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Tag: disorders

  • Common disorders occurring in pregnancy (4) Infections

    Some infections are common in pregnancy simply because there is an ongoing pregnancy and the woman is vulnerable as a result of the pregnancy. Other infections may occur notwithstanding the presence of a pregnancy.  Amongst them, I have discussed below.

    Malaria. Malaria kills more children and pregnant women than any other group of people.  Chemicals that women produce in their body cause certain smell during pregnancy and so mosquitoes to them. This is one of the reasons why pregnant women may suffer from malaria more than they should have been had they not been pregnant. Also, the self-defences of pregnant women against infection is lower than when they were not pregnant.

    In all, pregnant women, like anyone else, may have fever, headache, chills, nausea and vomiting, body aches, joint pains due to malaria. The danger of malaria in pregnancy is that if left untreated, the fever and the parasite of mosquito may cause miscarriage. Therefore, a quick attention to suspicion of malaria illness is important at any of stage of pregnancy.  Most of us including pregnant women have access to a lot of antimalarial medications. Use them. If not sure, ensure you go to your doctor and midwife as soon as possible.

     

    Urinary Tract Infection (UTI, Urine infection)

    UTI is in general,  common in women than men, pregnancy or not. This common condition is more common during pregnancy. Once the urine is infected, the woman may feel pain during or after passing urine (pee). Fever, pain in the abdominal sides, or in lower abdomen may be part of the feelings.  She may have the urge to urinate even more than the pregnancy had originally brought upon her.  If UTI is untreated, there is the risk of miscarriage and also kidney damage that may follow.

    Treatment:  Without doubt the doctor attending to the pregnant woman will carry out relevant urine and blood tests to ascertain the diagnosis.

    Most certainly, antibacterial or antibiotics will be advised. On your own, drink more water to help wash the infection away. Also, keep your private (vagina and urethra) area tidy and healthy. Avoid habits that may transfer infection higher into the baby in the womb.  Clean the back passage backwards rather than forward. Wash your hands after each visit to the toilet.

     

    Vaginal thrush

    The vagina area becomes soggier in pregnancy. The high volume secretions that is present in vagina along with diminished self-defence (low immunity) in pregnancy helps the growth of vagina thrush.

    The presence of vaginal thrush could be seen as a thick whitish vaginal discharge. The vaginal and surrounding area may become itchy and sticky.  To confirm, the attending doctor may decide to carry out some laboratory tests called high vaginal swab for culture.  Any infection is a threat to the baby in the womb.

    Treatment:  Most anti-thrush medications will take care of the thrush. Some of these are obtainable over the counter at pharmacies. Alternatively, the antenatal clinics will prescribe appropriate preparation to help deal with the thrush.

     

    Oral hygiene

    The mouth is not spared in the changes that the female body undergoes in pregnancy. As a result, the hormone that affects the body may cause the mouth to be vulnerable to dental infections. The gums may be swollen and painful. The teeth may suffer more caries.

    However, good oral hygiene, regular mouth wash and avoidance of sugary, factory- processed foods and drinks such as carbonated drinks may diminish the oral diseases encountered in pregnancy.

    In spite of what I have been discussing here, other ailments may come upon the pregnant and not just what I have written here. Examples of such illnesses are breathing tract infections (upper respiratory tract infection), changes in colour of skin to becoming darkish and also constipation may be noticed as occurring more by expectant mothers.

    In summary, in the last four weeks, we have taken a look at common illnesses as relates to our environment that affect women during pregnancy. Some preventive measures and treatment options had been offered.

    The important message that I wish to end this series with, is that most illnesses that occur during pregnancy are preventable provided pregnant women and their spouses take the attendance and use of antenatal clinics very seriously. Prevention, after all is better than cure. Time is now to bring the death of women during pregnancy and childbirth to zero. You too can help. Most diseases can be discovered and dealt with at the antenatal clinics. The sooner the pregnant woman registers, the better for everyone.

  • How to deal with common disorders occurring in pregnancy (1)

    How to deal with common disorders occurring in pregnancy (1)

    Pregnancy, by all measures, is a normal occurrence or shall we say, should be a normal event in the life of a pregnant woman and the family.  However, by all accounts, most pregnancies will pass without trouble. That said, a significant number of pregnant women may experience illnesses that are either caused directed by the pregnancy or simply occurring in association with the pregnancy.

    In the coming weeks, we will examine some of these disorders and how you and your family can deal with them. These articles will not address infertility as we had dealt with infertility disorders in the recent past. For today, let us consider Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy.  This condition is one that is caused by an ongoing pregnancy though in some occasions nausea and vomiting may be due to other disorder such as malaria that occurs during pregnancy.

    In traditional African culture and in particular in Nigeria at least, a young novice girl might appear to the outside world, as chaste.  Often to the surprise of her guardians or parents, she may start to vomit without the girl knowing the apparent cause in spite of the fact that she had secretly been sexually active.  On intense questioning, she will often deny being sexually active. But the ancient wisdom will often reveal her hidden activities.  Our grandparents, especially older women, would discern a novice girl who is in denial of being pregnant.  Experience mothers will often look at the palm of the vomiting girl or like a doctor would, experience mothers will take a look at the eyes especially the conjunctiva and come to the conclusion, following the examination, that that girl is “pregnant” because the girl looks pale in both her hand and eyes. Suddenly, the girl who had until now been in denial, becomes calm and resign to her fate. Thus, taking the vomiting and the pallor together, our mothers had relied on ancient wisdom to make a diagnosis of early pregnancy.

    Notwithstanding, either planned or unplanned pregnancy, nausea and vomiting is a common development in early pregnancy.

    From about 2 to 4 weeks of pregnancy, one of the earliest symptoms of pregnancy is that the woman suddenly feels the urge to vomit (nausea) and as the days go by, this urge to “throw up” may be accompanied with actual vomiting.  This very unpleasant feelings of nausea and vomiting often occurs in the morning hence the name “morning sickness” that is known to billions of our able and honourable women worldwide.  The morning sickness though gets better as the day goes by may however occur at any time during the day. Rarely does nausea and vomiting become troublesome at night.

    Following the experience and the knowledge that she may vomit her food and water that she ingests, the pregnant woman may start to avoid food. So, her appetite goes down as a result.

    The good news is that by the end of the third month or 12 weeks since she last saw her period, the nausea and vomiting may stop.  In some occasions, the morning sickness can continue until 16-20 weeks but rarely beyond.

    The frequent vomiting may give rise to irritation in the chest as a result of stomach acid coming from stomach, towards the throat.  Also, excessive salivation may accompany the nausea. The problem is how to dispose the excess saliva which cannot be swallowed.  Despite the trouble of nausea, vomiting and excess saliva, the pregnant women are often desiring to eat strange food which is not within her reach: a condition that doctors have termed pica!

    Treatment:  The knowledge that the vomiting will stop eventually may be reassuring.  However, eating small bits of food in spaced intervals may help. Avoiding acidic food such as citrus may also help. Spicy foods should also not be consumed at this time. The idea is to reduce stomach acid to as little as possible.  Further, antacids which is available over the counter in pharmacies may be purchased to help this condition.  Bed rest may also help.

     

    Hyperemesis Gravidarum

    In some situations, the nausea and vomiting may be so severe that, the pregnant woman may suffer liver damage, jaundice, weight loss, poor appetite and low level blood vitamins. Such development from the common and benign nausea and vomiting is a very serious medical illness in pregnancy. Hyperemesis gravidarum constitute a gynaecologic emergency and this should be taken very seriously.

    Attending a competent medical doctor is a top and urgent priority as this conditions threatens the life of the mother and the developing baby.

    The treatment is definitely at the hospital and admission is required to replace loss fluid and vitamins. The idea is to help the woman regain her strength, protect her growing baby and improve her liver function as well as bring the nausea and vomiting to a manageable level.

    At the hospital, the medical team is   likely to give medications that will control the vomiting. Admission and monitoring are likely to continue until such a time when the woman is sufficiently improved.

    As I mentioned earlier, the good news remains that the vomiting is likely to stop not later than 12-16weeks of pregnancy.

     

  • Common skin disorders: Ulcers and other illnesses

    In today’s article, we will conclude this series on common skin disorders. We will exploit diseases that are peculiar children and some that are common to adults and children alike.

    Ringworm (Tinea): Ringworm often wrongly called “ezcema” is common to all: women, men, adult and children, but most especially seen in children. Unlike its name, ringworm is not a worm and it’s neither a ring. The disease is caused by fungus that takes opportunity into its hand to grow. Ringworm can be found often in the head and may become very obvious as a pale circular rash on dark skin. It may also appear in the body often on the chest, back, abdomen, groin, hands and feet.  Ringworm is infectious, meaning the infection can spread from one person to another.  Ringworm, except those affecting the nails that require a more prolonged and sustained treatment, ringwork can be easily treated once recognised by the doctor.

    Boils (Furunculosis). Boils occur where we can find hairs in any part of the body. Therefore, boil can occur on the head, eyes, ears, chest, neck, hands, groin and legs. For this reason, boils do not occur on our soles and palms. When the root of the hairs are infected by germs, boils can result. If the boil recurs more than three times in a year, it’s called recurrent furunculosis and if a big boil occurs it’s called carbunculosis. In both cases, germs such as bacteria is the cause.

    The treatment for both may be by use of antibiotics. For carbunculosis, the doctor may have to open the boil up so as to drain pus that is contained in the boil.

    Cellulitis: Infection of the skin in parts of the body such as hands, legs, chest, abdomen and face may give rise to a crawling and infection that spread to nearby skin. It may gradually spread to cover a large parts of the affected areas. The skin becomes warm, swollen, and painful and the person may become very ill with fever. This may become an emergency due to the ill feelings. This skin disorder may affect anyone including children. Boils may lead to cellulitits. Any small wound in affected parts may also lead to cellulitis.  The treatment is urgent as delay may worsen the illness. Complications such as septicemia (blood poisoning) may also develop if care is not taken.  Antibiotics is the main form of treatment.

    There are some conditions where frequent occurrence of boils, ringworm and cellulitis may indicate an underlying illness such as diabetes and depressed immunity (the body having low ability to defend itself against infection) such a HIV and cancers. What appears as a simple boil that refused to go away in spite of the best efforts of the sufferer be it a child or adult, may indeed not be so simple after all. That is to say, that you should take recurrent boils and cellulitis very seriously.

    Skin Ulcers (Open Wound of the Skin): A skin ulcer or “boil” that fails to heal in a normal well-nourished person calls for urgent attention. An ulcer that is recurrent or multiple recurrent skin ulcer is also an indication to see the doctor for attention without delay. Skin ulcer that fails to heal may be due to underlying infection such as STD (see last week’s article) such as syphilis and HIV. Skin ulcer may also indicate tuberculosis (TB) of the skin as well guineaworm. Still, skin ulcer may be an indication of cancer of the skin (melanoma and basal cell carcinoma), or cancer from other parts of the body that has spread to the skin. Yet, skin ulcer, like boils, cellulitis and ringworm may be telling us of other serious illnesses such as diabetes or depressed immunity, anaemia, heart failure brought upon the sufferers.  Strange skin ulcer in children or mentally unwell adults or dementia in and elderly or any vulnerable person is a form of abuse until proven otherwise.  Skin ulcer in a person that is physically or mentally disabled who stays too long on any part of the body may be pressure sores. In all these, vigilance and urgency are called for.  So skin ulcer may be a pointer to a killer disease that is lurking underneath.

    A Word on Skin Colour, Bleaching and Wrinkles: Our skin is primarily for protection and each skin of every one of us has been so programmed for the purpose of defense depending on the genes that we inherited from our parents and the environment that we live in. That is why we have different shades of human colour. Along with the genes influencing, the less the sunshine the paler and the more the sunshine the darker or brownish the person. This darkness/brown-ishness protects against the ultraviolent rays of the Sun, preventing cancer from forming. Bleaching the skin thus expose the skin to the violent effect of the Sun and likelihood of cancer forming. Wrinkles also develop due to bleaching which would have occurred as we age but is hastened by steroid use and bleaching. Wrinkles can be caused by prolonged illness of any form or malnutrition and anxiety.

    In concluding, I will advise and strongly too that, though skin illnesses are very frequently encountered by every one of us, our skin can also tell us a lot of stories about the state of our health. I have only covered a small part of skin illnesses in the last few weeks. Skin is not just an object meant for beauty and decoration but a vital organ that protects and defends our body against attack. In doing its job, our skin encounters various insults and assaults to its integrity.  It’s our job as skin owners to also take care of the skin that is so much dedicated to taking care of us. Any strange occurrence or feeling in our skin should be taken seriously by visiting our medical practitioner as soon as possible. A stich in time, the sage says, saves nine.

  • Common skin disorders. Body odour, excess sweating, STD

    Body Odour (Bromhidrosis)

    Every living thing is made of chemicals. Human beings are the same. We are made up of complex compounds of chemicals whose foundation were laid when we were conceived. These chemicals are building block of our lives. They remain active every second of our lives: they undergo regeneration and shedding. The product of such recycling are constantly being removed from our body as any factory product and wastes are removed in the world.

    Body odour becomes noticeable after puberty at a time when our hormones are increasingly active and we are more productive and energetic. In most people, body odour passes without significant concern. Please be aware that every one of us smell in different ways to different degrees.

    When body odour becomes a worry, becomes overpowering or interferes with the lives of the individuals, steps should be taken to address the problem. At the time of our birth, our bodies were invaded by bacteria present in the air. As we live on, depending on what we engage in and how we look after ourselves, these bacteria will remain or change as we all change with time.

    What causes body odour? We all sweat, for a fact. Anyone who sweats is subject to some kind of body odour. How we individually deal with our body or keep the smell to a minimum is what differentiates us all. When we are anxious or we excise or there is a lot of heat around us, we sweat more in such areas as face, armpit and chest areas. Our hands may be sweating as other parts of our body. This situation creates massive opportunity for the resident bacteria, mentioned above to become active and feed on our waste products of sweat with all the chemicals that is contained in it.  This interaction of human sweat and bacteria fundamentally creates our body odour. There is however more to it. Ingestion of some foods such as garlic, onion, curry, alcohol, certain medications (like penicillin, bromides), and toxins may also body odour. Lastly, body odour may result from underlying diseases such as diabetes, kidney diseases and liver failure. Also, in some individuals, there is a strong genetic link to their excess body odour. Such individuals also have excess ear wax. Perhaps, this genetic link may explain why some cultures such as Yoruba claims that a poor child’s first bath and eventual body odour are interrelated.

    How to deal with body odour:  Beyond issue of puberty and smell, body odour in otherwise health person will be investigated by the doctor and appropriate treatment should be offered accordingly.  Personal hygiene is a very important measure. Shaving of armpit hairs and washing of armpit as well as prompt removal or washing of sweats are useful steps to take. Regular, once daily showering or bath may help as well. Use of antiseptic soap may be beneficial too. Deodorant may help reduce the perception and intensity of the body smell.  In rare occasions, surgery may be required to deal with body odour (and excess sweating).

    Excessive Sweating (hyperhidrosis). As I mentioned earlier, excess sweating may be due to anxiety, heat in the environment, eating of hot food, and exertion. But it may also be due to overactive sweat glands in the armpit, face, chest and back. In some persons, over sweating may be due to genetic inheritance. It may also be caused by diseases such as overacting thyroid and other diseases. All these may make body odour worse. The Solution include use of antiperspirants. In some situations, medications may be used to reduce over sweating but you may need to see a physician for this. In extreme cases, surgical operation may be called for to deal with excessive sweating.

    Skin and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD): Sexually transmitted diseases is a common human affliction. Skin is often a part of the human body that STD may manifest itself in the victim. Common STD that shows up in the skin include viral diseases such as human papilloma virus(HPV) showing as small cauliflower-like growth, human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) showing up as rashes in different parts or all over the body, herpes simplex showing up as ulcers (see next week’s article for skin ulcers). Bacteria such as Chancroid, and syphilis also shows up as ulcers as well as swelling around the groin, penis in men and vagina in women. Gonorrhea may cause little swelling in groin and discharge in penis. In women, infection with gonorrheoa may not be so obvious until much damage had been done.

    The solution to STD is primarily prevention: for you to exercise discretion on whom you interact with. On the other hand, use of condom may help. Where oral sex has been practiced, these infections may affect the lips and throat. If infection is discovered, do go to your medical practitioner as soon as possible for thorough investigations and treatment. Prompt attendance at the doctor may save you from more body damage and death from sexually transmitted diseases.

    Next week, we shall conclude skin disorders and when we shall take a more look at common illnesses as pertaining to our environment.

  • Tips on mental disorders for healers, by don

    Tips on mental disorders for healers, by don

    A professor of Psychiatry   at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos State University (LASU), Abiodun Adewuya, has advised mentally ill-people healers to treat them with care.

    He gave the advice in an interview with The Nation.

    He said the role of traditional healers in psychiatry could not be overemphasised.

    “We, as professionals, take due recognition of these trado-medicine healers as complementary, but then, they have their limitations, hence they must know when to refer appropriately.

    “Aside that, one problem in the sector is the poor quality of care   given the sick. Stigma and discrimination can result in a lack of access to health and social services. The human body isn’t a simple machine with an easy solution for problems, especially those involving mood and mental health,” he said.

    Relying on the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, the notable medic said health systems had not been adequately being provided.

    As a result, the gap between the need for treatment and its provision is wide all over the world, he said.

    In low- and middle-income countries, he said, between 76 and 85 percent of people with mental disorders do not get treatment for their disorders. But not so in high-income countries, where those who have no access is between 35 and 50 percent.

    ‘’And that is the gap traditional healers in psychiatry have filled over the years,’’ he added.

    Adewuya, an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Department of Behavioural Medicine, pointed out that some plants are good for treating mental disorders. He listed these herbs to include Rauwolfia Vomitoria, Asofeyeje (Yoruba) akanta (Igbo language) and Wada (Hausa), an hypnotic that is good for reducing blood pressure.

    “Rauwolfia is also good for treating insanity, anti-anxiety agent and is a good stimulant for the nervous system. This has been documented by Lambo J. O. (1975) Management of Hypertension in Traditional Medicine; in Sofowora A (ed) Antihypertensive Agents from Natural Sources: Ile-Ife, University of Ife Press, where it is reported that Asofeyeje has effect on the brain and will restore mental activities to normal.

    ‘’It should, however, be moderately used as it sometimes weakens the patient. Notable side effects of Rauwolfia alkaloids are depression and parkinsonia syndrome. according to Okpako D.T. ‘Principles of Pharmacology: A Tropical Approach: New York, Cambridge University Press (1991). Odugbemi T. in: ‘A Textbook of Medicinal Plants from Nigeria: Lagos, University of Lagos Press (2008) and Adodo Anselm in ‘Nature Power: Benin, Generation Press’.

    Adewuya continued: “As good as this plant and others are, they have their limitations and I will encourage healers to update themselves on their practice and treat patients accordingly. Every drug is plant- based, so as professionals we are not throwing away the traditional art of healing mentally sick but we are rather asking that the healers should identify their limitations, and refer when necessary.”

    He said the era of beating, starving or even chaining mentally ill people had gone, urging practitioners to improve on their practice.

    “The healers have their plus. And they are commended for that. But they should just know that the archaic way of maltreating people with mental illness is phasing out. The healers should not chain them to bed, shackle or punish them for being ill. They should know when to refer. Most of the healers inherited the art from their fathers or forefathers but it is high time they introduced civility into their skill.

    ‘’When they do the referral, it does not dent their image; nobody will laugh at them or allege that they are not good at their trade. It does not translate to their not knowing their salt either. It is not an admission of failure on their part.  Rather, they would have done professionally well, and praised. The place where they treat should also be hygienic. When they do not refer to the appropriate hospital promptly, some serious damages would have been done to the patient and they come in, highly damaged. Trado healers should see us as working together because of the patient involved and not as rivals,” Adewuya added.

    He noted that there are various forms of mental disorders, that required various treatments but it has been observed that healers apply the same format in handling their patients.

    “There are different mental disorders, with different presentations. They are generally characterised by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.

    “Mental disorders include depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders including autism. There are effective strategies for preventing mental disorders such as depression. There are effective treatments for mental disorders and ways to alleviate the suffering caused by them. Access to health care and social services capable of providing treatment and social support is important,” he explained.

    Adewuya said he had analysed  the herbal plants and other ingredients used by the healers. He said he could only advise on regulation of the dosage to avoid more damage being done. ‘’As scientists we are promoting what we have around here, we are not throwing out the bath water with the baby,’’ he added.

    He described schizophrenia as a severe mental disorder, affecting about 21 million people worldwide. Psychoses, including schizophrenia, are characterised by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behaviour. Common psychotic experiences include hallucinations i.e. hearing, seeing or feeling things that are not there and delusions fixed false beliefs or suspicions that are firmly held even when there is evidence to the contrary. The disorder can make it difficult for people affected to work or study normally.

    “Stigma and discrimination can result in a lack of access to health and social services. Furthermore, people with psychosis are at high risk of exposure to human rights violations, such as long term confinement in institutions.

    ‘’Schizophrenia typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. Treatment with medicines and psychosocial support is effective. With appropriate treatment and social support, affected people can lead a productive life, be integrated in society. Facilitation of assisted living, supported housing and supported employment can act as a base from which people with severe mental disorders, including schizophrenia, can achieve numerous recovery goals as they often face difficulty in obtaining or retaining normal employment or housing opportunities,” Adewuya added.

  • A season of Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD)…2

    THE SERIES SO FAR…The weather is hot and axing the health of many people. Sweating is profuse. Some people may sweat out as much as 10 liters of water every day along with important minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, copper and Manganese. Sodium and Potassium, too, are lost. The body calls for a replacement of the lost items and water through the thirst signal. But many people refill only with water. Many others take sugar-loaded soft drinks. The sugar thickens the blood, aggravating the need for more water to be taken. But not much water is taken, and the electrolyte and mineral losses aggravate. This begins to exhibit symptoms of illnesses which are not given the serious attention that they deserve. A season is a time spot in a cycle of events. The seasons arise and disappear because the positions of the stars and other planetary bodies are constantly changing. They pour energy or radiations upon the earth, which changes the pattern of energy or radiation profiles of the earth. They also cause to emerge from the earth soil those plants as food or herbs, which have absorbed the energy or radiations that would make us withstand the new patterns or constellations. In this season, it is reasonable to imagine that plants, as foods or medicines, which incline to the sun are better de-emphasised in favour of those which incline towards the moon and, so, are called moon plants.

    Some of the health symptoms of not doing so were highlighted in the first part of this series. They include short temper, irritability, nervousness, insomnia, stress, anxiety and depression e.t.c.That part of the series also explored impact of the season on the brain, highlighting the effects of stress on brain function. In particular, the roles played by Cortisol, a stress hormone, unleashing free radicals on the brain is mentioned. So is its role in diminishing the amounts of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. This often causes behavioural changes which, happily, can be remedied with the consumption of foods rich in these brain chemicals or those which support their production…

    OUR tour guide is www.bebrainfit.com. It is advising us of 12 ways in which chronic stress depletes critical brain chemicals and, thereby, cause depression. In the sixth impact of stress on the brain, the website says:

    “Stress puts you at greatest risk for mental illness of all kinds. The root cause of most mental illnesses is not yet understood. If answers are ever found, the causes would most likely be a complex of variety of factors. Recent research has discovered physical differences in the brains of people with stress disorders. Their ratios of the brain’s white matter to gray matter is higher.

    “Stress predisposes you to having a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety and panic disorders, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, drug addiction and alcoholism.

    “SEVEN. Stress makes you stupid. Stress can make your brain to seize up at the worst possible times…exams, job interviews, and public speaking come to mind. This is actually a survival mechanism. If you are faced with a life and death situation, instinct and training overwhelm rational thought and reasoning.

    “This might keep you from being eaten by a tiger, but in modern life this is rarely helpful. Stress impairs your memory and makes you bad at making decisions. It negatively impairs every cognition function.

    “EIGHT. Chronic Stress shrinks your brain. Stress can measurably shrink your brain. Cortisol can kill, shrink and stop the generation of new neurons in the Hippocampus, the part of the brain that store memory.

    “The Hippocampus is critical for learning, memory and emotional regulation, as well as hutting off the stress response as soon as the stressful event is over. Stress also shrinks the prefrontal cortex. This negatively affects decision-making, working memory, and control of impulsive behaviour.

    “NINE. Stress lets toxins into your brain. Your brain is highly sensitive to toxins of every kind. The blood-brain barrier is group of highly specialised cells that acts as your brain’s gate-keeper.

    “This semi-permeable filter protects your brain from harmful substances while letting needed nutrients in. Stress makes the blood-brain barrier more permeable, in effect making it leaky.

    “This lets things into the brain you don’t want there such as pathogens, heavy metals, chemicals and other toxins.

    “Having a leaky blood-brain barrier is associated with brain cancer, brain infections, and multiple sclerosis.

    “TEN. Chronic stress increases your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. One of the most worrying most effects of stress on the brain is that it increases your risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s. Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease is the number one health fear of American adults, even more so than cancer.

    Alzheimer’s is now the sixth leading cause of death. One in three U.S. seniors will die with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. It is the most expensive disease in the country. There is no simple ‘magic bullet’ to preventing Alzheimer’s. Common sense advice includes eating a healthy diet low in sugar and high in brain healthy fats, getting physical exercise, not smoking, staying mentally active, avoiding toxic metal exposure and minimising stress. Its been found that stress, particularly stress that occurs in midlife, increases risk of Alzheimer’s. Anxiety, jealousy, and moodiness in middle age doubles your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol contribute to dementia in the elderly and hastens its progression.

    “ELEVEN. Stress causes brain cells to commit suicide. Stress leads to premature ageing on a cellular level, causing cells in both your body and your brain to commit suicide prematurely. To understand how this happens, we need to take a look at a part of your chromosomes called TELOMERES. You may recall from high school biology that when a cell divides, it passes on the genetic material to the next cell via chromosomes. Telomeres are protective end caps on our chromosomes similar to plastic tips on shoe laces. Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get a little shorter. When they reach a critically shortened length, they tell the cell to stop dividing, acting as a built in suicide switch. Subsequently the cell dies. Shortened telomeres lead to atrophy of brain cells and longer telomeres length leads to the production of new brain cells. Telomeres length may be the most important indicator of biological age and disease risk. Some researchers believe its a better predictor of your risk for age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer than conventional diagnostic tools.

    “TWELVE. Chronic stress contributes to brain inflammation and depression. A little known fact is that the brain has its own immune system. Special immune cells called MICROGLIA protect the brain and spinal cord from infections and toxins. Unfortunately, a Microglia cell has no on or off switch, so once it is activated, it creates inflammation until it dies. Chronic stress is one of the factors that increases the risk of activating your microglia, thus producing brain inflammation. It is generally believed that depression is caused by SEROTONIN deficiency, but there is a growing body of evidence that brain inflammation is the root cause of depression instead. This theory is called the “CYTOKINE MODEL OF DEPRESSION.

    “Activated microglia produce cytokines proteins that turn on the inflammation response in the brain. Citoken production is linked to depression, including major depressive disorder and risk of suicide. It is also associated with anxiety, memory loss and inability to concentrate, as well as some serious disorders including schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Chronic stress destroys your happiness and peace of mind. It weighs you down mentally and emotionally, and saps the joy from life. Some side effects of stress that impact your mental wellbeing include: excessive worry and fear, anger and frustration, impatience with self and others, mood swings, crying spells or suicidal thought, insomnia, nightmares, disturbing dreams, trouble concentrating and learning new information, racing thoughts, nervousness, forgetfulness, mental confusion, difficult in making decisions, feeling overwhelmed, irritability, and over-reaction to petty annoyances, excessive defensiveness, or suspicion, increased smoking, alchohol, drug use, gambling, or impulse buying.

    “It is no fun experiencing these stress symptoms. It is no picnic for those around you either.

     

    What to do?

    Suddenly, we can now see the havocs of stress in its various forms. We should not be angry with people who exhibit the foregoing symptoms or characteristics, or condemn them outright. For there is none of us who, in the modern runs of life, who is not subject to the hammers of stress and cortisol. Rather than be impatient with them (a sign that we, too, are stressed up, we should show understanding, be accommodating and, lovingly, strive to help them with information, or in other ways that we have the capacity to give help). There is no doubt that the yellow bus conductor in Lagos is a mental illness patient. He and the driver pep up with drugs for their work. A normal person does not wait for a bus to drive off before he runs to board it. A normal person does not alight at every-bus-stop from a moving bus. A normal person does not ride on the expressway on the tail board of a bus driving at about 80 kilometers an hour or more. When I see the rush hour train in Lagos and I see hundreds of people sitting or lying on the roof top of the coaches, I know something must be wrong with both the city and these train passengers. The same goes for a tricycle driver who drives against the traffic on a road used more by trailers. At a psychiatric hospital, you are likely to see many young women who have been jilted in love, but who cannot accept that, in the Love and Grace of the Almighty Creator, it is not just one man who is made to be her husband or friend, that there are many potential candidates, that she only has to open her eyes and heart and make a good choice, that if her choice fails to live up to expectation, there are many more in a crowd of men meant for her to choose from. If Daniel goes, there may be a David standing nearby. These women are rigid people and rigidity is a crime in creation. It predisposes us to stress and, as we have seen, stress destroys our health and person.

    The website www.bebrainfit.com advises us of five ways in which we can avoid or overcome stress. It says:

    “We wouldn’t leave you with all this bad news with no solutions. Minimising stress and protecting your brain against its effect is easier than you might think. Here are five simple tips to stop stress in its tracks and overcome its harmful effects on your brain.

    “ONE: Stop free radical damage by eating a diet high in antioxidant rich foods like fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and green tea.

    “TWO: Increase levels of brain-boosting BDNF by getting daily physical exercise. It doesn’t have to be strenuous. Walking is excellent. So are exercises with strong mind-body orientations like yogataichi and gigong.

    “THREE: Start a daily meditation practice. Meditation not only reduces stress,  it’s a proven way to keep your brain young by keeping telomeres long. Meditation is also the best tool for learning how to master your thoughts. Stress does not come from events in your life as much as it comes from your thoughts-your automatic negative reactions and cognitive distortions-about these events.

    “FOUR: Try one of the many mind-body relaxation techniques such as biofeedback or autogenic training.

    “FIVE: Look into taking an adaptogenic herbal remedy. Adaptogens increase your resilience to stress while supporting overall health. They promote balance between feeling energetic and feeling calm. Examples of adaptogens include ginseng, holy basil, Arctic root and bacopa.

    Chronic stress may seem to be an unavoidable part of life, but these proactive steps will definitely reduce its wear and tear on your brain.

    Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)/STRESS, Anxiety, Depression (SAD)

    As it has been shown so far, this season has the potential to cause damage on the brain and inflict ailments on the body. I was happy when one psychiatric nurse called me on the phone last week after a television interview on T&T Virgin NONI Juice and recognised that it was good for psychiatric patients because it helps to stimulate the production, in the brain, of Serotonin, Melatonin and Dopamine. These are brain chemicals which stabilise the brain, enhance good mood and behaviour and promote sleep. When we see the link between Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD) on one side of the psychiatric equation, and link them to Stress, Anxiety and Depression (SAD), on the other side of the equation, we should appreciate natural substances which stabilise the brain and mind and prevent or reverse SAD troubles. Next week, I will present additional information on the capacity of LION’S MANE MUSHROOM, for example, to support not only the production of Serotonin, Melatonin and Dopamine, but to actually back up the regeneration of damage nerve cells throughout the body, in particular in psychotic patients and people who use recreational substances to pep up ebbing physical energy.

    We are advised by an authority in this field:

    “Our nervous system is made of numerous nerve cells or neurons…myelin is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Adequate myelination of the nerves ensures that our brain function and cognitive function are maintained normally. Almost all the neuro-degenerative diseases are associated with a loss of myelin sheath…These degenerative diseases lead to many symptoms which are specific to each disease. They can range from cognitive impairment, memory loss to paralysis of the body, paralysis of the respiratory muscles and death…The extract of Lion’s Mane Mushroom have also shown to induce the synthesis of NGF or Nerve Growth Factor in the nerve cells. NGF is absolutely essential for the maintenance of the Cholinergic nerve system of the forebrain. NGF is also needed for the development of neurite bearing nerve cells that transmit signals or impulses across the nerve system.NGF is a type of neurotrophic factors. Neurotrophic factors promotes the functioning of nervous system.”

    For brain health and power, we can add to Lion’s Mane Mushroom the following: Grape Seed Extract (an antioxidant and antimicrobial which easily crosses the blood-brain barrier), Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA, which is anti-inflammatory), Gingko biloba, which promotes blood circulation to the brain and micro circulation in the brain, Lecithin (for Choline and Inositol), a fatty substance plentiful in the brain, Alpha lipoic acid (ALA, a powerful antioxidant active in fluid and fat media), antioxidant Vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidant minerals such as Selenium, manganese and zinc and proprietary food supplements such as Amazing Brain Support or Mood Support or Behaviour Balance. We should remember also, the need to oxygenate and energies the brain. Oxygenation can be done with greens such as Chlorella, Spirulina or Kale or Oxygen tablet or any other Oxygen formula. For energy, I have seen grate wonders performed in the brain and in the body with Ubiquinol 300mg which comes with vitamin C, vitamin E, and Black pepper.

  • A season of Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD)…1

    The weather is changing in Nigeria, from the cool or cold of the rainfall months to the searing heat of the interlude days between the rains and the harmattan season in December or January. Already, these seasonal changes are ushering a season of Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD). In the SAD season, the behaviour and health of many people change negatively, mildy or adversely. Many people are aware that mental illnesses relapse in certain seasons or that bone fractures or ulcers that had healed long ago have a way in certain seasons of reminding people who once experienced them of these conditions. But people tend to notice SAD in people other than themseleves, whereas almost everyone exhibits one form of mood or health discomfeiture one season of SAD after another.

    Thomas Osuji Ozodi made my day when I thought of this subject two weeks ago for this column. And that’s why I recommend his article in www.nigerianvillagesquare.com for anyone who is interested in this matter.

    November has given way to December, 2016. The weather is hot, everyone is sweating hard and many cannot sleep easily or think straight unless they are priviledged to live and work in air conditioned settings and drive or ride in airconditioned vehicles. Back home from a hard day’s work in the office and a tortous traffic, one naturally wishes to have a sumptous dinner, have a good bath (warm or cold) and then, enjoy a beautiful night rest in sleep, to revive tired blood and muscles for another day’s task. But, back home, there is no electricity to run the airconditioner or pump water into the storage tank for bathing. Everywhere is hot. Everyone is pulling off the top dresses. The sweating persists in the evening and at night as it did all day hours. Many men are afraid they have a prostate challenge or the other because they are making less urine, and this urine may be heavily coloured and smelly. Even women, too, notice this. Some people experience foamy urine, which may be caused by infection or protein presence (proteinuria). Proteinuria may be a sign of kidney problem. This kidney problem may come from insufficiency of fluid in the kidney, a feature of this season, or some other far more serious cause(s). People who make less urine at this time may panic until they are advised that, in hot weather, the body tries to lose excess heat by inducing sweating. Sweating takes away otherwise inimical excess heat. The water lost reduces the amount of water the kidneys would normally excrete, thereby reducing the quantum of urine made and voided. But as the kidneys are water organs, they need more water than is available to them in this season to thoroughly flush out toxins and germs. Such an inadequacy may express in the heavy colour of the urine and other urinary markers. Lost in the sweat are also mineral salts and vitamins. Sodium tops the list of substances lost in sweating which should be replaced. According to https://en.m.Wikipedia. org:

    “The composition of sweat is about…

    • Sodium… (0.9 grams/liter) •Potassium (0.2g/l) •Calcium (0.015g/l) •Magnesium (0.0013g/l) •Zinc (0.4mg/l) •Copper (0.3-0.8mg/l) •Iron (1mg/l) •Chromium (0.1mg/l) •Nickel (0.05mg/l) •Lead (0.05mg/l)

    When perspiration is much, as in this season, the body naturally calls, through the thirst signal for a re-stocking of items lost from its stores. And that is why the water industry makes a lot of money at this time. Unknown to many people who buy sachet or bottle (table) water to re-stock, either in buses, in offices, at home or on the dinning table, they probably lost about two to four litres of water per hour or about 10 to 14 litres per day. This suggests that we may have to gulp water like horses to maintain the balance. Much as we may gulp, however, we may never be able to achieve this balance, which means something is giving way each time we sweat and try to restock lost water and minerals. To worsen matters, many people redress the imbalance by drinking either sugar-stuffed so-called “soft drinks” or low sugar drinks which are worse for health because of the Aspartame replacement for sugar. Sugar in the blood worsens the need for water and increases the problems post by losses of minerals and electrolytes in the body. These problems lead to an unbalanced system, especially in the brain. And that is why many people may behave like unbalanced people, irrational, weak, agitated or aggressive, short tempered, inefficient and heat compulsively among other features of this malaise. What is ideal to restock with are minerals rich greens especially those “moon” fruits and vegetables provided by Mother Nature.

     

    Sun and moon

    It was from Millie Uyldert’s THE PSYCHIC GARDEN that I first learned about “sun” and “moon” plants. The sun is fiery, charging us up, but the moon is cool, calming our nerves. This idea has a familiar ring with the Chinese “ying” and “yang”. So, in this hot season, what we are being advised is that we go more for “moon” plants and herbs to maintain a balance with the scorching sun. Says Millie Uyldert:

    “…all water-rich plants are true children of the moon, such as the cucumber, pumpkin, melon and those living in and on the water such as the water-lily, Brandy-bottle, etc. And on the bank such as the Willow. And the plants with half-moon-shaped leaves or oval leaves-composed of two half-moons. Like a person, a plant never, of course, belongs to one heavenly body or sign alone; they are named after the sign or star which clearly predominates in form and habit. In man, moon plants promote the creation of flow of fluids, such as the operation of glands, menstruation, the excretion of urine and sweating.  That is why cucumber juice is good for promoting better circulation during a woman’s menopause. Climbing moon-plants twist to the left (yin) and can be recognised by that (e.g., Thunbergia alata). Those that turn to the right are of the sun (e.g., hops). In man, moon plants can be used for ailments (e.g., chickweed against convulsions), for the memory (cashew nut, as curved as the horned moon) and for children at school. Climbing papilionaceae can be a great tonic to the nervous system and, as a food crop, extremely nutritious (beans). Vetches can be used against in fantile paralysis and, NUX Vomica to strengthen the nerves.”

     

    Water, Water, Water

    Water isn’t all that we need when we feel like replacing the fluid we lost to sweating or perspiration.  We need to replace Sodium and Potassium,  Calcium and Magnesium,  Zinc and Copper, among other substances. If we do not, deficiencies may occur which may predispose us to particular problems in this SAD season.

     

    Sodium

    Listen to this from www.nutristrategy.com

    “The body needs a small amount of sodium to help maintain normal blood pressure and normal function of muscles and nerves.”

     

    Potassium

    “Potassium is a very important mineral”, says www.umm.edu/health/medical, “for the proper functioning of all cells, tissues, and organs in the human body. It is also an electrolyte, a substance that conducts electricity in the body along with Sodium, Chloride, Calcium and Magnesium. Potassium is crucial to heart function and plays a key role in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, making it important for normal digestive and muscular function.  Many foods contain potassium, including all meats and some types of fish, (such as Salmon, cod), and Flounder, and many fruits, vegetables and legumes.

    Having too much potassium in the blood is known as Hyperkalemia; having too little is known as hypokalemia. Keeping the right potassium balance in the body depends on the amounts of sodium and magnesium in the blood. Too much sodium, common in Western diet, that use a lot of salt, may increase the need for Potassium. Diarrhoea, vomiting, excessive sweating, malnutrition, malabsorbtion syndromes such as Crohn’s disease, can also cause Potassium deficiency. Use of a kind of heart medicine called Loop diuretics can also cause you to be short on potassium. Most people get all of the potassium they need from a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits. Older people have a greater risk of hyperkalemia because their kidneys are less efficient at eliminating potassium as they age.

     

    What to do

    As stated earlier, many people are gulping only water to overcome their thirst this SAD season, and this may be the cause of the symptoms of many cases of mental illnesses one finds around these days. Many people who go to work, earn good income, settle their bills and appear normal in one way or the other may be mentally ill without knowing it. I believe some degree of mental illness was exhibited in Lagos about three weeks ago by those men who beat a seven-year old boy to pulp and then threw a car tyre over him which they set ablaze to kill him in a bonfire! What was his crime? He stole cassava grains (gari) worth not more than #100 in the market stall. Same people would know this boy was hungry. Same people would liken him to their own child. Same people will pay for the gari if the owner does not let go. Same people may even hand him over to the police to be taken to a borstral, a reformatory (home) for Juvenile people. Same people would not jubilate, as shown in the video of this gory event, as this boy was burning in agony. Same people would remember they, too, have committed far grievous “sins” for which it has not pleased the Ruler of All the Worlds to brutally take their lives!

    As mental illness may begin with deficiencies of substances which balance the biochemistry of our bodies, particularly in the brain, what Mother Nature expects of us at this time is the consumption of those foods, vegetables and herbs which restock our bodies with lost items, not just water or, worst still, with sugar drinks. We get lots of sodium, potassium,  calcium,  magnesium, zinc, copper and iron and many  more from fruits such as Orange, Carrot, water melon, Golden melon, Banana, Plantain, Pineapple,  Pawpaw, Cucumber etc, all of which are in season now. We can get lots of them also from our familiar greens…Spirulina, Wheatgrass,  Chlorella,  Liquid chlorophyll and Kale. As a breakfast starter on some mornings these days, I take half a teaspoonful of Blackstrap molasses in a glass of water to which I add half a teaspoonful of any of these greens. It gives me the confidence that I have, for that morning in my diet, good amounts of the B vitamins, some sugar for energy and Potassium, Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, other minerals and all amino acids. To the bargain I add 1 capsule of Strese B with Zinc which provides additional B vitamins and 25mg of Zinc.

     

    Brain and other disorders

    Listening to psychiatric doctors, one learns that it isn’t everyone who pulls off his or her dress in public, crosses a major highway without caution or lies in a drain, mistaking it for a bed, or picking food from a refuse dump who has a mental disorder.  Many of us seemingly brain-healthy people do when over stressed,  for example, exhibiting unnecessary anger or eating or drinking compulsively or when we are over excited over nothing tangible.

    When water and minerals are lost and are not well replaced,  the body comes under stress sooner than later.

    As the website http://bebrainfit.com/effects-chronicstress-brain tells us:

    “…when stress becomes chronic, it changes your brain’s function and even its structure down to the level of your DNA.

    “Epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine are stress hormones produced on as needed basis in moments of extreme excitement.  They help you move fast and think in an emergency. In the right situation, they can save your life. They don’t linger in the body, disipating as quickly as they were created. Cortisol, on the other hand, streams through your system all day long, and that’s what makes it so dangerous.

    “This hormone has been called public enemy number one. Excess cortisol leads to a host of health problems, including weight gain, osteoporosis,  digestive problems, hormone imbalances, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.  Chronic stress takes a toll in adrenal gland. It can leave you feeling exhausted and tired. Weight gain, poor sleep, mood swings, short attention span, and memory issues are common signs of stress due to elevated cortisol.

    “While stress and cortisol take a toll on your body, they take an equally high toll on your brain. Some of these brain-related stress symptoms would be obvious to you, like memory problems, anxiety and worry. But most of these effects of stress on your brain are “behind the scenes”. You don’t notice they are happening but you would notice the side effects eventually.”

    The website mentions twelve ways in which it says “chronic stress affects your brain health and mental well being”. It lists them as follows…

    “ONE: Stress creates free radicals that kill brain cells. Cortisol creates a surplus of the neurotransmitter Glutamate. Glutamate creates free radicals-unattached oxygen molecules-that attack brain cells much in the same way that oxygen attacks metal, causing it to rust. Free radicals actually punch holes in the brain cell walls, causing them to rupture and die.

    “Stress also indirectly contributes to other lifestyle habits that create more free radicals. If stress causes you to lose sleep, eat junk food, drink too much alcohol or smoke cigarette to relax, these are contributing to your free radical load.

    “TWO: Chronic stress makes you forgetful and emotional. Memory problems may be one of the first signs of stress you will notice. Misplaced keys and forgotten appointments have you scrambling further adding to your stress. If you find all this stress is making you more emotional too, there is a physiological reason for this. Studies show that when you are stressed, electrical signal in the brain associated with factual memories weaken while areas in the brain associated with emotions strengthen.

    “THREE: stress creates a vicious cycle of fear and anxiety. Stress builds up an area of your brain called the AMYGDALA. This is your brain’s fear centre. Stress increases the size, activity level and number of neural connections in this part of your brain. This makes you more fearful, causing a vicious cycle of even more fear and stress.

    “FOUR: Stress halts the production of new brain cells. Everyday you lose brain cells, but everyday you have the opportunity to create new ones.

    ‘Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a protein that is integral in keeping existing brain cells healthy and stimulating new brain cell formation. It can be thought of as fertilizer for the brain BDNF can offset the negative effects of stress on the brain. But cortisol halts the production of BDNF resulting in fewer new brain cells being formed. Lowered level of BDNF are associated with brain-related conditions including depression, OCD, Schizophrenia, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

    “FIVE: Stress depletes critical brain chemicals, causing depression. Your brain cells communicate via chemicals called Neurotransmitters. Chronic stress reduces levels of critical neurotransmitters, especially SEROTONIN,  and DOPAMINE. Low levels of these neurotransmitters can leave you depressed and more prone to addictions. Serotonin is called “HAPPY MOLECULE”. It plays a large role in mood, learning, appetite control and  sleep. Women low in Serotonin are prone to depression,  anxiety and binge eating. Men, on the other hand, are more prone to alcoholism, ADHD and impulse-control disorders. Dopamine is the “motivation molecule”. It’s in charge of your pleasure reward system. Too little dopamine can leave you unfocused,  unmotivated, lethargic, and depressed. People low in this brain chemical often use caffeine, sugar, alcohol and illicit drugs to temporarily boost their dopamine levels. Serotonin-based depression is accompanied by anxiety and irritability while dopamine-based depression expresses itself as lethargy and lack of enjoyment of life.

  • Some natural solutions to sleep disorders (3)

    I hope you now enjoy a good night rest. As earlier sections of this series have suggested, rest full sleep is the outcome of many factors. For example, the nerves must not be tremulous or spasmodic, that is gripping and shivery, otherwise many unpleasant situations may arise.  Nerve spasms may cause irregular contractions of smooth muscles in the blood vessels of the brain, and these, in turn, may decrease blood circulation to the brain or flood it with more blood than it needs. Too little blood means insufficient oxygen, and too much blood may present situations of drowning brain nerves and cells. Pain may arise when oxygen supply is inadequate.

    Poor blood circulation implies wastes accumulation and torment of brain tissue by accumulated wastes or toxins. Tick blood may osmotically dehydrate brain tissue, causing headache. That is why it is advisable to drink one or two glasses of water about thirty minutes before a meal and about two hours after a mill. This helps to prevent tick blood or pressure in the head. When we realise that the Pineal Gland, situated in the brain, is responsible for producing melatonin, the brain chemical which makes us to fall asleep or feel like doing so from about 9pm, and that a wrong brain biochemistry negatively affect this glands, we appreciate better the need to care for the brain through the diet, relaxation and positive thinking. Positive thinking is crucial in this, as in all matters of health, because stress and anger, for example, might decrease not only the amount of melatonin in the system, but, also, the capacity of the Pineal gland to manufacture it.

    Earlier sections of this series suggested as well the need for alkaline forming foods, for acidosis compromises healthy metabolism. Caffeine disturbs sleep. In the brain, it burns Choline and Inositol to produce bursts of energy which produces the caffeine energy burst. But the energy burst is short–time energy. The user soon returns to status quo- ante when the energy is used up, and requires another doses. Frequently doses soon burn out the choline and inositol reserves. Choline and inositol are found in Lecithin, a fat-dissolving chemical substance which has been found to lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure, discourage gall-stone formation, improve cell signaling and improve immunity, among other benefits. In 1975, the Mossachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) carried out a “ground–breaking study which found that a daily supply of lecithin improves brain chemical activity.” In www.diannecraft.org, we learn that lecithin affected brain activities such as learning, memory, motor co-ordination, sensory feedback and sleep patterns.” The website adds that: “we can use these findings by concluding that Lecithin improves memory, speech, and motor problems that affected balance and movement. In his book, TOTAL CONCENTRATION, Dr. Levinson, a neurologist from New York, states that he frequently uses Lecithin to help both attention and learning in his young patients.”

    In www.doctoryourselft.com//sleep.html we observe: “Lecithin makes up nearly a third of your brains dry weight. This natural food substance is found in soy products and egg yolk, and is available as a supplement as well. Two to four teaspoons daily has consistently shortened the time needed for people to go to sleep.”

    If caffeine burns choline and inositol in Lecithin beyond normal proportions, the outcome on the brain is not so far-fetched. The image of caffeine in health matters has become so terribly beleaguered, despite the pharmacological credits ascribed to it, that many people who take caffeine containing foods are abandoning them. To the credit of caffeine is the suggestion that it is a central nervous system stimulant, a broncho-dilator and a mild diuretic. That would make it good for depression, bad breathing conditions, water logging and all that. But the negative impact has led to the “bad-mouthing” or discrediting of coffee, for example. As the coffee market set to dwindled, big boys of the trade came up with de-caffeinated coffee which has now been found to be worse than plain coffee on its damaging effects on health. From decaffeinated coffee, coffee pushers have moved to coffee combos with all sorts of health – promoting herbs. This has led to such proprietary products as Ginseng – Coffee, Red Yeast Coffee, Garnoderma coffee and, lately, Lecithin – coffee. The idea behind it all seems to be that “since you need caffeine to stay smart, and since caffeine has been so terribly condemned, you can have your coffee with a healthful herb which can reduce its side effects. I avoid such treats as much as I can. I would rather take energy-making herbs which gently keep me going, not even those popular energy drinks on the market which contain lot of caffeine. These energy given herbs will include Lecithin, Ginseng, Ganoderma, Ubiquinol variant of CoQ10, cordyceps, B vitamins, coral Calcium, Honey, Moringa, Graviola leaves, bark and stem powder tea, Blackstrap molasses, Black seed oil, chlorella and the likes of them.

    I know of some people who do not sleep easily or well when they take caffeine in caffeine containing pain killers, or even Cola drinks. Some people get off their sleep problems when they get off these drinks. I have seen some women who found their menstrual cycle problems reversed to normal when they stop cola drinks.

    In the last section of this series, VERVAIN tea was proposed as a nerve relaxant and a sleep promoter, among its many other beneficial uses. Today, I would like to propose CHAMOMILE and VALERIAN ROOT.

     

    CHAMOMILE

    We are advised in www.naturalhealth365.com: “Chamomile, scientifically known as Matricaria recutita and also called German Chamomile, is normally employed by natural healers to treat digestive disorders, colds, muscle spasms, skin rashes, inflamed gums and infections. But it is the herbs ability to reduce anxiety, elevate mood and combat insomnia that is presently of particular interest to medical researchers.

    Researchers have discovered that one constituent of Chamomile tea works on the brain in a way similar to that of Bensodia Zepines, a group of anziolytic or anxiety reducing drugs that include Xan ax and Valium. Not only can these drugs cause unpleasant side effects such as headaches, confusion, trembling, dizziness and nightmare – but they can be physically addictive but chamomile on the other hand, helps to smooth jangled nerves and to promote restful sleep without the risks of harmful side effects or physical habitation. Animal research and some limited clinical studies have supported chamomile’s ability to elevate mood, reduce anxiety and promote sleep. In a double–blind, placebo–controlled clinical study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in 2012 in ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE, people diagnosed with mild to moderate anxiety and depression were given 220mg of Chamomile extract daily for eight weeks. Utilising both Black Anxiety inventory system and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating, researchers found that 57 percent of the group using the Chamomile had a significant reduction in their symptoms. Even more encouraging was the fact that the beneficial effect increased over time unlike pharmaceutical drugs, which can cause tolerance situation in which the medication must be taken in ever increasing dosages to have the same effects– chamomile seems to work better the longer it was used on additions, to improving mood and suppressing anxiety, chamomiles may make it easier to fall asleep. In one small clinical study stated in MOLECULAR MEDICINE REPORTS, 10 out of 12 Cardiac patients felt into a deep sleep after consuming chamomile tea. These suggestions are corroborated by www.homeremediesweb.com//chamomile– health which says: “Chamomile is a herb that comes from a flowering plant from the daisy family. For centuries, both the fresh and dried flowers of Chamomile have been used to create teas and also as natural treatment for a number of health problems. The active ingredient in chamomile essential oil that makes it suitable for treating health conditions is known as Bisabolol, which has a number of anti-irritants, anti-inflammatory and anti–microbial properties.

    Chamomile can be used topically or orally to treat a number of every day ailments such as insomnia and other sleep disorders, anxiety and panic attacks, muscles twitches,  wounds, burns and scrape, skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, chicken pox and diaper rash, stomach problems such as menstrual cramps, stomach flu and ulcers. “Chamomile has been found to contain fairly strong anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory constituents. Therefore, it has been found to be effective in treating stomach and intestinal cramps.”

     

    VALERIAN ROOT

    This is one of my favourite herbs for headaches and for sleep. For headaches, it works as well, if not better than, such herbs as fever few and skull cap. Valerian root is eulogised in https://draxe.com/valerian-root/ “Valerian root is widely used and respected by the general population and physicians for its sedative effect and anti-anxiety capabilities. You may have even had valerian root before and not even realised it. It is very common for valerian root to be included in sleep promoting tea blends, but it does just offers a solid night sleep. It is also amazing at naturally calming anxiety and can even lower blood pressure, among other tremendous benefits.” The website offers five major health benefits of valerian roots.

    In it words:  “One. Naturally Aids Sleep. Studies show that Valerian reduces the time it takes to fall asleep and improves the quality of sleep, so if you can’t sleep, it may be just what you are looking for. Unlike many prescriptions of sleeping pills, Valerian has fewer side effects and it is a lot less likely to result in morning drowsiness. In one double-blind study conducted by the FOELNINGE HEALTH CENTRE in Sweden, the effects of Valerian on poor sleep were significant. Of the study participants, 44 percent reported perfect sleep while 89 percent reported improved sleep when taking Valerian root. In addition, no side effects were observed for this group. Valerian root is often combined with other sedative herbs, such as hops (C humulus lupulus) and Lemon balm (Melissa officianalis), to treat insomnia. In one study of children with minor sleep problems published in PHYTOMEDICINE, 81 percent of those who took a herb combination of Valerian and Lemon Balm reported sleeping much better than these who took a placebo.

    “Why can valerian root help you sleep so well? Valerian extract can cause sedation by increasing your brains GABA level. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and in large enough quantities it can cause a sedative effect. Result from an invitro study suggests that valerian extracts may cause GABA to be released from brain nerve endings and block GABA from being taken back into nerve cells. In addition, Valerians Valeric acid inhibits and enzymes that destroys GABA, another way that Valerian can improve your GABA levels and promote a great night rest.

    “Two. Calms anxiety: Scientist have found that Valerian root increases the amount of a chemical called GAMMA AMINOBUTYRIC ACID (GABA) in the brain. GABA helps regulates nerve cells and calm anxiety. Drugs such as alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (valium) also works by increasing the amount of GABA in the brain. The Valeric acid and Valerenol contained in Valerian root extract act as an anti-anxiety agent. It is presently amazing that a herbal remedy as Valerian root can have the same anti-anxiety effects of prescription drugs without all the serious side effects of Psychotropic drugs.

    “Three. Lowers blood pressure: Now that you know that Valerian root can be so calming to the mind and body, it is probably not surprising to hear it can also help lower blood pressure improving heart health. The same active components that make Valerian root so effective for stress and anxiety management can also help the body regulate it blood pressure. High blood pressure is something you definitely want to avoid since it increases the chance of stroke and heart attack. Valerian root supplements can help naturally reduce blood pressure and keep it at a healthy level which has a direct positive impact on your health.

    “Four. Eases Menstrual Cramps: The relaxing nature of Valerian root can make it a smart choice for natural relief of menstrual cramps. It can reduce the severity and discomfort of menstrual cramps, which is a common problem for women who suffer monthly from PMS. How exactly can Valerian root help? It is a natural sedative and anti-spasmodic which means it suppresses muscle spasms and acts as a natural muscle relaxant. Valerian root can effectively calm the severe uterus muscle contractions that cause the terrible pain women may experience during menstruation, as a double blind, randomised placebo-controlled study from ISLAMIC AZAD UNIVERSITY in Iran showed.

    “Five. Improves Stress Management: By reducing anxiety and improving the length and quality of sleep, Valerian root can significantly help with daily stress management. Chronic stress can make you anxious. But anxiety can make you even more stressed out. By improving GABA level, Valerian makes it easier for both the mind and body to relax. Since relaxation is the antithesis of stress, Valerian root is an excellent natural way to help keep your stress down, and your quality of life up. Furthermore, Valerian root has been shown to suppress both physical and Psychological stress, ascending to research in BMC complementary and Alternative Medicine.”

    As you may have seen in the series so far, Mother Nature has blessed us with everything we need to keep our body health and to have a restful night sleep after a hard day labour. For those who know about it, there are beings which keeps the earth moving, producing the effects of night and day, to bring sleep hours and work hours. Many researchers have educated us about the three rhythms of the day. One rhythm from 12 midnight to 8am helps our bodies to detoxify themselves and eliminate the waste product of their daily activities. That is why you go to wee or to void stool. Another rhythm, from 8am to 4pm enables our bodies to digest the food we put into them. But we must start gradually from light food for breakfast to heavier food at lunch time when the sun is high up and providing a large of quantum of energy for everything alive to do work, and from here dovetail to light food again when the sun is going down and energy to do work, including digestion, is ebbing. You will notice that animals from about 4pm and 5pm or even 6pm begins to go homewards to rest, after a hard day’s labour. Look at the chickens and the goats and the birds. They hardly eat when the sun is down unless manipulated to do so by man. In the evenings, when the sun has gone away, many people overloads their bodies with food, giving it the work of digestion to do, when it should actually be absorbing nutrient from digested food. This confuses the body, and makes it less efficient including preparing itself for sleep. In these matters, I remember the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (May the Peace of Allah be with him wherever he is). The Koran says that, when we eat, we should fill one third of the stomach with food, another third with water and the remaining third with air. That means we should eat light always. Hands up Desola Seriki (Nee Oshilaran) if you do not break this rule. Hands up, too, Chris Daniel and Stanley Utsu if you do not overstock your stomach with heavily compacted Agege Bread.  The third rhythm, from 4pm to 12 midnight is for the assimilation of nutrients from the food we eat to detoxify itself of poisons and waste products of its daily activities.

  • Some natural solutions to sleep disorders (2)

    After the hurly burly of daylight hours, I look forward to nightfall with untold joy. The joy is boundless not simply because, It is almost 7, I would be able to give my bones and muscles some rest in which my nerves, brain, the heart and other vital organs would also be revitalized. It is during sleep that the human body produces the largest amounts of Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which supports the repair of damage in the organs. Imagine a mother car flung up and down every day and not taken to the mechanic for the repair of any fault(s) it is complaining about. Such a car may sooner than later get off the road. So it is with our bodies. In my active work years as a young man, I easily broke the Law of Balance in respect of work and rest, arriving form work at about 3:am, yes 3:am, almost every day and  being at my desk in the office for those nasty but important management meetings which began at 11:am.

    The energy and fire of youth in the adrenal glands bounced off the shocks easily absorbed them, like the brand new shock absorbers of a motor vehicles. Buy, as we say, no one can cheat Mother Nature, and, so, in time, the wages of sin began to fall in place, resulting in those symptoms of aging no one advancing in year’s wishes to experience when the day of reckoning or the season of bumper harvests arrives. In Nature cure, sleep is often called Dr. Sleep. But not all Sleep is Sleep, as this column explained last Thursday stating the differences between the four stages of sleep and suggesting, for example, the use of the herb VERVAIN to achieve STAGE 4 SLEEP or Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep, as it is also called, to overcome insomnia. In Stage 4 Sleep, a great event envelopes the body and the soul. And it is to this great event I joyfully look forward to when nightfall approaches. For, in deep sleep, the energy bond or “cement” which holds body and soul together relaxes its hold, the body falls sleepily apart to rest and to heal itself, while the Soul, released somewhat from the body and its Union with it, becomes free and journeys out of the body in what we call dreams. The deeper the dream, the better it is for both body and soul. I dream a lot, and joyfully look forward to nightfall when I know I would dream again. In respect of my dreams, my wife gave me the nickname Joseph the Dreamer. Remember Joseph in the Bible and in the Quran? The last of 12 children, he was the most beloved of their father, dreamt that the 11 sheaves of wheat of his brothers bowed before his own sheaf of wheat, and that the sun and the moon (representing his parents and 11 stars his brothers) bowed before him. In jealousy and outrage, his brothers sold him into slavery and lied to their father that an animal killed him in the fields.

    Meanwhile, they sold Joseph to Potiphar, a captain of the pharaoh’s Palace guard in Egypt. Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to sleep with her. He declined, and she set him up for attempted rape of his mater’s wife. Joseph was cast into prison. There he met the baker and the butler of Pharaoh. Both men had dreams they could not interpret. Joseph told the baker he would be executed, and the butler that he would be freed. The baker was later hung on a tree for bird’s to feed on, and the butler was freed. Joseph pleaded with the Butler not to forget about him whenever he returned to the Palace. In the Palace, the Pharaoh had a dream neither he nor his wise men could interpret: seven lean cows ate up seven fat cows.

    The Butler told the King there was a man in prison who could interpret the dream. Joseph was brought to the Palace and he interpreted the dream to mean that seven years of bountiful harvest would be followed by seven years of grave famine. Joseph was released by Pharaoh to help the kingdom avert the fortold seven years of grave famine. The job placed him next in command to the King. Overcome by famine, his brothers were to travel to Egypt, the land of plentiful food. They came personally in contact with Joseph but did not recognize him, and bowed before him… to fulfill two of Joseph’s dreams which outraged them. Meanwhile Joseph got them to settle in Egypt, and that began the story of the Children of Israel in Egypt. Story has been told to emphasis the importance of sleep for a “sound mind and body” for it is only in sleep that we dream bountifully, and dreams connect us to the world beyond the reach of our physical senses, to forewarn and to guide us. Thus, people who do not sleep well or soundly are not only likely to suffer health mishaps, they are also likely to become like rudderless ships at sea, tossed hitter and titter by the waves, because they have no guidance from the beyond and focus on earth.

    I became interested in dreams when, in the 1970s, I read in a pamphlet produced by some young Nigerians abroad an article titled THE LORD GIVES TO HIS OWN IN THEIR SLEEP. The article explained the roles played by the frontal brain (big brain) and the back brain (small brain) in our lives. The frontal brain is the seat of thought, the intellect and serves day consciousness. The back brain is the spiritually-receptive part of the brain.

    The body and the Soul generate energy or radiations which hold them together in a flexible union. If the radiations of the body weaken either from shock (as in an accident, aging, malnutrition and disease, or lose of the will to live) the Union may collapse or death of the body may occur, as the soul, finding the earthly casing no longer usable for anchorage on earth, floats away. And the body falls apart in death because, in this circumstance, it is no longer animated by the soul. If the Spirit, which resides in the soul, loses the will to live it would pull out of the union with the body, and death of the body would similarly occur. But if the union weakens only to permit sleep, the soul floats away to experience life beyond the terrain of the body. That is why you may find yourself in a dream ponding someone or screaming and your body is doing exactly the same things simultaneously in its sleep on the bed. What is going on is that the experiences of your soul are being relayed to your body, through a broadcast system of radiations.

    In picture form, what the soul is experiencing is relayed to the body in bed through a “cable” which connects the body and the soul. This “cable”   is known as THE SILVER CORD. It is like the unbiblical cord which connects a baby in the womb to the mother. To deliver a woman of a baby, this cord had to be cut or severed. That’s what happens in death. The body and the soul are separated with the severance of the silver cord! As pictorial images of the soul’s experiences outside the body are relayed to the body through the Silver Cord, a point of body/soul connection known as the SOLAR PLEXUS, they journey through nerve fibers and the bloodstream to the back brain, the Spiritually-receptive part of the brain. Here, these radiations are converted to pictures, which we remember vaguely or sharply when we awake from sleep.

    Whether what we remember would be sharp or dull would depend on many factors, including the nutritional status of the back brain. It is interesting to note that Science has linked Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep stage to deep or restful sleep and dreams. For the physical eyes closed in sleep actually move hither and thither as the soul eyes move when the soul is outside the body. If we look up or sideways in our so-called dream, the closed “sleeping” physical eyes in bed move likewise. This shows that something is being broadcast from somewhere to the body which is assumed to be asleep in bed. The body is, in this state, somewhat like a radio receiving set or television set receiving a broadcast from a broadcasting station which had loaded the broadcast message or electromagnetic waves. Think of the SMS message you send and received on your phone every day, and you may begen to understand what happened to you when you dream. Thus, I feel personally bad when I cannot vividly remember a dream because I know I have frustrated someone on the “other side” trying to reach me. Don’t we feel bad when we dial someone’s number and it doesn’t go through or he or she missed the call, or the network frustrates the effort?

     

    REM SLEEP

    According to Wikipedia, “Rapid Eye Movement Sleep is a unique phase of Manahan sleep characterised by random movement of the eyes, low muscles tone throughout the body, and the propensity of the dreamer to dream vividly.” From medicalnews.com, we learn:

    “Rapid Eye Movement sleep is one of the five stages of sleep that most people experience nightly. It is characterised by quick, random movements of the eyes and paralysis of the muscles. The amount of time spent in rapid eye movement varies significantly with age, it normally makes up around 20 to 25 percent of an adult humans total time spent asleep (an average about 90-120 minutes) and about more than half of an infant’s.

    In www.scenedialy.com, we understand:

    “Rapid Eye Movement is the stage of sleep characterized by rapid saccadic movement of the eyes. During this stage, the activity of the brain’s neurons is quite similar to that during waking hours. Most of the vividly recalled dreams occur during Rapid Eye Movement Sleep. It is the lightest form of sleep, and people awakened during Rapid Eye Movement usually feel alert and refreshed.

    My dreams I dream a lot, as I said earlier. Sometimes, the dream breaks, like a film break, when a noise disturbs me or I feel pressed to wee.  I am not surprised, from the explanations of dream aforestated, when I go back to sleep and the dream resumes from where it was broken off. I know someone is at work. I am not a stranger to Out of Body Experience (OBE) during sleep. (This is a matter for another day).

    I know it is possible to a achieve day consciousness during dreams. By this, I mean you are dreaming, and you make yourself realize you, the human spirit, are the one wherever you find yourself in that dream, and that your body is lying asleep, resting somewhere. In that conscious state, you can will yourself to go anywhere, seek solutions to problems which bother you in day-conscious life. But many people, for good reasons, are too frightened to venture it. Maybe I picked courage from the teaching that there is no division between the world of our physical senses and that world we call the “beyond” because it is indeed, beyond the reach of physical senses as both worlds are of different consistencies, or at different energy of vibrational level. We should remember when it comes to energy levels that we were thought by the Lord Jesus 1000 years on years on earth are like one day in the beyond, which means the earth exist on a very low energy level. Therefore, sluggish vibration of the earthly eye cannot see beyond earthly forms that are vibrating on a much high frequency.

    In my view, many people misunderstand the spoon and metal-bending psychics of the 1970s, the most notable among them being Yuri Geller. Geller was branded by his critics as an illusionist and stage magician. What did he do? He claimed to have psychic powers or supra normal or beyond earthly powers. On television, he would ask his viewers to hold spoons, keys or any other metal objects in their hands. And, with the powers of his mind, he would cause those objects to bend in their hands! I believe the Disciple of the Lord Jesus on the Day of Pentecost heard the different languages spoken by the motley crowd who listened to them not with their physical ears and understood them not through rational thought but through non-physical senses which came alive in them. In my dreams, I make a distinction between black and white situations and dreams in colours. The former may be impressions of the frontal or intellectual brain flowing backwards. Colours dreams, on the other hand, are more likely impressions from the soul flowing to the body through a process of radiations via the silver cord at the solar plexus, the nerves and bloodstream, to the back brain from where the pictures impressed on this spiritually sensitive part of the brain are transported to the frontal brain, where they are decoded into thought and words. Watch your dreams. Words are not spoken in many. You just know things you need to know! I would like to share some of my dreams

     

    GEN. OLADIPO DIYA (RTD)

    Before Gen Sanni Abacha arrested Gen. Diya (rtd) his deputy as Nigeria’s military Head of State, on coup plot charges, I saw Gen Diya in a dream. Till this day I have not met him in person. The setting of that dream was Kings Barracks, Iyaganku, Ibadan, where I lived with my policeman father and step mother in the 1960s. There are 27 room and palour units in every block. We lived in Room 8 on the middle floor of a two-story blocked 2 joined to blocks I and 3 on either side by spiral stairways, Gen. Diya, in military uniform, was fleeing from fellow soldiers who wished to capture him. He ran up the stairs from Block 1 to our floor. He ran inside our palour. My heart was racing. I thought guns would soon roar if they found him with us. They may kill us. Somehow, he disappeared through the concrete decking to the upper floor. His would-be assailants, missing him, ran down the stairs to Block 3 in pursuit of him. When I woke up, I told my wife Gen. Diya would soon be in trouble, but he would survive it. Soon, he was arrested. But when Gen. Abacha had him sentenced to death, I thought the dream would not come to pass. Then Abacha died mysteriously and Gen. Diya was freed.

     

    OLOROGUN MICHAEL IBRU

    Two days before his death, I saw him in a dream which I relayed to Mrs. Bukola Azeez, Chief Executive Officer of BUDGET TRAVELS, which is beside my office. Olorogun was to have a birthday party, and I was to take a beautiful cake to the venues. I hadn’t seen him or spoken with him for about a decade, so seeing him was a surprise to me. He looked elegant and betrayed no signs of the ailments which had plauged his health for some time, especially Parkinson’s disease. I walked past him to a room where a woman to receive the cake was waiting for me. The door was locked. I called her on my cell phone. But rather than the phone showing me a key board by merely thinking of this woman, her photograph came up on the screen. She was in a private scene so I quickly turned the phone over. To avoid the scene. When she was done, I gave her the cake and left. Two days later, Mrs. Azeez broke the news of Olorogun’s passing to me!

    Sound Sleep and dreams are important for sound health and a focus health life. As we shall soon see most of the foods we eat today make it impossible for us to sleep soundly.

  • Disorders of sex: sexually transmitted diseases (Stds)

    Properly conducted, sex is an enjoyable exercise.

    Sex is like everything around us: It too is guided by some natural and man-made rules. When these rules are flouted or when an individual is abused or his/her sex organs are somewhat tampered with or the body is mishandled, then sex becomes a problem and an infection, an unwanted dangerous outside agent may be introduced into the person’s system. It’s not the intention of the author of this book to write on every sexually transmitted disease.

    A general guidance will be enough. Any disease agent can become sexually transmitted so long as it affects the genitals or reproductive organs or the disease affects the entry point used for “sex”.

    The following are the common sexual disorders or agents of sexual diseases: Bacteria: • Gonorrhoea • Chlamydia trachomatis • Syphilis • Lyphogranuloma Inguinale 5. Chancroid •Less well recognised but can be considered as sexually transmitted is a bacteria called Staph. Aureus. Viruses • Human Immune-Deficiency Virus (HIV) • Herpes simplex: Type I and Type II • Human Papilloma Virus • Hepatitis B and C Parasites Trichomonas vaginalis (common in women but can be found in men too).

    Fungus(Candidiasis) Otherwise called yeasts, is a common infection of the warm and moist areas of human body especially vagina. It may also affect other parts of the body such as mouth, gut, anus, and armpit. Untreated, it may be sexually transmitted to the sexual partner. Precautions The probability of getting any of these is low provided: a. You stick to one sexual partner b. You are honest with your partner c.

    You put your sexual organs into the partner’s correct and biologically appropriate body entry point for which it was designed. d. You use barrier method such as condom when engaging in sex with non-regular sexual partner. Although herpes type I may be contacted from kissing as are above hepatitis viruses. Recent Developments In recent years, there has been a spate of developments in what would otherwise not amount to sexually transmitted diseases.

    In the last two years of so, Ebola ravaged West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. In recent times, there is a solid scientific proof that 9 months after an individual has recovered from Ebola infection, he or she can transmit the infection to his or her spouse. We are still not sure if the duration of carrying the virus can be longer than 9 months. Thus, Ebola is effectively a sexually transmissible disease.

    The lesson is many folds: When you are in Ebola-infected country, take caution in sexual engagement. Use protective methods such as condom or consider complete abstinence. Similarly, in the last one year, an old viral disease carried by mosquito has emerged. It’s called Zika virus.