Tag: Imara Mediplus

8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHOLERA!

WHAT IS CHOLERA? 

  • It is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated even to previously healthy people.

WHAT ARE ITS CAUSES?

  • It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae.
  • The bacteria are usually found in food or water contaminated by feces from a person with the infection.

HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?

  • When a person consumes the contaminated food or water, the bacteria release a toxin in the intestines that produces severe diarrhea.
  • Therefore, it is highly unlikely that you will catch cholera just from casual contact with an infected person.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

  • Symptoms of cholera can begin as soon as a few hours or as long as five days after infection and are as follows;
  1. severe watery diarrhea.
  2. Nausea and vomiting.
  3. Dehydration which may lead to a rapid loss of minerals in your blood (electrolytes) that maintain the balance of fluids in your body. This is called an electrolyte imbalance.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF DEHYDRATION? 

  1. Rapid heart rate
  2. Loss of skin elasticity (the ability to return to original position quickly if pinched)
  3. Dry mucous membranes, including the inside of the mouth, throat, nose, and eyelids
  4. Low blood pressure
  5. Thirst
  6. Muscle cramps

If left untreated, dehydration can lead to shock and death in a matter of hours

HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?

  • Although the symptoms are unmistakable, it is advisable to perform a cholera Antigen test that is later confirmed by a stool culture test

HOW CAN IT BE PREVENTED?

  • Yes, through vaccination that lasts for up to five years and observance of clean hygienic procedures.

 

HOW IS IT TREATED?

  • Cholera is highly treatable, but because dehydration can happen quickly, it’s important to get cholera treatment right away.
  • Hydration is the mainstay of treatment for cholera. Depending on how severe the diarrhea is, treatment will consist of oral or intravenous solutions to replace lost fluids.
  • Antibiotics, which kill the bacteria, are not part of emergency treatment for mild cases. But they can reduce the duration of diarrhea by half and also reduce the excretion of the bacteria, thus helping to prevent the spread of the disease.

 

Author:

Sal Mukinda, Lab Superintendent, IMH

References:

  1. The incubation period of cholera: a systematic review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23201968 Azman AS, Rudolph KE, Cummings DA, Lessler J. J Infect. 2013;66(5):432-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2012.11.013. PubMed PMID: 23201968; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3677557.
  2. Cholera Annual Report 2017 http://www.who.int/wer/2018/wer9338/en/
    Weekly Epidemiological Record 21 September 2018, Vol 93, 38 (pp 489-500).
  3. Debasish S, LaRocque RC. Cholera and Other Vibrios. In: McGill, A; Ryan, E; Hill, D; Solomon, T, eds. Hunter’s Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases. 9thed. New York: Saunders Elsevier; 2013: 448-453.
  4. David A Sack, Mohammed Ali. Protection from killed oral cholera vaccine continues for 4 years. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30311-5/fulltext

 

ARE YOU EATING UNHEALTHY? TIPS ON WHAT TO AVOID

healthy lifestyle - food and fitness props

There are only 2 types of foods you should never eat: one that’s rotten or one that’s stolen. With the growing body of knowledge supporting the connection between diet and overall health, many consumers are taking personal health and nutrition decisions into their own hands. Every week you can find promotions on a new diet for radical weight loss or a social media food scare about particular foods being dangerous. However, the bulk of our information is supplied from unverified sources such as blogs, office chats, and even friends and family. This has created opportunities for misinformation and “health fraud”. If you are caught in a whirlwind of mixed nutritional messages, you are not alone.  Unfortunately, sensational headlines increase the nutrition hype surrounding wacky food trends and create food confusion. We have an endless list of such trends; Today’s celebrity culture continues to promote myths such as, “sugar causes diabetes;” or “wheat is bad for your health”.

 

Fad diets are unusual, and often unsustainable. They promote eating patterns with short-term benefits, but may have serious long-term effects on one’s overall health. These diets are often trendy and may be popular for short periods of time. Fad diets have no scientific basis, and promote ideas that consuming (or not consuming) certain food items, vitamin and mineral supplements, and combinations of certain foods, will help one lose weight or preventnutrition-1/cure a disease. Examples include the “detox diets”.

 

Each person has a unique relationship between food and their body type. Science tells us that obesity is a complex condition influenced by genetics, food choices, portion sizes, personality traits, physical activity and sometimes a disease process or other physical ailment. Yet there are those eager to simplify this complex condition and blame a particular food as the sole cause. A visit to a qualified clinical nutritionist/dietician will unearth All the fads and myths. They will educate you on strategies that empower true, long-term behavioral changes and encourage you to make your own nutrition decisions based on your body type and scientific fact.

 

To help guide your daily food choices & lead a healthier life it is imperative for one to have a meal plan. A meal plan should take care of both your calorie needs as well as nutritional requirements. It’s the easiest & healthiest way to know what to eat, when to eat it and even occasionally when to eat those “unhealthy” foods such as bacon, juicy burgers or even chips. An experienced nutritionist will compose an individualized meal plan for you.

 

nutrition-3At Imara our team provides this service. Contact us on 0722353250 to set up an appointment with our nutritionist. You will not only get a meal plan, but also receive a lifestyle transformation coaching experience that may change your view on health and lifestyle.

 

“TRICKS” to finding breast cancer early.

Being Cancer month we have taken it upon ourselves at Imara Mediplus to give at least 15 free health talks to groups and organizations in Embu town. So far, we have given over 10 talks in the month of October.

Our talks revolve around easy tips & tricks you can use to help discover cancer early. Here are some of the tips and tricks you can use to detect early warning signs of breast cancer:
1. Feel for breast lumps. This may be the earliest sign. Do a breast exam both lying down and standing.
2. Check for any nipple discharge. Any breast discharge other than milk in a breast feeding mother is not normal.
3. Breast pain. Breasts should not be painful.
4. Skin changes. This include: color change, hardening of the skin, wounds on the skin etc.

If you discover any of the above. Please seek medical advice as soon as possible. It could just save your life.

Breast cancer awareness: self check
Breast cancer awareness: self check

Our team over at Imara Mediplus explained these tricks and tips to early detection of Breast Cancer during one of our open sessions at SMEP EMBU earlier this week. During the session, the team led by Dr. Mureithi also covered tips to early detection of other types of cancer. Please contact our marketing manager( Mr. Maina-‭0708 347 062‬) if you would like us, Imara Mediplus, to give your organization or group a free health talk.

Highlights from the forum:

Dr. Mureithi speaking to the SMEP staff
Dr. Mureithi speaking to the SMEP staff
Some of the SMEP staff members during the talk
Some of the SMEP staff members during the talk