STOP LYING TO YOUR DOCTOR!!!

Ahan! What h a p p e n!!! People can lie!

"Doctor, I quitted smoking a long time." [Yet he smells all over like tobacco itself].

"I took the medicines just as you directed doctor" [Even after missing last night's regimen].

"I am well now, I feel great" [Just to waive the next shot of injection].

When patients get sick, they expect their doctor to make them well. They demand the best care, the latest drugs and the most advanced treatments available. They seek nothing less than a total recovery. Sadly enough, it’s often the patients themselves who sabotage their own medical outcomes.

Let me hint you on an open secret. . .

MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HIV AND AIDS

For nearly 30 years, HIV/AIDS have been shrouded in myths and misconceptions. In some cases, these mistaken ideas have prompted the very behaviors that cause more people to become HIV-positive.

Although unanswered questions about HIV remain, researchers have learned a great deal. Here are the top ten myths about HIV, along with the facts to dispute them.

Myth No. 1: You can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive.

This is NOT true. HIV is NOT spread through bodily contacts with infected people. You cannot catch HIV by:

·          Breathing the same air as someone who is HIV-positive

·          Touching a toilet seat or doorknob handle after an HIV-positive person

·          Drinking from a water fountain

CAN I GET HIV FROM USING OTHER KINDS OF DRUGS?

The answer to this is NO, and at the same time, YES.

NO, because no drug in itself can cause HIV/AIDS.

YES, but not directly.

As earlier stated, no drug in itself can cause HIV/AIDS, but some drugs indirectly predispose an individual to greater risks.

Let's take a look at some of these drugs. . .

There are many drugs that people use or abuse occasionally.

The most common one is alcohol (in beer, wine, or liquor).

Others include:

Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroin, Amphetamines, Ketamine and Ecstasy.

These drugs do not only increases someone's risk of getting HIV, they can also cause special problems/complications for people who are already HIV infected.

HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE HIV/AIDS?

Usually, the key pointers as to whether someone is down with a particular disease are its signs and symptoms. But in this case, you cannot rely on symptoms to tell whether you have HIV. 

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.

At the same time, it is VERY important to know the signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS so as to be health conscious and alert.

HIV/AIDS; SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of HIV vary, depending on the individual and what stage of the disease the individual is in. There are THREE stages, and they are:

●     The early stage (a.k.a acute infection or seroconversion)

●     The Clinical Latency stage

●     The late stage (progression to AIDS)

HIV/AIDS; WHO IS AT RISK?

This is one of the major important questions about HIV/AIDS, people seek an answer for. . .

WHO IS AT RISK? WHO IS SAFE? AND WHO IS NOT?

First, let me establish a very important fact here, and simultaneously debunk a myth (or more like a general presumption). . .

HIV DOES NOT jump on people !!!. . .

Some people are with the presumption and unrealistic fear that "HIV flies in the air". Very funny right. The assumption is real, but the fact is false.

HIV/AIDS is NOT an airborne disease, it DOES NOT fly in the air, and it DOES NOT jump on people.

LET'S TALK HIV/AIDS With MEDICALMATTAZ

Just recently, I read in an article released by the United Nations that millions of people still don't know about or are not aware of the HIV virus and AIDS, it left me dumbfounded, I was totally surprised.

I had some reservations, but I got even more shocked when I got to discover that even quite a lot of people, even some scholars, (YES! You heard right, S C H O L A R S), don't know what the term HIV/AIDS stands for.

Majorly and generally, HIV/AIDS is known by many to be a disease, a pandemic, and that's all they know about it. But that's not all about HIV/AIDS, and that's why we're doing this. Oya, let's talk HIV/AIDS (from the basics of course).

WHAT IS HIV/VIRUS?

HIV is an abbreviation for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, while AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

WORLD AIDS DAY 2015

WHAT IS WORLD AIDS DAY?

WORLD AIDS DAY is held on the 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.

The 2015 Global theme is "THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW".

BRIEF HISTORY

World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988.

On October 1988, the World Health Organization declared December 1, 1988, to be World AIDS Day. Ever since then, World AIDS Day has been observed on this date each year.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

Globally there are an estimated 34 million people who are infected with the HIV virus. And since its discovery in the early 80's, more than 35 million people have died of HIV/AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

According to the United Nations Special Sessions on HIV/AIDS, many of the 36 million people infected with HIV do not know they are carrying the virus. Nor do they know much about the disease. And as a result, more than 2 million people die each year of this disease.

It's not like nothing is being done about it; in fact, a lot of health organizations and foundations have risen up to the aid. But. . .

#ITSABOUTTIME we talked about it

LOWER-BACK PAIN

 by JOY OKON

You stand and it feels like your back is preparing for a werewolf transformation. For those that are not familiar with the 'vampire diaries' series, a werewolf transformation is excruciatingly painful. When you sit, you experience the same thing. Even when you lie in bed, same thing occurs. Welcome to the pleasures of lower-back pain.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, four out of five people endure lower-back pain at some point in their lives. It can hang around for a few days or months, and even years. Such fun times eh. Some culprits are involved.

Common culprits include:

·         Exercise mishaps

·         Muscle strains

·         Postural changes during pregnancy, and

·         Bulging or herniated discs says Dr Jennifer Solomon, MD, a board certified physiatrist at hospital for Special Surgery in NYC.

HOW HEALTHY ARE YOU?

 

by JOY OKON

Seeing your doctor each year for a physical examination is awesome, but even a battery of blood tests can't even always pick up potential health problems.

Simple self assessments like measuring your waist, inspecting your arches, even looking under your eyelids, can say volumes about your overall well-being.

TEST YOUR FLEXIBILITY : Catch your toes without bending your knees; if you can't, you ought to add daily to your workout routine. If you don't already workout, START NOW.

NUMBER OF MOLES ON YOUR BODY : More than 50 moles on your body indicates an increased risk of melanoma - a form of skin cancer. Asymmetrical moles, with irregular borders or varied colours, or are bigger than pencil erasers should get checked out. You should also keep an eye out for small fleshy bumps or red scaly patches on your face or neck.