A Roof Over Your Head

I love rain so very much (don’t crucify me please #smiles), however this morning as I was about complaining about the heat that was generated by the rain, this dropped in my mind and I shushed immediately!

A roof over your head . . .

You slept in your room, on your bed without sharing, you could roll about and change positions without any rain drop falling on you, really? You should be more thankful. When rain falls, the birds of the air cannot entirely hide from it. In fact, I saw one the other day and I was so moved I said God please stop the rain . . . it was very cold, it curdled itself.

You can imagine that bird surviving on one dry branch . . . poor bird. And you dare complain of a leaky roof or a bad/flooded road?
Oh please, mend your roof and clean your surroundings so it doesn’t harbour dirt and water. Cleanliness is next to godliness . . .
Many would just appreciate sleeping under a leaky roof than the rain falling directly on them.

Some of us worry about a lot of things, we say stuffs like “if only” when the day itself has its own worries. If God can protect the birds of the air from falling ill after every rainfall, sunshine, snow, hurricane, hailstone, name it! Why won’t He take care of your every need? Cast your ALL to Him.
We must begin to see the little things God has and is still doing for us and be grateful.

You have a

Then say

God bless you.

Protect our kids: Whooping cough.

This disease seem too stubborn to leave, it keeps reoccurring. It’s just too persistent I thought when I saw the precautionary message on TV. Whooping cough, a respiratory tract infection derived its name from the sound that’s heard when one with the disease coughs. It is a communicable disease that can be transferred from one person to another. It’s majorly an infant infection caused by a bacterium Bordetella pertussis; it is different from tuberculosis.

Who is at risk?

Children between ages 0 to 5 are at higher risk of whooping cough because there are no visible symptomd and the infection may lead to lung infection, difficulty in breathing, and in some major cases, death in infants. Nevertheless, adults fond of kids or guardian or patients or siblings or care-givers are also vulnerable. Whooping cough can cause pneumonia, weight loss due to continuous vomiting, permanent brain damage, and death if it is in the chronic stage. People whose whopping cough vaccination is worn-out are also at risk.

How does it Spread?

The transfer of the disease occur when an infected person sneezes or coughs and when infected air droplets are released and inhaled.

How does it start?
The scenario starts with a repeated dry and irritating cough that moves into intense bouts of coughing which is followed by a special whooping noise. The cough sometimes may last for 2-3 months; it is also referred to as the 100 days infection in some countries because of the long period of infection. In 2014 worldwide, there were about 139,786 reported cases and about 89,000 estimated deaths.

What are the signs?

Well, they are in stages.
First stage: It starts with a sore throat then occasional coughing and running noise.
Second stage: The whooping sound starts. Burst (paroxysmal) and rapid coughing occurs. The mucus at this stage is thicker than the first stage. The skin of children turn blue and their brain begin to swell and damage due to insufficient oxygen. Some children experience brain seizures and become vulnerable to pneumonia because they are immuno-suppressed. Vomiting occurs at night and the burst of cough occurs more. This stage last for up to 6 weeks and might last for 10 weeks.
Third Stage: The burst of cough reduces gradually but doesn’t stop because of some infections.

How do I protect yourself?

Get immunised! Infants and children under age 5 should get vaccinated. Pregnant women should also get vaccinated to protect their unborn and new born. If you are close to an infant person, you can take antibiotics prescribed by a physician to protect yourself against the infection.

What if I get infected?

Once you notice any of those symptoms above, seek medical attention immediately. Sputum or nasal swab will be collected, cultured, and viewed under the microscope to confirm if the person is truly infected with Bordetella pertussis.
If infection is in the early stage, an antibiotic will be prescribed (It will only stop the bacterium from spreading).
Do not smoke or use air sprays.
Drink a lot of water to avoid being drained.
Use a cool mist vaporiser to loosen mucus and soothe the respiratory tracts.
Infected persons may also be isolated in the hospital to avoid transmission of infection to other people.

Summary

Whooping cough is not a friendly disease and it is easily contagious.
Little children and new born are highly at risk and must be vaccinated for protection in order to reduce death rate.
Try as much as you can to cover your mouth with a clean handkerchief when sneezing or coughing. Mothers should be sensitive to their children’s health and once any symptom is noticed, seek medical advice at once. Do not self – medicate so that the bacterium will not become resistant to antibiotics. Some bacteria unlike Bordetella pertussis are a part of our human system.
Let us protect our young ones against this harmful infection. They are our future.
We must safeguard the health of our future ones.

Kick Against Whooping Cough!

Download this for your kids: http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/downloads/bam-villain-for-kids-fs.pdf

Read more: http://www.who.int/topics/pertussis/en/ 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/whooping-cough/basics/definition/con-20023295

Black Cup: Drink, Yes or No?

Well, today I decided to share something I worked on with you all. . .

It’s a controversial one though; it’s about a drink– coffee.

Coffee is loved by many people including me. Infact, millions of people consume coffee worldwide everyday.

It is a beverage consumed for many reasons; it’s aroma gets me lifted! Apart from the aroma, students love to drink it so they can “burn the midnight candle” while workers consume it to accelerate their output. Just like every commodity, coffee is a two-sided beverage with both pros and cons. Infact research presumes that the pros outweighs the cons. The presence of caffeine in coffee they say makes it a “suspect” of some health problems.  Among the benefits of coffee intake are: improvement in the body performance, mind performance, reduction in the risk of Parkinson’s disease,  cardiovascular disease, and other non-communicable diseases which seems like WoW! Nonetheless, the existence of cons cannot be denied; even though coffee helped my reading and assimilation, I was always left with a migraine after my exams back then in the University. I had mood swings, ate less, and began to reason slowly than I would normally; depression and anger set in, I even got addicted. . . The truth is, I stopped coffee consumption because of these effects and transferred my affection to other drinks of which I later realised contained caffeine. Coke, cholocate bars, cappucino, decaffeinated coffee, energy drinks, laté, even tea contain some amount of caffeine!

The question therefore on the lips of researchers and myself remains should I drink coffee or not? What quantity is good? What is the level of risk?  

Like other lovers of coffee and some researchers, moderation is advised . . .

You can consume coffee and still stay healthy . . .

Drink coffee andother caffeine-containing drinks RESPONSIBLY!

Stay informed!

 

References

Costa, J., Lunet, N., Santos, C., Santos, J., & Vaz-Carneiro, A. (2010). Caffeine exposure and the risk of Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 20, 221-238.

Davis, J., & Green, J. M. (2009). Caffeine and anaerobic performance. Sports Medicine, 39(10), 813-832.

Dillan, J. (2013). 7 Negative Effects of Coffee. Retrieved 27 January, 2015 from http://www.healthambition.com/negative-effects-of-coffee/

European Food Safety Authority. (2011). Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to caffeine and increase in physical performance during short-term high-intensity exercise (ID737, 1486, 1489), increase in endurance performance (ID737, 1486, 1489), increase in endurance capacity (ID1488) and reduction in the rated perceived exertion/effort during exercise (ID 1488, 1490) pursuant to article 13 (1) of regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal, 9 (4), 2053.

Hensrud, D (2014) Is coffee good or bad for me. Retrieved 27 January, 2015 from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339 

Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee. (2013). Coffee & Cancer. Coffee and health http://www.coffeeandhealth.org/media-centre/research-overview.

Institute for Scientific Research on Coffee. (2013). Coffee and your health all about coffee. Retrieved  21 March, 2014 from http://www.coffeeandhealth.org/all-about-coffee.

Ker, J., Edwards, P.J., Felix, L.M., Blackhall, K., & Roberts, I. (2010). Caffeine for the prevention of injuries and errors in shift workers. Cochrane Database Systematic Review, 12(5).

Lucas, M., Mirzaei, F., Pan, A, Okereke, O.I., Willett, W.C., O’Reilly, E.J., Koenen, K., & Ascherio, A. (2011). Coffee, caffeine, and risk of depression among women. Arch Intern Med, 171, 1571-8 doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.393.

Michaelis, K. (2010) How to end your coffee addiction. Retrieved 27 January, 2015 from http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-end-your-coffee-addiction/

Schmitt, J.A., Benton, D., & Kallus, K.W. (2005). General methodological considerations for the assessment of nutritional influences on human cognitive functions. European Journal of Nutrition, 44, 459-464.

World Health Organisation. (1990). International classification of diseases—10 classification of mental and behavioral disorders: diagnostic criteria for research. World Health Organization: Geneva.