Health & Wellness

Diarrhoea is almost like an everyday problem. Does it have any tragic effect among the population? What can be done about it? There are some basic facts you need to know about Diarrhoea: 1) Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old. 2) It is both preventable and treatable. 3) Each year diarrhoea kills around 525 000 children under five. 4) Globally, there are nearly 1.7 billion cases of childhood diarrhoeal disease every year. 5) Diarrhoea is a leading cause of malnutrition in children under five years old.                     What is Diarrhoea? Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual). Frequent passing of formed stools is not diarrhoea, nor is the passing of loose, “pasty” stools by breastfed babies.                     Types of Diarrhoea There are three clinical types of diarrhoea: 1) Acute watery diarrhoea – lasts several hours or days, and includes cholera 2) Acute bloody diarrhoea – also called dysentery 3) Persistent diarrhoea – lasts 14 days or longer. Note: The difference between Cholera and Dysentery is that diarrhoea is said to be cholera when there is passage of watery stool while it is dysentery when there is mucous stain or blood in the stool.              Causes of Diarrhoea 1) Diarrhoea is a symptom of infections caused by a host of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms, most of which are spread by faeces-contaminated water. 2) Malnutrition: A malnourished child or adult has low immunity and any opportunistic infection can result to diarrhoea. 3) Chronic infections: A history of travel or antibiotic use can be clues to chronic diarrhea. Various bacteria and parasites can be the cause. 4) Other causes are Endocrine disorders and Malabsorptive disorders. 5) It can be caused from sources like water or animal feaces used as fertilizers from growing vegetables. Common signs and symptoms of diarrhoea are:– Watery stool (3 or more) in a day Stomach pain Abdominal cramps Bloating Thirst Weight loss Fever Blood or pus in the stools Persistent vomiting Dehydration      So How Can One Prevents Diarrhoea? a) Having access to safe drinking water: Do not drink water until you know the source of the water you are drinking and if you are not sure please boil or chlorinate the water before drinking. b) Maintaining a healthy and hygienic environment : Some persons environment is very untidy and have a lot of breeding site for flies please. To prevent diarrhoea, it is advisable to maintain a healthy environment. c) Always practicing washing of hands with soap and water: d) Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life: (For the nursing mothers and would be, this is very essential). e) Having a good personal and food hygiene. f) Properly washing of fruits and vegetables preferably with salt before eating or cooking. g) Avoiding eating of cold food: Some microorganisms breed on cold foods and may come out leading to diarrhoea. h) Properly storing of foods.    How To Treat Someone With Diarrhoea Key measures to treat diarrhoea include the following: 1) Fluids can be replaced by simply drinking more fluids, or they can be received intravenously(in hospital in severe cases.) Children and older people are more vulnerable to dehydration. 2) Oral rehydration solution or salts (ORS) refers to water that contains salt and glucose. It is absorbed by the small intestine to replace the water and electrolytes lost in the stool. 3) Zinc supplements: Zinc supplements reduce the duration of a diarrhoea episode by 25% and are associated with a 30% reduction in stool volume. 4) Antidiarrheal medication such as Loperamide, or Imodium, is an antimotility drug that reduces stool passage. Loperamide, Imodium,& Bismuth subsalicylate, for example, Pepto-Bismol, reduces diarrheal stool output in adults and children. It can also be used to prevent traveler’s diarrhea. 5) Antibiotics: Antibiotics are only used to treat diarrhea caused by a bacterial infection. It is common with almost everyone to quickly take Flagyl when there is diarrhoea. It not supposed to be because not all diarrhoea are caused by bacterial. From studies by Nutritionists from Stanford Health Care on some nutritional tips for diarrhea: 👉🏼Sip on clear, still liquids such as fruit juice without added sugar. 👉🏼After each loose stool, replace lost fluids with at least one cup of liquid. 👉🏼Do most of the drinking between, not during meals. 👉🏼Consume high-potassium foods and liquids, such as diluted fruit juices, potatoes without the skin, and bananas. 👉🏼Consume high-sodium foods and liquids, such as broths, soups, sports drinks, and salted crackers. 👉🏼Eat foods high in soluble fiber, such as banana, oatmeal and rice, as these help thicken the stool. 👉🏼 Limit foods that may make diarrhea worse, such as creamy, fried, and sugary foods. Foods and drinks that might make the diarrhea worse include: a) Gums, mints, sweet cherries, and prunes. b) Caffeinated drinks and medication. c) Fructose in high amounts, from fruit juices, grapes, honey, dates, nuts, figs, soft drinks, and prunes. d) Lactose in dairy products.                      Complications Dehydration is the most severe threat posed by diarrhoea. During a diarrhoeal episode, water and electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium and bicarbonate) are lost through liquid stools, vomit, sweat, urine and breathing. Dehydration occurs when these losses are not replaced. The degree of dehydration is rated on a scale of three. Please note these signs, you might help save a generation unknowingly. 1) Severe dehydration has at least two of the following signs: ✅ lethargyl ✅ unconsciousness ✅ sunken eyes ✅ unable to drink or drink poorly ✅ skin pinch goes back very slowly ( ≥2 seconds ) 2) Some dehydration include two or more of the following signs): ✅ restlessness, ✅ irritability ✅ sunken eyes ✅ drinks eagerly, thirsty 3) No

Let’s talk about acid. Not the regular chemical acid you know. This particular acid is a beneficial one. It is called FOLIC ACID. Folic acid is a form of folate( man-made form) a derivative of vitamin B that is found in fruits , vegetables and nuts and helps protect against some serious birth defects. Do you know that Folic acid is very essential for women the more? Yes, it is. Let me take you through some benefits of folic acid. 1. Folic acid helps in the prevention of birth defects (such as spina bifida and anencephaly). This is key because it is an important ingredient that forms the genetic material. This is why women of childbearing age and those who desire to be pregnant and/or are pregnant are encouraged to take this. Other research links adequate consumption of folic acid to the prevention of autism, cleft lip and palate and rheumatoid arthritis. 2. It helps in the prevention of a form of anemia known as folate-deficiency anemia. 3. Essential in the formation of red blood cells. 4. Recently some studies added that it helps decrease age-related hearing loss. As a B-vitamin, this acid is water soluble and can be found in some foods naturally. Natural foods that contain folic acid are: –          Cabbage –          Egg yolk –          Kidney –          Lettuce –          Papaya –          Kiwi –          Oranges –          Milk –          Spinach –          Sunflower seeds –          Peas –          Lentils –          Jacket potato –          Cauliflower –          Brussels sprouts –          Broccoli It can also be found in fortified cereals, bread, pastas etc When not taken adequately, it can be prescribed or added in some fortified foods. In fact, it is known that a healthy diet does not even have enough folic acid so taking the folic acid pills is also required especially for those trying to conceive or are pregnant. However, only take folic acid pills as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. It is also essential to take folic acid with enough water. Every woman over age 14 are expected to consume about 400mcg a day and this increases during pregnancy. The easiest way to this is by eating more of leafy vegetables and fruits. When buying canned foods/cereals/ milk, look at the nutrition content as well. (This will help you not only get foods that contain folic acids but also foods that are low in saturated fat and sugar).    

There are 100 million allergy-related Google searches a year and hundreds of Facebook pages dedicated to the subject. Allergies are frustrating, restrictive and sometimes frightening conditions and they seem to be rising at an astonishing rate even in developed countries. Allergies are overreactions of the immune system in response to something that is normally harmless. Different allergies are distinct conditions, which have different triggers, symptoms – from mild to life-threatening – and treatments, and occur at different rates in the population. Some allergies have similar symptoms to other conditions. Food intolerances, which can be unpleasant but don’t pose the same threats, are often confused with food allergies, which are less common and potentially dangerous. Some people with asthma, eczema and rhinitis are allergic, while others are not. Allergies can be seen in almost every organ, most commonly in the skin and the mucous membranes. Allergology is the science regarding allergic diseases and their differential diagnoses and mechanisms. The term “Allergy” was first coined on July 24, 1906 as “specifically altered reactivity of the organism. Allergy is not a disease itself, but a mechanism leading to disease. In clinical practice, allergy manifests in form of various different conditions such as anaphylaxis, urticaria, angioedema, allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, allergic asthma, serum sickness, allergic vasculitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, atopic dermatitis (eczema), contact dermatitis and granulomatous reactions, as well as the colourful spectrum of food- or drug – induced hypersensitivity reactions. For most people with allergies, the first exposure to an allergen prompts their immune system to produce an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). With each subsequent exposure, their body produces more IgE, which attaches itself to two types of cells in the body – mast cells and basophils. When the allergen attaches to the IgE, the mast cells and basophils are activated to release histamine and other chemicals to defend against the allergen “invader.” The release of these chemicals causes allergic reactions, as the person’s body attempts to rid itself of the allergen “invader.” Common allergies include those to food and airborne allergens such as pollen, mold, dust mites and animal dander, urine and saliva. Allergies can be seasonal, like pollen or certain molds, or year-round, like dust mites. Different types of allergens are more prevalent in different parts of the country or the world.            CAUSES OF ALLERGIES 1) Genetic Disposition: Some people have a genetic tendency towards developing allergies. This is called atopy and is why being allergic can run in families. However, being atopic does not guarantee an allergy will develop, it just means it is more likely. Atopic family members frequently have different kinds of allergies to each other. Identical twins are more likely to have the same allergies. Genetic factors have a role but can’t help us predict exactly who will develop an allergy. 2) Exposure To Allergens: The case of exposure to allergens as a cause of allergy is even more complex. Sometimes exposure to an allergen helps reduce the risk of developing an allergy to it but sometimes exposure to an allergen brings on an allergy. Prolonged exposure to workplace materials such as flour, tobacco dust or the dander of animals can lead to the development of allergic conditions including occupational asthma. Occupational exposure can also give rise to contact allergies to substances such as latex in rubber gloves.                       DIAGNOSIS There is no one allergy test that can alone diagnose an allergy. Each of the diagnostic stages above need to be carried out under the care of a medical professional in conjunction with a face-to-face consultation because results from the tests must be considered in the context of the patient’s medical history. Applied kinesiology looks for muscle weakness after test substances are placed in the patient’s mouth or hands. Muscle weakness has no relationship to whether the patient is allergic to the substance. In fact, results of kinesiology tests are heavily influenced by the tester. Cytotoxic tests (ALCAT, FACT, Bryan’s test) expose a person’s blood sample to test substances. The reaction of the white blood cells is observed. But the reaction of blood cells is the same in people with and without allergies. Food-specific IgG testing (food intolerance test, YorkTest, Hemocode) looks for specific IgG antibodies against food stuffs in the blood. IgG antibodies are part of the immune system with a key role in fighting infections but the best medical evidence has shown elevated IgG levels do not suggest an allergy. Results are frequently positive in individuals who do not have an allergy or a food intolerance. Hair testing in most cases uses electro-acupuncture to look at the electromagnetic resonance of a lock of hair. Hair is not involved in allergic reactions so testing hair samples cannot provide any useful information on allergic status. Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) is based on the idea that allergies are cause by ‘energy blockage’ and can be diagnosed by muscle testing and cured by acupuncture. There is no credible evidence that this technique can diagnose or treat allergy. Vega test combines acupuncture and homeopathy theory and measures electronic resistance across the skin at various points. The measurements have no relation to allergic status and the test cannot distinguish between people who have an allergy and those who don’t.     TYPES AND SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGY a) Airborne Allergies Airborne allergies can range from seasonal annoyances to year-round problems in the form of allergic rhinitis (symptoms of the nose and throat) and/or allergic conjunctivitis (symptoms of the eyes). Airborne allergy symptoms include: Sneezing Itchy nose/throat Nasal congestion Coughing Itchy, watery and/or red eyes Dark circles around eyes Common airborne allergies include; Dust, Pollen, Mold, Pet dander, saliva and urine b) Food Allergies Severity and development of food allergies depend on the quantity of the food eaten, the amount of exposure an individual has had, and the child’s sensitivity to the food. Food allergies are usually not lifelong, with the exception of certain peanut, tree nut and