Day 8
Day 8! Wow, how time flies…when you are getting well that is. I know many of you have joined the be well challenge and you have told us how it is enriching your lives, however so many of you have said, how you mean to but…you have been busy etc…
Well, my friends…It’s your life, so don’t make your health and wellness a low priority, at the end of the day, it is only people who are well that can be busy!
Your challenge today is
Body Challenge: Make some substitutions.
In sports the coach is always looking to get the right players in the game at the right time in order to maximize his chances of a win. Get the right players in your game to maximize your chance at being as healthy as possible. Substitute whole grain/wheat bread for white bread, substitute oat – fufu for pounded yam, switch in olive oil for your cooking oil, try quinoa instead of rice and the list goes on and on. Choose to be mindful about your diet today and make better substitutions in your diet. Remember, life is all about how you play the game.
Spirit challenge: Get quiet.
Many people went to boarding houses where quiet time was written into the schedule. Spending some time every day reflecting or meditating, is considered a valuable addition to one’s wellness regime. The university of Massachusetts Medical School, performed a study with two groups and they found through brain scans that the group that meditated showed a pronounced shift in activity to the left frontal lobe. This shift reflected the fact that they were calmer and happier than before.
So get quiet, reflect and meditate. It’s worth it to take some by yourself time before you get going.
PS
Take a look at this video and try and figure out how you can make your workouts fun, that way you’ll be more inclined to do it!
Emzor launches “THE PURPLE PROJECT”
EMZOR launches The Purple Project
Emzor pharmaceuticals wants all Nigerians to experience unlimited wellness and as part of this mission has created “The Purple Project” as part of their corporate social initiative which is an program to encourage women to get screened for cervical cancer, thus enabling early detection and treatment. It will also create awareness about cervical cancer which will result in prevention and vaccinations when appropriate.
Why is Emzor doing this?
• One in every 100 women test positive to reliable cervical cancer screening procedures e.g. Pap smear.
• 80% of cervical cancer cases occur in developing countries
• It is said to be the 12th most common and the 5th most deadly cancer in women.
Prevention
• Cervical cancer is preventable by screening asymptomatic women for precancerous cervical lesions and treating the lesions before they progress to invasive disease.
• Early detection through screening and early prevention with vaccination remains the best approach to reduce the rate of its prevalence.
Screening Tests
1. Pap test or Pap smear (Cervical cytology): This looks out for precancerous cells changes on the cervix that can be cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately. This is the most specific test for cervical cancer.
2. HPV tests: This looks out for the virus (Human Papillomavirus) that cause these cell changes.
3. Visual Inspection with acetic acid (VIA). This involves swabbing vinegar (i.e. Acetic acid) on the cervix and health worker looks for areas that change colour. Normal cervical tissue remains unchanged by the acetic acid, but damaged tissue such as found with precancerous or cancerous lesions turn white
The Purple Project – Pap smear.
Pap smear: The doctor uses a plastic or metal instrument called a speculum to widen the vagina. Doctor examines the vagina and the cervix, collects a few cells and mucus from the cervix and the area around it. The cells are then placed on a slide or in a bottle of liquid and sent to a lab, the lab will check to be sure that cells are okay.
How do you participate?
Treating ADHD
By Ijeoma Eleazu, Pharm D
Before launching into a discussion of medications for ADHD and their side effects, let’s first briefly review ADD and ADHD. Attention deficit disorder is defined as a poor or short attention span and impulsiveness which is inappropriate for the child’s age, with or without hyperactivity. Hyperactivity is defined as a level of activity or excitement (usually in a child) that is high enough to cause concern for the child’s parents. Even though the condition is primarily seen in school-aged children, please note that adults can also have this condition. No one really knows what causes ADHD but because it runs in families there is thought to be a genetic connection involved.
Medications for ADHD that seem to work the best are the ones that primarily and directly work on the brain molecules that transmit messages from one brain cell to another (aka neurotransmitters). The first line of treatments are the stimulants (or psychostimulants) but some newer non-stimulant medications have also been recently approved for treating ADHD.
Medications for ADHD:
* Adderall, Adderall XR (Amphetamine)
* Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine)
* Ritalin, Ritalin SR, Ritalin LA, Concerta, Metadate CD, Metadate ER, Methylin, Methylin ER (Methylphenidate)
* Dexedrine, Dextrostat (Dextroamphetamine)
* Strattera (Atomoxetine)
* Focalin (Dexmethylphenidate)
For some people who have ADHD along with other emotional or mental health problems, doctors will sometimes prescribe some of the following medications. Please note though that these medications are NOT approved by the FDA for treating ADHD. They are:
* Geodon (Ziprasidone)
* Budeprion SR, Bupropan, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL (Bupropion)
* Clozaril (Clozapine)
* Zyprexa (Olanzapine)
* Seroquel (Quetiapine)
* Risperdal (Risperidone)
* Abilify (Aripiprazole)
* Catapres, Clorpres, Combipres (Clonidine)
* Tenex (Guanfacine)
Please note that in general, children with ADD don’t outgrow the difficulties and issues associated with this condition. Certain problems may persist even throughout their adolescence and some new ones may emerge, particularly low self-esteem, anxiety, difficulty learning appropriate social behavior, among others.
If you are the parent of a child with ADD or ADHD, here are some simple strategies you can use to help build your child’s self-confidence:
* First and foremost, make sure you let your child know that your love for him or her is totally unconditional, on the good days and most especially on the not-so-good days
* Identify what your child’s strengths are and be sure to build on those. When your child is successful at something then he or she can feel a sense of accomplishment and pride about something.
* Since social skills are one of the areas where kids with ADD/ADHD tend to have problems help your child by training her or him in how to make friends and how to interact and cooperate with others.
Ijeoma Eleazu, PharmD has been a practicing clinical pharmacist for over 10 years. She also is the expert behind the informative drug information website edrugsideeffects.com. She is a wonderful resource and we encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to reach out to a health expert who cares.
What’s safe for baby
What’s safe for baby?
Plastic or glass – The BPA debate
Time Magazine reported in 2008 that “A consortium of North American environmental and health groups released a paper Thursday showing that many major-brand baby bottles leach bisphenol A, and is now calling for a moratorium on the use of the compound — used to make polycarbonate plastic — in food and beverage containers”
Bisphenol A is a chemical that mimics estrogen in the body and it has been linked to imbalances in sex hormone which could potentially lead to certain cancers such as breast and or prostate. It has also been linked to miscarriages, low sperm count etc, because the babies are exposed to this as their reproductive systems are yet developing.
So what to do?
Don’t panic yet, the EPA still maintains that the quantities leached into milk etc is a small insignificant amount. It claims that 25 times the amount is still considered a safe level of exposure.
Fine.
But as a mom. I’ll err on the side of caution.
10 on health: 10 things to know about sickle cell anemia
10 on Health 10 things to know about Sickle Cell Disease 
1. Sickle cell anemia is a disease passed down through families where red blood cells form an abnormal crescent shape (Red blood cells are normally disc shaped) at low oxygen levels. These sickle shaped cells clog small blood vessels and disrupt normal blood flow to organs. 2. Sickle cell is more common in people of African and Mediterranean descent. It can also be seen in people from South and Central America, the Caribbean and the Middle East. 3. Sickle cell anemia is inherited from both parents who are blood type AS to give an SS child. A child who inherits the S gene from one parents and a normal A gene from the other parent will have sickle cell trait. These children do not have symptoms of true sickle cell anemia 4. Symptoms of sickle cell usually do not occur until after age 4 months since before this time the blood type is still in its fetal form (Hemoglobin F). After 4 months it changes to a more mature type (Hemoglobin S) that is capable of sickling at low oxygen levels 5. Symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia
- Hand-Foot Syndrome: This is when small vessels to the hands and foot are blocked causing pain and swelling. This may be the first sign in infants.
- Fatigue, paleness and shortness of breath: This is due to low oxygen carrying ability of the sickled red blood cells
- Pain (Crises) – unpredictable pain in joints and body wherever sickled cells blood blood supple to a tissue. The frequency and amount of pain varies and can last minutes or hours.
- Eye Problems
- Jaundice (Yellowing of Skin and Eyes) – due to rapid break down of the weak sickled cells which release bilirubin that colors the skin ad eyes
- Delayed growth and puberty – Due to shortage of cells
- Infections – due to damaged immune system organs (spleen)
- Stroke – due to damaged brain blood vessels
- Acute chest pain – this life long problem is similar to pneumonia and is caused by trapped sickled cells in the lungs.
6. A pregnant woman with sickle cell disease is at increased risk of preterm labor and needs careful monitoring throughout pregnancy. If the baby’s father has sickle cell trait, the baby has a 50 percent chance of having the disease. If he does not, the baby will have only the trait 7. Hydroxyurea is a drug that has shown promising results in adult sickle cell patients. It reduces the frequency of severe pain, acute chest syndrome and the need for blood transfusions. 8. In 1954, Anthony Allison hypothesized that sickle cell trait offered protection against malaria. He suggested that those with the trait did not succumb to malaria as often as those without it; but, when they did, their disease was less severe. The sickling process destroys the malaria parasite and prevents it from spreading through the body. Therefore in regions repeatedly devastated by malaria, people who carry the sickle cell trait will have a greater chance for survival than other individuals. 9. Sickle cell disease is a global health problem, however, in Nigeria one in every four persons are carriers of the sickle cell gene. It is estimated that over 150,000 babies are born with symptomatic sickle cell anemia each year in the country. 10. It’s especially important to find ways to control and cope with pain of sickle cell. Different techniques work for different people, but it might be worth trying heating pads, hot baths, massages or physical therapy. Prayer, family and friends also can be sources of support MedStud Tip: As recently as 1973, the average lifespan for people with sickle cell disease was only 14 years. Currently, life expectancy for these patients can reach 50 years and over. Women with sickle cell live longer than their male counterparts – # RIP SAZZY # Sources: Medline Plus, EverythingSickleCell.com, MayoClinic.com, WHO, NYTimes Health Guide
Low in Iron? Try Emzoron
Are you low in iron?
Causes and Risk Factors of Iron Deficiency
About 10% of women are deficient in iron.
People become iron deficient for a variety of reasons:
• Some women menstruate so heavily that they may also need supplements to replace iron .
• People on restrictive diets may not consume enough iron rich foods.
• Pregnancy: It is advised that pregnant women should take iron supplements to nourish their developing babies and also to prevent against anemia.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
Anemia can cause symptoms of feeling easily fatigued, rapid heart beats, palpitations.
Severe iron deficiency can cause skin texture to change and mucosal changes and it can also cause brittle nails.
Some iron deficient people show signs of developing pica, an unusual craving for specific foods (ice cubes, lettuce, etc.) often not rich in iron.
Treatment of Iron Deficiency
The standard treatment is ferrous sulfate, 325 mg taken three times daily. It is hard on the stomach so patients can take with food if necessary.
Talk to your doctor about iron deficiency because it can be corrected easily.
10 Things To Know About Pap Smears by Ada Enyioha
10 Things To Know About Pap Smears
1. A Pap smear is a procedure done at a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital to test for abnormal cells that can become cervical cancer in women. It is performed on women between the ages of 21 to 30 and involves collecting cells from around the cervix
2. In women over 30, the Pap smear may be combined with a test for human papillomavirus (HPV) — a common sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer.
3. If you continually have negative Pap smear results after age 30, your doctor may decide to do the test less often.
4. Women who have had a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or who are over 65 years old and have had 3 consecutive negative test results may stop getting Pap smears.
5. If you are a virgin, you don’t need a Pap smear. However getting a Pap smear will not cause you to lose your virginity.
6. Avoid intercourse, douching (google it ladies) or using any vaginal medicines or spermicidal foams, creams or jellies for two days before having a Pap smear, as these may wash away or obscure abnormal cells.
7. Try not to schedule a Pap smear during your menstrual period. Although the test can be done, it’s best to avoid this time of your cycle
8. Any woman who has had sex, even with just one partner, could have HPV and not even know it. HPV is a very common virus. About eight out of 10 women will carry HPV at some point in time by the age of 50.
9. The exam itself is a bit uncomfortable and a lot of women dread it – yikes – but cancer is an even bigger dread!!
10. The test results are usually back in a few days and your doctor will call if results are positive or obscure. If this happens, s/he performs a cervical biopsy to figure out the extent of abnormal cell growth and invasion.
MedStud Tip:
Gardasil is a vaccine available for young girls (9-26 years old) who have never been sexually active to prevent getting the HPV virus. Ask your doctor more about this vaccine.
Image via Mayoclinic