Physical education in schools has found its way into history books

Open gutters eager to welcome all forms of garbage to choke them, craters with strips of what may have been asphalt and probably called roads some years earlier. Young men arguing at the top of their voices under trees during working hours and sadly it appears they have no plans of finding jobs or creating one.

They find a way to satisfy their hunger every day. These scenarios are definitely not what I dream for my beloved country. Though many people especially those living outside our borders like to convince them­selves as well as all others that it is all gloom in our land, that is far from the truth; many people want to excel at what they do even in the face of challenges and young minds are doing wonderful things.

Many people are dreaming and making things happen in a decent way. Only Ghanaians can make Ghana a haven; complain as much as you want but do not leave it at that. Do something to bring about the change you desire. No country has been built without the sacrifice of its people.

I see health facilities springing up in several places especially in the capital. Why are we not training health professionals to man these centres? We can and should invest in the training of professionals who specialise in a chosen field and that should not be restricted to doctors only.

Long service or having friends in high places should not be the criteria for heading a major health facility; we can get things right if we make the right choices.

The silence on preventive med­icine is deafening. Physical Educa­tion in schools has found its way into history books and hand washing appears to be necessary only when one uses the toilet. Little wonder diarrhea diseases have a field day in our health facilities. Let us get back to the basics.

I dream of a beautiful land where booths for checking blood pressure and blood sugar at the very least can be found in every corner “from Gam­baga to Accra, from Wiaso to Keta…”

Why do we have to lose so many people needlessly to hypertension and diabetes? The first time I read that the sphygmomanometer (for measuring blood pressure) also measures “common sense” I found it quite insulting but after much reflec­tion, it may be the painful truth.

Five minutes may be all it takes to save a life. Aren’t all lives import­ant? Why do people leave home late for work and then use dispatch riders paid by our tax money to literally drive us off the road? We can embark on a programme to check the blood pressure of everyone in the country in a year.

Checking for diabetes may cost us a little more but it is certainly doable and it should be a must! I dream of the day when blood sugar will be checked at most visits to a health facility just like we check blood pres­sure; maybe a little exaggerated but I am sure you can dream with me.

I love to dream and “I hope someday you may join me” because we need to dream and then put into practice. If we can dream it then surely we can get it done (Combert Impressions comes to mind) and of course there will be challenges but we can succeed.

If we have days for cleaning our surroundings then we surely can have days when we all do some walking. How glorious that will be if we could cover our drains so people can walk safely.

It is not my aim to cause anyone to lose business but why should chil­dren have access to coloured water loaded with sugar in school. I think schools should say NO to these toxins disguised as refreshing drinks.

The carnage on our roads is real. I was excited when I heard of changes to issuing and renewing drivers licens­es. Is there a way we can penalize people for dangerous driving? Can we use pictures? Or cameras or maybe our Police Officers can help?

This year a lot of health education worldwide has focused on the family and maybe we should also place a lot of responsibility on family units. Strong, responsible and disciplined families will lead to a country of our dreams but how do we get families to tow this path?

Are the children our hope? Can schools and churches and groups who want to see and experience a coun­try of their dreams help to grow and mentor our young ones?

Many times I wonder if it’s possi­ble to have every parent invest some money each month no matter how small once a child is born. Imagine what the power of compound interest and time can do by the time the child is old enough to take over making the money and investing.

Yes I do appreciate the level of poverty in many quarters but we have to start somewhere.

We need more optimists to step up and guide us where we belong.

Pardon me for rambling but DREAMS seldom follow a clear path. I look forward to seeing our dreams become a reality.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pres­sure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week – “As World DIABETES Day (14th Nov) ap­proaches, make an effort to KNOW YOUR NUMBER.”

• Physical education in schools has found its way into history books

By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

www.thespectatoronline.com

Snoring is not only harmful to our physical health but it
affects all 6 pillars of wellness especially social wellness

When people are unable to dif­ferentiate between your snore and a locomotive engine or a trumpet that could break down walls, it may not just be a nuisance to your bed and housemates, but it may sig­nal a serious medical condition.

Loud snoring may be a warn­ing that you have Sleep Apnoea, a condition that opens doors to several serious life-threatening complica­tions. Not every snoring is associated with sleep apnoea and also there may be sleep apnoea without snoring. Sleep medicine is no luxury, we need to do everything possible to get good quality sleep, especially when sleep is one of the greatest legal performance enhancing “drugs” known to man.

In sleep apnoea, breathing repeat­edly stops and starts during sleep. It may be as often as 30 times in an hour. This shortchanges our brain of oxygen, and it is a potentially danger­ous sleep disorder.

Types of Sleep Apnoea;

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

o The commonest by far. Throat muscles relax and block flow of air

• Central Sleep Apnoea

o Brain does not send proper signals to muscles controlling breath­ing

• Complex Sleep Apnoea

What may signal Sleep Apnoea/ What to look out for

• Loud snoring.

• Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person.

• Gasping for air during sleep.

• Awakening with a dry mouth.

• Morning headache.

• Difficulty staying asleep, known as insomnia.

• Excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia.

• Difficulty paying attention while awake.

• Irritability.

• You may just not be able to complete a movie.

• Involved in minor accidents at home, work or even on the road.

Get checked out. Even children may suffer from sleep apnoea.

What increases our chance of de­veloping Sleep Apnoea?

• Excess weight or fat.

• Neck circumference. People with thicker necks might have nar­rower airways.

• A narrowed airway. Tonsils or adenoids also can enlarge and block the airway, particularly in children.

• Being male. Men are 2 to 3 times more likely to have sleep ap­noea than women. However, women increase their risk if they’re over­weight or if they’ve gone through menopause.

• Being older. Sleep apnea oc­curs significantly more often in older adults.

• Family history. Having family members with sleep apnoea might increase your risk.

• Use of alcohol, sedatives or tranquilisers.

• Smoking. Smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnoea

• Nasal congestion. If you have trouble breathing through your nose — whether from an anatomical prob­lem or allergies — you’re more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnoea.

• Medical conditions. Conges­tive heart failure, high blood pres­sure and type 2 diabetes are some of the conditions that may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea. Polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, prior stroke and chronic lung diseases such as asthma also can increase risk.

What complications may occur from untreated Sleep Apnoea

Sleep apnoea is a serious medical condition. Complications of OSA can include:

• Daytime fatigue. The repeat­ed awakenings associated with sleep apnoea make typical, restorative sleep impossible, in turn making se­vere daytime drowsiness, fatigue and irritability likely.

You might have trouble concen­trating and find yourself falling asleep at work, while watching TV or even when driving. People with sleep apnea have an increased risk of motor vehicle and workplace accidents.

You might also feel quick-tem­pered, moody or depressed. Children and adolescents with sleep apnea might perform poorly in school or have behavior problems.

• High blood pressure or heart problems. Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during OSA increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. Having OSA increases your risk of high blood pressure.

OSA might also increase your risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke and irregular heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation. If you have heart disease, multiple episodes of low blood oxy­gen (hypoxia or hypoxemia) can lead to sudden death from an irregular heartbeat.

• Type 2 diabetes. Having sleep apnoea increases your risk of devel­oping insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

• Metabolic syndrome. This disorder, which includes high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol lev­els, high blood sugar and an increased waist circumference, is linked to a higher risk of heart disease

• Liver & kidney problems

• Sleep-deprived room or house mates

• Complications during surgery and also with some medication

Lifestyle Modifications that may help

• Lose excess fat. Even a slight weight loss might help relieve constriction of your throat. In some cases, sleep apnea can resolve if you return to a healthy weight, but it can recur if you regain weight.

• Exercise. Regular exercise can help ease the symptoms of ob­structive sleep apnea even without weight loss.

• Avoid alcohol and certain medicines such as tranquilisers and sleeping pills. These relax the mus­cles in the back of your throat, inter­fering with breathing.

• Sleep on your side or abdo­men rather than on your back. Sleep­ing on your belly has many posture related challenges but we may adopt that briefly as we work on definitive treatment.

• Don’t smoke.

Diagnosis and Treatment

There is help so if you think you may have sleep apnoea do not hesi­tate to speak to your doctor.

A few questions, examination and Sleep Studies and a diagnoses may be reached and the appropriate treat­ment, advice or support systems put in place.

Yes, the options vary from just lifestyle modifications to the famous CPAP, implants and even surgery BUT do seek help, not only will you feel brand-new when the condition is resolved, you may be saving relation­ships.

……definitely not all snoring is cre­ated equal. Find out about yours.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sug­ar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)

*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week (1) – “I am hard pressed to choose the greatest legal performance enhancing drug. Is it good quality Sleep or Exercise?”

References:

1. www.mayoclinic.org

2. Team at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Sleep Center

• Snoring is not only harmful to our physical health but it affects all 6 pillars of wellness especially social wellness.

By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel