WORLD ARTHRITIS DAY( OCT;12) --'IT'S IN YOUR HANDS,TAKE ACTION'

World Arthritis Day (WAD) is a global initiative bringing people together to raise awareness of issues affecting people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

WAD is recognised every year on 12 October and is supported by a year-round global campaign.

WAD relies on the dedication and passion of people/organisations like you to make a difference to the lives of those with RMDs

THIS YEARS THEME

MUST IT ALWAYS BE TYPHOID FEVER?

A young lad met me on my way back from work; “Good day sir, he said; I have been sick for up to two weeks now. My mouth was bitter and I had a fever. I was treated for malaria initially and after which I was placed on several antibiotics but I still feel sick and my mouth is bitter” “They said I have typhoid”. “Who said so?”I queried? Ah! Doctor, I went to the Laboratory and they did Widal test for me and it was high. Then I laughed and replied jokingly; MUST IT ALWAYS BE TYPHOID FEVER?

WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY – JUNE 14

“Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”

The theme of this year’s campaign is "Thank you for saving my life". It focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”  Many lives have been saved through blood donations; so, save a life today by donating blood.

MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (MERS)

What is MERS?
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS is a viral respiratory illness. It is caused by a coronavirus called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Burden of the infection

The infection was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. The disease is currently ravaging South Korea The outbreak in South Korea has been the largest outside Saudi Arabia -- where the virus was discovered. But South Korea is far from alone in the battle. As of Wednesday, 1,179 cases of MERS have been confirmed in 25 countries, WHO said. Two of those cases were in the United States -- both were health workers who lived in Saudi Arabia.

KELOID

WHAT ARE KELOIDS?

Keloids are overgrowths of fibrous tissue or scars that can occur after an injury to the skin.In individuals prone to keloids, even minor traumas to the skin, such as ear piercing, can cause keloids. The word "keloid" itself comes from the Greek word for a crab's claw; it was first used by a French physician to describe the way that keloids grow sideways into normal skin.

DYSMENORRHEA

What is dysmenorrhea?

Dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) is the medical term for pain associated with menstruation. Simply put menstrual pain. It is the most common menstrual disorder; and the pain usually occurs in the lower abdomen.
For some women, the discomfort is mild and merely annoying and for others, severe enough to interfere with everyday activities for a few days every month.

Types of dysmenorrhea

There are two types of dysmenorrhea: "primary" and "secondary".

Primary dysmenorrhea

 This is common menstrual cramps that are recurrent and are not due to other diseases. Pain usually begins 1 or 2 days before, or when menstrual bleeding starts, and is felt usually in the lower abdomen. Pain typically last 12 to 72 hours, and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and even diarrhea. Common menstrual cramps usually become less painful with age and may stop entirely after childbirth.

FREE MEDICAL ADVICE

Emos online health lounge is bringing healthcare closer to you.Send in your health related questions/problems and we ll get back to you in the shortest possible time.Your queries should be sent to our facebook group inbox(EMOS HEALTH LOUNGE); posted on our timeline; directly to email; emosairen@gmail.com;or drop a comment on the comment box.
EMOS ONLINE HEALTH LOUNGE--We care.

BREAST SELF EXAMINATION (BSE)

A breast self-exam is a screening technique women can do at home to check for breast lumps. It is an important, potentially life-saving procedure and should be known and practiced by all women.  A breast self-exam can help screen for tumors, cysts, or other abnormalities in the breasts. Breast self-exams help you familiarize yourself with the shape, size, and texture of your breasts. This is important because it can help you determine if what you are feeling is normal or abnormal.

HEPATITIS B AWARENESS

Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). 

One-third of the world population has been infected with HBV. 350 million people worldwide have chronic HBV infection. In Nigeria ,the prevalence is about 15-40% depending on the state involved.

MIGRAINE

A migraine is usually a severe headache felt as a throbbing pain or a pulsating sensation at the front or one side of the head. It is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light and sound.

BULIMIA NERVOSA

Bulimia nervosa(otherwise known as bulimia) is a serious, potentially life threatening eating disorder characterized by recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food ( binge-eating), and feeling a lack of control over the eating. The binge-eating is followed by a type of behavior that compensates for the binge, such as purging (e.g., self induced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or diuretics), fasting and/or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa affects 1-2% of adolescent and young adult women. 80% of bulimia nervosa patients are females.

ANOREXIA NERVOSA

Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation (immoderate food restriction), inappropriate eating habits, obsession with having a thin figure and excessive weight loss (irrational fear of weight gain).It is often accompanied by a distorted body self-perception. 

FRESH AIR: A NECESSITY FOR GOOD HEALTH

Air is the most essential element needed to sustain life. The strength of the body system is to a great extent, dependent upon the amount of pure, fresh air that the body receives. Cells in the body begin to die if they don’t receive adequate good, neat and pure air.

Fresh air is chemically different than the re-circulated indoor air that most people breathe.  

World AIDS Day 2014 - Sample press release | UNAIDS

World AIDS Day 2014 - Sample press release | UNAIDS

ACNE VULGARIS (PIMPLES)

Acne is a common chronic disorder affecting the hair follicle and sebaceous gland, in which there is blockage of the follicle (with oil and dead skin cells) and inflammation. There are several variants with the commonest been acne vulgaris.Vulgaris is the medical term for "common". It is given this name to distinguish it from less common forms of acne. You may call acne "pimples", "spots" or "zits".

HALITOSIS ( BAD BREATH)

Bad breath also known as halitosis is a breath with unpleasant odour of the mouth present on exhaled breath. It is caused by sulphur-producing bacteria that normally live on the surface of the tongue and in the throat. These bacteria break down proteins at a very high rate and release malodorous sulphur compounds from the back of the tongue and throat. 

TOILET DISEASE- REAL OR IMAGINARY?

‘’A lady walked up to her doctor, and complained l have vaginal discharge and it itches me; I guess I have toilet disease because I remember I used a public toilet 2 weeks ago and it was not looking so clean. What drug can I take?’’

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID) BY DR EMORINKEN KELVIN

‘Untreated sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a serious condition, in women. 1 in 8 women with a history of PID experience difficulties getting pregnant. You can prevent PID if you know how to protect yourself’. (CDC FACT SHEET)

 Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of a female’s reproductive organs. It is a complication often caused by some STDs, like Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Other infections that are not sexually transmitted can also cause PID

It usually occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from your vagina to your uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries.

TINEA CRURIS AKA 'SWEETIE'

Tinea cruris, also known as crotch itch, jock itch, and commonly in our locality ‘SWEETIE’. It causes an irresistible itch sensation leading to recurrent scratching. This often times is a major cause of public embarrassment. It is the ringworm of the groin.

Similar infection can occur in other parts of the body e.g. head (tinea capitis); foot (tinea pedis or athletes foot), trunk (tinea coporis), nails (tinea unguium)

It is a fungal infection of the groin region and can occur in any sex, though more commonly occurs in males

HEALTH BENEFITS OF AVOCADO PEAR

The avocado is a fruit from the avocado tree of Central American origin. They are buttery yet very flavorful, pear shaped fruits with leather-like appearance of its skin.  They feature high fat content (mainly unsaturated) and have more calories unlike most other fruits. However, they are among the popular fruits having good nutritional value and health benefiting properties. Some of the common names are alligator pear, aguacate, butter pear, etc.