Innovations for Health

There is great power in understanding who you are. All that you need is already on the inside of you.

🌍

S. Dennis Nyanzi - Five Feet Apart
One of the best movies I have watched! Chilling yet harmonious. I loved to watch how the couple always practiced the distancing but still reserved a sentiment for each other.

Today is not one of those days where we are talking about movies. We are talking about the cystic fibrosis which those 2 chaps had.

What is cystic fibrosis?😕
A common grave genetic disease that affects the exocrine glands and is characterized by the production of abnormal secretions, leading to mucus buildup that impairs the pancreas and, secondarily, the intestine. Mucus buildup in lungs can impair respiration.

Can someone succumb to it? 😕
Without treatment, CF results in death for 95 percent of affected children before age 5; however, a few long-lived CF patients have survived past age 60. Early diagnosis
is of great importance.

How is it treated?😕
Treatment includes physical therapy to loosen the mucus in the lungs and use of pancreatic enzymes and medications to fight dangerous infections of the lungs.

How common is it?😕
One in 400 couples is at risk for having children with CF. CF is a recessive trait, so the chance of an at-risk couple having a child with CF is 25 percent with each pregnancy. CF is caused by mutations in the CFTR (cystic fibrosis conductance regulator) gene, which is located on chromosome 7.

Choose your partner wisely. Bye

Agatha K. - MA********ON

Let’s talk about self-pleasure.
Yes I mean ma********on, self-gratification, wanking, onanism et cetera. Everyone deserves fireworks, an explosion, an or**sm or at the very least feel s*xual fulfilment.

This is the era of self-love and s*xual awakening. So why aren’t you loving yourself, making yourself happy? All the judgement, something about s*x with demons and going blind. Laughable.

Ma********ng won't make you blind, crazy, or stupid. It won’t damage your ge****ls, cause pimples, or stunt your growth. It doesn’t use up all your or**sms or ruin other kinds of s*x. Having an or**sm releases endorphins - feel good chemicals in your brain much like s*x, exercise (so I’ve heard), eating and so many other things.

Giving yourself pleasure:
📍Alleviates stress and tension
📍Clears your mind and help you concentrate because a constantly aroused mind is as useful as a chocolate tea pot. You can get things done but when it clears you see how much better you could have done them…so maybe a toffee teapot
📍Improve libido and s*xual experiences (can you imagine how much better s*x would be if your partner knew exactly what you wanted and not because they are a s*x guru but because you know what you want and you are able to guide them because you explored)
📍Orgasms can be a natural painkiller and can even help with period cramps in the case of women. (I am not telling you to ma******te during your period ladies)
📍You sleep better

To be fair though, as with everything good in this world, there are some bad things. For ma********on it is addiction. Once you get past the crippling judgement, both yours and the fear of others’, it is easy to slip into a toxic routine.

As with all good things that are bad in large doses, remember to exercise self-restraint.

The writer is a student of medicine (UCU School of Medicine).

Terry Kemigisa -Dimples
Did you know that dimples are a genetic abnormality? These symbols of beauty are a genetically transmitted abnormality of a muscle in the cheek. Unlike most known genetic abnormalities, dimples are harmless. People with cheek dimples have a facial muscle known as double or bifid zygomaticus major muscle which abnormally divides into two. When a person with this muscle smiles, the dimple becomes more visible.
Having parents that both have dimples does not guarantee that all the children will have them too. Dimples are controlled by a single gene, but also influenced by other genes. This could explain why only 20-30% of the human population have dimples which makes them rare.
Society has associated dimples with youthfulness and beauty. Dimples are so appealing that a medical procedure known as dimpleplasty exists today. A plastic surgeon carries out a minimally invasive surgery to create a scar in your cheek muscle that will appear as a dimple. There are no external scars because sutures are stitched inside the mouth.
Not all dimples are found on the cheek. There are chin dimples which are Y-shaped dimple in the middle of the lower jaw. People with this dimple are said to have a cleft chin. The rarest type of dimple is the unilateral cheek dimple where a person has a dimple on one cheek only. Dimples can also occur in other parts of the body. The most common is the bilateral back dimples.
Dimples occurring out of nowhere could be a sign of an infection or an underlying medical problem, so you are advised to see your doctor.
The writer is student of medicine .

Agaba Marvin - FATIGUE /Tiredness

Unlike machines, we humans do get tired and fatigued occasionally and it is normal. Tiredness or Fatigue in this case means a state of being weak, exhausted either mentally or physically or even both. A case where you find yourself getting fatigued quite often then medical aid should be sought.

A number of things can cause fatigue, they could be physical such as anemia, hypothyroidism, diabetes. They could also be mental such as stress which is a formidable and most known cause. It could also be life style related such as too much exercise, drinking too much alcohol.

All these drive us to how this can be solved, if it is physical a number of medical tests can be done to identify the cause but in case of a mental cause such a stress, the stressor has to be identified and solved with the aid of a psychologist. Life style needs to also be adjusted in order to reduce tiredness.

Please note that incase of persistence. A medical checkup should be immediately taken.

The writer is a student of Medical Lab Science at Mbarara University of Health Sciences.

My W**d Story

Today, I get to share a very sensitive story about my life, My drug addiction. Like they say, the first joint is the best, yes it is and I can atest to that.

3 years ago, I attended a house party which I didn't know I would still remember given the fact that I have attended quite many. When I arrived, I had my friends telling how fun joints were. I didn't even know that a w**d pipe was called a joint. On this same night, I also learned that a collection of w**d is called a stash. Those who smoked sh**ha had their own called a pot.

I was given one joint and out of curiosity, I asked for another because the initial seemed not to be getting the work done. Before, I knew it, I was in the skies😂. For a moment, I felt like I had no problem with life, everything was just okay. The doctors call it euphoria. I was euphoric.

I got in touch with a w**d distributor (w**d guy) who always brought my stash weekly. For all the time I have taken w**d, it's been that yearn for the euphoric feeling that gives me the drive. I have reached a point where I can take more than 10 joints a day and I still act normal/ not high. My counselor told me that this condition is called tolerance.

I go to one of the best universities in Uganda, I'm popular and many of you who are reading this might have talked/interacted with me in a way or the other.

I'm currently undergoing REHAB (which is so expensive) and I hope to get back to the person I was. However, to cut the story short. If you still have a chance, don't try W**d, don't try drug abuse.

The writer asked to remain anonymous for obvious reasons.

Faith Ayebare - Swallowing gum.

Ever wondered what happens when you swallow chewing gum?

When I was a little girl, I disliked attending classes on some days and my dad always had to trick and convince me with a pack of chewing gum. Every time he handed me a pack of chewing gum, he warned me not to swallow it. Chewing gum in classes was always prohibited by most teachers and every time I got caught, I always swallowed the gum.

One day my mum caught me swallowing gum. She was very furious about it and gave me a lecture about what would happen if I continued swallowing gum. She mentioned that gum would stay in my tummy forever, I would get many health complications like ulcers, and would eventually die. I was definitely horrified by these claims and made a promise to myself that I would never swallow chewing gum.

Chewing gum is a habit most people have and many have been told that swallowing gum is not healthy. Over the years, I have accidentally swallowed gum and every time this has happened, I have always been curious if my mum’s claims were true.

What actually happens if you swallow gum and is it true one could have devastating health complications? To verify these claims and assumptions we definitely have to look at the ingredients in chewing gum and what happens once this gum is ingested.

Gum has artificial sugars or sweeteners, flavors, colors, softening agents that give it texture, and a gum base. Some ingredients such as the sugar can be broken down and absorbed by the body, however the gum base cannot be broken down hence it is indigestible.

When gum is swallowed it runs down the esophagus into the stomach and then to the intestine. Usually, any components of gum that are digestible are absorbed in the digestive system and the indigestible ones such as the gum base are expelled by the body as waste. Therefore, gum does not stay in your stomach forever but is definitely eliminated after one or two days.

Although swallowing gum will not send you to a doctor or the ER (emergency room), it can have some devastating health implications on your digestive system. Swallowing large amounts of gum, can lead to the gum piling up in the digestive system, hence leading to constipation and obstruction (which may require surgery in some cases). In other scenarios, swallowing tons of gum can lead to obstruction if it is encapsuled around a foreign object in one’s digestive system such as metal, coin, tiny batteries or stone (most especially in kids).

Additionally, sugar free gum contains sorbitol a sweetener that has laxative properties, ingesting sorbitol in large amounts can result in bowel problems, abdominal pain, and chronic diarrhea. Swallowing gum accidentally will not cause adverse health effects, however this should not become a habit.

The writer is a student of medicine at (UCU School of Medicine)

Constance Alituha - Vaginal Swelling

An infection or problem in the private parts is the worst night mare to anyone.

Bartholin’s cysts occur in women. Usually in women between puberty and menopause. They are more common between ages 20-29. About 2% of women develop Batholin’s cysts in their lifetime.

Bartholin’s glands are located on each side of the va**nal opening (l***a region). They secrete fluid that helps in lubrication of the va**na usually in s*xual in*******se. The openings of these glands can get obstructed causing fluid to stagnate inside the gland. This causes a relatively painless swelling (a little pain) called a bartholin’s cyst.

If the fluid inside the cyst gets infected, there is collection of pus surrounded by inflamed (inflammation involves pain) tissue. This is also known as Batholin’s abscess.
At first, the cyst may be small and non-infected, it grows slowly then someone may feel a mass near the va**nal opening. The cyst is a bit tender.
A full-blown infection can occur in a matter of days.

The person will experience the following;
▪️Fever
▪️Painful lump near va**nal opening
▪️Discomfort while walking or sitting
▪️Pain during in*******se

The cyst will typically occur on one side of the va**nal opening
For the first two days of a swelling around the va**nal opening, the person can do self-care by sitting in warm water with some salt. If the swelling persists, seek medical help.
If the woman is older than 40, such a lump may indicate a more serious underlying problem, such as cancer

The Bartholin’s cyst is caused by infection (Urinary Tract Infections or Sexually Transmitted Infections) or injury.

The problem with the swellings is that they can occur again even after treatment.
There is no way to prevent a Bartholin’s cyst. All that can be done is proper hygiene, safer s*x practices especially use of condoms so as to prevent infections.

Prevention is always better than cure.

The writer is a student of medicine at UCU.

Akullu Patricia - Food Poisoning

Have you ever had any discomfort in your tummy? Or maybe faced challenges of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, chills and diarrhea for a few hours after a meal? Then you might be battling with Food Poisoning.

After this hectic festive season, this has so far been the commonest manifestations in the revelers.

On several occasions we eat and drink all kinds of stuff from different sources without any knowledge of how they have been produced and processed. One ends up taking poorly cooked and contaminated food stuff.

The contamination of the food is by various organisms like bacterial strains of Listeria, Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter, among many other viruses and parasites or their toxins. The integrity of food sanity can be compromised during production, storage and distribution.

Food poisoning can be resolved without medication. However, in severe cases whereby the condition lasts beyond 24-36 hours of vomiting and diarrhea, such victims of food poisoning require hospitalization.

Ensuring adequate hydration is the most important aspect of treatment. Since most medication for food poisoning contains antibacterial, frequent use of antibacterial poses resistance on the bacterial strains and this can cause susceptibility of the entire body to bacterial infection and sepsis.

High risk groups include older adults, pregnant women, infants, plus people with chronic diabetes, chronic liver disease or AIDs or receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer.

Food poisoning is especially serious and potentially life threatening for the above mentioned groups hence important they receive immediate medical attention when affected.

To avoid all this, we have to be cautious of what we consume. Wash our hands, utensils and food surfaces more often; keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods to avoid cross contamination; cook foods to a safe temperature; refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly; defrost food safely; throw it out when in doubt and try to avoid raw or undercooked food stuff.

Most of us fall victims of food poisoning as a result of the food stuffs we buy by the road side, restaurants or even home, so we have to be mindful. I’m not stopping you but telling you to be mindful of what you consume to avoid any scenarios of food poisoning.

The writer is a student of medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST).

Norah Nabbosa - COMA

"In a coma, you don't dream, you just hope that someone sits with you." ~ Conor Oberst

Across the globe, millions of people suffer from various things and sometimes where it is severe; they arrive in coma to hospitals. Being in a coma can be a life changing experience. Usually, people talk about strange/ scary visions they’ve had, while some could tell you of how they met their dead relatives and others felt nothing except emptiness and darkness.

What’s a coma anyway? What causes it? How do those who’ve been in such a position recover? What are some of the important lessons to learn here?

A coma is a prolonged state of unconsciousness. What distinguishes a coma from sleep is the fact that with a coma, a person is unable to wake up. It can happen as a result of a traumatic accident, a severe injury to the head that hurts the brain, seizures, infections involving the brain, brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen for too long, chemical imbalances (in the body from other illnesses) among other things.

General signs and symptoms of a coma include the following.
▪️Inability to voluntarily open the eyes
▪️A non-existent sleep-wake cycle
▪️Lack of response to physical (painful) or verbal stimuli
▪️Depressed brainstem reflexes, such as pupils not responding to light
▪️Irregular breathing among others. Once in such a condition, please seek medical advice.

Someone in a coma usually needs to be extremely cared for as this is a critical condition. In such a scenario, a person will need to take extra fluids rich in nutrients and any medicines needed to keep the body healthy. These are sometimes given through a tiny plastic tube inserted in a vein or through a feeding tube that brings fluids and nutrients directly to the stomach.

It can be very upsetting and frustrating for a person's family to see someone they love in a coma, and they may feel scared and helpless. But they can help take care of the person. Taking time to visit the hospital and read to, talk to, and even play music for the patient are important because it's possible that the person may be able to hear what's going on, even if he or she can't respond.

On TV, it seems like someone in a coma wakes up right away, looks around, and is able to think and talk normally. But in real life, this rarely happens. When coming out of a coma, a person probably will be confused and only slowly respond to what's going on. It will take time for the person to start feeling better.

Whether someone fully returns to normal after being in a coma depends on what caused the coma and how badly the brain may have been hurt. Sometimes people who come out of comas are just as they were before, they can remember what happened to them before the coma and can do everything they used to do.

The writer is a student of law at Uganda Christian University.

Bandese Chris - Inside the Mind of a Dancer.

So most of us must be familiar with a great feeling obtained from spending time out on the dance floor. Starting from the weddings and holiday parties to aerobic classes or even dance lessons.

Well turns out there is a scientific explanation behind the mood-boosting moves and that there are ways we can use dance to improve our mental health. The brain has been known to be one of the major causes of unhappiness, loneliness, depression, low self-esteem, et cetera. This is because it is responsible for maintaining or alleviating the above emotions.

Fortunately, there is a remedy, one of them being dance. Yes, I said it, dance. There is a study that was carried out by the Swedish on over 100 teenage girls who were struggling with issues like depression and anxiety. Half of the girls attended weekly dance lessons while the other half did not. The results showed that the girls who took the dance classes improved their mental health and reported a boost in their mood. These positive results lasted up to eight months after the classes had ended and this was proof enough to show that dance could contribute to the sustained new healthy habits.

Furthermore, dance has many more pluses, for example, it is the perfect balance between sport and creativity.
Not only does one get a great workout from a dance class but the further one progresses the stronger and clearer one’s moves get which is a boost to one’s confidence.
▪️Dance contributes to good mood, behavior and posture as your body becomes more aware and one tends to fall out of some vices like laziness and slouching.
▪️Dancing is great for bonding as a community of like-minded people is formed.
▪️Dance also boosts muscle strength and aerobic power.

Dancing builds up and provides a sense of satisfaction that can be called “euphoria. ” This can be referred to as a dramatic point during a dance routine where adrenaline and endorphins work together to create a sense of satisfaction.
In simple terms these can be referred to as “happy hormones”.

The writer is a student of Tourism Management at Guizhou Normal University, China

NANDY Tayou - BREAST CANCER

Cancer is a mass of tissues that forms in the body from cells that do not undergo normal cell death (apoptosis) and abnormally grow to invade the “healthy” cells or tissues in the body. It is also known as malignant tumor.

Signs of breast cancer include lumps, ni***es discharge, swollen lymph nodes and/or increase in size or change in shape of the breast(s).
About 75% of your breasts’ lymphatic fluid (extra cellular fluid that fight infections) drains into your axilla (armpit). This implies that in case of any cancerous tissues in the breast, they’re most likely to travel to your armpit through the lymphatic ducts of the breast. Hence it’d be wise enough to pay attention to the armpit as well.

For medical doctors to work together and elaborate best treatments, there’s a common way of describing how developed a cancer is by classifying it in stages. They’re mainly 5 stages of breast cancer. Stage 0 which is non invasive and the stages 1-4 which are utilized for invasive cancer. The higher the stage, the more invasive, aggressive the cancer is and the more agressive the treatment will have to be.

Females are more likely to develop breast cancer due to constant exposure of the breast cells to growth promoting effects of the female hormones; oestrogen and progesterone.
Although increasing age, obesity, radiation exposure, inherited genes that increase cancer risks, personal history of breast conditions are other factors that could cause cancer.
Breast cancer in males is rare. A man averagely has a very low chance of getting a breast cancer. It can be caused by the same risk factors as females but also exposure to oestrogen which could be due to liver or testicle diseases.

Breast cancer treatment is suggested by your medical doctor based on what stage you are at. Various treatments exist and the most common are; chemotherapy (drug treatment that kills fast growing cells), lumpectomy (surgical removal of a lump of breast tissue), mastectomy(surgical removal of the entire breast). As earlier mentioned, the higher the stage, the more severe or aggressive the treatment will have to be.

Breast cancer is different from breast tumor which are not invasive and is easier to be treated.

The survival rate of invasive breast cancer is about 85% and it’s higher for localized breast cancer. Ways by which you can reduce your risks of getting cancer is by limiting alcohol intake, not smoking, being physically active, breast feeding, limiting dose/duration of hormones therapy and avoiding exposure to radiation and environmental pollution.

The writer is a student of medicine (UCU School of Medicine)

Binge Watching - Esther Nabatanzi

It all starts with one episode, then two, fast forward it’s the entire season. This would have never been possible if technology hadn’t evolved. Services like Netflix, Amazon prime video and several others remain committed to making binge watching a profitable and convenient business.

Binge watching or marathon-watching as some like to refer to it casually, is a practice of watching multiple episodes of TV programs in rapid progression.

Binge watching offers an alternative to escape from pressure of everyday living, de-stress and generally feel good. Who doesn’t want to?

The good feeling is attributed to dopamine, an organic chemical synthesized by the brain and kidneys, which in turn gives the body that natural reward of pleasure that reinforces continued engagement in a particular activity. “ It’s actually not the show we are craving but rather the feeling of pleasure obtained from watching episode after episode.”

On the other hand, this has negative effects. Blue light emitted by screens interferes with the production of melatonin by the pineal gland, a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness in humans making it hard for one to sleep at night. Lack of sleep predisposes one to serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular disease thereby shortening our lifespan.

While binge watching may have become everyone's new way of passing time, here are some of the ways you can reduce it;
■Turn autoplay off your streaming services.
■Allow yourself a specific amount of viewing time and stick to it.
■Watch with other people. This can be a topic of conversation and connection. Social connections are good for one's mental health.
Be a responsible Binge watcher! Be mindful of your health!

The writer is a medical student at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, MUST.

Angella Nanteza - BOTCHED

“Plastic or cosmetic surgery is for those who are not confident enough about themselves. I love my body. I can’t go for something as hideous as that.” However, this might not be the case.

❓Did you know that having body image concerns is a relatively common experience and is not a mental health problem in and of itself? However, it can be a risk factor for mental health problems. Research has found that higher body dissatisfaction is associated with a poorer quality of life, psychological distress and the risk of unhealthy eating behaviors.

❓Why would anyone go for plastic surgery?
As mentioned above, people’s life journeys are different and it has been noticed that cosmetic procedures are on the upswing due to various reasons. Dr. Dennis Schimpf, author of “Finding beauty: Think, see and feel beautiful,” believes that we are all under constant scrutiny by ourselves mainly plus the people around us. He strongly believes that cell phones, selfies and social media platforms have greatly driven the desire for plastic surgery since people are infatuated with the idea of looking presentable or simply beautiful to themselves plus the people around them.

Dr. Schimpf also states that cosmetic procedures, both surgical and non- surgical, have become rather more affordable these days and plenty of financing options exist these days ranging from medical credit cards to personal loans to payment plans that have been offered by the doctor. Plastic surgery has also come along with numerous benefits such as more health benefits, more self- confidence, psychological benefits, a new approach and a start to a new life, to mention but a few.

However, not all that glitters is gold. There have been some complications that have been associated with plastic and cosmetic surgery and these include hematomas (collection of blood outside of one’s blood vessels due to injury of the blood vessels that might take place during the surgery), blood loss, nerve damage, organ damage, scarring, to mention but a few. After the procedure, it is not fully guaranteed that one will come out of the other end completely satisfied with what has been done.

Cosmetic and plastic surgeries can also go wrong. Mistakes can be made. The recovery process can last quite a long time and this means that one’s life will be put to a halt for a while until one is completely recovered. One is also put under a lot of pressure to choose the right surgeon.

❓Did you know that one can suffer from depression post-surgery? This normally happens when one is not satisfied with what has been done leading to more insecurities coming up.
If you find yourself cosmetically inclined or wanting to go for this particular procedure, ask yourself why you would want to do this and be honest with yourself. The goal is to make you or yourself feel better about yourself. Having a procedure done to impress someone else or to make someone else happy will never make you happy. Be realistic because plastic surgery is medicine not magic, get a reputable doctor and be specific about what you want.

With all of this, remember that beauty is not in the face, beauty is a light in the heart. The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express and beauty, like a lantern’s light, will shine outward from within. Do not rush to change YOURSELF. Be like me 😉😉😂.

The writer is a student of medicine (UCU School of Medicine) .

Isaac Basule - World AIDS Day

HIV vs AIDS
Many a time, the two acronyms (HIV & AIDS) are seen walking hand in hand. Today, a line will be drawn. What exactly is HIV? What exactly is AIDS? Where and how do these two rub shoulders?

HIV stands for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. This, like the name suggests is a micro-organism that infects human White Blood Cells with the effect of diminishing the body’s defences.

AIDS on the other hands denotes an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This syndrome happens when progressive dimunition of the bodily defences by the Virus paves way for other manifestations including "opportunistic infections." Opportunistic infections are those that commonly occur in a body whose immunity is compromised as is the case in HIV infection. There are 3 main stages of HIV infection: acute infection, clinical latency and AIDS. In other words, AIDS is an end-stage manifestation of HIV infection.

AIDS may be defined as the occurrence of specific diseases in association with an HIV infection OR in terms of a CD4+ T cell count below 200 cells per µL. The commonest initial conditions that point to the presence of AIDS include: pneumocystis pneumonia (40%), cachexia/HIV wasting syndrome (20%), esophageal candidiasis, and recurrent respiratory tract infections.

Additionally, people with AIDS have an increased risk of developing various viral-induced cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, Cervical cancer, and primary central nervous system lymphoma. Kaposi's sarcoma is the most common cancer (10% to 20% of people with HIV) . The second-most common cancer is lymphoma (3 to 4% of people with HIV) which is the cause of death of nearly 16% of people with AIDS.

Both these cancers are associated with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8). Cervical cancer occurs more frequently in those with AIDS because of its association with human papillomavirus (HPV). Conjunctival cancer (of the layer that lines the inner part of eyelids and the white part of the eye) is also more common in those with HIV.

People with AIDS also frequently have systemic symptoms such as prolonged fevers, night sweating, swollen lymph nodes, chills, weakness, and unintended weight loss. Diarrhoea is another common symptom, present in about 90% of people with AIDS. They can also be affected by diverse psychiatric and neurological symptoms independent of opportunistic infections and cancers.

The writer is a student of medicine (UCU School of Medicine).