The Nation Newspaper

Tag: silent killer

  • Noise pollution: Foundation seeks end to silent killer

    Acoustics experts have warned that unless the government evolves and enforces laws that will prevent noise pollution, many individuals may become deaf. JANE CHIJIOKE reports that this anomaly has spurred the intervention of Kemi-Remi-Dairo Hearing Foundation to sensitise people to the dangers of noise pollution.

    Jide works in a biscuit manufacturing firm. He was not used to too loud noise until he began to work in the company. His hearing state was normal. Some of the equipment with which the products are produced are obsolete, and therefore, make so much noise.

    At a point, Jide started talking to his colleagues in high tone without knowing that he was shouting. This is because; constant exposure to loud noise from the machines has affected his auditory system.

    When examined by an acoustics expert, it was discovered that the noise from the equipment was above the normal 85 decibels (dBs) and had perforated his ear membrane which resulted in his temporary hearing loss.

    Jide’s case is only one out of several million individuals who suffer from aural disorders caused by noise pollution that has damaging effects on the human body system. This apparently manifests in the damage of the auricle as an initial sign.

    Experts contend that noise is one of the most dangerous and silent environmental pollutions as its effects on human body system could lead to death.

    Noise is referred to as an undesirable sound that results from the activities of man. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that noise is a dangerous agent that affects human health and the environment.

    Mindful of the health hazards associated with noise that has been described as loud enemies of our ears by experts, the Kemi-Remi-Dairo Hearing Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has begun to sensitise the public to the dangers of noise pollution.

    The event, which held at Sheba Hall, Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, attracted event planners, Disk Jockeys, sound engineers, operators of power generating sets and bands, among others.

    The foundation also assists people suffering from hearing loss to access medical treatment. Currently, it has 12 people waiting for medical solutions as a result of hearing loss.

    Hearing loss, or hearing impairment happens when there is a problem with one or more parts of the ear or ears, especially when the nerves coming from the ears, or the part of the brain that controls hearing is “impaired” or not working correctly or as well as it should.

    The foundation maintains that exposure to excessive noise emanating from residential areas, parties, churches, mosques, market places, car horns, traffic, industrial areas, music sellers and others on daily basis has resulted in some individuals being susceptible to  hearing loss and other health issues.

    With a population of over 21 million living in the metropolitan city of Lagos, and being the economic capital of West Africa, the waves of unsolicited sounds that pierce through the human ears have become somewhat normal daily phenomenon so much so that many people are ignorant of the dangers they portend.

    Kemi-Remi-Dairo, the founder of the NGO, had suffered hearing loss for five years. The event planner lost her ability to hear sounds to a bad speaker in 2013 at an event she managed. She resorted to fundraising for her Cochlear implant surgery but was unable to raise the $90,000 required for the surgery. She had almost resigned to fate when an international foundation intervened.

    “I had an encounter with a malfunctioned speaker at an event where I was trying to help someone to tell the Disk Jockey to reduce the volume. I was standing very close to the speaker and in the process, it blasted into my ears. I felt a sharp sound in my ears. I never knew it was an emergency. Days after the event, I could still hear the sounds of the event but after the sound faded off, my hearing ability was badly affected.

    “Months after people began to tell me that I did not hear them when they talk to me. That was how I began consultations, hearing aids, visiting hospitals and I was told that I have lost my right ear while the left one is partially deaf and there was the need for me to undergo surgery.

    “So, I solicited for funds. I was able to raise $35,000 but I was billed $90,000 which is over N28 million. I continued seeking for financial assistance and at the same time, I continued with my MRI test in different hospitals. At a point, I couldn’t continue. I had to wait and see what eventually happens to me. But, fortunately for me, at the point where I couldn’t move forward again, one of the international NGOs called Dallas Hearing Foundation to sort my surgery bill and that was how I did my surgery on October 9, 2018.

    “It was a terrible moment of my life; I was depressed, isolated, I was into depression without even knowing it.  It got to the point I considered committing suicide; but thank God it is all in the past now,” she said.

    Her five-year journey into semi-deafness informed her decision to sensitise the public to the consequences of noise pollution that might inform policy and regulatory framework in the country.

    She cautioned that the human ear should be protected properly, even as she advised people to go for auditory tests to know their acoustic status to avert any damage. She also advised the Federal Government to prioritise health in their policies and programmes.

    At the event, a human resource expert, Idowu Oladiamond Olarenwaju explained that continuous exposure to noise pollution will distort the natural state of mind of an individual.

    He said humankind are not supposed to be exposed to sounds above 85 decibels (85 dB) which if exposed beyond that, stresses the auditory lens, thereby increasing pressure which transit to the brain. This increases the blood pressure to respond to the pressure emanating from the sound.

    “At this point, an individual is mentally unbalanced without even knowing it.

    “If exposed to excessive noise for one hour, it takes the brain two hours to regain its normal state. If exposed to two hours, it takes the brain six hours, if exposed to four hours, it takes the brain 16 hours and if exposed to continuous eight hours, it takes the brain two days to heal.

    “So, when the brain has not healed from the previous exposure and you continue to expose it more too loud noise, it deteriorates your hearing ability,” he said.

    A team member of the Foundation, Mrs Treasure Uchegbu was worried that the productive age bracket of the population is liable to deafness which will affect the economic growth of the country if nothing is urgently done to regulate noise pollution. She, however, said residents of Lagos do not pay significant attention to the effect of noise pollution from long time exposure.

    She maintained that noise pollution could lead to inconvenience, annoyance; irritation and, in some cases, alter a human physical and psychological state.

    The worrisome figure of 14 million people with hearing impairment released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its projection of 60 per cent of Africans going deaf by 2050, Uchegbu said, is a warning signal to take proactive measures to change the narrative.

    A celebrity Dj, cum sound engineer, Oma Mowete popularly known as Dj Mow explained that speakers at any occasion should be placed at least three meters away from where seats are positioned, be above the ear level or placed in the ceiling.

    He lamented that Djs are not professional sound engineers that is why they play high volumes of sound.

    “Eighty per cent of celebrity Djs abuse sound. Djs and live bands always play high as they want to enjoy the music. They do not understand how sound works. All they want to do is keep blasting music. There should be a standard.

    “Nigerians like playing music at loudest point at parties. We always go above the safe limit of sound. Even with the regulation at 80 decibels, in our parties we hit 104-220 decibels with humans in there. We need to prioritise safety before the entertainment in it. This is because once one loses one’s hearing; one almost cannot get it back. So, why can’t we prevent it?” he queried.

    He advised that for safety measure, listening breaks can be adopted at parties to relax the ears and also use ear plugs to muffle up sounds piercing the ear drums.

    Corroborating Mowete’s assertion, a live band entertainer, Akin Shuga remarked that professionalism in the production of good sound is not about the high volume projected into speakers which many disk jockeys are guilty of. Ideally, he said, about a crew of 12 to 14 people aside the disk jockey and live band is needed for a good sound delivery.

    He frowned at the ingenuity of hall owners and event planners who give false capacity details of halls to clients which eventually will affect the placement of speakers. This, he said, contributes largely to noise pollution at events.

    “How can a speaker be placed in front of where a guest is sitting.  It is very dangerous because the amount of what comes into your ear in terms of keyboard, pianos, drums, the loud volume and other instruments is enough to cause lifelong hearing impairment and continuous exposure to sounds can also lead to death,” he said.

    Funke Bucknor Obruthe, a renowned event planner noted that there was need to educate people who rent halls on the dangers of sound and also a synergy of both the bands, DJs, power generating set operators, sound technicians and event planners to ensure that guests who attend occasions are safe.

    She expressed her worry that the financial will power to get good sound technicians to manage sounds at occasions might be a barrier to combating noise pollution.

    As a precautionary measure, another sound technician, Oni Joseph advised that people should avoid sitting close to speakers, adding that a decibel meter application on their phones should be handy to help them measure the amount of sound within any environment they are in.

  • How to tame the silent killer (2)

    I have had several patients whose blood pressure may be “normal” at home but rose at the care centre. The presence of an authoritative figure such as a doctor or a nurse may cause a blood pressure to be raised. In all these situations that I have mentioned, the blood pressure may be temporarily raised. It does not mean that the individual has a raised blood pressure as an illness.  However, if the pressure is raised to a certain level even on the same day within 60mins, the doctor may decide to offer treatment. I had a client in recent times. He had lost a very close and loving relative. When I was asked to see him because of his distress, amongst other things, I took his blood pressure.  To my greatest surprise, it was the highest blood pressure readings that I have ever seen. Of, course; I had to start treatment immediately.

    Therefore, normal blood pressure is a matter of relative degree, individualised, age and circumstances that are influencing the pressure reading.  Raised blood pressure is a matter of persistence.

    Types of Blood Pressure:  Blood pressure can be divided into two. The first is called essential or primary hypertension. In this case, there is no knowing specific cause for the raised blood pressure although there are certain features that can be identified as contributing to the high blood pressure.  It’s by far the commoner form. The other type is called secondary hypertension. In this case, there is a reason, an identifiable cause for the abnormal blood pressure.  Now let us deal with each category of the raised blood pressure.

    Essential Hypertension:  90% of raised blood pressure belongs in this category. This is the more common form of blood pressure and sadly a deadly disease that is extremely common amongst people of Black African descent wherever they may be on earth. There are certain factors that had been identified as contributing to essential hypertension. These factors include unreasonable consumption of table salt (sodium chloride).  I once had a 30year old patient who came with his wife to see me by reason of infertility. As soon as I measured the blood pressure of the husband, I noticed that for his age, he was reading a pressure as if he was 70year old: very high for his age.  Upon discussion, the wife said, he likes to “lick salt” for no apparent reason. He will ask for extra salt be put in his food. It was therefore not surprising that my patient was having abnormal blood pressure readings. Another common association with high blood pressure is obesity. Being fat may compress the blood vessels and cause the heart to pump blood around the body with extra effort.  High cholesterol that tends to block the passage of blood may also contribute to essential hypertension.  On the other hand, being Black-African is a factor.  Hypertension may run in the family. Father, son, daughter, and grandchildren may inherit essential hypertension.

    Persistent anxiety whatever the cause, depression and sleeplessness may be the unseen cause of high blood pressure in an individual.  Gender plays a part too. Men appear to suffer high blood pressure that women.

    Obviously, just along with obesity and high blood cholesterol, lack of regular, voluntary, physical exercise is a well known association with rising blood pressure.

    Causes of Secondary Hypertension:  As I mentioned earlier, secondarily raised blood pressure is often due to something else. That is, 10% of hypertension is due to another illness.  Amongst the chief and well known causes of secondarily raised blood pressures are: Chronic kidney disease. A long standing impairment of one or both kidneys may lead to increased blood pressure whatever the age and gender or race of the individual. Therefore, kidney disease should be treated with the urgency that it requires.  Persistent sleep apnea associated with obesity, difficulty in breathing during sleep may lead to blood pressure disorders. Abnormal growth of the adrenal gland and diseases of the adrenal gland such as Cushing’s disease may cause high blood pressure.

    Coarctation of the aorta — A narrowing of the aorta (the large blood vessel from the heart) that you are born with that can cause high blood pressure in the arms. Pregnancy: (See hypertension in peculiar situations).  Medications: Some medications such as oral contraceptive pills, antidepressants and antipsychotics may cause high blood pressure as part of their side effects.  Alcohol addiction: In individuals that consume some amount of alcohol over long time may suffer from liver cirrhosis and high blood pressure.

    Treatment: At all times high blood pressure must be controlled and brought to normal level for suitable for the individual. Failing, blood pressure is deadly and a silent killer. The doctor will conduct appropriate investigations and prescribe suitable treatment.

    Exercise is the free, sure-bet that could help bring the blood pressure low.  Before commencing exercise, you should inform your doctor to assess your suitability. Exercise may not be for everyone but may be for most. Exercise will help expel salts from the body, make the blood vessels and heart relax, clear fats from the vessels and body store. To be effective, exercise must be planned, structured and regular involving aerobic, stretching and anaerobic forms of exercises.

    Further, decrease salt intake and eat as much of natural foods and fruits as possible.  If unsure of your status, talk to your doctor or have your blood pressure checked at least every 6 months.

     

  • Hypertension: The silent killer (1)

    In my youth, living in the midst of my family in those days, frightening stories of a mysterious and unseen killer used to be told. It often goes thus: a supposedly healthy individual, be it female or male, had in a typical night retired to bed.

    Prior to going to sleep, he or she may have had an altercation with a neighbour. In the alternative, he or she may be perfectly well and just returned from the farm or local market, had a meal with the rest of the household and, thereafter, retired to sleep. However, in the middle of the tranquil night, the person having a supposed rest with his or her family began to struggle for survival. In the course of the raging battle, he or she may have shouted for help as being attacked by a mysterious and unseen intruder. He or she may also be gasping for breath because she feels suffocated and in the grip of death. On waking, the apparently healthy person that went to bed last night had by this morning become paralysed on one side of his or her body. If the person who suffered the paralysis is alive, he or she is lucky.

    On the extreme, he may not actually be alive to tell the event that happened at night. Such story, the victim might say, is that he saw a body coming through the window usually, delusional, at night and that on upon entry, began to press him down the bed and suffocating him or her.

    In the local folklore, the paralysis is often attributed to a supernatural and cryptic attacker called “oro” or pronounced as word in Yoruba Language. Further, the attack may wrongly be blamed on the neighbour who had previously had an argument with the victim. The neighbour acting on malice is believed to have transformed to or have sent a third party called “oro” to attack the victim.  The tale that I have narrated above is rampant in many Nigerian and African cultures albeit in different versions and nomenclature.

    However, unknown to the people who believe in the folktales that I told above, the tragedy that befalls the individuals that I have illustrated, causing sudden death or stroke with paralysis have its foundation in high blood pressure or in medical terms Hypertension (that is, a tension of the blood flow through the body that is high (Hyper). Again, the stroke and paralysis that occurred at the time of the alleged malicious attack are due to high blood pressure disease.

    Therefore, in the coming weeks, I will be dealing with the scourge of a disease that is popularly called the silent killer— a rampant and ferocious attacker: a ubiquitous and serpentine enemy lurking in our midst.

    What is Hypertension? Let us borrow a leaf from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to help us with the definition.  “Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump.”

    To a lot of my clients, they will often ask me, what does the upper and lower readings of blood pressure mean? According to WHO, “normal adult blood pressure is defined as a blood pressure of 120 mm Hg when the heart beats (systolic) and a blood pressure of 80 mm Hg when the heart relaxes (diastolic). When systolic blood pressure is equal to or above 140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure equal to or above 90 mm Hg the blood pressure is considered to be raised or high.”

    If we are to write the first set of figures as the reading for an individual, it will be written thus: 120/80mmHg. The upper one is systolic and the lower one is the diastolic blood pressure readings.

    Some factors that affect blood pressure readings (not the cause of high blood pressure which I shall deal with later on): Age is a crucial factor in the readings of blood pressure.

    Normally, except there is some interventions, the more an individual ages, then the more the progressive hardening of the blood vessels and hence the higher the blood pressure. A child’s blood pressure is rarely measured clinically except there is a good clinical reason to do so. A person who is 20-30 year old and weighing normally, should have a reading in or around 120/80mmHg.

    A person who is 60 and above may have a blood pressure reading of say 150-160/85 without much concern. The circumstance where and when the blood pressure is measured is of paramount importance. Someone who had just failed an examination or heard of the demise of a relative might have his or her blood pressure raised. various social and geographical locations may also affect blood pressure readings.

  • Hypertension: how to tame the silent killer (1)

    In my youth, living in the midst of my family in those days, frightening stories of a mysterious and unseen killer used to be told. It often goes thus: a supposedly healthy individual, be it female or male had in a typical night retired to bed. Prior to going to sleep, he or she may have had an altercation with a neighbour. In the alternative, he or she may be perfectly well and just returned from the farm or local market, had a meal with the rest of the household and thereafter retired to sleep. However, in the middle of the tranquil night, the person having a supposed rest with his or her family began to struggle for survival. In the course of the raging personal battle, he or she may have shouted for help as being attacked by a mysterious and unseen intruder. He or she may also be gasping for breath because she feels suffocated and in the grip of death. On waking, the apparently healthy person that went to bed last night had by this morning become paralysed on one side of his or her body. If the person who suffered the paralysis is alive, he or she is lucky. On the extreme, he may not actually be alive to tell the event that happened at night. Such story, the victim might say, is that he saw a body coming through the window usually, delusional, at night and that on upon entry, began to press him down the bed and suffocating him or her.

    In the local folklore, the paralysis is often attributed to a supernatural and cryptic attacker called “oro” or pronounced as word in Yoruba Language. Further, the attack may wrongly be blamed on the neighbour who had previously had an argument with the victim. The neighbour acting on malice is believed to have transformed to or have sent a third party called “oro” to attack the victim.  The tale that I have narrated above is rampant in many Nigerian and African cultures albeit in different versions and nomenclature.

    However, unknown to the people who believes in the folktales that I told above, the tragedy that befalls such individuals that I have illustrated above causing sudden death or stroke with paralysis have its foundation in high blood pressure or in medical terms Hypertension (that is, a tension of the blood flow through the body that is high{Hyper}). Again, the stroke and paralysis that occurred at the time of the alleged malicious attack are due to high blood pressure disease.

    Therefore, in the coming weeks, I will be dealing with the scourge of a disease that is popularly called the silent killer— a rampant and ferocious attacker: a ubiquitous and serpentine enemy lurking in our midst.

    What is Hypertension? Let us borrow a leaf from the World Health Organization (WHO) to help us with the definition:  “Hypertension, also known as high or raised blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood vessels have persistently raised pressure. Blood is carried from the heart to all parts of the body in the vessels. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood into the vessels. Blood pressure is created by the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels (arteries) as it is pumped by the heart. The higher the pressure the harder the heart has to pump.”

    To a lot of my clients, they will often ask me, what does the upper and lower readings of blood pressure mean? According to WHO, “normal adult blood pressure is defined as a blood pressure of 120 mm Hg when the heart beats (systolic) and a blood pressure of 80 mm Hg when the heart relaxes (diastolic). When systolic blood pressure is equal to or above 140 mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure equal to or above 90 mm Hg the blood pressure is considered to be raised or high.”

    If we are to write the first set of figures as the reading for an individual, it will be written thus: 120/80mmHg. The upper one is systolic and the lower one is the diastolic blood pressure readings.

    Some factors that affect blood pressure readings (not the cause of high blood pressure which I shall deal with later on): Age is a crucial factor in the readings of blood pressure. Normally, except there is some interventions, the more an individual ages, then the more the progressive hardening of the blood vessels and hence the higher the blood pressure. A child’s blood pressure is rarely measured clinically except there is a good clinical reason to do so. A person who is 20-30 year old and weighing normally, should have a reading in or around 120/80mmHg. A person who is 60years and above may have a blood pressure reading of say 150-160/85 without much concern. The circumstance where and when the blood pressure is measured is of paramount importance. Someone who had just failed an examination or heard of the demise of a relative might have his or her blood pressure raised. Different social and geographical locations may also affect blood pressure readings.