₦airaland Forum

Normal lifestyle habits and behaviours over time have proven to have an effect on our lives. The things we do, the things we eat, how we work, how we relate, our responses in life generally have proven significant effect on our wellbeing.


Hypertension i.e. high blood pressure is a cardiovascular disease condition that has to do with the blood vessels and the pressure of the blood as it moves or flow in the vessels. The blood vessels comprises of the arteries, veins, arterioles, and capillaries. In the human body, there is a certain normal blood pressure that the blood maintains and exerts upon the walls of the arteries and veins for normal body comfort and wellbeing but when this pressure becomes increased or increases then it creates an anomaly in the body. It could wear off the walls of the blood vessels or increases cardiac overload which could lead to heart shutdown after the efficiency and strength of the heart muscles and valves would have been weakened. High blood pressure can be as dangerous as this if not treated or prevented in time. The normal blood pressure for adults is a systolic reading of 120-140mmhg and a diastolic reading of 60-80mmhg but in the case of hypertension these readings are altered. Any blood pressure higher than 140/80mmhg is considered to be hypertensive. Appropriate measures and prevention techniques have to be imbibed and some of these simple health preventive habits are as follows:

Exercise – a daily exercise of at least 180mins per day week has proven to be efficiently significant in reducing hypertension i.e. high blood pressure. When you exercise it helps your body to breakdown the low density lipoprotein freely moving in your blood stream reducing your arterial and venous blood flow thereby causing vasoconstriction and increasing blood pressure. Exercise helps your body to release excessive waste products through sweating which is majorly a concentrate of salt. Salty foods are capable of increasing high blood pressure. Exercise boosts your body function generally by relaxing the vessels of the body.

Nutrition – the kind of food we eat matters. Losing some body pounds of fat could be very helpful. You need to eat more of fibre foods than fat. Watching fatty diet is necessary. Do not eat much of fat but more of food rich in fibre e.g. vegetables (fruits or leafy), carbohydrates, and proteins.

Reduce stress – stress is one of the major activator or risk factor of hypertension. Stress of life could arise from mental or psychological, emotional or social sphere of our lives. Try as much as possible to reduce the amount of stress you subject yourself to everyday at work, home or occasions. The more the stress of life that your system can’t cope with the higher the chances of being hypertensive.

Avoid alcoholism

Resist smoking

Encourage good rest and sleep – always create time for yourself to rest or sleep. It is advisable for you to rest at least 1:30mins daily after work and sleep at least 6 hours daily.

HOW NURSES CAN PREVENT THEMSELVES DURING DISEASE OUTBREAK

For a while now, global health and medicine has been under the attack of a deadly virus called corona virus. Albeit, the world has faced several health challenges such as SARS, Ebola and Lassa fever, and we have always overcome.

I woke up this morning to see that the life threatening Corona virus that has currently held China under siege was detected in one of the foreigner yesterday. This is quite unfortunate, coupled with the fact that Nigeria’s health industry is far behind and lacks facilities, infrastructures and structures.

However, this is not the time to throw blames at whomever; it is not the time to reproach the airport facilities for letting that foreigner into our country or the time to point fingers at the frustrating system we find ourselves. Rather, this is time to pick up your horns, raise your voice as the heart of the healthcare system and teach more people about to prevent themselves from this virus.

Apparently, an unskilled or unaware nurse will neither know how to teach her patients or herself how to prevent corona virus.

What exactly is corona virus? [color=#006600][/color]

Corona virus is caused by the coronavirus family, and the sad fact is that this virus has not been experienced or encountered before. It is gotten from animals, was discovered to have started from a village in China. Corona virus is a global outbreak; moreover it is a public health emergency.

Corona virus can cause pneumonia, cough, fever, and difficulty in breathing. Although corona virus has been changed to COVID-19, but most people still know it has corona virus.

Nurses as we know are the heart of the healthcare system; they receive the patient at the entrance of the hospital. Because of the critical position that nurses hold in the healthcare system, they must pay attention to preventing themselves during disease outbreak.

Nurses can prevent themselves through the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) method.
PPE is designed to help health practitioners to prevent being exposed to virus and infections. There are types of PPE and they include.

- Gloves to protect the hands. As a nurse, never wear wet gloves. If it is wet, then it is not healthy.

- Make use of gowns and aprons to protect your skin
- Wear face masks to protect your mouth and nose
- Make use of goggles to protect your eyes
Respirators if available to protect your nose and respiratory tract from airborne agents

It is essential that you choose the right and appropriate PPE to prevent being at risk of a disease.

What are the other things you should put in mind in preventing corona virus and other pandemic outbreak.

Share facts and not fear. Fear is a normal phenomenal when some negative things begin to happen to people around us. Rather than share false stories that will create more fear, share facts that will help the public stay calm.

Educate people to stick with healthy facts. This is the period where people will abuse some products, misuse some information and misinterpret some information, because they are scared of what happens next. For instance, during the last Ebola outbreak, people were asked to bath with salt and eat bitter kola.

These things were not verified, they were just some false news that spread wide like a wildfire.
Your health is your priority. As much as your job as a nurse to care for people, you have to stay off whatever will put you at risk of the virus. When you see your health as the first thing in life, you will embrace it and avoid the virus as much as you can. It is good to be an empathic nurse, but dear nurse, your health comes first.

This is the time when you have to keep preaching the gospel of NO SHARING. Avoid sharing food, cups, towels and clothes with anyone. Also advice people around you not to do the same.
Dear nurse, I do know that you know what corona virus is, and you must have one time or the other faced an epidemic or pandemic outbreak in your community. However, my advice to you is to stay calm. DO NOT BE AFRIAD. This too shall pass; this is not the time to start trying diverse antibiotics when you feel sick.

Rather get tested in the hospital, ask questions, and seek knowledge. Do not keep silent when something strange is happening to you.
Like I always say, every patient is a suspect when there is an outbreak. Live healthy, stay healthy and teach people around you how to stay healthy too.

The fact is this, almost everyone reading this knows someone that is or has suffered from this disease, so it is perfectly normal for people to feel worried or frightened when you mention breast cancer

There are a couple of ways we know that you can use to prevent developing breast cancer and while it is not a rule for everyone, it will benefit most women if followed

Before that, there are a couple of factors that can increase a person’s chances of getting breast cancer, it is important to bear in mind that these are simply risk and their presence does not guarantee that one would get breast cancer:

If you are older, especially 60 years and above
If you have a family history of breast cancer
If you had your first period before 12 years of age
If you attained menopause at age 55 or later
If you had your first child at age 35 and later
If you do not have any children
Tall height (5’8” or taller)
If you have dense breasts
History of benign breast disease
Having said all these, how do you reduce your chances of developing breast cancer?

Keep a Healthy Weight
Simply being overweight is a risk factor for many other cancers and breast cancer is not an exception, I know you hear it all the time, but this simple advice can prevent a lot of problems

Exercise Often
Women who are active for at least 30 minutes in a day can reduce their risk of getting breast cancer, this also helps you keep the unhealthy weight at bay. Killing two birds with one stone so to speak

Avoid Too Much Alcohol
Even low levels of intake have been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer. Moderate drinking is important. If you do not drink however, there is no need to start.

Stop Smoking
Smoking tobacco and hookah use, commonly known as Shisha in these parts increase your chances of getting breast cancer among other kinds of cancers, Smoking has many adverse factors that cannot be overemphasized

Breastfeed
Breastfeeding, exclusively and for the period of at least one year has been shown to be protective against breast cancer and also helps your child, what did we say about one stone and two birds again?

Birth Control Pills
Women who take birth control pills have a slightly increased risk of getting breast cancer, however, there are some caveats as age is a factor here, the risk is smaller in younger women. Also, the risk is also reduced when the pill is stopped.

The risk of stroke and heart attack is also increased while on the pill – particularly if a woman smokes. On the other hand, it can also have benefits like lowering the risk of ovarian cancer, colon cancer and uterine cancer, it is best to discuss with your doctor before taking a decision in this regard

Find Out Your Family History
If you have a family history of cancer, you should take more care in protecting yourselves against breast cancer, it’s important to know your family history. Your risk is higher if you have a mother or sister who developed breast or ovarian cancer (especially at an early age) even males with prostate cancer

Don’t Forget Breast Examination
While there is a lot of controversy surrounding clinical breast exams and self-exams. You should be familiar with your breasts and tell your doctor if you notice any changes in how your breasts look or feel

The erroneous belief, especially among young people today, is that a woman’s breasts will sag if she has lots of sexual encounters and they are usually shamed one way or the other, THIS IS NOT TRUE.

Here’s why:

Breasts contain mainly fat, glands that produce milk, and Cooper ligaments

It is commonly thought that these ligaments are what give support to these breasts making them firm and supple and giving them their shape

However, with age, these ligaments become lax and breasts fall
There are major things that make would make a woman’s breasts sag

1. Cigarette smoking(Shisha): Smoking breaks down elastin in the skin which can invariably cause breasts to fall
2. The more pregnancies a woman has, the more chances that her breasts are going to fall.
3. Large breasts: it is common sense that large structures need more support, the larger your breasts are the more support they would need.
So naturally, they would sag because of their weight

4. Gravity: Gravity plays a large role.5. Higher body mass index: remember that breasts are largely composed of fat>more BMI, more fat>more weight >sag
6. Significant weight gain or loss(23 kg) If you lose a lot of weight too soon, without giving your body time to adjust, breasts may sag because you have extra skin
7. Age: as a woman gets older the ligaments weaken, hence, breasts will sag.
Breastfeeding will NOT make your breast fall!

8. Genetics: These play a huge role, but we do not understand yet fully how they influence the shape and size of the breasts

Also, there is no evidence that wearing A bra will affect the sagging of your breasts,

A BRA WILL ONLY CHANGE THE SHAPE OF YOUR BREAST WHEN IT IS WORN.
Exercise will NOT improve the shape of your breasts, they contain fat, not muscle,



Vit C helps in connective tissue, may help minimally, but there is no evidence that this works in breast shape.

For a more permanent if you’re uncomfortable with the way they look:you can go for a breast lift called a mastopexy