Chioma Umeha

The saying ‘Children are gifts from above’, can be said to be true in the case of Ediddiong, a talented child born to the family of the Williams in July 1999. Like every other child she came into this world healthy and medically fit. But, within the first four months of her life, it became obvious that she was missing expected developmental milestone of a normal baby, such as; difficulty in breast feeding, not being able to control her neck, and then sit like a baby should, she began diminishing also, in size. This being a great source of concern for the parents, they were forced to visit several hospitals in search of proper medical intervention. After several recommendations and prescriptions, they were advised to enroll Ediddiong at a home (ModupeCole/Home for the Disabled). But, because of the love the parents had for her, they could not abandon Ediddiong and therefore, decided to take her back home where they continued to seek for possible ways to make her life better. They w

Lagos residents took the streets in solidarity for girls and women undergoing pain and trauma of endometriosis – an incurable gynaecological disorder that occurs when the endometrium (cells lining the uterus) grow in other areas of the body, weekend. Clad in bright yellow as well as black T-shirts, the participants marched the streets distributing leaflets designed to educate and inform the general public about the campaign against the debilitating disorder – endometriosis. The parade which drew attention of residents saw avid women and men chanting songs and different slogans: ‘STOP ‘Endo’ Pain. “Ask Me About Endo Pain”; “You are not alone. Take a stand for your wives, sisters, daughters, because it matters!” Women with the disorder readily feel pain, irregular bleeding and have problems getting pregnant. The Endomarch is a platform to educate, empower, and effect change to the devastating disorder. A walk tagged, EndoMarch 2015, held in Lagos weekend directed towards endin

Making changes to the diet is one of the easiest ways to naturally treat hepatitis. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver and is usually caused by hepatitis, but it can be caused by other factors such as toxins, medications and infections. There are different types of hepatitis, but it tends to share the same types of symptoms. However, you need to know about dietary treatment of the acute hepatitis phase which occurs in hepatitis A, B, C, D and E and what can be done to manage chronic hepatitis conditions. A patient suffering from acute infectious hepatitis will experience severe loss of appetite or anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, taste changes, fever and jaundice. All these symptoms complicate food intake and make it difficult to ensure that the patient is well nourished at a time when it is essential to provide the patient with a highly nutritious diet to prevent liver damage. There are essentials which your diet should include if you have acute hepatitis infection:

As part of activities to celebrate this year’s World Oral Health Day, the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Yaba (NARHY), Lagos, embarked on a walk on Wednesday, which was targeted to create awareness about good oral health. The participants wearing white T-shirts and wine-coloured cap started from the Physiotherapy field of the hospital through Jibowu, Tejuosho market, Herbert Macaulay to Myhoung Barracks and terminated at the Physiotherapy field of the hospital, distributing leaflets designed to educate and inform the general public about the relationship between oral health and general well-being. Findings show that many Nigerians have lost their lives to preventable oral health related diseases due to ignorance. The World Oral Health Day is celebrated throughout the world on March 20, each year with a wide range of awareness-raising activities organized by dentists, dental students, the National Dental Associations (NDAs) and corporate partners to create awareness about the

Ten years ago some concerned persons came together to create awareness about a debilitating disease called ‘Endometriosis.’ Their objective was to bring to an end the pains and trauma of girls and women who suffer from endometriosis – an incurable gynaecological disorder that occurs when the endometrium (cells lining the uterus) grow in other areas of the body. They debut with the name – Endometriosis Support Group Nigeria (ESGN). Since ESGN emerged in 2005, it has been at the forefront, actively lobbying for better outcomes, education and awareness, care, treatment options and support for women affected with the endometriosis condition. Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, EndoMarch Country Affiliate Partner Representative and Lead Medical Consultant for ESGN said: “The cancer-like disease that causes extreme pain, possible infertility, organ dysfunction and failure as well as years of medical treatment gave us a lot of concern and led us to make the effort to raise awareness for this ignored di

Continued from last week... Low blood pressure can be a bit trickier, especially in older patients and those with heart diseases. If you are in danger from low blood pressure, your body will tell you. It is really about how you feel. Are you dragging and feeling weak? The numbers on their own don’t tell the story; it is the numbers paired with how you are feeling and what symptoms you have. High blood pressure or heart rate is more likely to be dangerous True: Again, ‘normal’ varies. But, experts have enough clinical evidence to suggest that when blood pressure is even a little over your typical average over time, the risk of heart disease and stroke is high. The physical effects of high blood pressure take their toll on your blood vessels. Elevated heart rate can be a sign of danger, too, but the cause-effect relationship is not so clear. Studies show that people who run faster heart rate are more likely to have cardiac problems and premature cardiac death. But,

Blood pressure and heart rate go hand in hand (or arm in cuff) in most people’s minds. After all, these two vital signs are measured together at the doctor’s office. But the two measure distinct factors related to your heart health. Blood pressure is the force of blood flowing against the walls of your arteries, while heart rate (or pulse) is the number of times your heart beats every minute. However, experts have explained some key differences and refuted some common myths about the condition. Blood pressure and heart rate are always linked False: It is true that blood pressure and heart rate often rise and fall together. When you face danger, for example, your blood pressure and pulse may both jump upward at the same time. However, if your heart rate rises, that doesn’t automatically mean your blood pressure will rise or vice versa. When the two are disconnected, you may be looking at a specific problem. For example, if your blood pressure is consistently high,

...Calls for welfare package to curtail recurrent sector strikes As Nigerians, groups, different public and private sectors felicitate and roll out their expectations for the in-coming administration led by General Mohammed Buhari (rtd), the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called for a new agenda to improve healthcare in the country. Pharmacists under the umbrella of PSN, while urging the incoming the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to come up with specific action plans has also recommended that attention should be shown in the reflected areas including, the Universal Health Coverage which it said should fully incorporate Community Based Social Health Insurance Programme (CBSHIP). In a letter to General Buhari on Wednesday, signed by the PSN president, Olumide Akintayo, on behalf of the PSN’s National Executive Committee (NEC), the association said there is need for universal coverage, but insisted that this must harness and consolidate the philosoph