WEDNESDAY MATERNAL HEALTH: AMENORRHEA- Causes, symtopms and treatment

Amenorrhea Overview

Amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding and may be primary or secondary.

• Primary amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding and secondary sexual characteristics (for example, breast development and pubic hair) in a girl by age 14 years or the absence of menstrual bleeding with normal development of secondary sexual characteristics in a girl by age 16 years.
• Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual bleeding in a woman who had been menstruating but later stops menstruating for three or more months in the absence of pregnancy, lactation (the ability to breastfeed), cycle suppression with systemic hormonal contraceptive (birth control) pills, or menopause.

For a woman to have regular menstrual cycles, her hypothalamus, pituitary gland, ovaries, and uterus should all be functioning normally. The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). FSH and LH cause the ovaries to produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen and progesterone are responsible for the cyclical changes in the endometrium (uterine lining), including menstruation. In addition, a woman’s genital tract should be free of any abnormalities to allow the passage of menstrual blood

Amenorrhea Causes

Amenorrhea can result because of an abnormality in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, anatomical abnormalities of the genital tract, or functional causes.
Hypothalamic causes

• Craniopharyngioma (a brain tumor near the pituitary gland)
• Teratoma (a tumor made up of a mixture of tissues)
• Sarcoidosis (a chronic disease of unknown cause characterized by the formation of nodules in different parts of the body)
• Kallmann syndrome (deficiency of gonadotropins, which are hormones capable of promoting growth and function of reproductive organs)
• Nutritional deficiency
• Low body weight or growth delay

Pituitary causes

• Prolactinemia (high blood levels of prolactin, a hormone that stimulates secretion of milk from the breasts during breastfeeding) - possibly caused by prolactinoma (a tumor of the pituitary gland secreting the hormone prolactin)
• Other pituitary tumors (for example, Cushing syndrome, acromegaly, or thyroid-stimulating hormone)
• Postpartum pituitary necrosis (death of pituitary cells after a woman delivers a baby)
• Autoimmune hypophysitis (cells of the pituitary gland destroyed by the body’s own defense system)
• Pituitary radiation
• Sarcoidosis

Ovarian causes

• Anovulation (lack of the release of an egg)
• Hyperandrogenemia (high blood levels of male hormones)
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (hormonal disorder affecting women of reproductive age)
• Premature ovarian failure
• Turner syndrome (a genetic disorder characterized by underdeveloped ovaries, absence of menstrual onset, and short stature)
• Pure gonadal dysgenesis (defective development of the ovary)
• Autoimmune oophoritis (cells of the ovaries destroyed by the body’s own defense system)
• Fragile X premutation
• Radiation or chemotherapy
• galactose (an inherited disorder in which galactose, a type of sugar, accumulates in the blood)
• Anatomical abnormalities of the genital tract
• Intrauterine adhesions (the opposing surfaces of the uterine cavity stick together)
• Imperforate hymen (a hymen in which there is no opening, the membrane completely closes off the vagina)
• Transverse vaginal septum (a dividing wall or membrane in the vagina)
• Aplasia (absence of an organ or tissue) of the vagina, the cervix, or the uterus

Functional causes

• Anorexia/bulimia
• Chronic diseases (for example, tuberculosis)
• Excessive weight gain or weight loss
• Malnutrition
• Depression or other psychiatric disorders
• Recreational drug abuse
• Psychotropic drug use (drugs prescribed to stabilize or improve mood, mental status, or behavior)
• Excessive stress
• Excessive exercise

Cycle suppression with systemic hormonal contraceptive (birth control) pills

Amenorrhea Symptoms

Amenorrhea is a symptom of an underlying disorder rather than a condition in and of itself. Additional symptoms may be present depending on the associated condition.

• Galactorrhea (breasts produce milk in a woman who is not pregnant or breastfeeding), headache, or reduced peripheral vision could be a sign of an intracranial tumor.
• Increased hair growth in a male pattern (hirsutism) may be caused by excess androgen (a hormone that encourages development of male sex characteristics).
• Vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, or disordered sleep may be a sign of ovarian insufficiency or premature ovarian failure.
• Noticeable weight gain or weight loss may be present.

Excessive anxiety may be present in women with associated psychiatric abnormalities.

Amenorrhea Treatment

• In some women, nutritional deficiencies induced by dieting can cause amenorrhea. Such women should eat a properly balanced diet.
• In some women, excessive body weight could be the cause of amenorrhea. These women should restrict the amount of fat in their diet, and they should exercise moderately to maintain an ideal body weight.
• More than 8 hours of vigorous exercise a week may cause amenorrhea. A moderate exercise program may restore normal menstruation.
• In women with anorexia nervosa or excessive weight loss, normal menstrual cycles can often be restored by undergoing treatment to restore and maintain a healthy body weight.
• If amenorrhea is caused by emotional stress, finding ways to deal with stress and conflicts may help.
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle by avoiding alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking is also helpful

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Either you run the day, or the day runs you. – Jim Rohn

DID YOU KNOW?

• Our blood is on a 60,000-mile journey per day. 
• Our eyes can distinguish up to ten million colour surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man. 
• Our lungs inhale over two million litres of air every day, without even thinking. Their surface area is large enough to cover one side of a tennis court.

BEAUTIFUL TUESDAY: Good personal hygiene

Hygiene (which comes from the name of the Greek goddess of health, Hygieia), is a set of practices performed for the preservation of health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases.

Good personal hygiene habits include:

• washing the body often. If possible, everybody should have a shower or a bath every day. However, there may be times when this is not possible, for example, when people are out camping or there is a shortage of water
• If this happens, a swim or a wash all over the body with a wet sponge or cloth will do
• cleaning the teeth at least once a day. Brushing the teeth after each meal is the best way of making sure that gum disease and tooth decay are avoided. It is very important to clean teeth after breakfast and immediately before going to bed
• washing the hair with soap or shampoo at least once a week
• washing hands with soap after going to the toilet
• washing hands with soap before preparing and/or eating food. During normal daily activities, such as working and playing, disease causing germs may get onto the hands and under the nails. If the germs are not washed off before preparing food or eating, they may get onto the food
• changing into clean clothes. Dirty clothes should be washed with laundry soap before wearing them again
• hanging clothes in the sun to dry. The sun's rays will kill some disease-causing germs and parasites.
• turning away from other people and covering the nose and mouth with a tissue or the hand when coughing or sneezing. If this is not done, droplets of liquid containing germs from the nose and mouth will be spread in the air and other people can breathe them in, or the droplets can get onto food.

 

DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH POOR HYGIENE

There are many sicknesses which can be caused by inadequate (poor) domestic or personal hygiene.

Signs of poor domestic hygiene include:

• not cleaning the toilet
• not getting rid of rubbish
• not washing clothes and bedding frequently
• not storing food properly

Signs of poor personal hygiene include:

• not washing hands
• not showering
• not washing hair

Diseases in Indigenous communities caused by germs and parasites resulting from inadequate domestic and personal hygiene

Bacterial

• food poisoning
• gastroenteritis
• diarrhoea caused by Campylobacter
• pneumonia
• trachoma
• skin infections

Viral

• hepatitis A
• gastroenteritis
• colds and flu

Parasitic

• giardiasis
• scabies infection
• pediculosis (head lice infection)
• hookworm infection
• threadworm infection
• roundworm infection (strongyloides)

Poor domestic and personal hygiene practices can help the transmission of disease-causing germs:

• directly by the faecal-oral route, or by person to person or pet to person contact
• indirectly by vectors coming into contact with people or their food, people breathing in airborne droplets of moisture which contain germs or eating contaminated food.

PERSONAL HYGIENE FOR WOMEN

The vagina is able to clean itself no special care is needed, other than washing the external genitals. Do not put anything like douches into the vagina, as the delicate skin can be damaged. Here are some personal hygiene suggestions for women:

• Menstruation - wash your body, including your genital area, in the same way as you always do. Change tampons and sanitary napkins regularly, at least four to five times a day. Always wash your hands before and after handling a tampon or pad.
• Cystitis - is an infection of the bladder. This is a common condition for sexually active young women. Urinating after sexual intercourse can help to flush out any bacteria that may be in the urethra and bladder.

·         Thrush - some soaps and detergents can irritate the skin of the vagina, and make thrush infections more likely. Some people find that they often get thrush when they use antibiotics. Use mild soap and unperfumed toilet paper.

·         Avoid tight, synthetic underwear. Try cotton underwear, and change regularly. There is medical treatment for thrush, so talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

PERSONAL HYGIENE FOR MEN

A build-up of secretions called smegma can form under the foreskin of uncircumcised men. If you are uncircumcised, gently pull back the foreskin when you have a shower and clean with water. You can use soap if you like, but make sure you rinse it off well.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out." --John Wooden

DID YOU KNOW?

• ·         Most people have lost fifty per cent of their taste buds by the time they reach the age of sixty.

• ·         The amount of carbon in the human body is enough to fill about 9,000 'lead' pencils.

MONDAY INFLUENTIAL: MAGARET CHAN

Dr Margaret Chan is the 7^th Director General of World Health Organization. She is 68 years old and has contributed immensely to the world health system through he numerous initiatives in combating epidemic outbreaks around the world.

NAME: Dr Margaret Chan OBE MD, DSc, MScPH, FFPHM, JP

She is the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Chan was elected by the Executive Board of WHO on 8 November 2006, and was endorsed in a special meeting of the World Health Assembly on the following day. Chan has previously served as Director of Health in the Hong Kong Government (1994–2003), representative of the WHO Director-General for Pandemic Influenza and WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases (2003–2006). As of 2014, she is ranked as the 30th most powerful woman in the world according to Forbes.

D.O.B: August 21 1947 in Hong Kong.

NATIONALITY: Hong Kong Chinese

EARLY CHILDHOOD & ACADEMIC PROFILE: Margaret Chan was initially trained as a Home Economics teacher at the Northcote College of Education in Hong Kong. She then earned her BA degree in Home Economics^[5] and her MD degree at the University of Western Ontario in 1973 and 1977, respectively, as well as her MSc (Public Health) degree at the National University of Singapore in 1985. Chan completed the Program for Management Development (PMD 61) at Harvard Business School in 1991. In 1997, she was given the distinction for the Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom and was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth.

OCCUPATION: 7th Director General of the World Health Organization

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS:

·         Her profile was raised by her handling, in those positions, of the 1997 H5N1 avian influenza outbreak and the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong. After the first victim of the H5N1.

·         In 2014, she was ranked as the 30th most powerful woman in the world, based on her position as Director-General, by Forbes. Her ranking increased from 33rd in 2013.

·         Leader of the global health organization responsible for eradicating communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, Chan is widely viewed as having fallen flat in her efforts to combat Ebola.

Appointed to the post of WHO Director-General ln November 2006, her first term ran through to June 2012

BOOKS AUTHORED:

·         Ritual Is Theatre, Theatre Is Ritual; Tang-Ki: Chinese Spirit Medium Worship by Margaret Chan (Jan 1, 2006)

·         Margaret Chan's foodstops by Margaret Chan (1992)

CONTROVERSY: In February 2007, Chan provoked the anger of humanitarian and civil society groups by questioning the quality of generic medicines while on a visit to Thailand.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"If you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission." –Anonymous

DID YOU KNOW?

·         There are more living organisms on the skin of a single human being than there are human beings on the surface of the earth.

·         From the age of thirty, humans gradually begin to shrink in size.

·         Your body contains enough iron to make a spike strong enough to hold your weight

SATURDAY FAMILY HEALTH: UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (hypertension) PART A

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OVERVIEW
The heart pumps blood into the arteries with enough force to push blood to the far reaches of each organ from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet. Blood pressure can be defined as the pressure of blood on the walls of the arteries as it circulates through the body. Blood pressure is highest as its leaves the heart through the aorta and gradually decreases as it enters smaller and smaller blood vessels (arteries, arterioles, and capillaries). Blood returns in the veins leading to the heart, aided by gravity and muscle contraction.

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. It is known as the "silent killer" since it has no initial symptoms but can lead to long-term disease and complications.

Many people have high blood pressure and don't know it. Important complications of uncontrolled or poorly treated high blood pressure include heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, peripheral artery disease, and aortic aneurysms (weakening of the wall of the aorta, leading to widening or ballooning of the aorta).Public awareness of these dangers has increased. High blood pressure has become the second most common reason for medical office visits in the world.

How is blood pressure measured?
Blood pressure is measured with a blood pressure cuff and recorded as two numbers, for example, 120/80 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). Blood pressure measurements are usually taken at the upper arm over the brachial artery.

The top, larger number is called the systolic pressure. This measures the pressure generated when the heart contracts (pumps). It reflects the pressure of the blood against arterial walls.The bottom, smaller number is called the diastolic pressure. This reflects the pressure in the arteries while the heart is filling and resting between heartbeats.

Recommended guidelines to define normal and high blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure less than 120/80
Pre-hypertension 120-139/ 80-89
High blood pressure (stage 1) 140-159/90-99
High blood pressure (stage 2) higher than 160/100

As many as 60 million Nigerians have high blood pressure.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure may be responsible for many cases of death and disability resulting from heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. According to research studies, the risk of dying of a heart attack is directly linked to high blood pressure, particularly systolic hypertension. The higher your blood pressure, the higher the risk. Maintaining lifelong control of hypertension decreases the future risk of complications such as heart attack and stroke.

In our next post, we shall consider the causes, risk factors associated with high blood pressure, the early symptoms, treatment and medications, and most importantly, PREVENTION OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.


QUOTE OF THE DAY
Failure is a priceless asset, nothing can buy it. It teaches you patience, discipline and brings you to a new dimension of humility. It raises your compassion for others. It's a sign that you've started moving to a realm of SUCCESS. THE end of every failure is SUCCESS.

DID YOU KNOW?
In one square inch of our hand we have nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors.

We have copper, zinc, cobalt, calcium, manganese, phosphates, nickel and silicon in our bodies.

It is believed that the main purpose of eyebrows is to keep sweat out of the eyes.

A person can expect to breathe in about 45 pounds of dust over his/her lifetime.


PROVEN TIPS FOR STRESS RELIEF
Get up fifteen minutes earlier in the morning.  The inevitable morning mishaps will be less stressful.

Prepare for the morning the evening before.  Set the breakfast table, make lunches, put out the clothes you plan to wear, etc.

Don't rely on your memory.  Write down appointment times, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc.

Make duplicates of all keys.  Bury a house key in a secret spot in the garden and carry a duplicate car key in your wallet, apart from your key ring.

Have a wonderful weekend and please remember to do some exercises this morning.

Oluwatimilehin Oke
Email: healthertainment@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +234-703-798-6229
BB PIN: 563D9C56
BB CHANNEL: C001C7A18
Instagram & Twitter: @timi0301

Oluwatimilehin Oke Email: healthertainment@gmail.com Whatsapp: +234-703-798-6229 BB PIN: 563D9C56 BB CHANNEL: C001C7A18 Twitter & Instagram: @timi0301

TGIF: Tips for curing HANGOVER

Once again, it's that time of the year where so much alcohol is inevitable and the banging headaches coupled with dizziness, sweatiness and uneasiness that accompanies the day after consuming too much alcohol.

I've been on this path while growing up to be a man, though I've learnt to drink responsibily, to drink in moderation and recently avoid alcohol completely through self will and discipline. But I feel I should still help most people out who suffer from hangover.

Below are the tips to help you out.

1. WATER

H2O is a must. As you likely know from the frequent trips to the bathroom during a night of debauchery, alcohol is a diuretic and can cause dehydration. Before falling into bed, down 16 to 20 ounces of water, says Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D., a consultant in addiction psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic. And the next time you go out, he recommends ordering a glass of water with every beer—and alternate between the two to replace lost fluids as you go

2. SPORTS DRINKS
''Even though the diuretic effect of alcohol may cause the body to lose some electrolytes, it's not so much that you need to replace them right away," says Samir Zakhari, Ph.D., director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. And research has shown Gatorade is no better for a hangover than water from your tap, so save your money.

3.COFFEE
Lots of people—hungover or not—use a cup of joe to wake up and feel alert at work. But a trip to Starbucks won't give you lasting benefits, and caffeine can both treat and cause headaches and migraines, so this one is a personal preference. If you do down a cup, be sure to drink water, too, since studies suggest caffeine causes dehydration. 

4.THE DOG: Drink more alcohol after hangover
"Bad idea," Dr. Hall-Flavin says. "It will provide a numbing effect, but all you're doing is prolonging the inevitable, and it will likely make your headache worse." Another reason to avoid cracking open a cold one: Experts agree that if you use this "cure," the risk of abuse increases and could lead to alcohol dependency.

5. TOAST OR CRACKERS
Remember when your mom gave you toast as a kid when you couldn't keep anything down? This is good advice for adults who've spent the night hugging the porcelain throne, too. While no food can halt the roller coaster in your stomach, carbs can help bring your blood sugar levels back up the morning after, Dr. Hall-Flavin says. Normally when blood sugar levels dip, your liver reacts by producing more glucose from stored carbs. But if you've been drinking too much, your liver is busy metabolizing the alcohol and can't handle the extra work, so your blood sugar levels stay down, and you can feel irritable and tired.

6. GREASY FOOD
What you eat after drinking doesn't matter—it's what you eat before all those Jagerbombs that can help lessen the pain the next day. Food helps slow the absorption of alcohol, and the longer it takes the alcohol to reach your blood stream, the longer it is until you become intoxicated. 

7. PAIN MEDICATION
Ease a pounding head with a pill (or two, depending on the recommended dosage), but stick to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen), not acetaminophen (Tylenol): "While it's OK for a headache, when combined with a liver that's working overtime to metabolize alcohol, it can cause liver damage or be deadly," says Dena Davidson, Ph.D., former associate professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine.

8. VITAMINS(Take fruits)
If you normally take a multi, go ahead, but no studies have found that any particular vitamins do anything for a hangover. And one night of intoxication isn't enough to throw off the levels of nutrients in your body to the point where you need to worry

9. EXERCISE
One drink—a 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor—is metabolized by your body in about an hour, so the whole "sweat it out" theory is myth. At the same time, the endorphin release could boost your mood. And burning off a few calories may ease your guilt about how much you drank. Just be sure you keep your water bottle handy so you don't become even more dehydrated.

10. SEX
"There is no research that shows that sex will make a hangover go away, but maybe it will make the time go faster," says Joris C. Verster, Ph.D., assistant professor at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. "If it makes you happy, go for it." moreover, sex helps you release tensions.

PREVENTION
You're a grown man, you know to drink responsibly. But just in case you forgot: Limit your drinks to about one every hour. Your body metabolizes each beer (or wine or shot) in about 60 to 75 minutes, Dr. Hall-Flavin says. Drink faster, and your blood alcohol level rises faster. Eat before you drink and follow Dr. Hall-Flavin's "I'll have a beer and a glass of water" rule when ordering—and drink the water, don't let it just sit on the table.

And how's this for sobering: In research, “moderate drinking” by a man is defined as two drinks a day. More than five in one sitting is considered "heavy drinking." So think before you order that extra round. 

It's highly recommended to drink water in between your alcohol intake.

Enjoy a fruitful weekend. Till tomorrow, stay blessed.

Oluwatimilehin Oke
Email: healthertainment@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +234-703-798-6229
BB PIN: 563D9C56
BB CHANNEL: C001C7A18
Instagram: @timi0301
Twitter: @timi0301

THURSDAY PATERNAL HEALTH: PROSTRATE CANCER- Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

What Is Prostate Cancer?

The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system. It makes most of the semen that carries sperm. The walnut-sized gland is located beneath the bladder and surrounds the upper part of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder.

Prostate cancer is a major health concern for men. The disease is rare before age 50, and experts believe that most elderly men have traces of it.

The American Cancer Society predicts that 220,800 new cases of prostate cancer would be diagnosed in 2015. An estimated 27,640 men will die of it. African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer and have the highest death rate. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. In other parts of the world -- notably Asia, Africa, and Latin America -- prostate cancer is rare.

Prostate cancer is usually a very slow growing cancer, often causing no symptoms until it is in an advanced stage. Most men with prostate cancer die of other causes, and many never know that they have the disease. But once prostate cancer begins to grow quickly or spreads outside the prostate, it is dangerous.

Prostate cancer in its early stages (when it’s only found in the prostate gland) can be treated with very good chances for survival. Fortunately, about 85% of American men with prostate cancer are diagnosed in an early stage of the disease.

Cancer that has spread beyond the prostate (such as to the bones, lymph nodes, and lungs) is not curable, but it may be controlled for many years. Because of the many advances in available treatments, most men whose prostate cancer becomes widespread can expect to live five years or more. Some men with advanced prostate cancer live a normal life and die of another cause, such as heart disease.

What Causes Prostate Cancer?

• Prostate cancer affects mainly older men. About 80% of cases are in men over 65, and less than 1% of cases are in men under 50. 
• Men with a family history of prostate cancer are more likely to get it.
• Doctors don’t know what causes prostate cancer, but diet contributes to the risk. Men who eat lots of fat from red meat are most likely to have prostate cancer. 
• Eating meat may be risky for other reasons: Meat cooked at high temperatures produces cancer-causing substances that affect the prostate. 
• The disease is much more common in countries where meat and dairy products are common than in countries where the diet consists of rice, soybean products, and vegetables.
• Hormones also play a role. 
• Eating fats raises the amount of testosterone in the body, and testosterone speeds the growth of prostate cancer.
• A few job hazards have been found. Welders, battery manufacturers, rubber workers, and workers frequently exposed to the metal cadmium seem to be more likely to get prostate cancer.
• Not exercising also makes prostate cancer more likely.

Drugs that may lower the risk of having prostate cancer include aspirin, finasteride, cholesterol-lowering drugs and triglyceride-lowering drugs, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Adding certain foods in your diet may also help reduce the risk, including tomato sauce and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.

What Are the Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?

There are no warning signs of early prostate cancer. Once a tumor causes the prostate gland to swell, or once cancer spreads beyond the prostate, the following symptoms may happen:

• A frequent need to urinate, especially at night
• Difficulty starting or stopping a stream of urine
• A weak or interrupted urinary stream
• Leaking of urine when laughing or coughing
• Inability to urinate standing up
• A painful or burning sensation during urination or ejaculation
• Blood in urine or semen

Preventing Prostate Cancer

• Testing for Prostate Cancer

To date, no evidence proves that you can prevent prostate cancer. However, you may be able to lower your risk.

A diet that helps maintain a healthy weight may reduce your risk for prostatecancer. The American Cancer Society recommends:

• Limiting high-fat foods
• Cutting back on red meats, especially processed meats such as hot dogs, bologna, and certain lunch meats
• Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day

Healthy food choices also include bread, cereals, rice, pasta, and beans.

Antioxidants in foods, especially in fruits and vegetables, help prevent damage to the DNA in the body's cells. Such damage has been linked to cancer. Lycopene, in particular, is an antioxidant that has been thought to lower the risk of prostate cancer. It can be found in foods such as:

• Tomatoes -- both raw and cooked
• Spinach
• Artichoke hearts
• Beans
• Berries -- especially blueberries
• Pink grapefruit and oranges
• Watermelon

However, it's not clear whether lycopene actually helps prevent prostate cancer, and recent studies have not been able to show that it does. Read more about antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, and beans.

Researchers continue studying other ways to lower prostate cancer risk. It’s still too soon, though, to know whether studies are finding new ways to prevent prostate cancer. Here are some examples of what's being considered:

• Some doctors are looking at whether certain drugs, such as Avodart (dutasteride) and Proscar (finasteride), which are both used to treat an enlarged prostate that isn't cancerous, can help prevent prostate cancer.
• Early studies showed that vitamins, such as selenium and vitamin E, may lower your chance of getting prostate cancer. Further research, though, has not shown this.
• Doctors continue to study the effects of supplements on prostate cancer. For now, no vitamins or supplements are known to lower risk.

QUOTE OF THE DAY 
Nobody ever wrote down a plan to be broke, fat, lazy, or stupid. Those things are what happen when you don’t have a plan. – Larry Winget

Happy eid-mubarak to all our Muslim brothers and sisters. Wishing you Allah's blessing. 

WEDNESDAY MATERNAL HEALTH: DYSMENORRHEA(Painful Menstruation)- Causes, symptoms and treatment.

Dysmenorrhea is the medical term for the painful cramps that may occur immediately before or during the menstrual period. There are two types of dysmenorrhea: primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea.

Primary dysmenorrhea is another name for common menstrual cramps. Cramps usually begin one to two years after a woman starts getting her period. Pain usually is felt in the lower abdomen or back. They can be mild to severe. Common menstrual cramps often start shortly before or at the onset of the period and continue one to three days. They usually become less painful as a woman ages and may stop entirely after the woman has her first baby.

Secondary dysmenorrhea is pain caused by a disorder in the woman's reproductive organs. These cramps usually begin earlier in the menstrual cycle and last longer than common menstrual cramps.

Symptoms of Menstrual Cramps?

The symptoms of menstrual cramps include:

Aching pain in the abdomen (Pain can be severe at times.)Feeling of pressure in the abdomen Pain in the hips, lower back, and inner thighs

When cramps are severe, symptoms may include: Upset stomach, sometimes with vomiting Loose stools

What Causes Common Menstrual Cramps?

Menstrual cramps are caused by contractions in the uterus, which is a muscle. The uterus, the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows, contracts throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. If the uterus contracts too strongly, it can press against nearby blood vessels, cutting off the supply of oxygen to the muscle tissue of the uterus. Pain results when part of a muscle briefly loses its supply of oxygen.

How Can I Relieve Mild Menstrual Cramps?

To relieve mild menstrual cramps:

Take aspirin or another pain reliever, such as Paracetamol, Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen). (Note: For best relief, you must take these medications as soon as bleeding or cramping starts.). Place a heating pad or hot water bottle on your lower back or abdomen. Taking a warm bath may also provide some relief.

To relieve menstrual cramps, you should also:

Rest when needed.Avoid foods that contain caffeine and salt. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Massage your lower back and abdomen.  

Women who exercise regularly often have less menstrual pain. To help prevent cramps, make exercise a part of your weekly routine.

If these steps do not relieve pain, your health care provider can order medications for you, including:

Ibuprofen (higher dose than is available over the counter) or other prescription pain relievers, Oral contraceptives (Women taking birth control pills have less menstrual pain.)

How Do Problems With Reproductive Organs Cause Menstrual Cramps?

When a woman has a disease in her reproductive organs, cramping can be a problem. This type of cramping is called secondary dysmenorrhea. Conditions that can cause secondary dysmenorrhea include:

Endometriosis, a condition in which the tissue lining the uterus (the endometrium) is found outside of the uterus Pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection caused by bacteria that starts in the uterus and can spread to other reproductive organsStenosis (narrowing) of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows), often caused by scarringTumors (also called "fibroids"), or growths on the inner wall of the uterus

How Do I Know If My Menstrual Cramps Are Normal?

If you have severe or unusual menstrual cramps, or cramping that lasts for more than two or three days, contact your health care provider. Menstrual cramps, whatever the cause, can be treated, so it's important to get checked.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. – Steve Jobs

DID YOU KNOW?

When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph 
We exercise at least 36 muscles when we smile. 
We are about 70 percent water.

Do not buy, sell or consume Nestle Maggi noodles

Lovers of noodles in Nigeria must be careful of the distribution and sales of a particular brand of noodles in the country.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned of some Maggi noodles produced by Nestle India.



NAFDAC said these noodles contained excess lead and were therefore deemed unsafe and hazardous for human consumption.

“Nestle has recalled its Maggi instant noodles from stores across India following the report by the Indian Food Safety Regulators of probable lead contamination. Lead exposure causes an estimated 143,000 deaths a year worldwide.

“In view of the potential safety concerns on consumption of the lead contaminated Maggi instant noodles, NAFDAC warns that Maggi instant noodles produced by Nestle India should not be consumed.

“Departmental stores, wholesalers and retailers should also be proactive in ensuring that such products are brought to NAFDAC if they come across any, and under no circumstances should such products be sold,” NAFDAC said

Oluwatimilehin Oke Email: healthertainment@gmail.com Whatsapp: +234-703-798-6229 BB PIN: 563D9C56 BB CHANNEL: C001C7A18 Twitter & Instagram: @timi0301

BEAUTIFUL TUESDAY: TIPS FOR A NATURALLY LIGHT SKIN

In an age of ozone layer depletion and green house effects, the intensity of heat rays from the sun on our skin is devastating especially in tropical regions like Africa, where the temperature high could sometimes be between 30-40 degree Celsius

It is therefore important to learn the natural and healthy ways of preserving, protecting and improving the complexion of one's skin. Black is beautiful - how many times have we thus consoled ourselves about our dark complexion? We cannot change the color we were born with or the amount of melanin(black pigment) we have, though we can definitely remove all the darkening and shadows formed over the years of sun and exposure. Sunlight, tanning and stress are factors due to which the tone of our skin has darkened –but our skin tone can again become rosy and flawless with a glowing complexion.

Lightening skin color can take a long time so patience is the key ingredient along with consistency and hard work.

Even before you start working on your complexion, there are a few things you will need to pay attention to - dealing with exposure to the sun comes first in the list. Always use a sunscreen before you leave home, an SPF 30, and if you are indoors you can use a SPF 15 sunscreen cream. Reapply at midday.

Drink enough water - at least 8 glasses a day to keep your skin well hydrated and sound sleep with some exercise to make you perspire and open your pores. Cleanse your face wellafter a long day of work. Do this by using an oil or cream to remove make-up and wash your face with a gentle face wash. It is very important to moisturize your skin - use oil or cream of your choice, Aloe Vera gel is ideal for a dry skin. Exfoliate the skin on a daily basis by using face scrubs. For a dry skin mix some salt and sugar and gently massage the skin with this till it melts, the hydroxyl acid present removes blemishes and dark spots also.Use a face mask after a scrub - but not after a fruit mask after a salt and sugar scrub, as it can aggravate the skin and make it very sensitive.

HOME-MADE REMEDIES TO LIGHTEN THE SKIN


In 1 tablespoonful of yogurt add 8-10 drops of lemon juice. Mix well and apply as a night cream. You can add a drop of Lavender or Rose oil to this. Apply on the neck as well. Lemon juice is great for lightening skin, if your skin cannot tolerate lemon juice use tomato puree instead.

Take a small slice of ripe papaya and mash it well with a fork. Add a spoonful of fresh cream or yoghurt to this, squeeze a few drops of you lemon juice and mix well. Apply on the face and neck for 20 - 30 minutes.


Crush 2-3 fresh strawberries; add a drop of honey to this and a few drops of lemon juice. Leave on the face and neck for 15 - 20 minutes and wash off.

Extract the juice of half an orange - around 2 teaspoons, mix a teaspoon of thick cream or milk powder to this and apply for 20 minutes before washing off.

Apply a thick layer of mashed bananas, leave it on the neck and face for 20 minutes before washing with tepid water.


Take 1tablespoon of cooked oats - well mashed, to which a teaspoon of lemon juice is added. Let this paste dry on the face before washing off it in a scrubbing motion. It makes the skin lighter and rejuvenated.

Add a pinch of turmeric powder to a tablespoon of gram flour with a few drops of lemon juice. Mix well and apply. Wash off in half an hour.

Make a paste with 1 tablespoon of milk powder, half a teaspoon of honey and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix well and apply on the face and neck. Wash well after 20 minutes.


The water got from a tender coconut is very good when used to rinse the skin. It removes scar marks and blemishes too. Rinse your face with this water morning and evening – leave it for 15 minutes before washing.

Boil 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds in a glass of water. Cool. Rinse face and neck with this concoction for a glowing complexion.

When you don’t have time for any of the above, halve a lemon and gently rub in a circulation motion on the face, arms and legs. Wash after half an hour.

EAT THE RIGHT VITAMINS

Eat foods rich in vitamin C as this lightens skin tone as well as maintains suppleness of the skin. Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and gooseberries are great for the skin. Strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, cantaloupes and green peas are good sources of vitamin C.


Vitamin A is also beneficial in keeping the skin healthy tight and clears up tan and blemishes, foods which contain beta-carotene help by minimizing effects of the sun. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, watermelon, papaya and tomatoes. Foods like oysters, egg yolk and non fat milk are also good sources of vitamin A.

Lightening and making the skin look fairer takes very long - a few months. Consistent facials and patience is all that it takes. Added to this, a healthy diet, proper exercise and enough sleep should work wonders.


DID YOU KNOW?
A red blood cell can circumnavigate your body in under 20 seconds. Nerve Impulses travel at over 400 km/hr (249 mi/hr). A sneeze generates a wind of 166 km/hr (100 mi/hr), and a cough moves out at 100 km/hr (60 mi/hr).
QUOTE OF THE DAY
There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. – Aristotle