Health
Understanding Insomnia And Its Consequences
Insomia is a sleep disorder characterised by the inability to
obtain an adequate amount or quality of sleep. The inability can be in falling asleep or both. People with insomnia do not feel refreshed when they wake up. Insomnia is probably one of man’s most common complaints that may be caused by many conditions, diseases or circumstances. However, there are many types of insomnia, one of which is in primary form.
Primary insomnia is when a person is having sleep problems that are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem. It is often caused by a temporary situation in a person’s life, such as an argument with a loved one or jetlag. Also lack of nutrients like calcium and magnesium can cause one to wake up after a few hours and not be able to return to sleep, and this situation results from eating close to bed time. When the situation is resolved or the precipitating factor disappears, the condition goes away, usually without any treatment. Insomnia can also vary in terms of duration and how often it occurs. It can be acute (short-term) or chronic insomnia (long-term). Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few days. Insomnia is called chronic when a person has sleeplessness at least three nights a week for a month or longer.
Most people suffer from acute insomnia when faced with a particular situation that causes them anxiety or great excitement. Significant life stress such as change/loss of job, divorce, death of a loved one, moving to a new town, financial situations, may all affect sleep. Environmental factors like noise, light or extreme temperatures (hot or cold) also cause acute insomnia. Interference in normal sleep schedule (switching from a day to night shift), for example and alcohol and drug abuse also interfere with natural sleep cycles.
In chronic insomnia, pain or discomfort at night, chronic stress and many of the systemic disorders already mentioned are causative factors. Generally, people with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms: (a) difficulty in falling asleep (b) waking up often during the night and having trouble going back to sleep (c) sleepy during the day, (d) waking up too early in the morning, (e) problems with concentration or memory, (f) feeling tired upon waking and general weaknesses and (g) irritability
Just as many factors give rise to insomnia, so also are the consequences of sleep disorder. Decreased ability to perform creative or repetitive tasks, deterioration in overall performance can even result in mild personality changes. If chronic, inadequate sleep compromises productivity, creates problems in relationship and can contribute to many health problems, already mentioned.
A lot of money is thus spent on sleeping pills, special beds, and a variety of mechanical gadgets to aid in sleeping.
However, there are things that can enhance sleep without using sleeping pills. Primary of such things is, lettuce. Lettuce is beneficial in the treatment of insomnia as it contains a sleep-inducing substance called ‘letucerium.’ The juice of this vegetable has been likened in effect to the sedative action of opium without the accompanying excitement. A ¼ tumbler is taken preferably 30-60 minutes before bedtime. 0.25 grams of the root powder is mixed with warm water and taken once daily. In chronic conditions, taking such mixture two times a day, till symptoms are cleared is advised.
Honey induces sleep. It should be taken with water, before going to bed. Take 1-2 tablespoon in a cup of water. Other factors that can enhance sleep include making ones bedroom comfortable. Be sure that it is dark, quiet and not too warm or too cold. Remove every source of distraction like noise, light. Instead of pills, follow a routine to help you relax before sleep. Read a book, listen to music, or take a bath.
Avoid using over-the-counter sleepy pills for insomnia, because they may have undesired side effects and tend to lose their effectiveness with time. It is also important to practice good sleeping habits. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and get up the same time each morning. Also try not to take naps during the day, because naps may make you less sleepy at night.
Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that can keep one from falling asleep. Alcohol can also cause waking in the night and interferes with sleep quality. Avoid eating a heavy meal later in the night. A light snack before bedtime, however, may help you sleep.
Get regular exercise but try not to do so close to bedtime, because it may stimulate you and make it hard to fall asleep.
Osuji is a medical student of Abia State University, Uturu.
Priscillia Osuji
Health
Taraba Confirms Lassa Fever Outbreak
The authorities in Taraba State Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the State.
Making the confirmation in an interview, State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gbangsheya Buma disclosed that out of the nine suspected cases that were recorded last Friday, eight turned out positive for the viral haemorrhagic fever.
Buma stated that the state Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, and the Federal Medical Center, Jalingo, FMC, authorities to contain the spread of the disease.
“It is not a surprising thing, this is the season, and we have made preparations, though the outbreak may be overwhelming.
“I just received support from NCDC; they have sent some people here to provide technical support with the aim of stopping the progress of the disease.
“We are actually on top of it. We have provided support as a state to the FMC to provide free treatment to patients of Lassa fever,” he said.
Acting Head of Clinical Services at FMC Jalingo, Joseph Kuni, provided further insight on the outbreak, revealing that the center currently has ten patients in its isolation ward, with some awaiting test results.
Kuni said, “From January to February, the center had recorded 19 deaths from the isolation center.
“From January to February, we sent 105 samples, and 60 of them came out positive for Lassa Fever while 39 came out negative. The remaining ones are still being awaited.”
He explained that due to a fire outbreak that affected the modular laboratory last year, the center cannot perform tests locally, so they send samples to Bauchi or Abuja for testing.
Additionally, Kuni confirmed that one medical doctor from the hospital was affected but has since been treated and discharged.
Kuni emphasised the need for more assistance considering the alarming number of cases, particularly from the central part of the state.
Warning that Lassa Fever is endemic in Nigeria, Kuni said with sporadic outbreaks occurring primarily during the dry season, and it is transmitted to humans through contact with contaminated food or household items.
Health
Experts Warn On Excess Consumption Of Sweetened Beverages
Drinking two litres or more per week of artificially sweetened beverages — the equivalent of a medium-sized fast-food diet soda a day — raises the risk of an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation by 20 percent when compared to people who drank none, a new study found.
Known as A-fib, atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat often described by many people who have it as a “quiver,” “flutter” or “flip-flop” of the heart in the chest.
Drinking a similar number of added-sugar beverages raised the risk of the condition by 10 percent, while drinking about four ounces of pure, unsweetened juices, such as orange or vegetable juice, was associated with an 8 percent lower risk of atrial fibrillation, the study found.
“This is the first study to report an association between no- and low-calorie sweeteners and also sugar-sweetened beverages and increased risk of atrial fibrillation,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor emeritus of nutritional sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, in a statement. She was not involved in the new study.
While the study could only show an association between sweetened drinks and A-fib, the relationship remained after accounting for any genetic susceptibility to the condition. A 2017 study found people with European ancestry had about a 22 percent risk of inheriting the condition.
This heart condition may affect one in four women after menopause, the study further reveals”We still need more research on these beverages to confirm these findings and to fully understand all the health consequences on heart disease and other health conditions,” Kris-Etherton said.
“In the meantime, water is the best choice, and, based on this study, no- and low-calorie sweetened beverages should be limited or avoided,” she added.
Atrial fibrillation is dangerous and on the rise and is the leading cause of stroke in the United States. In addition, strokes connected to A-fib tend to be “more severe than strokes with other underlying causes,” according to the united states centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Atrial fibrillation can also lead to blood clots, heart failure and “can increase the risk for heart attack, for dementia, for kidney disease. All of those things are likely long term risks,” Dr. Gregory Marcus, Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and associate chief of cardiology for research at UCSF Health, told The Tide’s in an interview.
Health
Ogun Seals College’s Nursing Department Over Illegal Operations
The Nursing Department of the Harvarde College of Science Business and Management Studies in Abeokuta has been shut.
The department was sealed yesterday for operating without accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
The enforcement team comprised officials of enforcement team of the Ogun Ministry of Health and members of the State Nursing and Midwifery Committee (SNMC).
Speaking during the enforcement exercise, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun Ministry of Health, Dr Kayode Oladehinde, said that the private institution had been offering a degree programme in Nursing Sciences.
He added that this had been going on for about six years without accreditation from the regulatory body.
Oladehinde, represented by the Acting Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Serifat Aminu, said that such unauthorised programme contributed to quackery in nursing and posed a threat to public health.
According to him, the nursing department of the institution will remain sealed until fully accredited.
He described a degree in Nursing obtained from Harvarde College and similar institutions without NMCN accreditation as worthless, stating that graduates would be unable to obtain a valid license to practice in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
“We have discovered that many institutions, including Harvarde College, offer nursing degrees to unsuspecting students.
“Our mission is to clamp down on such institutions because they end up producing quacks in the nursing profession.
“This is dangerous for society. Unfortunately, most students are unaware that their time is being wasted,” he said.
The permanent secretary advised parents and candidates desiring to pursue nursing or related programmes to conduct due diligence by checking the NMCN website for a list of accredited institutions, saying the regulatory body updated the list yearly.
He warned parents to be cautious of institutions making false claims, assuring that the Ogun government would continue to work diligently against quackery in both the education and practice of the nursing profession in the state.
Responding, a 300-level student, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed shock at the institution’s lack of accreditation, regretting the amount of money her parents had spent on the
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