When Smallpox Was A Nightmare

Smallpox is an acute contagious and fatal disease caused by the variola virus and spread through direct contact with infected body fluids or contaminated objects such as bedding or clothing.

Humans are the only natural host of variola.

Smallpox originated thousands of years ago and killed about 60million people in the 18th century.

It killed 30 percent of people that caught it. Those who survived were often left blind, sterile and with deep pitted scars on the skin.

The last known natural cause occurred in Somalia in 1977.

The symptoms of smallpox are distinct

The first symptoms are usually high fever, malaise, head and body aches and sometimes vomiting.

Smallpox's signature symptom is the emergence of rashes that develop into sores.

These rashes become raised bumps that fills with thick opaque fluid that often has a depression in the center that looks like a belly button.

These bumps form crusts and scabs that fall off to leave pitted scars.

The infected person can spread the disease until all the scabs fall off.

Smallpox is the only disease that has been completely eradicated

Edward Jenner's experiment in 1796 formed the basis for the investigation that developed the smallpox vaccine - one of the greatest triumphs in modern medicine.

Today, smallpox has been eradicated except for laboratory stockpiles.

Read More

Your STD Project: Are You At Risk?

Be protected. Stay safe!

In this day and age, sexual activity is no longer a big deal.

Young people jump in and out of the sheets without much thought about their emotional and physiological health.

Little wonder we hear too many stories of unwanted pregnancies, (which is responsible for many early marriages in contemporary Nigeria), broken hearts and then the other aspect that has a really low voice; sexually transmitted diseases/infections.

The goal of this article is not to condemn human sexuality, but to provide an insight on how much we stand to loose if caution is thrown to the wind.


YOU COULD GET INFECTED

Sexually transmitted infections are transmitted through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person.

Some infected people have no obvious symptoms.

In some individuals, the symptoms appear and disappear while the infection still persists and the person continues to infect other people.

Some common STIs include

1. Candidiasis
2. Trichomoniasis
3. Gonorrhoea
4. Syphilis
5. HIV/AIDS
6. Genital warts (human papilloma virus)
7. Hepatitis B
8. Chlamydia.

General signs of an infection are ;

• Wounds, sores, ulcers, rashes or blisters on or around the genitals.
• Abnormal discharge that is itchy, thick, that has color and a foul odor. 
• Painful urination

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS OF STI's

Improper and late treatment of STIs could result in

1. Infertility (gonorrhoea)
2. Impotency
3. Death (AIDS, syphilis)
4. Blocked tubes
5. Pelvic inflammatory diseases (gonorrhoea)
6. Urinary tract infections (Chlamydia);
7. Genital cancer (HPV).

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO GET TESTED? 

Populations at higher risk of getting infected are people that have unprotected sex, people that have multiple sexual partners and sex workers.

You may feel you are safe, but how are you sure your partner does not have other partners?

If you notice abnormal changes in your body, seek medical help immediately.

Consult a doctor for counseling, treatment and follow up. Be straight with your doctor.

If the environment is not private or comfortable, let him know. Do not forget to inform your partner to get tested.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST MEDICINE

The importance of prevention can not be overemphasized.
Do not expose yourself to STIs in the first place. Abstain from sex (if you can),

Stay faithful to one partner and use condoms correctly. Alcohol and drugs are bad for sexual health.

Remember, when youth is a mistake, old age becomes a regret.

What other methods of prevention do you know? Share them with us.

Read More

The HIV Stigma - A Broken Clay Pot

Stop the discrimination!

The negative label placed on HIV/AIDS patients is like a clay pot broken out of carelessness or ignorance.

The pieces are gathered and dumped at a corner. This pot was formally useful and beautiful in all its glory.

This is a typical HIV/AIDS analogy in Nigeria.

IN AFRICA, HIV/AIDS IS A DEATH SENTENCE!

People stigmatize and discriminate against HIV patients in blood curling ways.

These carriers become shadows of their former selves, hiding and waiting for death to come.

Among others, there is a singular story of a middle aged woman that caught the virus.

Prior to the leak of her health status, she was robust, able to get to her drugs herself, moved and engaged with people freely. She was productive.

The story changed when her family found her out.

She was abandoned to die with no form of support. With the spread of the news in her small ignorant village, she was avoided like an outcast and was forced into loneliness.

WE ALL NEED ONE ANOTHER

That was when her real problem started.

This new dimension of her sickness had even greater impact on her health than the HIV/AIDS itself.

With no financial and emotional support from family, she started depreciating.

Due to the Stigma, she became very reluctant to go the hospital for her anti retro-viral therapy and this invariably led to total break down of her health in little time.

Once, she reportedly stole from a nearby farm because she was hungry and tired. She lost every hope and before long she died.

There is another tale of members of the civil service being tested for HIV/AIDS in a public auditorium without any form of privacy or secrecy .

The pressure alone on the persons being tested could be very lethal.

EVERY LIFE IS IMPORTANT

The society that we live in pose serious risk for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Treat every human life with dignity and respect. If there are sick people around you, show them love.

And you dear reader, stay safe. Prevention is the best and only cure.
Always remember, no life is small.

Do you have any similar stories concerning stigma against positive patients?

Let us know in the comments section below!

Read More

Patients' Perspective On Health Care In Nigeria- "The Doctor Is Not Available"

Bottom line- healthcare should be available!

Have you ever lied to your doctor?

Do you trust your doctor to understand your concerns and keep your secret?

Is your doctor hardly available when you NEED to see him?

In Nigeria, the patient's perspective on health care is centered on easy access to health care, good communication between the patient and the physician, convenience and an affordable cost for health services as recorded in an abstract by the African Journals Online.

Accessible health care is quality health care

The health care team should be ready and waiting for their patients all the time.

The case often seen in our hospitals is that the doctor is hardly available.

Patients do not appreciate long waiting hours or shortage of health care equipment and materials (vaccines and drugs for example).

The aged from the rural communities do not embrace the idea of going into the towns to access health care when they are sick.

Nurses with attitudes also hinder easy access to health care. 

Patients want to be sure that their doctor is listening. 

Effective communication is the most important aspect of any relationship.

The average time for a doctor and patient session is 12 minutes.

In this length of time, the patient makes his complaints, the doctor asks questions, finds out what the problem is and prescribes treatment.

In most cases when the time is less, the patient feels he does not have enough time to explain his experiences and feelings.

Often times the doctor is busy with scribbling on his notes to maximize time, making the patient feel neglected.

Patients want their doctors to be open and discuss their health problems and uncertainties with them.

They want to feel reassured that their doctor is actually listening to them.

This engagement is easier with eye contact and makes the patient feel important.

A patient wants to feel safe with the doctor. 

Every meeting with a doctor should be convenient for both the doctor and patient.

Privacy increases bonds between the physician and patient.

A third party in the room might lessen trust on confidential issues and reduce the ability of the patient to be honest with the doctor.

How much can the patient afford?

In Nigeria, the patient often resorts to self medication to lessen the financial burden of hospital bills .

A poor sick person desires to get well. This person does not expect the medications to be too expensive.

Where will he get the money from? The patient does not even want to pay for services not offered in full. 

Will healthcare delivery improve?

Results of a survey by the National Center for Biotechnology Information show that young patients, patients that spent less time waiting for the doctor, and patients with lower standards of education were more satisfied with the health care system.

What is your perspective on health care in Nigeria? Do you think it will improve?

Share your views in the comments section below!

Read More

This Insecticide Stops Mosquitoes From Urinating And Laying Eggs

Lay no more eggs baby!

Mosquitoes are the vectors of various serious diseases of high mortality such as:

1. Yellow fever
2. Elephantiasis
3. Dengue fever 
4. Malaria
5. Zika

They are developing resistance for the available insecticides that are used to control them.

The NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney disease(NIDDK) recently supported a research aimed at developing insecticides that target the mosquitoes' kidney.

The research was carried out by scientists from Vanderbilt University Medical center, Ohio State University and University of Nebraska Medical Center.

During the research, various compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit a specific potassium channel called Kir1 involved in urine production.

A compound Known as VU041 rapidly blocked Kir1 channel activity. The mosquitoes were treated with VU041 by topical application.

It was observed that after a blood meal, the abdominal diameter of mosquitoes increased and then decreased within 24 hours.

When the mosquitoes were treated, their abdominal diabetes increased after a blood meal but did not decrease suggesting that kidney function was impaired.

"When mosquitoes take in a blood meal, they can double or triple their body weight. The blood provides nutrients but also contains an excess of salt such as potassium chloride. 

Mosquitoes have kidneys that excrete excess salt and water from their body fluid. As they take in a blood meal, they urinate to dispose of the waste products."-National Institutes of Health

THE COMPOUND MADE THE MOSQUITOES INFERTILE

The result of the study was that the mosquitoes could barely lay eggs after treatments with VU041 as a consequence of impaired kidney function.

Vector borne diseases kill millions of people yearly.

Although the impact of this potent compound on humans and its methods of toxicity is yet to be determined by further research, this study is a breakthrough in the control of insect vectors that spread diseases and endanger the quality of human life.

Read More

Popular Thumb Sucking Realities Nobody Told You About

Does it taste like milk, honey or sugar? 

Why do babies suck their thumbs?
Is it okay for adults (moms and dads inclusive) to be thumb suckers?
Lets see.

Thumb sucking is completely normal

Thumb sucking is an inborn reflex in babies. Some children suck their index and middle fingers in place of their thumbs.

It all depends on which finger the baby gets used to and is more comfortable with.

Most infants outgrow the sucking instinct before they become toddlers. 

Your baby is not alone

About 3 in 5 babies sucked their fingers at one stage of their growth or another.

Thumb sucking is more evident when a baby is weaned early. Other primates (chimpanzees for example) express this behavior. 

Why do babies suck their thumbs?

 A lot of Infants suck their thumbs when they are hungry or tired or bored.

Sucking calms your baby down. Sucking patterns are soothing and relaxing . For babies that suck their thumbs, falling asleep is easy. 

Can thumb sucking be harmful?

Up until your baby starts developing permanent teeth (around age 6), thumb sucking is pretty harmless.

Sucking at this age can cause misalignment of the teeth due to the pressure of the thumb on the gums.

As the baby gets older, the teeth could become crowded. The effects can be significant on the teeth, gums and facial forms.

However, not every thumb sucker experiences this outcome. A twelve year old thumb sucker says she looses focus when she sucks her thumbs.

I am not always aware of when i put my thumbs into my mouth. 

Even though I hate sucking my thumbs (none of my friends suck their thumbs), I can honestly say it makes me feel relaxed and comfortable. The downside is I easily loose concentration. 

How can thumb sucking be stopped?

Parents should use positive reinforcement to help their children.

Give the child a reward for not sucking in a day and promise more to come. Refrain from shouting or making the child feel guilty or ashamed.

Apply bandages on the thumbs to restrict thumb sucking.

Consult a doctor if you are no longer comfortable with it. 

Is it normal for adults to suck their thumbs?

Some adults never break this childhood habit.

While it can be bad for your relationships and jobs, make you look like freak and harm your social status, if it makes you feel good, keep it up.

Its your life (and your thumb) after all.

Why do you think people suck their thumbs? Let us know in the comments section!

Read More

Dear Kidney, You Broke My Heart.

You broke my heart. Oh you did!

Forty four years we were together. Right from the day i was born, we loved each other.

Surviving, supporting and habitually helping each other.

Things I could not do for myself, you did for me. You dutifully filtered toxins and urea from my blood, regulated my PH levels and blood pressure.

You also balanced my water levels and produced erythropoietin that reminded my bone marrows of their job (producing red blood cells) when they forgot.

You gave me life. 

Frankly I can not think of any useful thing I did for you except giving you a home.

Our bonds were unbreakable. We were inseparable. It was my earnest prayer that we would grow old together.

And it all came crashing down

It did not shock me when the doctor said you were failing me.

Why? Because I thought it was a bad joke.

It was hard not to laugh at him and call his bluff. The shock came when the blood tests measuring creatine and glomerular filtration rate was explained to me.

You were dying. Fast. Fading into nothingness. Progressing to end stage. 

The question on my lips is not when. Its why!

I know some relationships don't work out. Why did we become one of those?

All those long years, I never knew you were sick. The doctors tell me this is a consequence of high blood pressure and diabetes (I did not even know I had diabetes).

Ultimately it was my fault. I am dearly sorry I did this to you. But how could I have known?

Fate

Its has been one long year of kidney dialysis. No improvements. Why would you fail me when I need you most?

 You kept me alive. If there is no you, there will be no me. Our destiny is shared.

Our fate is certain. 

Death.

In loving memory of a dear uncle, Kelvin Onyekachi who died of kidney failure. Rest in peace.

Have you ever lost a loved one to kidney failure? Let's hear your story below!

Read More