Category: Health

The Woman and Lime

Last month, I had a kind of facial rash which I am yet to give a name. Maybe I would have to come up with a diagnosis for it soon. Initially, I thought it could be some of those pimples that do visit me when they want and leave without  traces when they are done hanging around. My guess was wrong because these I-dont -know-the-name-rashes actually did come to stay.

Over the week, they gradually built up and covered my forehead. I was worried about them and tried some anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory creams; Nixoderm, Skineal but none came to my rescue, although I didn’t use any of  them for a long time being that I needed something that could act very fast. Yeah, I needed my face intact as soon as possible.

On one occasion, I was in the bus and was thinking about trying out natural remedies than trying all these creams I didn’t find to be of much help to my case. I recalled lots of cases where I have seen or heard people said they used this or that on their faces and how effective it was for them. As I was about getting off the bus, a woman sitting before me dragged me back.

‘Do you know the green small lime?’ she asked.  ‘Lime? yes, I know lime’ I nodded at same time. ‘Use it on your face.’ I thanked her and left. Fortunately, I met her in the next couple of minutes at a bus stop, she then came closer and said to me that her daughter once had such bumps and lime was her redeemer. She was talking and demonstrating something which I didn’t understand clearly. As you can see it was that bad  which was the reason she called them ‘bumps’.

Limes

I was convinced I have gotten a remedy at last because earlier while I was in the former bus I contemplated using lime but wondered if it was going to be very toxic for my skin. But  now, my fears are been driven far away and it was more like a revelation. All I did was to browse for facts about it and I was in. I bought limes the same day.

Day two on lime therapy, am yet to see an effect and was going to panic again before my companion the previous day said I should scrub my face with it. The woman was demonstrating I should get the lime, cut into two halves and scrub my face with it. Oh! was that what she meant.I only heard lime and that was it for me, I used cotton wool to apply it on my face like I saw on the internet. Okay then, noted.

I followed the instruction the next time and my face could tell that lime really hurts. It does! I did it morning and night and a spotted a tremendous effect. In space of three days my face was good to go.

I learnt lots of facts about not breaking the facial skin by certain creams and hot water and how to use honey to wash it in order to nourish it. Honey makes the face feel so smooth, you just feel it. Lemon is very good too, its similar to lime but lime is stronger. I read a lot about the face now and am enjoying every bit of the natural remedies.

Let me tell you about my situation, the rashes I had were: a bit reddish, some spread out, some in clusters, had blunt pustules, sometimes itchy and hurts. At least, I knew it has gone past pimples. Hey! hope you are not thinking of any particular diagnosis for me right now? Well, my face is back now.

That Woman was a God-sent to me because I and lime are now buddies.

I would encourage anyone with some face rashes that seem not to be responding to creams to try LIME. It is very effective and acts quickly too.

P.S. I was meant to write this earlier before now to ensure there will be lots of smooth and pretty faces this festive period. Pardon me for that. Nevertheless, we all need good looks at all times.

Seasons greetings!

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HIV Infection Does Not Spell Death.

I am writing this post in regards to the previous one. There were many biased responses and questions from people. Well, I have always liked discussing or writing on HIV and related topics, so that was the kind of go-ahead I have always waited for to write again. Don’t worry it’s not going to be an easy-read.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a special kind of virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS). AIDS is a condition where progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive.

HIV infection occurs when there is transfer of an already contaminated blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk between people. Within these body fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. Hence, extreme care should be taken in all procedures or acts that entails coming in contact with any of those fluids.

HIV infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells) and as a result leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells. This occurs through a number of mechanisms including: apoptosis of uninfected bystander cells, direct viral killing of infected cells, and killing of infected CD4+T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections.

Having known the different ways HIV can be transmitted it is equally important that we stay abreast with its preventive measures and stick to them. Always bear in mind that it can be contacted through different means.

Actually, amazes me is the stigmatization that comes with this condition. Obviously, when allowed to get to the stage of full blown AIDS, it gives one the ghost-like and lifeless image but a lot can be done to avoid that stage.

HIV testing is very important and should be done as often as possible. It always comes with counselling, which would look into ones health and sexual history including other important aspects as well.

Thanks to free medication which is now available for its management. I would encourage anyone who is affected to stick to their drug- take your drug judiciously. In the HIV clinic, prior to the commencement of the drug they are classes to ascertain that sufferers are fully aware of their condition and how to live positively with it and to take their drugs judiciously. It implies that they take their drugs for the rest of their lives just like in the cases of diabetes and hypertension.

However, early detection and prompt commencement of drug makes a great health difference. The condition has become quite common lately. It’s not written on anyone’s forehead but it is how they manage themselves that matters.

Meanwhile, I would like us all to treat everyone with equal respect. For some that loses much weight in a short time and feel lots more sick, it’s not just the condition that takes them that fast but the way we treat them and the already assumed perception they have. They feel like they are mere shadows of themselves while they are still living. I know it can be difficult for us to see these people differently but we should try and be the reason they smile and find the strength and more reasons to live. All we need to do is to make sure we are always safe while dealing with them. It’s neither airborne nor can be gotten by mere touch.

 

Thank Goodness!

Fortunately with proper antenatal clinic visits, infected mothers can give birth to HIV- negative babies. Awesome! Isn’t that great? I mean there are so many instances in life where innocent children become victims but here, there is hope for them.

Having cared for some affected individuals warms my heart. There was a time I cared for an infected man, who already was critically ill. Beside him, was always his kind-hearted pregnant wife, each time I came we prayd together. I couldn’t help but thought the woman, her hope, future and that of their unborn baby.
Finally, it is not like they have lost their personalities or no longer have a life, they still do and need love and affection like everyone else. Their situation should not be treated with so much isolation because I do not think they are guilty of a certain abominable crime. Anyone can be a victim.

Who Do You Tell Your Real Age?

We were all sitting and waiting for our turn in the clinic. As usual, everyone do mind their business while my eyes were glued to a little girl who was very active and could not sit at a place. She played with everything that was within her reach and later settled for drawing.

Funny enough, whenever our eyes met I smiled at her and she smiled back. Smart kid. She got me going till she eventually could do nothing else. She then said to her mother that she was tired and she was told to go to her pram and sit. She quietly went over to her pram and slept off within seconds. Kids are so lovely.

She was not the only one tired, I was too. The waiting time was damn too long. We were told they had only two doctors and lots of emergency in addition to the routine appointments.

A woman sitting about two seats away from me was called and moments later she came back. One of the receptionists went to her with some forms.

Which one is your real age? They bear different ages, the receptionist asked her. I was surprised to hear that. I was like –  how can someone have such age issues in their health documents?

As she left with the forms the woman called her back and said to her ‘no, it’s the other form.’ It was this time that I turned towards her direction and gave her a kind of woman-what -are-you-playing-at look.

Seriously, what happened to the saying about not having to lie to priests, doctors and lawyers. I am not going to go down the road about ‘women and age thing’. This is because lots of people(men and woman alike) do hide their real age for some reasons but please at certain times and to certain individuals, it is very important that we simply tell the truth for our own welfare.

Wait a minute, that saying should have been health personnel or doctors/nurses and not just doctors, you know? Anyway, that’s my honest opinion.

Prader-Willi syndrome

You might be a lover of Prada products but this is something else…

Prader-Willi syndrome(PSW) is a rare genetic disorder that causes characteristics such as obesity due to an excessive appetite. 

 Signs and Symptoms
  • Newborns are often small and floppy.
  • Male infants may have undescended testicles.
  • Trouble eating as an infant, with poor weight gain
  • Almond-shaped eyes
  • Delayed motor development
  • Narrow bifrontal skull
  • Excessive intake of food due to feeling of permanent hunger 
  • Rapid weight gain  

  • Short stature 
  • Very small hands and feet in comparison to the child’s body.
  • Sex glands produce little or no hormones
  • Slow mental development. 
  • learning difficulties
  • lack of secondary sexual development
  • behavioural problems, such as temper tantrums or stubbornness

Children have an intense craving for food and will do almost anything to get it. This can result in uncontrollable weight gain and morbid obesity.

 Causes
-Prader-Willi syndrome is caused by a gene missing on part of chromosome 15 .Normally, each parents pass down a copy of this chromosome. Most patients with Prader-Willi syndrome are missing the genetic material on part of the father’s chromosome. Others often have 2 copies of the mother’s chromosome 15.
The genetic changes occur randomly.

-Sufferes usually do not have a family history of the condition.
 

Investigation

Genetic testing is available to test children for Prader-Willi syndrome.
As the child grows older, laboratory tests may show signs of morbid obesity, such as:

  • Abnormal glucose tolerance
  • Above normal level of the hormone insulin in the blood
  • Decreased level of oxygen in the blood
  • Failure to respond to luteinizing hormone releasing factor 

    Management

If a child with PWS follows a restricted diet and control their weight, they would be able to enjoy a good quality of life although, its highly unlikely that they lead a fully independent lives.

Heimlich manoeuvre;a procedure for managing a chocking patient, is been taught to parents or guardians of patients because they are at high risk of choking as compulsive eating abnormally expands their stomach.

There is no cure for PWS, so treatment aims to manage the symptoms and associated problems. For parents, this includes dealing with their child’s behavioural problems and excessive eating.

Limiting calories will control the obesity, but the family, neighbors, and school must work together closely because the child will try to get food wherever possible.

Growth hormone is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome. It can help:

  • Improve physical strength and agility
  • Improve height
  • Increase lean muscle mass and decrease body fat
  • Improve weight distribution
  • Increase stamina
  • Increase bone mineral density

There have been some concerns that taking growth hormone therapy may lead to sleep apnea. A child who takes hormone therapy needs to have annual sleep studies to monitor for sleep apnea.
Low levels of sex hormones may be corrected at puberty with hormone replacement.
 

Complications
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Right-sided heart failure
  • Bone (orthopedic) problems.

    This is a terrible health condition, at first parents would ensure that their children feed well and then try to restrain them from over eating. Lastly, they do not have a long life expectancy when compared to other children.

? Proteus Syndrome

 I came across the story of a Lady with a rare condition and how she has been able to cope positively with it.

Mandy Sellars.

  Proteus Syndrome is a very rare condition and can present in various forms.

  • It occurs as a result of genetic mutation. The affected cells continue to multiple exceedingly and produce more malformed cells.
  • This condition starts while in utero; when the baby forms during pregnancy and continues throughout lifetime
  • It does not run in families and thereby, cannot be inherited. 

In the case of this Lady, the condition extremely difficult. It was in the year 2006 that Doctors decided to name her condition as Proteus Syndrome after years of varieties of tests including DNA tests.

Her Condition

  • Her legs grew massively. 
  • At a time,  her upper body weighed 38kg while the lower part weighed 95kg. She wears only trousers specially made by her mother and outgrows them in a short duration.
  • Has had deep vein thrombosis; formation of blood clots.
  • Consequently, she was paralyzed for few weeks.
  • Developed Sepsis;Infection of the blood
  • Suffered kidney failure
  • Had MRSA; Methycillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus( a bacterial  infection).
  • Later, her infected left leg was amputated.
  • Unexpectedly, the stump grew out of proportion when compared to her right leg. It’s width went up to 2m i.e same as a size 34.

Her Lifestyle

She is a very cheerful person and enjoys having fun despite her condition. Her parents have been there for her and had given her all the care and support she needed. She said she has always got anything she asked for and only got to knew how about how abnormal she is during her teens.

She has a degree in Graphic Design and Psychology and has studied courses such Sociology, Criminology, Sign Language and Mediation. In addition, She has worked voluntarily in different fields. She lives alone though family and close friends always pop in to know how she is faring.

She has a specially designed wheelchair and a special car. And does cooking, washing and cleaning by herself.
As a very independent and optimistic person , she hopes one day there would be a cure for her condition.

According to her, her condition do not affect her love life as she has previously been in two long-term relationships. She enjoys hanging out with friends and going places.

However, she has always feared she could be bedridden by the time she turns 85 years if her condition worsens.

Hope

Following a  recent DNA test and researches, a drug has been identified which could help her shrink her legs. She has commenced it and within  three months a significant improvement was noticed.

For the first time, X-ray showed the size of her legs were reducing rather than its usually increase.
She had noticed that because her trousers fits her properly and her mother has not made new ones but waited patiently to hear from the health experts. She and her parents were thrilled on hearing the news, just like they were the day they heard a tiny drug could do the job.

Hopefully in the next couple of years there would be a tremendous reduction in her legs.

Rapamycin

This is a drug commonly used to prevent organ and bone marrow transplants rejection.

It is found  to be very useful in Mandy Sellars case as it stops a specific protein that is involved in cell division. Nevertheless, its side effects include lung toxicity and increased risk of cancer.

 Lastly, in some sufferers, this abnormal body enlargement could be seen in the abdomen, around the chest and on the hands. Other signs and symptoms can be present, depending on sites affected. Follow @AyinotuV

Tiny Left Toe.

I came across a leg condition and want to talk about it.

Please for my friends who may not have appetite for reading certain  health issues, I apologise.

A close relative of mine have been having some discomfort on his left tiny toe for years now which seems to be recurrent; as it heals over time and comes back whenever it wills.

Initially, he thought it could be from the kind of shoes he wear and tend to have loads of variety now but none was deemed fit by this tiny toe. It kept disturbing.

How it starts
He simply notices a bit swelling of the foot especially very close to the last toe.
It builds up as each day passes by and so does its pain intensity as it looks as though it is stretching the skin and compressing some nerves as well. And of utmost importance reducing blood supply to the affected area.

In matter of days, it bursts from the region that attaches the tiny toe to the rest of the foot.
Sometimes,  it could be clear fluid and other times it turns out to be purulent- containing pus I mean.

The worst of all, is that it is very painful and pain-killers like paracetamol doesn’t do the job except the likes of Ibuprofen or codradamol.

These phases last and for a while and then gradually subside and appear healed.
Although some home remedies were always of help.
For instance: Applying of hot compress
                    Washing the area properly twice a day
                    Applying antibiotic.

But it does not heal completely in the inside as it re-appears in about a month time or a bit longer.

After so much antibiotics prescriptions by GPs
Many episodes
It was time to hit the hospital.

Interestingly to me, I learnt that at the hospital most doctors did not know about the condition and were kind of seeking each others opinion till an Indian doctor came by and called it ‘AINHUM’.  And it remained Ainhum.

It was time for X-ray and MRI which actually confirmed diagnosis and show the extent of damage done.
Then, Specialists took over.

His case never got this bad anyway.

Treatment
In hospitals, it is mainly by surgery either to link the connecting bone properly or to cut off the tiny toe.

I guess you now know what Ainhum is and looks like. It is on the tiny toe but can never be ignored.
You know what to do for more information. Before I forget, it was a bit hardwork writing this without medical jargons and structure.