To Reduce the risk of Food Poisoning, There's a Mobile App for That

USDA product helps consumers track expiration dates

There are apps for maps, restaurants and calorie-counting. Now, there's even one from the U.S. government for reducing your risk of food-borne illness.

The FoodKeeper -- free from the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- is available for Apple and Android devices. It enables users to set up automatic notifications when foods and beverages are nearing the end of their recommended storage dates.

Showing how foods and beverages should be stored in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry, the app helps people select storage methods that extend the life of more than 400 items. These include baby food, dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, seafood and produce, according to the USDA.

Female Doctor Assaulted By Male Military Officer #JusticeforDrTheresa

#JusticeforDrTheresa

We feel obliged to inform you of a disastrous and mind troubling incident. Dr Theresa is a Senior Registrar 1 in the department of Psychiatry of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (Ile-Ife). She is a very gentle, easy going, ever smiling and hardworking resident doctor.

This incident occurred at her residence in the early hours of Thursday 25th February 2016 in her service apartment building situated outside the hospital where she resides. Dr. Okpara, [A Wing Commander in the Nigerian Air Force] who is a resident Doctor in the Dept of Community Medicine in the same hospital where Theresa works also resides in that compound.

No Antibiotics for Colds, Sore Throats

Two doctor groups are reminding physicians to use antibiotics sparingly this cold and flu season.

The American College of Physicians and the CDC urged doctors not to dole out antibiotics for colds, sore throats, bronchitis, and sinus infections that aren't complicated, according to guidance published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Reducing overuse of antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections in adults is a clinical priority and a high-value-care way to improve quality of care, lower healthcare costs, and slow or prevent the continued rise in antibiotic resistance," Wayne Riley, MD, MPH, president of ACP, said in a statement.

FG Blames Govs as Lassa Fever Hits 17 States

The Federal Government has blamed poor response from state governments for the spread of Lassa fever from 10 to 17 states in the country.

The Federal Government accused some states of hiding some suspected cases in their states while some others failed to take proactive measures to follow up patients.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this in Abuja during the emergency National Council on Health meeting on Lassa fever outbreak on Tuesday.

Adewole, identified Ebonyi State as one of those that did not inform the Federal Government about some cases.

Lassa Fever Killed a 65 year Old Woman in Delta State

Asaba -The outbreak of Lassa fever which has been ravaging some parts of the country, has claimed the life of a 65-year-old woman who was diagnosed with the illness in Delta State.

The victim, who was first admitted at St Joseph Hospital, Asaba and later referred to the Federal Medical Centre, in the city, gave up the ghost after doctors battled in vain to save her.

The woman whose identity was unknown at press time, reportedly hailed from Ifiogwari village, Ayamelunu, in Anambra State.

Lassa fever: Resident Doctors Demands Improved Rapid Response

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on government to improve existing response mechanism to ensure rapid response in cases of disease outbreaks in the country.

Dr Muhammad Askira, President of the association, made the call at a news conference on Sunday in Abuja on the recent outbreak of Lassa fever.

Askira said the disease had so far claimed 43 lives in 10 states and the FCT Abuja.

He decried the emergency response arrangement set up by the government to tackle outbreak of any epidemic of this nature.

Askira said that such outbreaks do not require ad hoc arrangements or committees; rather, there should be an existing strategy to cushion.

60 Million Poor Nigerians To Enjoy Free Medical Care

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has given the assurance that 60 million poor Nigerians will enjoy unfettered medical care under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration within the next two years.

The Minister who said this during his visit to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, added that 10,000 health facilities would be built in 774 Local Government across the country for effective service delivery to the people.

While promising that the government would pay them their dues, Prof. Adewole also advised all health workers not to see strike as the only option for negotiation.

Heartbreaking video shows what happens to babies born addicted to drugs

AdClorissa sorted her life out while she was pregnant with Braxton — but her first child was taken away. Picture: Reuters

Six-month-old Braxton Jones shakes uncontrollably after being born dependant on methadone — the drug mum Clorissa was using to ween herself off heroin.

The tot has been forced to overcome withdrawal symptoms such as tremors and oversensitivity, and still has trouble feeding.

He is one of more than 130,000 children born hooked on drugs in the US in the past decade.

Clorissa has now been enrolled in a hospital program for mums battling addiction in Baltimore, Maryland.

She said: “I know Braxton saved my life in the fact that I was able to stay clean through my whole pregnancy and I’m still clean right now.

Lagos State Experiences first case of Lassa fever in LUTH

There's report reaching us that the 1st case #LassaFever in Lagos has been confirmed in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital #LUTH today

It is reported that the case, which was diagnosed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, involves a 25-year-old student from the Ahmadu Bello University.

This was disseminated by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the teaching hospital; "The first confirmed case of Lassa fever now in the Accident & Emergency unit. Patient isolated, containment area being devised, ribavirin available. No need to panic. But limit movement to A&E if not necessary. Our trained staff on ground. More info soon."

The patient is said to have been admitted first at a private hospital in Ojokoro area of Lagos State.

According to the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, the patient is responding to treatment.

Please #ProtectYourself

UK Doctors go on Strike Over Changes to Contracts

Tens of thousands walk out over government proposals to amend contracts that doctors say will remove safeguards.

Tens of thousands of junior doctors have gone on strike in England over government plans to amend their contracts, the first walkout of its kind in 40 years.

The move on Tuesday follows months of negotiations to avert industrial action between the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the doctors, and the Department of Health.

The Lagos State to Probe Maternal Deaths in Public Hospitals

The Lagos State House of Assembly says it is worried about alleged high maternal mortality rate in government hospitals supposedly caused by personnel negligence, among other factors.

The Assembly added that it had put machinery in motion towards investigating the trend, with a view to finding a lasting solution to it.

The Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Health Services, Olusegun Olulade, who said this on Friday, explained that his committee would pay scheduled and unscheduled visits to general hospitals in Lagos State in order to establish the truth of the allegation.

Olulade spoke while addressing a petition brought before the committee by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, a non-governmental organisation with focus on supporting women’s sexual and reproductive rights.

THE BEATITUDES OF HEALTHY LIVING

The beatitudes of old were blessed up on a mountainside, but now you need not go up on a mountain to know this. All you need do is read and act, at the comfort of your home, office, wherever and whenever.

And these I speak unto you. . .

• Blessed are those who wash their hands regularly, for they shall be free from infections.

• Blessed are those who eat greens, for they shall keep their teeth.

• Blessed are those who exercise, for they shall lose weight and keep fit.

• Blessed are those who get adequate sleep, for they shall renew their minds and bodies.

Meet the World Oldest Sickle Cell Patient.

The oldest sickle cell patient in the world is a Nigerian, by name ASIATA ONIKOYI-LAGUDA, who celebrated her 90th birthday first of November last year.

She is a mother with 5 children and has gone to mecca 13 times.

Onikoyi was born in November 1925, at a time when the average life expectancy of people living with sickle cell disorder was just five years, but she has defied the odds to live up to 90.

She was born in the same year as Margaret Thatcher, first female British prime minister, Malcolm X, the African-American civil rights activist and Idi Amin Dada, Ugandan dictator, older than ‘all’ known (documented) sickle cell patients in the world.

As recently as 1973, the average lifespan for people with sickle cell disease was only 14 years.

4 Things A Good Dentist Does

No matter if you've visited the dentist a thousand (though we certainly hope not!) times or only a handful, there are certain things you need to remember when visiting a dentist. Though these may not be directly connected with your mouth, these things are the characteristics that set a good dentist apart from the rest. 

These things can make or break a deal with a client and can help put him at ease as well. Here's a list of the four things that every good dentist does that can help a client tell them apart from the rest of the sea:

1) They're Interested in What You Want To Say:

A good dentist will always be interested in what you're feeling. They might have their hand in your mouth but they know that you know how that feels so they will always be interested in how you would like your teeth and how you're feeling about them.

CAUSES AND TREATMENTS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER. . .

Scientists are studying the possible causes of bipolar disorder. Most scientists agree that there is no single cause. Rather, many factors likely act together to produce the illness or increase risk.

These factors include:

GENETICS

Bipolar disorder tends to run in families. Some research has suggested that people with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder than others.

Children with a parent or sibling who has bipolar disorder are much more likely to develop the illness, compared with children who do not have a family history of bipolar disorder.

BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING

BIPOLAR DISORDER; WHAT IS IT?

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

A person with bipolar disorder can go from feeling very, very high (called mania) to feeling very, very low (depression). This can be disruptive and challenging.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BIPOLAR DISORDER. . .

Bipolar disorder often starts in the teen years, but can emerge in later life.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time.

Bipolar disorder symptoms are potentially life-threatening, and can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide.

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Mrs. Aisha Ganza, a lovely beautiful woman was being cheated on by her husband, Bashir Ganza (Mr.), right from the very first eve of their wedding.

Ten years down their matrimony, Aisha had become someone else entirely - not her usual graceful self - left by the tortures endured from her husband's maltreatment - several girlfriends - "Alarm" calling atm, "Customer service" calling 8pm at the dining table.

Aisha, not able to withstand it anymore, kills Bashir, embalms his corpse, and keeps him on their bed in the bedroom. Later on she gets another young lovely married guy, takes him hostage in that same bedroom, threatening Bahir wasn't going to cheat on her a second. She obviously was seeing the new guy as deceased Bashir.

THE TIMOTHY RAY BROWN EXPERIENCE. . .

Popularly known as the Berlin patient, he is the only person said to have been "cured" of HIV/AIDS.

Originally from Seattle, Washington, a translator of German, of medium height and very skinny, with thinning brown hair.

Timothy found out he had HIV in 1995. He had HIV for 12 years before he became the first person in the world to be cured of the infection following a stem cell transplant in 2007.

Timothy Ray Brown, was first described in 2008 following a poster presented at the 2008 annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Boston by Dr. Gero Hütter, Timothy's physician.

TIMOTHY'S ORDEAL AND BREAKTHROUGH

Timothy discovered he had HIV after getting to know that his former partner was infected with HIV. After going for the test, he also turned up positive.

MEET TIMOTHY RAY BROWN: WORLD'S ONLY PERSON TO BE "CURED" OF #HIV

Timothy found out he had HIV in 1995. He had HIV for 12 years before he became the first person in the world to be cured of the infection following a stem cell transplant in 2007.

Since the first diagnosis, about 34 years ago, HIV has infected more than 60 million people, around 30 million of whom have died. For another 5 million, anti-retroviral therapy has made their infection a manageable though still chronic condition.

The International AIDS Conference, a biannual event, that sees more than 25,000 doctors, scientists, AIDS activists, politicians, philanthropists, drug company representatives, people living with HIV and heads of state from around the world, for the past few years have centred on the following things: research on how to prevent HIV infection, treatment as prevention and, also, about a "cure."

Even an international working group of more than 300 researchers have been set aside working to developing a road map of sorts, outlining priorities for finding a cure for the disease that has claimed approximately 30 million lives worldwide.

Shingles may lead to Stroke and Heart attack

Herpes zoster can cause shingles, a painful condition with serious complications

Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is linked to increased rates of acute cardiovascular events such as ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, or heart attack, according to research published in PLOS Medicine.

Herpes zoster is a common virus, affecting a million Americans each year, with potentially serious consequences.

The virus causes both chicken pox and shingles. Following chickenpox, the virus remains inactive, or dormant, within the body.

If it becomes active again, which can be after many years, it can cause shingles, a painful, blistering skin rash that can be complicated by prolonged, severe, disabling pain - a condition called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Shingles can appear at any age but particularly in people over 60, those who had chickenpox before the age of 1 year, or individuals with a weakened immune system.