Nigerian student, Jeremiah needs $30k for open heart surgery

Jeremiah Emmanuel is a Nigerian student of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
He is just 22, but looks an eighty year old.

His problem is that he is ravaged by diseases. Since he was aged 3, he was diagnosed with congenital heart disease and was placed on drugs.Campaigners on his behalf said his condition was stable for some years, but the disease has resurfaced, with some viciousness.

Right now the heart disease has made his stomach, legs and private part swollen and he needs an Open Heart Surgery in India, to stay alive. Doctors diagnosed his health defect as Ventricular septal defect.

We can all be indifferent and allow Jeremiah to die, but we certainly will all bear the burden of guilt for not helping a fellow Nigerian when it matters most.

The funding goal for the surgery has been fixed at $30,000 that is 5million naira, according to Aminat Adebukola Wahab of Shawttynatt Online Media. (www.shawttynatt.com)

Jeremiah lives at 37 Ajose street, Owutu, Agric Bustop,Ikorodu, Lagos.

If you feel like helping, send your donation to
Account. No: 0123823022 Emmanuel Jeremiah GTB. Or you can call Jeremiah on

 

247Naija

Are sex toys safe?

Funmi Akingbade

Culled From Punch

Sex toys seem to be everywhere these days. But the question is: are they advisable and healthy? Is there any harm in using sex toys? My husband would only enjoy sex get a good orgasm only when he had used a hard banana on me lubricated with menthol during foreplay before he starts off the actual thrusting in and out. I do not mind initially but now it has become a habit. He says it is homemade sex toys that he likes experimenting with because of their textures. He says that without them, he cannot get sexually connected to me. Do sex toys really promote sexual harmony? How many times per day can we use them and how long can someone become addicted to sex toys?

Are there bad and good sex toys? Are there any side effects from their use? Is there any harm if I use a carrot instead of a dildo/vibrator? My friends introduced me to some form of natural methods like the use of running warm water to arouse myself before my husband comes in (because it takes me ages to get aroused) than the use of sex toys. Which one do you think is appropriate? I was shopping online for sex toys and came across a site that seems very knowledgeabl. There, they say the only safe kind of sex toy to use is silicone. They claim that most sex toys have cancer-causing ingredients. Are there dangers of getting cancer from using sex toys?

These and many more are the questions many clients have asked me over the years as regard the object of sex toys.

A sex toy or adult toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure, such as a dildo or vibrator, rings etc. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals and are vibrating or non-vibrating, colourful or just natural and intended to stimulate the body. They come in a range of shapes, sizes, for internal or external use. Some researchers says that 41 percent of couples have used some form of sex toys during foreplay, and up to 29 per cent of couples have used one during intercourse. People who have sex regularly use sex toys more than those who aren’t, and between 20-30 per cent of people have used sex toys at least once in their lives. The sex toys industry makes a lot of money due to popular demand all over the globe.

This means people who use sex toys are not faceless as everyone and anyone you can imagine is the kind of person who can or may use sex toys. Many couples want to know if using sex toys can transform their sex lives from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Sex toys are not the best teachers or a cure-all for sex between couples. They are additional aids to sexual satisfaction. Many couples who have experimented with these devices see sex toys as a great way of adding stimulation and excitement to their sex lives. Some even claim these toys boost the chances of them having good orgasms through intercourse. So sex toys are not only for people who have a bad sex life, or no sex life; sex toys are just for added stimulation, excitement and pleasure. As much as there may not be anything harmful about the usage (as long as they’re used in a mature way and properly within the marriage union), sex toys can become addictive. It is well known that addiction implies harm, when solidly relied upon. Of course, prolonged use of sex toys makes sex less natural.

Some couples who for one reason or the other have a long distance relationship want to know if sex toys can actually replace their spouses for the main time or for life. For the main time, yes (if this is inevitable and the only reasonable option). This is still better than adultery or unfaithfulness in marriage. But for a lifetime, no sex toy should not be a replacement for your partner. A sex toy won’t make you breakfast, have urges or cuddle you. It won’t tell you how much it loves you. Many spouses are struggling to get their position back with their partners. Some have become confused and believe that the most important thing about them is what’s between their legs.

Some sex toys do pose obvious risks of damage or harm to the genitalia. A study on HIV-positive users of sex toys in the United States says such partners easily infect their spouses. Studies also show that some of these devices could be toxic. The composition of some sex toys makes them allergic in nature and can cause irritation and skin infection. When users are exposed to very large doses, such toxic items can cause damage to the liver, lungs, kidneys, testes. They can also cause hormonal disruption, upset the body’s ability to regulate hormone production, damage reproduction, can also possibly cause cancer.

Know your genotype before saying ‘I do’

 

The concerned mother was frantic. Her son who has sickle cell anaemia had developed priapism — an abnormal and often painful persistent erection of the penis — which happens to be one of the many complications sickle cell patients encounter as they battle the disorder.

Being a medical emergency, the worried mother was advised to take her son to the hospital without further delay; else, the engorged tissues might die and this might affect her son’s virility in future.

If this unnamed mother is lucky to still have her child alive, the Dickson-Ibekwes are not; they lost their daughter, Angela, an undergraduate student of Economics at Bells University of Technology, Sango Ota, Ogun State, to the complications of sickle-cell disease three years ago.

This is a small glimpse into the world of sickle cell anaemia, where affected families virtually engage in daily battles to keep their sickly children alive.

Dr. Kunle Adedayo explains that sickle cell anaemia is a genetic disease. Those who have it inherit two genes for sickle hemoglobin — one from each parent.

He says, “Sickle hemoglobin causes red blood cells to develop a sickle, or crescent, shape. Sickle cells are stiff and sticky. They tend to block blood flow in the blood vessels of the limbs and organs. Blocked blood flow can cause pain and organ damage. It can also raise the risk for infection.”

Experts say in sickle cell patients, crises are a given, as the abnormal red blood cells can sometimes clog sections of blood vessels, leading to episodes of pain, which can be severe. “These episodes, vaso-occlusive crisis, are generally known as sickle cell crisis,” they say.

Physicians say while normal cells are regularly replaced in healthy people, among sickle cell patients, abnormal blood cells have a shorter life-span and are not replaced as quickly as normal. “This leads to a shortage of red blood cells (anaemia), with the attendant tiredness and breathlessness, especially after exercise. Worse, patients may sometimes need blood transfusion to curtail the anaemia,” they say.

Adedayo points out that normal red blood cells move easily through the blood vessels, taking oxygen to every part of the body. “But sickled cells can get stuck and block blood vessels, which stops the oxygen from getting through. This can cause a lot of pain in the hands, feet, belly, back and chest, which may last for hours or days. The crisis can also harm organs, muscles, and bones,” doctors say.

They warn that the potential complications of sickle cell anaemia include stroke — where the supply of blood to the brain becomes blocked; acute chest syndrome — where the lungs suddenly lose their ability to breathe in oxygen, often as a result of infection; increased vulnerability to infection; and pulmonary hypertension — where the blood pressure inside the blood vessels that run from the heart to the lungs becomes dangerously high.

Mr. Ibekwe confesses that managing pain is an integral part of sickle cell experience and that those who have the disorder or their relations should learn what they can do to take care of the pain before getting to the hospital.

Physicians warn that anything could trigger crisis in a sickle cell patient, and these include cold temperatures, wind, dehydration, and too much exercise. “Again, when sickle cell patients are exposed to low oxygen as a result of cigarette smoke, or if they are exposed to high altitude like mountain climbing or air travels, they can develop vaso-occlusive crisis,” Adedayo warns.

He also discloses that though doctors are not able to predict which symptoms a child born with sickle cell disease will have, when they will start, or how serious they will be, once diagnosed via a simple blood test, the patient must be placed on antibiotics from two months of age till age five in order to prevent infection. “This is in addition to taking the routine childhood immunisations,” he counsels.

Guard against having a ‘sickler’

Many Nigerians don’t know their genotype, while some confuse it with blood group; but knowing one’s genotype is very necessary if parents — especially intending parents such as intending couples — must save themselves and their offspring a lifetime of pain and health horror.

As experts say, “sickle cell disease is inherited, which means it is passed from parents to children as part of their genetic make-up. Parents cannot give sickle cell anaemia to their children unless they both have the faulty hemoglobin in their red blood cells.”

“To get sickle cell disease, a child has to inherit two sickle cell genes — one from each parent. When a child inherits the (sickle cell) gene from just one parent, that child has sickle cell trait, which means you do not have the disease but you are a ‘carrier’ and could pass it on to your children,” Adedayo explains.

According to the online portal, webmd.com, sickle cell trait occurs when a person inherits a sickle cell disease gene but does not develop symptoms.

“Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder in which the body produces an abnormal type of the oxygen-carrying substance, hemoglobin, in the red blood cells. Normal hemoglobin is called hemoglobin A, but people with sickle cell disease have only hemoglobin S, which turns normal, round red blood cells into abnormally curved (sickle) shapes.

“Normally, a person inherits two genes (one from each parent) that produce beta-globin, a protein needed to produce normal hemoglobin (hemoglobin A). A person with sickle cell trait inherits one normal beta-globin gene (hemoglobin A) and one defective gene (hemoglobin S) — what is medically referred to as AS.”

Doctors say people with sickle cell trait rarely have health issues because they also have some normal hemoglobin; but they can pass the sickle cell gene to their children.

In other words, when two people who have sickle cell traits (AS) marry, they can produce a child with haemoglobin S — SS, aka child with sickle cell disease.

“Both parents must have either the sickle cell trait or the disease itself for a child to have sickle cell disease,” Adedayo says.

The numbers

Here’s the frightening statistics: If you and your partner both have sickle cell trait (AS), your child has a 25 per cent chance of being born with sickle cell anaemia (SS). If only one of you has sickle cell trait (AS), your child cannot be born with sickle cell anaemia (SS), but there is a 50 per cent chance that your child will be born with sickle cell trait (AS).

If one parent has sickle cell disease (SS) and one parent has sickle cell trait (AS), there is a 50 per cent chance that their children will be born with sickle cell disease (SS).

Doctors therefore advise intending couples to know their genotypes and forgo relationships that can lead to the birth of a child with this painful disease.

What women must know about their anatomy

 

Culled From:  Punch

Except in rare cases where some individuals have both the male and female sex organs, every human being is born either a male or a female. Whatever sex you turn out to be, there are scientific things to know about your anatomy, especially when you realise that whatever events go on between your thighs can sometimes determine your general wellbeing or, in some cases, your lifespan.

This is more evident in the case of women whose biological make-up is a lot more complicated than men’s, considering their reproductive role.

Physicians believe that a woman cannot be too concerned about her reproductive organ because as her age increases, a lot of changes affect the female genitalia and women need to know what to do to stave off preventable health issues that may want to encroach on their lives via this avenue.

To start with, there is much hype out there about “revirginalisation,” that is surgically replacing a torn hymen — the thin flesh that covers the external opening of the genital of a virgin female.

Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Dr. Femi Adigun, says the claim is one of the biggest commercial lies he has heard as a medical practitioner.

He says, “The hymen cannot grow back once it has been torn, because it is a thin, fleshy tissue that stretches across part of the opening of the female genital opening, and it can be stretched through sexual intercourse, exercise such as riding bicycles, and so on.”

Experts say if there’s anything that affects the health of the female genital, it is sexual intercourse, because of the various possibilities that go with it, including pregnancy, childbirth, infections, etc.

Despite the media hype that depicts sex as everything, some women do experience pain during intercourse and would rather avoid it where they can. Doctors warn that painful intercourse is not normal and that women who experience it should seek medical help.

Indeed, in a study, Swedish scientists claim that painful intercourse occurs in 9.3 per cent of females, with the incidence being higher among the young and inexperienced and relatively low among the over-50s.

Adigun chips in, “Painful intercourse, medically known as dyspareunia, can be as a result of many issues, but the first thing the doctor must determine is whether the pain is deep inside or near the outside of the genital.”

He says many things can be responsible for intercourse pain, and they include endometriosis (a disorder that often affects the womb and surrounding tissues, making them very tender, particularly when the menstrual period is near).

“The pressure of the male organ on an area of endometriosis may cause intense, deep pain,” Adigun says.

Another cause of intercourse pain is vaginismus — a spasm of the vaginal muscles, caused mainly by fear of being hurt.

Adigun says vaginismus may be as a result of strict upbringing that makes a woman view sex as dirty or nasty; or it could happen if the woman has a history of rape or childhood sexual abuse; or if she has experienced a medical history of painful vaginal infections. “Experiences like these understandably make women fearful of sex and of being hurt,” he warns.

He also explains that medically, there’s a condition called “collision dyspareunia.”

“This happens when infections of the cervix cause it to be tender, such that the woman feels pain during deep penetration,” he enthuses.

He says further that when a woman is infected with Chlamydia and does not seek medical treatment, the infection might result in pelvic inflammatory disease. “In PID, the tissues deep inside become badly inflamed and the pressure of intercourse will cause deep pain,” he says.

He also warns that menopausal or post-menopausal dryness might result in pain during intercourse. In this case, he advises the use of lubricants like Vaseline to ease the tension.

More important, the doctor warns that if a woman is over 40 years of age and suddenly starts having pain during intercourse, she should be checked for cancer, which may or may not be the cause.

Physicians say, like other parts of the body, the female genitalia can age and lose its ‘grips.’ Adigun describes it this way: “The female genital is like a bicep, you either use it or lose it. As a woman ages, the fragile female genital tissues can scar or shrink, especially after menopause.

“Menopause is not the time for a woman to stay away from active sexual intercourse; otherwise, her genitalia might atrophy by decreasing in size, leading to the wasting of the tissues and the attendant discomfort,” he counsels.

Physicians also warn that the female genital might suffer a prolapse. The gynaecologist says prolapse happens when the tissues and muscles surrounding the female genital are weakened, deteriorate or get damaged.

“In general, this condition is called pelvic floor relaxation, and it may cause the supports for the rectum, bladder, uterus, small bladder, urethra, or a combination of them to become less stable,” Adigun warns.

Some causative factors for prolapse include multiple child births, hard labour during child delivery, and delivery of large babies vaginally. Adigun says the symptoms of genital prolapse include difficulty in urinating or bowel movement, inability to control urination, pain when the sufferer stands for too long, or enlarged, wide and gaping vaginal opening.

Many women believe that douching (a process of intravaginal cleansing with a liquid solution) is a way to keep their genital ‘clean.’ Physicians warn against this practice. For one, Adigun says, douching neither prevents infection nor conception; and that the only way to keep the area clean is to simply wash with clean water each time one uses the bathroom; and where there’s no clean water, just wipe dry with a clean soft tissue.

Indeed, an epidemiological study by some Italian scientists suggest that douching increases the risk of vulvovaginal candidiasis — an infection of the vagina’s mucous membranes by Candida albicans, which affects up to 75 per cent of women.

A study published in the Oxford Journal deposes that douching is harmful and should be discouraged because of its association with pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and other conditions.

The epidemiologists, Drs. Jenny L. Martino and Sten H. Vermund, submit that “Douching has been associated with many adverse outcomes, including PID, bacterial vaginosis, cervical cancer, low birth weight, pre-term birth, HIV transmission, sexually transmitted diseases, ectopic pregnancy, recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (vaginal thrush), and infertility.”

And, do you wash your hands before you touch your nether region? Many people would wash hands before eating but do not consider it necessary to also wash hands before washing their bums. Adigun says just as germs can be introduced into the body via the mouth when the hands are dirty, so can germs and certain infections be introduced into the body via dirty hands that touch the female genital. So, wash your hands before washing ‘yourself!’

Finally, how do you clean up after each bathroom use? Experts advise that in order to prevent infection, you should wipe from front to back. Many women do the exact opposite. If you are one of those, it’s time to change.

Sugary drinks put you at risk of type 2 diabetes

Culled From: Punch

| credits: google photos

Do you love to drink carbonated (‘soft’) drinks? For most people, the answer is a resounding yes. This is because soft drinks look and taste good. They come in all sorts of packaging, colours and flavours that appeal to both senses and taste.

On the average, it’s difficult to convince a growing child that regular consumption of soft drinks does have untoward effects on health. Indeed, ask the average school kid what he spends his lunch allowance on, and the first item on the list is likely to be a bottle of … you fill in the gap!

Sugar eating is not peculiar to kids, though; as some adults seem unable to control their appetite for sugary beverages, especially those reportedly designed for weight watchers, which researchers say contain as much sugar as do those that could be taken by those who don’t claim to be on any diet.

Indeed, a recent study by scientists at Imperial College of London suggests that daily consumption of just a 50cl bottle of sugar-sweetened beverage can raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 22 per cent.

The research, published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes), was carried out by a team of scientists comprising Drs. Dora Romaguera, Petra Wark and Teresa Norat. Other independent researches in Germany, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden, France and the Netherlands also support their findings.

Experts describe diabetes mellitus as a metabolism disorder. “This refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is broken down into glucose — a form of sugar in the blood. High blood sugar after meals is a key risk factor in the progression from impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes) to type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” says diabetologist/Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki Phase 1, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe.

Asked what constitutes the normal range for blood sugar levels, and what blood sugar level constitutes a true emergency, experts say when a healthy individual eats, the blood sugar will not exceed 135mg to 140mg per deciliter, giving a fairly narrow range of blood sugar throughout the entire day.

In diabetics, however, the story is remarkably different. Scientists say a diabetic patient’s blood sugar can exceed 180mg to 200mg per deciliter, exceeding the capacity of the kidneys to reabsorb the glucose, making the patient to spill glucose into the urine. It’s then people pass what is generally called ‘sugar-spiked urine.’

Diabetes comes in two types — types one and two. Isiavwe says, “Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, which is needed for sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.”

She explains that various factors may contribute to someone having type 1 diabetes, including genetics and exposure to certain viruses. “The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. In most people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system — which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses — mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Again, genetics and family history may play a role in this process, while exposure to certain viruses may trigger the disease,” she says.

Experts reveal that glucose is a main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and other tissues and it comes from two major sources — food and your liver.

“Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it enters cells with the help of insulin. Your liver stores glucose as glycogen. When your insulin levels are low, such as when you haven’t eaten in a while, the liver converts stored glycogen into glucose to keep your glucose level within a normal range.

“In type 1 diabetes, there’s no insulin to let glucose into the cells, so sugar builds up in your bloodstream, where it can cause life-threatening complications,” experts say.

They also say that the far more common type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin.

Lamenting the problem, Lagos State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Jide Idris, once said that “diabetes affects an estimated six per cent of Lagos populace.” This, he says, was responsible for the initiatives of the state government in organising free screening for diabetes and hypertension — two potential killer conditions.

Experts say apart from genetics, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases with age, probably because people tend to exercise less as they get older, gaining weight in the process.

“Maintaining a healthy weight through a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly are ways of preventing and managing diabetes,” Isiavwe counsels.

She notes that in particular, abdominal fat puts you at increased risk. “This is because the fat releases chemicals that can upset the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems. This then increases your risk of developing various conditions, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer,” she says.

In conclusion, experts say though you may be helpless against developing type 1 diabetes, you can save yourself from a debilitating disease like type 2 diabetes by living responsibly.

“The consumption of sugar sweetened soft drinks increases your risk of diabetes. So, for every can of soft drinks that you drink per day, the risk is higher,” lead researcher, Dora Romaguera, warns.

Beat type 2 diabetes

•Eat healthy foods. Choose foods low in fat and calories. Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

•Get physical. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day. Take a brisk daily walk. Ride a bike. Swim laps. If you can’t fit in a long workout, spread 10-minute or longer sessions throughout the day.

•Lose excess pounds. If you’re overweight, losing five to 10 per cent of your body weight can reduce the risk of diabetes. To keep your weight in a healthy range, focus on permanent changes to your eating and exercise habits. Motivate yourself by remembering the benefits of losing weight, such as a healthier heart, more energy and improved self-esteem.

•A 15-minute walk after each meal could prevent older people from developing type-2 diabetes, a study has found.

•The post-meal walks control blood sugar as well as one long walk, research by George Washington University suggests.

•Elevated blood sugar after meals could increase the risk of type-2 diabetes. So, resting after eating “is the worst thing you can do,” the study says.

Source: mayoclinic.com