and I don’t feel lonely when I’m taking a walk with him,” he noted.
The American Heart Association’s 2013 statement on pet ownership also links pet ownership to lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. According to the statement, an increase in physical activity can lead to a 24 per cent reduction in the risk of early death.
Daily exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels and hence decreasing the risk of a heart disease.
Safety and security benefits
Pets play a significant role in enhancing security in various ways. They serve as a deterrent to potential intruders, protecting homes and properties from break-ins.
In an interview with Ms Faustina, a trader at Agbogbloshie, she shared her reasons for keeping multiple dogs around her property.
“I keep dogs because they protect my house. Whenever someone unfamiliar approaches, they bark and alert me,” she stated.
She also noted that the pets provide her with a sense of warmth and companionship, which helps her to alleviate feeling of loneliness as a single woman.
According to her, “Having pets around makes me feel less alone; they bring warmth to my life.”
Speaking with Mr Tayoume Kennedy Babuime, a Leading Fireman of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), he also stated that dogs are used for operations such as search and rescue, detection of explosives and narcotics, and pursuit of suspects.
“Dogs are very important in our rescue operations. Their sense of smell enables us to locate people trapped in burning buildings or under debris. Especially, well trained sniffer dogs are the ones we mostly use in our operations because they have the ability to detect scents far stronger and quicker than humans which makes them more suitable for our search and rescue missions,” he explained.
Pets are far more than just animals we keep at home. They are therapists, fitness coaches and family.
In a country battling high fuel prices, political noise and endless stress, pets remind us to pause and reflect on what truly matters: love in its purest and furriest form.
Therefore, the next time you see a stray dog wagging its tail on Chorkor Road or a goat nuzzling a tail in Bawku, remember, these creatures are not just surviving Ghana’s chaos. They are saving us from it.
The writer is a Level 300 student of UniMAC, GIJ
By Cynthia Nnankorla Bikarl
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).”
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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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