5 Simple Health Checks you can carry out on Yourself Everyday.
Nigerians are a unique set of people. We love fun, enjoy life and can also throw banters. A Rich culture, great people and have a resilient spirit. Did I forget to say we often forget we’re not robots? Well, many don’t see our health as a big deal. Think I’m wrong? Well, Let’s play a simple game. It’s called Koboko if Guilty.
You will send 500 naira recharge cards to your loved ones if you have more than 4 strikes.
- I eat dinner (fufu and other heavy food) late at night 11pm upwards (awon Midnight eater)
- I don’t do physical exercise for at least 10 minutes every 2 days.
- I don’t check my weight every month
- I don’t check my blood pressure everyday despite being above 40 years
- The last time I ate any fruit was 1 month ago.
- I only eat junk.
- I stop taking my drugs when I start feeling better i.e I never complete my medications
- I never drink at least 6 Cups of water everyday
- 1 brush once a day.
- I don’t get at least 5 hours of sleep a everyday
So how many strikes did you get? Do you now agree with me that you don’t take your health serious? It is our duty to be vigilant healthwise. No one desires to be sick however research have shown that practicing basic health checks and habits lowers our chances of falling ill frequently.
Here are some Health Checks you should do in your quest to stay healthy.
- Check your weight,
- Check your Temperature
- Check your Blood Pressure
- Check for Skin issues
- Check for Breast masses
Weight Checks
“Alhaji Muniru (name changed for privacy) is a successful businessman. He has a big farm and numerous workers. Life is good for him. Alhaji while coming down the stairs in his house, fell and dislocated his ankle. His boys want to carry him to the hospital but there’s an issue… He’s too heavy and can’t be carried by the 3 men. It takes a lot of effort before he is finally taken to the hospital…”
Tales like this are quite becoming rampant today. Obesity is a big challenge in our world today. Well, there 3 simple ways of Checking if you’re gaining or loosing too much weight.
Weighing scale method
By climbing your weight scale and running simple calculations, you can monitor those excesses. You need a functional weighing scale to use this method. BMI i.e Body Mass index is the calculation commonly used. To calculate, simply divide your Weight (in kilograms) by your height squared (in metres) Compare your result with the values (in that age range) in the BMI Chart. There’re many affordable weighing scales out there-electronic and non-electronic. Simply get one for use.
Trouser Waist line method
Another easy way of checking for weight gain or loss is by wearing a pair of trousers and looking at the waistline. Does it fit like before? ( no obvious weight gain), does it hug your waist in a tight manner?( you have added weight) or does look bogus on you? ( a sign you are now losing weight)
Tape Method
The third way of monitoring your weight is by using a tape to measure your waist and belly region. For this you only need a tailor’s tape. Measure and compare the values obtained with that from the previous month.
Checking your weight can be done at least 1 (once) monthly. Since many diseases are linked to extreme weight gain, it is very necessary to watch it. Eat right, Exercise to burn the extra fat. An activity that makes you sweat for at least 10 minutes everyday will be a great way of starting- jogging, hunching, squats and the like help a lot.
Exercise is something that should be done in a gradual but consistent manner. With technology nowadays, we can keep track of our exercise routines– fitness trackers like the Healthwatch smartwatch , phone apps you name it. There’s no reason we should not be fit in this age. While locals in South West Nigeria always say ‘Egungun be careful, na express you dey go…’ We at publichealthnig.com say ‘Monitor your weight today.’
Temperature Checks
Baby Obi is crying in the middle of the night. Long and loud shrills. No one can sleep. A foam like substance is coming out from his mouth. He is also convulsing. Obi is his mother’s first baby. In desperation, baby is rushed to the community clinic where he is stabilized. ‘I didn’t notice he had a fever when I touched his body with my hands’ Nneka, Obi’s mother tells the doctor…
Story sounds familiar? Temperature is another vital health checks we should do once in a while. In simple terms, temperature is how hot or cold something is. We humans have a temperature and it is measured using a Thermometer. Remember going to a hospital because your body was ‘hot’ and your doctor stuck something in your ‘armpit’? That penlike thing with readings is a thermometer and should be a must have health item. Normal temperature for adults is between 36.1 to 37 Degrees Celsius (97-99 degree Fahrenheit)
Fevers (Temperatures higher than normal >/= 38 degree Celsius or 100.4 degree Fahrenheit) are hallmarks of many disease conditions ranging from children to the elderly. In Nigeria, Clients with Common diseases like Malaria, Typhoid etc complain of fevers in addition to other symptoms.) In children, it is always important to monitor their temperatures from time to time. Some factors may cause a variation in temperature upon testing. They include Age, Time of Day, level of activity, sex (male or female), periods (for females)
Thermometers can be contact or non-contact thermometers. Electronic clinical thermometers are recommended. They are portable and very practical. Being easy to use and also affordable, you can easily check your temperature and keep records. Ladies often use the thermometer to monitor their ovulation patterns.
Following the COVID pandemic, Infrared thermometers (non-contact) like the Klein, LiveTemp Pro, Elekcity etc are now used to avoid person to person contact. To use infrared thermometers, focus the sensor on the forehead of person to be tested and the sensor relays the readings to the electronic screen. The thermometer is for all. Try checking your temperature from time to time.
Blood Pressure Check
Berry Jane is in her late 50s. An easy going fellow, She has a loving family and a great job. Tries to put smiles on the face of customers at the bank. Mrs Berry has parents who are hypertensive. She believes that Hypertension isn’t her portion and doesn’t bother to go for checkups. At her age she hardly takes a break. She does not also monitor her blood pressure. While returning from an outing with family, she faints… She is rushed to the Clinic in her estate but she dies on arrival…
‘Check your Blood Pressure’, ‘BP oo’, ‘Obala ngbalienu’, ‘hawan jini’ and many other Hypertension jingles greet the average Nigerian at every turn. The media talk a lot about it yet many Nigerians still dodge from checking their blood pressure? Is that a good thing? Well, the answer is No. Blood Pressure is measured using a sphygmomanometer or in simple terms a Blood Pressure Checker. It can be manual or digital. Blood Pressure involves Systolic and Diastolic blood pressures.
Physiologically, the heart contracts under a pressure to pump blood out, a phenomenon we call systole. It also relaxes to let in blood under lower pressure in a phase called diastole. These pressures can vary depending on the health status of all the components that help the blood to be pumped out of the heart-blood, blood vessels, and the heart itself.
How do your use a Sphyg? (Blood Pressure Checker)
Using Digital Pressure Checker
Electronic monitors are now essential health items in homes. There are countless popular and affordable brands in Nigerian health market- Omron, Levis, BloodPressureX etc They still work the same way. Conditions like Diabetes and Hypertension require patients to monitor their blood pressure as well as keep records for the next physician’s visit.
- Wrap the electronic monitor’s cuff around your arm to be tested-just above your elbow while sitting. Ensure you have already raised your shirt on the arm to be tested before now as it is key in ensuring the cuff fits well.
- Inflate the automated cuff. The monitor will display your blood pressure values in seconds. Systolic values are on top, diastolic values are those below. Your BP is Systolic over Diastolic e.g 110/70 (quite normal) vs 135/90 (abnormal) Easy right?
Using a manual Pressure Checker / Sphygmomanometer.
To check your blood pressure the manual way, you need
- A stethoscope
- Blood pressure cuff with a squeezable balloon
- An aneroid monitor
- Locate your pulse by pressing your index & middle fingers slightly to the inside center of the bend of your elbow. If you can’t locate your pulse, place the head of your stethoscope in the same general area. Sit in a relaxed position with your arm at rest on a table.
- Wrap the cuff (that long cloth material in the manual pressure monitor) around your arm.
- Inflate the cuff with your arm in a straight position. This is done by pressing the bulb. While doing this, watch the aneroid monitor and increase the pressure to about 30 mm Hg over the normal blood pressure, or to 180 mmHg if this is not known. When the cuff is inflated, place the stethoscope just inside the elbow crease under the cuff.
- Slowly deflate the balloon and listen through the stethoscope. When the first beats hit, note the number on the aneroid monitor. This is your systolic pressure.
- Keep listening until the steady heartbeat sound stops and record the number from the aneroid monitor again. This is your diastolic pressure. Blood Pressure is read as Systole upon Diastole e.g for adults 120/70(normal), 132/65 (abnormal). Readings vary with age, activity and health state. When your see abnormal readings on a good day it might need to consult your physician. As the Warri saying goes, ‘Life no get duplicate’
Skin Test
This involves more of observation. Whenever you wake up in the morning, try Scanning your entire body in front of a mirror. This should last less 2 minutes. Start with your face and work downwards, checking your neck, shoulders, chest, arms (front, back, and sides), legs (front, back, and sides) and tail if you have any (winks)
Don’t forget your groin (if you’re a male, feel your scrotal sac (‘akpa amu‘) for abnormal masses.) Simple tests like these help a lot. Look out for any bleedings in your palms, fingernails, soles of your feet, toenails, and the areas between your toes. Patients with Diabetes or conditions that numb nerves may have bleedings but may not even know because they are not feeling the pain. Your loved one can check the areas you can’t see well, e.g your scalp and back.
- What to look for in Your Skin: The “ABCDE” Guide can be used:
- A for asymmetrical masses or new skin patches
- B for irregular borders
- C for abnormal skin color (very important)
- D for diameter of masses (larger than a crayon tip);
- E for evolving meaning the masses change appearance over time.
Breast Health Check
The breast is a very important part of the body. Mothers use it to nurture their young and their hubbies. As per a 2014 article by Schneider et al in the Linacre Quarterly, breast cancer is on the rise the world over. Young women are not also spared. Is this a cause for worry? Well Yes and No!
Yes because it is a killer and No! because you can now screen for breast masses and take preventive steps. Besides, early detection is key to survival as we get to know more about this disease. You can read about what you need to know about Breast Cancer in this article by the publichealthnig team.
How do I examine my breasts?
While weekly self breast tests are recommended, the best time to do a monthly self-breast exam is about 3 to 5 days after your period starts. It should be done the same time every month once your period starts e.g 2nd of this month and next month etc (a hypothetical)
When lying down
- Place your right hand behind your head. With your middle fingers of your left hand gently yet firmly press down using small motions to examine the entire right breast.
- Next, sit or stand. Feel your armpit, because breast tissue goes into that area- observe closely.
- Gently squeeze the nipple, checking for discharge. Repeat the process on the left breast.
- Use one of the patterns shown in the diagram to make sure that you are covering all of the breast tissue. This is how to conduct a self-breast health check.
When standing in front of a mirror (with your arms by your side)
- Look at your breasts directly and in the mirror. Look for changes in skin texture, such as dimpling, puckering, sunken pits on your breasts, indentations, or skin that looks like an orange peel.
- Observe the shape and outline of each breast.
- Check to see if the nipple turns inward. If they are retracted you may need to contact your doctor. He/she’ll run a mammogram to rule out breast cancer…
Conclusion.
The great things in life start little. To stay healthy it is our duty to live right- adopt healthy habits, practice these simple but effective self checks and most importantly, contact your health care provider whenever you notice anything unusual. That little headache might be a pointer to something else. Cheer up. Be at peace with your neighbours and Ehen! Get a health insurance in case of your Nigerian emergencies. See you in the next article.
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