As We Go

As we journey through life, we face different challenges. For some, we come out smiling and others, not so much smiles. Well, that’s the beauty of life in itself. Although,  we want to win every time, we might end up winning some and at other times, losing. For some, the loss can be so devastating. However, we cannot undo what has already happened. We can only draw strength and lessons from the previous and forge ahead, but this time, with more tact and courage.

''all our dreams can come through if we have the courage to pursue them'' ¬¬Walt Disney

As we enter into 2019 and beyond, it is always good to carry out personal reflection and evaluation of everything that has happened. Remember , only you can truly tell what happened. So, I urge you to be honest during this practice. The worst thing you can do to yourself is self-deceit. Practice personal evaluation and reflection in all honesty, taking notes of the great things you accomplished (no matter how small that might seem) and the not so great things. Look out for what went wrong and how you can improve on it next time.

''Introspection is the opposite of self-rejection. The loving gaze we grant ourselves will free us and lift everyone. It can be painful sometimes, though, when we start looking within for creative solutions to our problems. Shining the light on the disowned parts of our shadow is not easy, but there are no short cuts to any place worth going''¬¬Anonymous

As we go forward, I urge everyone to plan adequately. Have a clear sense of purpose. In doing this, it is important to make notes. Carefully transferring your thoughts into words can make all the difference. It can help you concentrate, channel your energy and properly streamline your actions to achieve your goals. Remember to always start with WHY: the reason behind everything you want to achieve. Once you figure out the WHY, go ahead with your plans and be courageous enough to execute all that you have planned.

''By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail'' ¬¬ Benjamin Franklin

As we go forward, let us be responsible. There is no one that can pilot the affairs of your life like you can. Take charge of your life. Be responsible for your health. Eat well and exercise. Be fit! If you want happiness, be nice to the people around you and to yourself. Remember to love your neighbour as you love yourself. Be honest and sincere in your relationships. Again, ''When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us''¬¬ Helen Keller

You can dream again this 2019. Learn a new skill. Improve on yourself and your skill sets. Travel on vacation. Meet new people. Be happy. You are solely responsible for your life.

''You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself ''¬¬Jim Rohn

As we go forward, be original. Do not be fooled by social media trends. Be original . Be true to yourself. Work within your budget. Avoid any form of financial pressures. Again, be original!

Remember, '' Real transformation requires real honesty. If you want to move forward, get real with yourself ''¬¬Bryant Mcgill

Hey, happy 2019. Have a blessed fulfilled year ahead . 

Cheers 

xoxo

Love you

Worm Infections

Intestinal Worms

The message is not so much that the worms will inherit the Earth, but that all things play a role in nature, even the lowly worm (Gary Larson)

Introduction

Intestinal worms, also known as parasitic worms, are one of the main types of intestinal parasites. Common types of intestinal worms include:

·         Flatworms, which include tapeworms and flukes.

·         Roundworms, which cause ascariasis, pinworm, and hookworm infections.

Tapeworm

You can get a tapeworm (which is a type of flatworm), by drinking water contaminated with tapeworm eggs or larvae. Raw or undercooked meat is another way tapeworms can find their way into people. Tapeworms embed their heads into the intestinal wall and remain there. From there, certain types of tapeworms can produce eggs that mature into larvae that migrate to other parts of the body.

A tapeworm looks like a long, white ribbon. They can grow up to 80 feet long and live in a human for up to 30 years.

Flukes

Flukes are a type of flatworm. People are less likely than animals to contract flukes. Raw watercress and other freshwater plants are the main sources of flukes in humans.

You can also get them when you drink contaminated water. They make their home in your intestines, blood, or tissues. There are many varieties of flukes. None reach more than a few inches in length.

Hookworms

Hookworms are transmitted through faeces and contaminated soil. The most common way to make contact with this type of roundworm is to walk barefoot on soil infested with hookworm larvae. They can pierce through the skin.

Hookworms live in the small intestine, where they attach themselves to the intestinal wall with a “hook.” They’re usually less than half an inch long.

Pinworms (threadworms)

Pinworms are tiny, fairly harmless worms. They’re more common in children. These roundworms, when fully matured, live in the colon and rectum. The female lays eggs around the anus, usually during the night. The eggs can survive on bedding, clothing, and other materials. People contract them when they touch the eggs and end up putting them in their mouths. The eggs are so small you can even breathe them in if they become airborne. They’re easily passed among children and caregivers or in institutions. Although pinworm infections are usually harmless and easily treatable, there have been less common cases of pinworms in the appendix that, when present, are usually in children and rarely in adults. 

Trichinosis worms

Trichinosis roundworms are passed among animals. The most common way humans get trichinosis is by eating undercooked meat that contains the larvae. The larvae mature in your intestines. As they reproduce, those larvae can travel outside the intestines into muscle and other tissue.

                              Some Pictures of worm infections in humans 

Symptoms

Common symptoms of intestinal worms are:

·         abdominal pain

·         diarrhoea, nausea, or vomiting

·         gas/bloating

·         fatigue

·         unexplained weight loss

·         abdominal pain or tenderness

·         A person with intestinal worms may also experience dysentery.

·         Intestinal worms can also cause a rash or itching around the rectum or vulva.

N/B: Some people may have intestinal worms for years without experiencing any symptoms.

Causes

One way to become infected with intestinal worms is eating under-cooked meat from an infected animal, such as a cow, pig, or fish. Other possible causes leading to intestinal worm infection include:

·         consumption of contaminated water

·         consumption of contaminated soil

·         contact with contaminated faeces

·         poor sanitation

·         poor hygiene

Roundworms are typically transmitted through contact with contaminated soil and faeces.

Once you’ve consumed the contaminated substance, the parasite travels into your intestine. Then they reproduce and grow in the intestine. Once they reproduce and become larger in amount and size, symptoms may appear.

Prevention

To prevent intestinal worms, regularly wash your hands with soap and hot water before and after using the toilet and before preparing or eating foods.

You should also practice food safety:

·        avoid raw fish and meat

·        thoroughly cook meat to temperatures of at least 145°F (62.8°C) for whole cuts of meat and 160°F (71°C) for ground meat and poultry

·        let cooked meat rest for three minutes before carving or consuming

·        freeze fish or meat to –4°F (–20°C) for at least 24 hours

·        wash, peel, or cook all raw fruits and vegetables

·        wash or reheat any food that falls on the floor

·        cook fruits and vegetables with boiled or purified water before eating

·        avoid contact with soil that may be contaminated with human faeces

Diagnosis

·        You should make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor may then carry out an examination of your stool. It may take several stool samples to confirm the parasite’s presence.

·        Your doctor may carry out a blood test to look for antibodies your body produces when it’s infected with a parasite. Additionally, your doctor may take an X-ray or use imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) depending on the extent or location(s) of disease suspected.

·        Your treatment plan will be determined based on the type of intestinal worm you have and your symptoms.

Tapeworm infections are usually treated with an oral medication, such as praziquantel (Biltricide).

Common treatments for a roundworm infection include mebendazole  and albendazole.

In all cases, please consult your doctor for proper examination and treatment.

Good health and well-being is of utmost importance.

Season’s Greetings

From Gpland

Staphylococcus: Friend or Foe ?

Staphylococcus aureus is not considered a sexually transmitted infection but at the same time, it is something that is passed from skin to skin contact.#

Introduction

Staphylococcus aureus is present in the nose (usually temporarily) of about 30% of healthy adults and on the skin of about 20% mostly without it causing any problems. However, sometimes the bacteria get inside the body and cause infection. The percentages are higher for people who are patients in a hospital or who work there.

Staphylococcus aureus is the most dangerous of all of the many common staphylococcal bacteria. These gram-positive, sphere-shaped (coccal) bacteria often causes skin infections but can cause pneumonia, heart valve infections, and bone infections.

The bacteria can spread from person to person by direct contact, through contaminated objects (such as gym equipment, telephones, door knobs or elevator buttons), or, less often, by inhalation of infected droplets dispersed by sneezing or coughing.

Types of Staph Infections and Symptoms of Staph Infections

All staphylococcal skin infections are very contagious. Skin infections due to Staphylococcus aureus can include the following:

Ø Folliculitis is the least serious. A hair root (follicle) is infected, causing a slightly painful, tiny pimple at the base of a hair.

Ø Impetigo consists of shallow, fluid-filled blisters that rupture, leaving honey-coloured crusts. Impetigo may itch or hurt.

Ø Abscesses (boils or furuncles) are warm, painful collections of pus just below the skin.

Ø Cellulitis is infection of skin and the tissue just under it. Cellulitis spreads, causing pain and redness.

Ø Toxic epidermal necrolysis and, in newborns, scalded skin syndrome are serious infections. Both can lead to large-scale peeling of skin.

Ø Breast infections (mastitis), which may include cellulitis and abscesses, can develop 1 to 4 weeks after delivery. The area around the nipple is red and painful. Abscesses often release large numbers of bacteria into the mother’s milk. The bacteria may then infect the nursing infant.

Ø Pneumonia often causes a high fever, shortness of breath, and a cough with sputum that may be tinged with blood. Lung abscesses may develop. They sometimes enlarge and involve the membranes around the lungs and sometimes cause pus to collect (called an empyema). These problems make breathing even more difficult.

Ø Bloodstream infection is a common cause of death in people with severe burns. Symptoms typically include a persistent high fever and sometimes shock.

Ø Endocarditis can quickly damage heart valves, leading to heart failure (with difficulty breathing) and possibly death.

Ø Osteomyelitis causes chills, fever, and bone pain. The skin and soft tissues over the infected bone become red and swollen, and fluid may accumulate in nearby joints.

Diagnosis

Ø For skin infections, a doctor's evaluation.

Ø For other infections, culture of blood or infected body fluids.

Ø Staphylococcal skin infections are usually diagnosed based on their appearance.

Ø Other infections require samples of blood or infected fluids, which are sent to a laboratory to grow (culture), identify, and test the bacteria. Laboratory results confirm the diagnosis and determine which antibiotics can kill the staphylococci

Prevention

Ø People can help prevent the spread of these bacteria by always thoroughly washing their hands with soap and water or applying an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Ø Some doctors recommend applying the antibiotic mupirocin inside the nostrils to eliminate staphylococci from the nose. However, because overusing mupirocin can lead to mupirocin resistance, this antibiotic is used only when people are likely to get an infection. For example, it is given to people before certain operations or to people who live in a household in which the skin infection is spreading.

Ø If carriers of staphylococci need to have certain types of surgery, they are often treated with an antibiotic before the surgery.

Ø People with a staphylococcal skin infection should not handle food.

Ø In some health care facilities, people are routinely screened for MRSA when they are admitted. Some facilities screen only people who are at increased of getting an MRSA infection, such as those who are about to have certain operations. Screening involves testing a sample taken from the nose with a cotton swab. If MRSA are detected, people are isolated to prevent spread of the bacteria.

Treatment

Ø Antibiotics

Ø Sometimes surgical removal of infected bone and/or foreign material

Ø Infections due to Staphylococcus aureus are treated with antibiotics. Doctors try to determine whether the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics and, if so, to which antibiotics.

Ø Infection that is acquired in a hospital is treated with antibiotics that are effective against MRSA.

In all cases, always see a doctor to seek medical consent about staph infections or any other medical condition.

Remember, good health and well-being are of utmost importance! Stay healthy!

Love you

xoxo