MedCare HealthHub

17/05/2022

WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY

The theme of this year’s WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY is: Measure Your Blood Pressure, Control It, and Live Longer. According to WHO, about 1.28 billion adults (30-79 years) have hypertension; two-thirds of which are living in low and middle-income countries including Nigeria. This theme becomes a case of necessity as the majority of the mortality cases associated with hypertension come from the estimated 46% of adults that do not know they are living with the disease. More so, only 1 in 5 adults (21%) with hypertension have it under control.

THE DISEASE

Hypertension otherwise known as High Blood Pressure (High BP) is the sustained increase in blood pressure. It manifests when the blood pressure of an adult is too high. Blood pressure is the force exerted against the walls of the arteries as blood is being circulated through the body and it is read in 2 numbers – the systolic pressure (1st number or numerator) and the diastolic pressure (2nd number or denominator). While the systolic pressure accounts for the pressure in the blood vessels as they contract i.e as they push out blood from the vessels, the diastolic pressure is the pressure in the vessels when they want are being filled with blood.
Hypertension also known by many as HTN or HBP can be primary (essential) if the cause of it is unknown or secondary if there’s an underlying cause to it. For the sake of this article, HTN will be used to represent Hypertension.

CLASSIFICATION AND DIAGNOSIS OF HYPERTENSION

The Joint National Committee (JNC-8) classified hypertension (HTN) as follows:
Normal BP: 120/80mmHg
Prehypertension BP: 120-139mmHg OR 80-89mmHg
Stage 1 HTN BP: 140-159mmHg OR 90-99mmHg
Stage 2 HTN BP: ≥160mmHg OR ≥100mmHg
Hypertension is diagnosed if measured on 2 different days, the systolic pressure reading is ≥140mmHg AND/OR the diastolic pressure reading is ≥90mmHg.

RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSION

Risk factors constitute the various conditions that can expose one to hypertension. In HTN, there are modifiable and non-modifiable factors.
Modifiable factors include those factors which can easily be improved on and in doing so can eliminate the incidence of HTN for up to a lifetime.
Unhealthy diets in the form of excessive salt/sodium consumption, a diet high in saturated fat and Trans fat, a low intake of fruits and vegetables, lack of potassium in a diet
Not being physically active
High consumption of alcohol and to***co
Obesity or overweight
Stress
Non-modifiable factors include those factors that cannot be avoided and can be a result of an underlying disease.
Age: Onset mostly in adults older than 60 years of age.
Race: Black Africans are more likely to have HTN in their lifetime than Americans. Africa has the highest prevalence of HTN – about 27%.
Family history
Chronic disease conditions such as diabetes, kidney diseases, etc.

SYMPTOMS OF HTN

HTN is widely known as a “silent killer”. This is because people living with HTN (46%) are not aware of it. In addition, these symptoms are not specific and often times they do not manifest until it has reached a severe stage.
Early morning headache
Shortness of breath
Nosebleeds
Irregular heart rhythms
Buzzing in the ears
Blurry/double vision
Fatigue
Others include Chest pain, anxiety, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and muscle tremors.

PREVENTION, MANAGEMENT, AND TREATMENT OF HTN

1. Prevention/Non-pharmacological approach to treatment

Reducing salt intake (not more than 1 teaspoon per day)
Eating more fruits and vegetables
Avoiding the use of to***co
Reducing alcohol consumption
Being physically active regularly
Limiting the intake of foods in saturated fats and trans fats in the diet

2. Management

Reducing and managing stress
Treating high blood pressure
Regular blood pressure checking
Managing underlying disease conditions.

3. Treatment: Consult your Physician/Doctor. WHO recommends the following antihypertensive agents for use as FIRST-LINE AGENTS:
Thiazide and thiazide-like agents
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis)/angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs)
Long-acting dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs).

CONCLUSION: Regular and Accurate BP measurement remains the best way to prevent the incidence of HTN. Therefore, CHANET in association with WHO enjoins everyone to adopt a routine practice of BP measurement, and by doing this, the global target of reducing the prevalence of HTN by 33% can be achieved by 2030.

25/04/2022

MALARIA

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by protozoan parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

There are 5 species of this parasite that cause malaria in humans, and 2 of these species – Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax –pose the greatest threat.
When one is bitten by a mosquito that carries the malaria parasite, the parasite enters the bloodstream of the person, it is then carried to the liver, where it multiplies.
We can indirectly transmit this malaria to other people, this occurs when a mosquito bites an infected individual, it will get infected and it can then transmit the parasite to the next person it bites.
This shows that malaria is quite a deadly disease.

EPIDEMIOLOGY
According to WHO, in 2020, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria with Most cases and deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.
There were an estimated 241 million cases of malaria in 2020, and the estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 627 000.
Some population groups are at considerably higher risk of contracting malaria and developing severe diseases, than others. These include infants, children under 5 years of age, pregnant women, and patients with HIV/AIDS, as well as non-immune migrants, mobile populations, and travelers.
Children under 5 years of age are the most vulnerable group among all groups affected by malaria; in 2020, they accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in the WHO African Region.

SYMPTOMS OF MALARIA
Malaria is an acute febrile illness. In a non-immune individual, symptoms usually appear 10–15 days after the infective mosquito bite. The first symptoms of
fever,
headache,
and chills
may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria.
If not treated within 24 hours, Plasmodium falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness, and lead to death.
Children with severe malaria frequently develop one or more of the following symptoms:
severe anemia,

respiratory distress about metabolic acidosis, or cerebral malaria.

In adults, multi-organ failure is also frequent. In malaria-endemic areas, people may develop partial immunity, allowing asymptomatic infections to occur.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria reduce disease and prevents deaths, and also contribute to reducing transmission. The best available treatment, particularly for Plasmodium falciparum malaria, is artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Antimalarial medicines can also be used to prevent malaria.
For travelers, malaria can be prevented through chemoprophylaxis, which suppresses the blood stage of malaria infections, thereby preventing malaria disease.

For endemic areas the following can help in the control of malaria;
Sleeping on vector treated bed nets
Clearing of bushes and stagnant water bodies to eliminate mosquito breeding sites
Wearing protective clothing when visiting farms where there is a high breed of mosquitoes. E.t.c

Currently, progress has been made in the development of a malaria vaccine for children which has proven effective in preventing malaria in children.
The RTS, S/AS01 (RTS, S) is a vaccine that acts against Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite globally and the most prevalent in Africa. The vaccine significantly reduces malaria and life-threatening severe malaria in children.
On 6 October 2021, WHO recommended widespread use of the RTS, S malaria vaccine.
The WHO recommendation is based on results from an ongoing malaria vaccine pilot program in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi that have reached more than 800 000 children since 2019 (as of late September 2021). To date, a total of 2.3 million doses have been administered through routine immunization programs. Community demand for the vaccine is strong and evidence shows it can effectively be delivered through the routine child immunization platform.

This shows that our efforts to eliminate malaria from the planet which supports the UN’s good health and well-being goal can be achieved if we play our roles in the prevention of malaria.

©CHANET

07/03/2022

John, a 200L undergraduate student visited the hospital complaining of painful urination and pain that starts from the lower side of his tummy which seems to radiate to other sides. He was referred to the laboratory for some medical tests.

The laboratory after examining his urine found some crystals of calcium (Calcium Oxalate). This in relation to other signs and symptoms which John presented, confirmed that he was having a disease known as Nephrolithiasis which is known by all as Kidney Stone.

What do you know about KIDNEY STONE (NEPHROLITHIASIS)?

The kidney is one of the vital organs in the body necessary for excretion. It looks like a bean with the shape of a fist.
Kidneys are known to filter half a cup of each blood each minute and in a case where they are malfunctioning like kidney stones, this function is inhibited to some extent.
Kidney stones are hard deposits that form in the kidney and they are often painful when they are passing through the urinary tract.

Taking less amount of water, obesity, and taking too much salt or sugar are the major causes of kidney stones.
Kidney stones are usually found in concentrated urine, which is a result of low water intake. Drinking lots of water in many cases helps to flush kidney stones and prevents further formation in the future.

Obesity is closely linked to insulin resistance and other metabolic rearrangements that will lead to the formation of calcium-containing kidney stones. Overweight people are more prone to kidney stones.
One's diet can also trigger kidney stones. The increased presence of sodium can increase the presence of calcium in urine which further results in the formation of calcium-containing kidney stones.

DO YOU HAVE A KIDNEY STONE?

This is what you can do to sabotage or remedy the situation.
Increase your intake of water to lower the urine concentration hence giving no room for the formation of stones. If you have darker urine, then you should know that your urine is concentrated and this is for you.
Eating more fruits and vegetables, makes the urine less acid reducing the chances of formation of stones.
Drastically reduce the intake of salty foods, like chips, fries, canned and packaged meals.

See your doctor if you feel slight pains, especially in your urinary tract.
We should always take our health seriously because health is wealth.
You can be healthier, by seeking a better healthy lifestyle and sticking to it.

Be like John who quickly visited the hospital to meet an expert when he noticed some abnormalities in his body. Visit the hospital and get tested and treated.

Thanks for reading and I hope this was educative.
©CHANET

30/01/2022

28/01/2022

Have you ever applied for a scholarship or position and you were asked to mention where you have volunteered?
Ever wanted to be a volunteer but don't know how to go about it?
You want to boost your CV?‼️‼️

Worry no more😎🔥🔥

Community Health Awareness Network (CHANET) in Collaboration with Goldheart Foundation presents a free webinar on the topic *IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTEERISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY* for everyone irrespective of your country🔥🔥🔥

This is going to be an awesome webinar👏👏

Endeavour to participate by clicking on the link below
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https://chat.whatsapp.com/ISAZAn6VKfa3MVfNQX0mJy

CHANET..TAKING GOOD HEALTH TO THE GRASSROOT...

21/01/2022

The Parasite Trichomonas va**nalis

It is a human parasite that can infect both Males and Females.

It causes a human disease called "Trichomoniasis". Though it can infect both male and female but it chiefly infects the female va**na which is from where it got its name (va**nalis).

To this, there are about 3 different species of Trichomonas.
Trichomonas hominis which could be found in the intestine, Trichomonas tenax that is found in the mouth and Trichomonas va**nalis which is found mainly in the va**na.
It should interest you that it (T. va**nalis) is the only one that naturally has the potential to cause disease among those listed.

Trichomoniasis is transmitted s*xually and that is the only and most likely way to get it. Those who keep multiple s*x partners and those who have raw s*x are at the greatest risk of getting it.

In some cases, the infection may come without any single symptom and still the carrier/sufferer can still pass it on to others during s*x. Most often, symptoms are more noticed in females than in males.

SYMPTOMS
In women, it infects the v***a, va**na and the cervix. This can give rise to the noticable symptoms like itching, pain during s*x, pain during urination, a yellow or cream-coloured discharge discharge that usually accompany the disease. Some of these symptoms are due to the infection of soft tissue that line the ge***al tracts called 'mucosa'.

In men, it can infect the urethra and the prostate too giving rise to painful urination, a little white discharge which may also occur.

TREATMENTS
When treating this after a test confirmed that you are having Trichomoniasis, Flagyl alone or in combination with other drugs may solved the puzzle.
It is also advicable to treat yourself and your partner(s) together and to abstain from s*x during the treatment, to avoid reinfection.

PREVENTIONS
When trying to prevent it, the use of Condom can go a long way in making you free of Trichomoniasis.
Take the responsibility and make your health sound and worth living.

Stay safe and healthy.

23/11/2021

On the 25th of November, we are going to share our knowledge on Hepatitis with the secondary school students at Ugwuaji.

Follow CHANETng for more updates.

21/11/2021

Day 4 of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, 2021. Follow CHANETng for more interesting updates concerning antimicrobial awareness.