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THE NATION THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2011
THE NATION
NATURAL HEALTH E-mail:- health@thenationonlineng.net
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease rampant in the wet season, yet preventable. A naturopath and Provost, Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine of Nigeria, Lagos, Dr Idowu Ogunkoya tells WALE ADEPOJU how to detect and cure it.
Fed Govt dissolves FEDCAM management
‘Nature can cure tuberculosis’
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UBERCULOSIS (TB) patients can now heave a sigh of relief. Natural healers have discovered some means of curing the infectious disease TB is a chronic or acute bacterial infection that primarily attacks the lungs, but which may also affect the kidneys, bones, lymph’s nodes, and brain. According to the Provost, Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Nigeria, Lagos, Dr Idowu Ogunkoya, the disease is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, a rod – shape bacterium. Ogunkoya said traditionalists also engage in diagnosis such as their orthodox counterparts, to identify the bacteria sputum (matter coughed up from the lungs) or other body fluids and tissues in conjunction with an abnormal chest as revealed by X-ray and the presence of TB symptoms. The Naturopath said TB can be treated using traditional ingredients to make preparation made from lizard known scientifically as agama-agama, and ako-alangba or alangba adaripon in Yoruba, or a concoction made of chameleon known as Oga in Yoruba which the patient would be taking as cure. Ogunkoya said the symptoms of the disease include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, chills
and fatigue. He said children and people with weakened immune systems are the most susceptible to TB. Half of all untreated TB cases are fatal. Ogunkoya said TB is transmitted from person to person, usually by inhaling bacteria – carrying air droplet. He said: “When a person sick with TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks, small particles that carry two to three bacteria surrounded by a layer of moisture are released into the air. When another person inhales these particles, the bacteria may lodge in that person’s lungs and multiply.” Ogunkoya said a less common way of transmission is through the skin, adding that experts such as pathologists and laboratory technicians who handle TB specimens
may contract the disease through skin wounds. TB has also been reported in people who have received tattoos and those who have been circumcised with unsterilised instruments, Ogunkoya added. He said a person may become infected with TB bacteria and not develop the disease. That is, if he or she has on immune system that could harbour the bacteria. Ogunkoya said: “In fact, only five to 10 per cent of those infected with TB actually become sick. If a person contracts the infection, the disease can develop in two stages: primary and secondary. “In primary TB, a person has become infected with the TB bacteria but often is not aware of it, since this stage of the disease does not produce noticeable symptoms. Pri-
‘TB can be treated using traditional ingredients to make preparation made from lizard known scientifically as agama-agama, and ako-alangba or alangba adaripon in Yoruba, or a concoction made of chameleon known as Oga in Yoruba which the patient would be taking as cure’
By Oyeyemi Gbenga-Mustapha
T • Ogunkoya
mary TB is not contagious in this early stage. Macrophages which are the immune cells that detect and destroy foreign matter, ingest the TB bacteria and transport them to the lymph nodes where they may be inhibited and destroyed, or they may multiply,” he said. He said active primary tuberculosis would develop if the bacteria multiply. In secondary TB, Ogunkoya said, the former dormant bacteria usually multiply and destroy tissue in the lungs. He said they might also spread to the rest of the body through the bloodstream. “Fluid or air may collect between the lungs and the lining of the lungs, while tubercles continue to develop in the lung, progressively destroying lung tissue. Coughing of blood or phlegm may occur. At this secondary stage, carriers of TB can infect others,” he said.
Sleeping positions that reduce back pain
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LEEPING on your side: Your usual sleep position — along with other factors, including your weight and your sex — can strain your back and contribute to development of back pain. Sleeping positions also affect existing back pain, either by letting you sleep comfortably or by making you wake up sore. Similarly, back pain is more likely to keep you awake when your sleeping posi-
tion provides no relief. The most common sleeping position is on your side, with your legs and hips aligned and flexed. Because this position leaves your upper leg unsupported, the top knee and thigh tend to slide forward and rest on the mattress, rotating the lower spine. This slight rotation may contribute to back or hip pain. To prevent that problem, place a pillow between your knees and
thighs. Sleeping on your back: If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back. You might try a small, rolled towel under the small of your back for additional support. Support your neck with a pillow. This position may be helpful if you have low back pain. Sleeping on your abdomen: Sleep-
ing on your abdomen can be hard on your back. If you can’t sleep any other way, reduce the strain on your back by placing a pillow under your pelvis and lower abdomen. Use a pillow under your head if it doesn’t place too much strain on your back. If it does cause strain, try sleeping without a pillow under your head. •Source: www.mayoclinic.com
HE Federal Ministry of Health has dissolved the management of the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine of Nigeria (FEDCAM). This was announced by the Ministry while constituting a Ministerial Committee to chart a new structure for the College for effective performance and ensure that the appropriate measures are put in place to reopen the establishment as soon as possible. The Committee set up is to be chaired by the Permanent Secretary, FMOH, Mr Linus Awute. The decision of the Ministry was as a result of the recommendations of a Committee earlier set up by the Federal Ministry of Health following the report of the closure by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in September 2010. The Ministry noted that the operations of the College have been found to be unsatisfactory. It will be recalled that in September 2010, the officials of the NUC visited the College located in Utako, Abuja and stopped the operations of the College on the grounds that it was not approved by NUC and as such, declared it an illegal institution to award degrees.
How long can you safely keep leftovers
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OU should eat refrigerated leftovers within four days to reduce the risk of food poisoning. If you don’t anticipate being able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them immediately. Food poisoning — also called foodborne illness — causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Food poisoning is caused by harmful organisms such as bacteria in contaminated food. Because bacteria typically don’t change the taste, smell or appearance of food, you can’t tell whether a food is dangerous to eat. So if you’re in doubt about a food’s safety, it’s best to throw it out. Fortunately, most cases of food poisoning can be prevented with proper food handling. To practice food safety, quickly refrigerate perishable foods such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs — don’t let them sit more than two hours at typical room temperature or more than one hour at temperatures above 90 F (32 C). Uncooked foods, such as cold salads or sandwiches, also should be eaten or refrigerated promptly. Your goal is to minimise the time a food is in the “danger zone” — between 40 F (4 C) and 140 F (60 C) — when bacteria can quickly multiply.