STROKE PART 1 by Dr. Chin Akano

STROKE Part 1

Today we shall be discussing a very serious medical condition known as stroke. Like we already know stroke is a major killer and one of the major causes of disability in the population.

What is stroke?

Stroke is that medical emergency used to be known as a Cerebro-Vascular accident (CVA) . The term CVA has now being dropped for STROKE. Stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain or part of the brain is restricted or cut off . Like all organs, the brain needs oxygen and nutrients provided by blood to function properly and when the blood supply is compromised the brain cells begin to die eventually leading to brain damage and eventually brain death if the compromise is not arrested. The brain tissue ceases to function if deprived of oxygen for more than 60 to 90 seconds and after approximately three hours it will suffer irreversible injury possibly leading to death of the tissue. This death of the tissue is known as infarction.

If a blood vessel supplying blood and oxygen to the brain is blocked , for example by a blood clot preventing any blood reaching a part of the brain a stroke will occur. This type of stroke is known as ischaemic stroke and this constitutes more than 80% of all cases of stroke. There is also the other type of stoke which constitutes about 20% of all cases of stroke which occurs when a blood vessel is damaged and blood leaks out into the brain tissue. This is known as the haemorrhagic stroke

There are other important facts about stroke that i want us to be aware of as follows:

Prompt treatment is crucial and essential

The sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen.

Stroke is currently the second leading cause of death in the western world ranking after heart disease

It causes 10% of deaths worldwide.

Evidence shows that stroke will soon become the commonest cause of death worldwide

It is the greatest single cause of severe disability in most countries of the world
Anybody can suffer a stroke irrespective of age, sex or race

The incidence of stroke increases rapidly from 30 years of age
95% of strokes occur in people age 45 and older
Two-thirds of strokes occur in those over the age of 65
A person's risk of dying if he or she does have a stroke also increases with age.
if you have a first-degree relative who had a stroke at an early age (under 50) you're at higher risk
Having had a stroke in the past greatly increases one's risk of future strokes.
Men are 25% more likely to suffer strokes than women
60% of deaths from stroke occur in women.
The risk of stroke is higher in Africans, Carribeans and Asians


Moving forward, let us look at who is at risk of developing stroke.

* Those suffering from blood pressure (hypertension) are more liable to developing stroke. Infact hypertension causes about 35-50% cases of strokes
* Smokers are also at increased risk of developing stroke
* Those suffering from Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes) have 2-3 fold increased risk of stroke.
* Those whose cholesterol level is high has a two fold risk of developing stroke.
* Those who have problem with their heart rhythm problem known as Atrial Fibrillation (AF) have a very high risk of developing stroke
* Those suffering from Sickle cell disease also have are at risk of developing stroke. About 10-15% of children with this disease suffer stroke.
* childbirth also puts women at risk of developing stroke
*Menopause also puts women at risk of developing stroke, the risk is increased in those on hormonal replacement therapy (HRT)
* Those who have suffered a previous stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) are also more liable to developing stroke
* Old Age-- The older one gets the more liable he/she is to developing stroke.

How can stroke be recognised? By this i mean the signs and symptoms of stroke.
The functions of the different parts of the body are controlled by different parts of the brain, so the symptoms vary depending on

* The part of the brain affected
* The size of the brain affected
* Duration in which the brain part is starved of oxygen and blood.

To be continued……

Thanks for reading

Dr Chin Akano

M.I, DJ JIMMY JATT LIVE IN UMUAHIA, ABIA STATE.

Today, June 8th witnesses another great feat in Abia Entertainment sector as M.I (Mr Incredible), African no 1 DJ, Jimmy Jatt, Don Lulu, Hon. Eric Nwadinobi( S.A Diaspora Affairs,Ben Tv video), Question Mark Entertainment, Lagos, Alozie Alonze of Silver Bird's most beautiful girl & several upcoming artistes like, Eagle Badge etc thrill Abians to a night of fun. In the media stables, we have Sound City, Ben TV London.
It can be recalled that the Nation was recently thrown into mourning and something of this nature is welcome at least to brighten our faces, even in the face of mourning.

Abia's social life has come back to life. Abia Post was live to capture the event which not only is well attended, but successfully executed. All thanks to 2FLAME Entertainment, De Latinos Event Centre & night club and those who made this a reality. Once more, WELCOME TO ABIA STATE - LAND OF HOSPITALITY.

DEPRESSION PART 1 By Dr. Chin Akano

DEPRESSION PART 1

This series shall be looking at the most common psychiatric illness of our time, Depression. This illness is often so serious that a lot of people suffering from it have a lot of physical and psychiatric symptoms. This disease is also so important to talk about because it is the commonest cause of suicide worldwide. About 1 million people commit suicide every year so this disease is an epidemic. Apart from being the most common mental illness, depression is ranked as the fourth among all diseases by WHO.

In this part 1, i shall be explaining what depression is, the causes, the risk factors and the symptoms.

I will begin by asking us who we think can suffer from depression? is it the disease of only women, or the elderly? No, depression can affect men, women and adolescents and occasionally children. However it is commoner in women and those aged between 30 and 40 years followed by those aged between 50 and 60 years.

The next thing is to know what causes depression. Do we know how people become depressed? The answer is that the exact cause of depression is not known, however some experts believe that depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Though no one knows the exact cause, there are however some factors and conditions that make some people more liable to developing depression than others. These are known as the RISK FACTORS.

So what are these risk factors for depression?

▪ Loneliness

▪ Lack of social support

▪ Recent stressful life experiences like bereavement, rape, serious accidents,
redundancy etc

▪ Family history of depression

▪ Marital or relationship problems

▪ Financial strain

▪ Early childhood trauma or abuse

▪ Alcohol or drug abuse

▪ Unemployment or underemployment

▪ Health problems or chronic pain

▪ female gender

▪ past history of depression

▪ other mental health problems like dementia



What are the symptoms of depression?

I like to say at this point that feeling down from time to time is a normal part of life and is not classed as depression. This is just temporary blues. Similarly it is normal for one to be sad from time to time that is also not depression.

For someone to be depressed, emptiness and despair must take hold of the person and refuse to go away making it very difficult for them to function and enjoy like they once did.

Hobbies and friends don’t interest them like they used to; they are exhausted all the time; and just getting through the day can be overwhelming and tasking to them.

For one to be diagnosed with depression: there must be at least these 2 cardinal symptoms
* The person must have a low mood for most of the times for at least 2 weeks
* The person must loose interest in things he used to enjoy. This again must be for most of the times for at least 2 weeks.
These symptoms should have been present persistently for at least 2 weeks and must have caused clinically significant distress and impairment for one to be said to be clinically depressed. It is also important to mention that these above symptoms must not be due to physical or organic reasons.
In addition to the above 2 cardinal symptoms, depressed patients may experience some or all of the following symptoms:
* Feeling tired so easily
* Appetite problems usually poor appetite but sometimes over eating
* Loss of concentration
* Loss of libido
* Erectile dysfunction in men
* sleep problems usually disturbed sleep. The classical pattern is early morning wakefulness where the patient wakes up quite early in the morning after struggling to fall asleep and then staying awake till morning. However some depressed patients may also suffer from over sleeping (hypersomnia)

* feeling hopeless
* feeling helpless
* Some may be agitated while others may become so slow and sluggish
* Some are unable to control their negative thoughts, no matter how much they try
*Some are quite irritable, short-tempered or more aggressive than usual
* Some drink more alcohol than normal and often engage in reckless behaviour.
* Some believe that life is not worth living
* Having a lot of physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.
▪ * Having very strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt criticizing themselves for perceived faults and mistakes.

* Some feel so miserable and sad

*some feel as if even the smallest tasks are sometimes impossible.

▪ *Some don't want to see people or are scared to be left alone. Social activity may feel hard or impossible.

▪ *Some find it difficult to think clearly.

▪ *Some feel that they are a burden to others.

▪ *Some indulge in self harm

▪ * Some take their lives (Completed suicide)


▪ Some signs that can tell you that one is depressed:

* Looking sad

* Unkempt

* dishevelled

* Always blaming themselves

* feeling that they are the worst

* Always lacking confidence

* avoiding eye contacts

* Talks in low tone and frequency

* Slow movements

* drinking a lot of alcohol to feel better

* Not sleeping at night or sleeping a lot

* Always tired

* isolating themselves

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming your way shortly

Thanks

WELCOME TO ISUIKWUATO

After thorough searches online for literatures on Isiukwuato, nothing much was written about them or their culture except this:

"Isuikwuato is a local government area in Abia State in southeastern Nigeria. It has an estimated population of over 50,000 people. Isuikwuato contains many natural resources like Iron ore, Kaolin etc. Oil lines flow throw Isuikwuato and there have been cases of burst pipe which have had severe effects on the local economy and environment. The major cash crops are palm oil and cassava. Isuikwuato is also home to Abia State University Uturu.
Isiukwuato people are predominantly Christians. Catholic, Anglicans, Presbyterians and Methodists dominate other denominations but others such as Assemblies of God has made inroad into the place. The Isuikwuato Christian Organisation (ISUCCO) has helped to evangelise the communities.
Lambert Ndukwe, who was one of the richest men in Nigeria in 1950's, known for stock fish importation from Norway and cotton exportation to Europe is from Isuikwuato"

Abia Post announces it's scheduled first physical meeting with Abia Senior Citizen. With the cooperation of our dear brother, Oforegbu Mike, we've concluded arrangements to interview our first ever Abia Senior Citizen, from Isuikwuato.

Knowing Isuikwuato for what it represents and having birthed notable personalities, we decided to visit the senior citizens themselves who we believe have much cultural information in their archive. It promises to be a worthwhile visit. Note that (ASCI) Abia Senior Citizens Interview, will be conducted across each LGA of Abia State.

We are still collating information on Abia Senior Citizens. Let us know who yours are. Email details to us @ abiapost@gmail.com.

Stay tuned for our first ever ASCI coiming your way soon.