Health and Body Fitness

Dental Health & Care

-Gum disease can contribute to a heart attack or stroke. Plaque-causing bacteria can travel from your mouth into your body through your blood stream where it stimulates your immune system and causes inflammation that could clog your arteries.

-Healthy gums look pale pink and firm,not read and swollen,and they definitely should not bleed.

-To keep your teeth and gum in good shape,brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, making sure you massage your gums gently with your brush.

-Avoid sugary foods and drinks,as well as smoking,which make gum disease worse by increasing the amount of plaque on your teeth and starving your gums of oxygen

Are Your Periods Normal?

-A normal cycle is anything from 23 to 35 days;that is the normal period or cycle for a woman to experience menstrual flow

-Regular periods occur roughly at the same time each cycle

-If you have a more irregular cycle though,such as large gaps without periods,weeks of continuous bleeding or a long gap and then several periods within one month,you should see a doctor.

Exercise

Getting your self to exercise has been a common song sung by your doctor, family members, friends & ordinary people. Well, giving your body plenty of exercise is the best way to prevent various diseases like cardiovascular problems,diabetes and obesity

Measure your waist. If more than 35 inches, consider your body mass index you could be at risk of obesity

Exercise helps your body to burn excess calories, thus loosing weight and improves arterial blood flow
 

Take your blood pressure readings at your nearest hospital at least thrice a month because you can never know if you have high blood pressure because it is a silent killer

Sex Life & Night's Sleep

-Many people experience sexual dysfunction and lack of libido due various causes which could be medical,social or physical.

-Thyroid problems, anemia and stress are examples of conditions that affect your libido. For more seek medical advice

-Improve your sexual life by eating foods rich in zinc such as shellfish,eggs and brown rice,paw paw and ground nuts

-During pregnancy sex is advisable until 3rd trimester a few weeks to labour. It strengthens your pelvic floor muscles 

-A good night's sleep gives your body a chance to relax,unwind and repair itself

-One is advised to sleep for a period of 6-9hours 

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Does Wiping From Back to Front After Toilet Really Cause Urinary Tract Infections?

Your urinary tract is the system that makes urine and carries it
out of your body.
When germs get into this system, they can cause an infection
called UTI.

The germs get inside your urethra and travel up into your
bladder and kidneys and cause the infections.
Women tend to get more bladder infections than men. This is
because women have shorter urethra, so it is easier for the
germs to move up to their bladders.

You may be more likely to get the infection if


* wipe from back to front after passing stool especially for females.
* Have anal sex and vaginal sex with the same condom or without condom.
* You do not drink enough fluids
* You have diabetes
* You are pregnant.

Symptoms

* Pain or burning when you urinate.
* Urge to urinate, but not much urine comes out when you do.
* Your belly may be tender or heavy.
* Your urine may be cloudy or smells bad.
* Pain on one side of your back under your ribs.
* Fever and chills.
* Nausea and vomiting.

You can help prevent these infections by

* Drinking lots of water every day.
* Urinating often. Do not try to hold it.
* If you are a woman, urinate right after having sex.
* Clean your anus from front to back.
* Practice good personal hygiene.

How to diagnose urinary tract infection

* urinalysis and/or urine culture. A sample of urine is
examined under a microscope by looking for indications of
infection.

If you are having fevers and symptoms of a UTI, or persistent
symptoms despite therapy, then medical attention is advised.
You may need further tests, such as an ultrasound or CT
scan , to assess the urinary tract.

How it is treated

Antibiotics will be prescribed by your doctor.

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Baby Has Vaginal Discharge. Are you worried?

*A vaginal discharge of thick white mucus is normal in young girls below the age of eight.So there is no need to get worried,you need to worry if the discharge is yellowish or brown in colour and has fish odour or any other foul smell because it could indicate an infection.
*A child with an infection presents with itchiness,redness and swelling around the affected vaginal area.May be accompanied with a burning sensation
*The skin around the vulva and vagina of young girls is very delicate and irritation or infection can easily cause inflammation and discharge
*The child's young and developing immune system may not fight off infections as effectively as the adult immune system
*An infection in young children is most likely due to a yeast infection and rarely a result of sexual molestation
*This does not mean you should not visit a doctor for a proper diagnosis
*The doctor will examine the child and rule out sexual abuse and trauma
*Sometimes children may insert foreign objects in their vagina and this may be the cause of the infection.
*Vaginal irritation and discharge may also be a result of small particles of faeces from the anal area getting into the vaginal canal.You should wipe the child from front to back to avoid the spread of faecal matter and bacteria to the genital area as these could result in yeast infections.
*Also ensure you change the diaper frequently as a faecal material mixed with urine is likely to get to the vaginal area if left for long
*Avoid using strongly scented soaps to bath the baby as they could also cause irritation of the genital area
*Avoid tight fitting clothing
*As girls grow,they sometimes insert toys or other objects into their vaginas while playing,which can cause persistent infection resulting in a foul-smelling discharge
*As a parent or caregiver,teach the child about the dangers of this habit.
*Ensure young girls who love swimming don't stay in their wet swimwear for long as this can also cause infections
*They should also dry their genital thoroughly and taught on how to wipe from front to back
*If your child has been sexually abused proven by the doctor,ensure she has received psychological and medical treatment from you as a parent/guardian and doctor and get protection from further abuse

TREATMENT
.Hormonal cream to increase the skin's resistance to irritation
.Treating the cause for example if bacterial infection is the cause your doctor may prescribe antibiotics
.Give your child plain,unsweetened yoghurt as this reduces yeast infection
.Feed your child on a well balanced diet.If below 6months exclusive breastfeeding for 6months.

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Does Eating Too Much Salt Cause Hypertension?

 

Hypertension is associated with overweight and obesity, alcohol intake and being sedentary. Various drugs and herbal remedies, glandular disorders and kidney diseases can cause ‘secondary hypertension’.

However, some people who have none of these other risk factors still develop high blood pressure when their salt intake is too high, making salt the ‘prime suspect’.

It is known that hypertensive patients who reduced their intake of salts recorded well-controlled blood pressures. They are also known to have less risks of the complications of Hypertension.

High blood pressure is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. It accounts for two-thirds of all strokes and half of heart disease.  

Too much intake of salt has been linked to High Blood Pressure and the development of associated cardiovascular complications.

Here is how:

In most people especially individuals at risk, the kidneys have trouble keeping up with the excess sodium in the bloodstream. Sodium follows water. As sodium accumulates, the body holds onto water to dilute the sodium.

This increases both the amount of fluid surrounding cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. Increased blood volume puts pressure on the heart and more pressure on blood vessels.
Over time, the extra work causes the blood vessel to stiffen, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, It can also lead to heart failure.

READ ALSO Why You Should Not Abuse Alcohol 

In heart conditions such as where there is reduced blood flow to the heart, the cells in the heart don't work as well as they should because they are not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. However, lowering blood pressure may help to alleviate some of the problems and reduce the risk of greater damage.

However, If you continue to eat too much salt then, over time, the damage caused by the extra blood pressure may become so severe that the arteries burst or become completely clogged.

If this happens, then the part of the heart that was receiving the blood no longer gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs and dies. The result is a heart attack.

The best way to prevent a heart attack is to stop the arteries becoming damaged. And one of the best ways of doing this is keep your blood pressure down by eating less salt.

 

Effect on the arteries

The extra blood pressure caused by eating too much salt puts extra strain on the insides of your arteries. In response to the extra strain, the tiny muscles in the arterial walls become stronger and thicker. This increases the total peripheral resistance of the vessel and further increases the force with which blood moves through.

It can ultimately lead to the arteries bursting or becoming so narrow that they then clog up entirely. When this happens, the organs of the body that were receiving the blood from the arteries become starved of the oxygen and nutrients they need. This can result in the organs being damaged and can be fatal.

Some researches also say the too much salt can damage bones too.

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