Health
Managing The Hot Season Naturally
As the harmattan season wears on, the atmosphere is naturally heated up and causes discomfort. Night time is usually hotter as the hot air comes down heating up most homes and causing sweat. Most afternoons are usually hotter with artificial pollution from cars and industry join with the hot air to heat up the air.
During this season many people battle with the discomfort of staying indoors while others seek the solace of air-conditioned rooms.
Unfortunately, the hot season is associated with lots of ailments such as asthma due to dust, headache, heat rashes and other communicable diseases such as measles, chicken pox and cough. Below are some things to do health wise to overcome the distress of the hot season:
1. Plan Your Day
Depending on how hot your locale is, there are definitely certain times of day that are essential to capitalise on. Before the sun rises and after it sets you have a few golden hours of cooler weather. Take this time to water your plants, go for a jog, or enjoy a meal outside.
2. Hydrate
Always drink enough water. So it’s advisable for one to always go along with waterflask or other brands of insulated water bottle that keeps water cold throughout the day. Hydration during the warm months is crucial.
3. Essential Oils
Peppermint and Spearmint Essential Oil, both contain menthol which have cooling properties. Add a few drops to your diffuser at home, or make your own body mist for when you’re on the go. You can even create event-specific essential oils by mixing different scents together.
4. Swim!
Take a dip in a local swimming hole, public pool, or even a kiddie pool in your backyard! There’s nothing better than submerging in cold water on a hot summer day.
5. Consume foods that are cooling to your internal systems. Go for sweet and ripe summer fruits, fresh veggies, and foods that are bitter or astringent rather than salty or spicy.
7. Infuse Your Water
Infuse your water with fresh fruits! This will encourage you to drink more water and will help suppress your sugar tooth. Try using mint, citrus, and ripe fruits in season.
8. Meditate
Sometimes we need to cool our minds as much as we need to cool our physical body. Take time every day to slow down and meditate. A few minutes of deep breathing and relaxation will go a long way.
9. Snacks
Make home-made popsicles and frozen fruits for your weekend adventures. Check out a few of our favourite recipes here.
10. Check your Pulse Points
There’s numerous pulse points on your body that can be used as cooling spots when in contact with cool water. You’re probably familiar with the points on your wrists and back of neck. Try putting a cool towel or running cool water over your feet, wrists, and temples. Wear a damp bandana when exercising outdoors.
12. Get Your Hair Did
Summer is a great time for change and a shift of perspective. Get a haircut and switch things up while simultaneously setting yourself up for a cooler summer. Keep your hair off the back of your neck to keep body temperatures lower.
13. Dress Light
Wear light colours and breathable fabrics, especially on those scorching days. We suggest cotton and linen.
14. Take More Showers
There’s nothing like a cold shower in the midst of a sweltering summer day. It doesn’t have to be an epic water-wasting shower—just a quick rinse will do the trick. Take them often!
15. Eat cooling fruits as a Cucumber and Watermelon
Keep a cucumber in your fridge and cut a couple slices to soothe your eyes after a long summer day. It will not only reduce puffiness and dark circles around eyes, but bring down the overall temperature of your body. Treat yourself!
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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