Can you afford to educate your children abroad?

Written by 'Nimi Akinkugbe - Nigeria

Email: info@moneymatterswithnimi

Website: www.moneymatterswithnimi.com

Twitter/ Instagram: @MMWITHNIMI

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Nimi Akinkugbe has extensive experience in private wealth management. She seeks to empower people regarding their finances and offers frank, practical insights to create a greater awareness and understanding of personal finance.

For thousands of Africans studying abroad as well as the thousands aspiring to join them, the devaluation of the currencies is a major setback and will inevitably force parents to reconsider their children's overseas education plans. Here are a few ideas to consider as you navigate the challenges of the increased education costs.

The key to successfully educating children is preparation and planning from their earliest years. Many parents do not plan for this huge expense until the bills are almost due. Putting in place an educational savings plan with direct debits from your current account to an appropriate investment vehicle will help keep plans on track.

By some estimates, annual increases in education costs can be as high as 10% to 15%. An education-planning calculator helps you to visualise various scenarios assuming savings over a period of time. It will help you to determine how much to put into the education fund on a regular basis in order to meet a particular goal. You can create different scenarios by entering different data as appropriate. Remember to factor in exchange rate changes if your children are to be educated abroad.

Are all your savings and investments in local currency? Exposure to a diversified currency portfolio typically reduces exchange rate risk. It is important, particularly if you have obligations in foreign exchange to hold some foreign currency in your domiciliary account, or in a diversified portfolio consisting of bank deposits, bonds, mutual funds and real estate.

Remittances for school fees, student maintenance allowances, Business Travel Allowance (BTA), and Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), are among the eligible requests for foreign exchange that shall be fully met by The Central Bank at the official/interbank exchange rate.

Scholarships and grants are often overlooked by parents. From your children's earliest years you may have identified a unique skill or talent, sporting, artistic or academic, making them eligible to compete for scholarships. Scholarships may be tied to a particular field of study or may require that a certain standard of performance be maintained throughout the student's enrollment. They may not cover the entire school fees bill but will certainly offset some of the expenses.

The Power of Words – You Become What You Say

~TheGuardian-Nigeria

THE power of words has often become debated as to how it can affect our lives. Most successful people tend to agree with the idea that you become what you say. Your words are a deeper reflection of what is going on inside your head. If you speak words of success and praise of yourself you tend to become just that. We will take a look at how words influence who we are.

Blessing or Condemnation – The words you speak can be a blessing on yourself or a condemning attitude that may hinder achieving goals in life. The power of words lies not just in their sounds and syllables but in the emotions that they conjure in your life. When you speak down upon yourself and talk of how you are not good or you will never be rich you draw emotions of despair. 

You then condemn yourself to a life of poverty and low self-esteem because this is what you allow yourself to believe. Those who have prospered and done amazing things for themselves had an amazing skill of never giving up. This does not come easy because life has a tendency to knock people to their knees. Those who tell themselves they are defeated will quit while those who only tell themselves positive things are more likely to keep moving forward when they are taking the hits from life. Every person can choose what they tell themselves so it is within every person's best interest to let themselves know they can win and have good things in their lives.

Encourage Yourself – We all know that words have the power to dishearten or can conjure extreme enthusiasm about something. If you have the talents and desire to accomplish something in your life than start with using powerful words and images that spark motivation. Remind yourself of the victories that you have experienced and you came out on top. Then remind yourself with words of how great you are at something or how determined you are. 

The best way to use words is when you mix them with emotions and let them spark enthusiasm in you for something great. Words alone have power and when you mix them with power visualizations they become a deadly weapon. They can either be good or bad depending on what you want. Those who are miserable tend to dwell only on disheartening words and always bring up past failures. This produces low self-esteem and is toxic to your morale. Meanwhile, a person of happiness blocks past failures after the lesson has been learned. Rather, they dwell on success they have enjoyed in life and remind themselves of how worthy they are for something. This equals the most powerful emotion a human can have: UNCONDITIONAL love for yourself. If you can achieve this than there is nothing within your skill level that is not obtainable.

In Conclusion – The power of words can prove to be very destructive or very motivating depending on what you want them to have. If you remove all limiting and damaging words from your vocabulary and head and move to a more positive place you can become your best friend. Choose your words carefully because they tend to become reality.

How to manage a constipated infant. -&- Child a picky eater? Anxiety, depression

Written by Rotimi Adesanya - Nigeria

www.doctoradesanya.blogspot.com

Dr. Rotimi Adesanya

A mother made this comment and asked a question through the feedback platform, in response to an article I wrote two years ago on infant constipation.

Hello, My baby is having a serious problem which is constipation. She has a hard belly and sometimes has some foul smelling wind and poo.

I have tried a few solutions such as adding extra water in-between feeds, I give her plenty of water or diluted fruit juice and even give her some leg exercises. Yet, everything makes no difference. Does anyone have better idea to suggest to me?

I have seen several mothers of neonates and infants with the same complaint of their babies' inability to move bowel for up to 10 days. The babies are without any abnormality and they will start moving their bowels after examining their rectum.

This is partly due to the stimulation of the nerves innervating the rectum and they will not need any medication; while very few (about two per cent) may have an underlying medical condition and may need to be sent for further tests such as X-ray and ultrasound scan of the abdomen.

It is advisable for mothers of newborns with constipation to contact their doctors for advice and not assume that all is right.

During the first week of life, infants pass approximately four soft or liquid bowel movements per day (generally more in breast-fed, compared with bottle-fed, infants).

During the first three months of life, breast-fed infants have about three soft bowel movements per day. Some breast-fed infants have a bowel movement after each feeding, whereas others have only one or two bowel movements per week. Infants who breastfeed are rarely constipated.

Most formula-fed infants have two to three bowel movements per day, although this depends on which infant formula is given. Some soy and cow's milk-based formulas cause harder bowel movements; while other formulas that contain partially or completely hydrolysed milk proteins can cause loose bowel movements.

Constipation in infants less than one year of age is common, but it can be a source of concern for parents. Sometimes, the baby is not really constipated, but must be given time to set his own schedule for having a bowel movement.

Eat iodine-rich foods for brain health & Bad foods to avoid in the office

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele - Nigeria

The need to eat nourishing foods in order to enjoy unbroken cycle of good health cannot be overemphasised. While some people make do with all sorts of supplements, experts advise that we get the larger percentage of our nutritional needs from the food we eat.

Apart from vitamins and minerals, important nourishment we must derive from our foods is iodine, a trace element that is naturally present in many foods. It could also be added to foods, while it is also available as dietary supplement.

When a woman is pregnant, the foetus requires iodine for proper development of the skeleton and the central nervous system. And even after the baby is born, as an infant, s/he still needs this all-important mineral for the development of the brain; otherwise, the growing baby might develop cretinism – a thyroid-hormone deficiency resulting in stunted physical and mental growth.

Consultant Nutritionist, Dr. Florence Okwusi, says iodine deficiency is one of the leading causes of preventable mental handicaps, and it is needed for normal metabolism of cells.

She says, "Humans need iodine for normal thyroid function and for the production of thyroid hormones. Without enough iodine, the thyroid cells and the thyroid gland become enlarged, and that is why we encourage people to take diets that are rich in iodine."

She adds that iodine deficiency happens more often in women than in men, and is more common in pregnant women and older women.

Indeed, scientists at Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, USA, contend that globally, iodine deficiency is now accepted as the most common cause of preventable brain damage!

As humans, our bodies need sufficient quantity of iodine for our thyroid gland to function optimally. The thyroid gland controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones.

Iodine plays a huge role in regulating our immunity; and for women, it can help in staving off certain breast conditions which, though are not necessarily dangerous, can be painful and inconvenient.

10 confusing sets of words to watch out for

Written by Azuka Onwuka - Nigeria

Azuka Onwuka

Just admit it. Sometimes, you get confused over which of two similar words to use. Sometimes, you even use the wrong word while trying to feel important, only to discover months or years later that you messed yourself up. Imagine the embarrassment! Does it not remind you of attending an event without knowing that you were wearing your shirt inside out or that the fly of your trousers was open all along? You will begin to recall who saw you and what you did at the event, wishing you could turn back the clock.

Well, you are not alone: it happens to the best of us.

But there is a way out: Constant practice, researching and crosschecking.

Just banish all assumptions!

Having this list close by will help you a lot. You can print it out: keep one by your bedside and one by your office desk for constant reference.

Most importantly, I have created codes and mnemonics to make it easy to remember the right options.

1. severally vs several times

WRONG: I have warned you severally to mind your own business.

"Severally" does not mean "several times." It means "separately" or "individually". Example: The company's directors are jointly and severally liable.

RIGHT: I have warned you several times/repeatedly to mind your own business.

2. Complement vs compliment

WRONG: Thanks for the complements.

RIGHT: Thanks for the compliments.

Note that complement and compliment are both verbs as well as nouns. They both have 10 letters, start with a "c" and end with a "t." All their letters are the same except the "e" and "i" somewhere in the middle.

Vaccinate your child, prevent infectious diseases

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele - Nigeria

Vaccinate your child, prevent infectious diseases

Vaccination protects children from serious illness and complications of vaccine-preventable diseases which can include amputation of an arm or leg, paralysis of limbs, hearing loss, convulsions, brain damage, and death.

Physicians say vaccination has saved more lives and prevented more serious diseases than any advance in recent medical history; and that's why they consider it a modern miracle because no other medical intervention has done more to save lives and improve quality of life.

This being the case, what are the diseases that children should be vaccinated against? Read on...

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person; and, according to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 240 million people are chronically infected with it globally. July 28 is the World Hepatitis Day, and it's meant to draw global attention to this disease, with the ultimate goal of eliminating it.

An expert in child health, Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, says under normal circumstances, an infant receives the first immunisation for the hepatitis B virus infection before leaving the hospital; and that if the baby's mother carries the virus, the baby receives the first vaccine shortly after birth.

He warns, "The hepatitis B vaccine protects against hepatitis B, being one of the recommended childhood immunisations, though many adults also need to be vaccinated against it."

He says that there are stages to being immunised against this virus, so the second injection is given when a child is one or two months old; while the third dose is given at six months of age.

Polio

According to the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad, Nigeria is one step closer to achieving the goal of eradicating polio by 2017, as it has been one year since the last case of polio was reported in the country in July 2014.

Polio (or poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children.

Let's adopt 'fam' for 'he or she'

Written by Azuka Onwuka - Nigeria

-Twitter @BrandAzuka

Azuka Onwuka 

One of the most awkward realities in the English language is the absence of a pronoun that can conveniently and precisely represent the expression "he or she" or its derivatives like "him or her," "himself and herself," etc.

In the old order when the world was unapologetically male-centric or chauvinistic, "he" was used to represent the unknown or unstated gender: "He who humbles himself will be exalted; he who exalts himself will be humbled."

In a bid not to be accused of continued linguistic discrimination against women, the plural pronoun "they" was adopted to represent "he or she" - that is, when the sex of the person in question is not stated or known. Let us take an example from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (7th edition). This is how the world-famous and well-respected dictionary defines the word "headstrong": "A headstrong person is determined to do things their own way and refuses to listen to advice" (emphasis mine). How can "is" (singular) and "their" (plural) and "refuses" (singular) all be used for the same subject in one sentence? This breaks the rudimentary rule of grammar.

Let's look at other similar examples in today's English where "they" is used to represent the singular unstated gender: 1. "It's so good when you love someone and they love you back." Someone would ask: Are you in love with one person or a crowd? 2. "Whom the cap fits, let them wear it." The question arises: Are you referring to one person or many people wearing one cap? Can more than one person wear a cap at the same time? 3. "Everyone should do what they think is right." Question: Is "every" not referring to one anymore? 4. "Each person should take care of their expenses." Someone would ask: When did "each" become a plural word?

There are language conservatives and purists across the globe - I am one of them - who feel shocked or uncomfortable when a noun is treated both as a singular word and a plural word in one sentence. Despite the incontestable authority and unimpeachable pedigree of the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, I will NEVER use a similar statement in any speech or essay. If I did, I would feel that I had committed cold-blooded linguistic murder.

The repercussion of using "they" in place of "he or she" is that we have replaced one problem with a bigger problem. How can I explain to my little boy that "they" is a plural pronoun today and a singular pronoun tomorrow? If my son were to say then, "Daddy, they has come to see you," would I tell him, "That's wrong English, my son"?

Scientists crack secret of eternal youth

Medical practitioners

Find some people can halt, reverse ageing process during their thirties

IT seems like something from the realm of science-fiction. Some people can halt - and even reverse - the ageing process in their thirties, scientists say.

A team who measured the effects of getting older on nearly 1,000 men and women found that over a 12-year period, three of the participants had shown no deterioration.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science journal.

Duke researchers analysed medical data from almost a thousand 38 year olds. While some appeared medically in their late 20s, some seemed almost 60.

They had biologically aged zero years, and had even begun to look younger. These people may hold the key to developing what would in effect be a fountain of youth, say the team from universities in Britain, the US, Israel and New Zealand.

While some cheated the ageing process, however, others were found to have aged biologically by three years for each calendar year.

The study focused on 954 people in the New Zealand city of Dunedin who have been tracked for several years.

The researchers devised a measure called 'biological age' to assess how worn out the participants' bodies were internally.

HOW THEY DID IT

The data comes from the Dunedin Study, a landmark longitudinal study that has tracked more than a thousand people born in 1972-73 in the same town from birth to the present.

Health measures like blood pressure and liver function have been taken regularly, along with interviews and other assessments.

Belsky said the progress of aging shows in human organs just as it does in eyes, joints and hair, but sooner.

Combination therapy in diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a long term and mostly lifelong disorder characterized by resistance to insulin action in the liver, the muscles and the fat cells in the body. It is also characterized by progressive reduction in the ability of the body to produce insulin, abnormalities of intestinal functioning, satiety and weight control. These abnormalities lead to elevated blood sugar levels, obesity, cholesterol abnormalities, hypertension, heart and blood vessels abnormalities and damage to the kidneys, the nerves and the retina of the eyes.

As a result of its multi-factorial causation, control is often difficult to achieve and oftentimes requires the use of multiple medications that have different mechanisms of action and will thus produce synergistic effects. Long-term use of a single medication to control blood sugar levels will thus ultimately end in failure. Most professional societies involved in diabetes care have thus emphasized the need for systematic and progressive use of combinations of various types of blood sugar lowering medications.

Metformin is often the preferred first line medication. As the disease progresses however, it will be necessary to combine it with additional medications. It is also known that a time will come when combination of oral medications will also no longer be able to keep the blood sugar levels at bay, at such times one or more injections will be required. The choice of combination therapy to be undertaken will need to take cognizance of factors such as duration of the disease, complications that are present, life expectancy, risk of hypoglycaemia, the patient's personal preferences and capacity for self-care, social support and financial capabilities.

Female mechanic grooms female students in automobile repairs

Written by BY SAM OTTI - SUN, Nigeria

• Inducts 30 girls in After School Club

Female mechanic grooms female students in automobile repairs

She is one woman that has decided to be different. To her, the saying, 'what a man can do, a woman can do even better' isn't just a cliché. She walks and works in a man's world, and has made a huge success of it. Her name is Sandra Aguebor, and she's regarded as Nigeria's first female mechanic.

And through her efforts, very soon, female motor mechanics might dominate the automobile industry in Nigeria, with the recent campaign by Aguebor who is also the founder, Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI).

Working in collaboration with MacAthur Foundation based in the United States, her group launched a catch-them-young programme tagged, After School Club Project, for public schools in Lagos State to groom young female students for gainful employment.

At the induction ceremony of 30 female students drawn from Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Oregun Junior High School and Agidingbi Junior Grammar School, Aguebor recalled her humble beginning as a motor mechanic. In her words at the event, according priority to technical skills would reduce the high unemployment in the country. The woman informed her audience that she started her apprenticeship in a motor mechanic workshop during her early days in secondary school, a decision she never regretted till date.

Aloe: The wonder plant

 Fr Anselm Adodo, DAILY SUN - Nigeria

Aloe: The wonder plant 

Aloe is the name given to a variety of perennials of the Liliaceae/Aloeaceae family. There are over 325 species in this genus. Aloe ferox,Aloe perryi, Aloe barteri, called West African Aloe, and Aloe Barbadensis, also called Aloe Vera, are the better known species.

Aloe Vera has been in much use from time immemorial. Wall paintings of Ancient Egypt showed that Aloe Vera was used by the Egyptians to treat catarrh. Among the Jewish people, Aloe Vera was used as an ingredient for embalming. The body of Jesus was wrapped with linen soaked in myrrh and Aloes.

Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. (Jn. 19: 39-40).

Aloe Vera, a native of southern and northern Africa, came to Greece in the 4th century BC, to China in the 10th century AD and finally to Europe in the 11th century AD. Even though there are many species, they all have similar constituents, namely: Antraquinone, Glycosides, Aloin, Resin, etc.

Aloe Vera is the most common species of Aloes found in Nigeria today. This species grows well in flowerpots. It needs a balanced measure of sunshine and water to survive. It does not grow very tall, (1-4 feet), is light green in colour with white spotted. It is good to remember that there are many species of Aloes. One should therefore not be surprised to see Aloes of different shapes, colour or texture. The West African Aloe (Aloe barteri) has very broad; succulent leaves and bright red flowers, which can grow as high as seven feet.

Since Aloe Vera grows so quickly, it should be planted in every compound. I have seen this plant growing in flowerpots in many compounds as an ornament. In some compounds, the plant is abandoned and starved of water. Surely, Aloe Vera deserves more honour and loving care. Below are some of the medicinal values of Aloe Vera, the miracle plant.

CANCER:

A lot of research has been and is being done on the effectiveness of Aloe Vera for curing cancer, especially cancer of the breast. I challenge our scientists to do more analysis of this wonder plant. Rather than spending useful energies in condemning and suppressing new ideas about health, let our medical health practitioners focus their attention on more intense research of medicinal plants, which can save the life of our people. Some time ago I called one of my doctor friends, an "orthodox" doctor and told him that I would like to discuss cancer with him. He said there was not much to discuss about cancer except, that it is incurable, and so I should not bother to talk of curing cancer with herbs. Must our Nigerian "orthodox" doctors continue to fold their hands and expect their counterparts in Europe and America to do the thinking for them? In using Aloe Vera for the treatment of cancer, one fact to keep in mind is that the older the plant, the more active it is. For the treatment of cancer the plant must be at least five years old. The formula is as follows:

The Internet's impact on daily living

Written by Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. (CFA)

Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr.

There is a huge impact of technology on our everyday life. One of the greatest blessings of technology is the internet. Many of us have already become so used to the internet that we take it for granted today.

In actual fact, the internet can be considered as one of the world's most significant inventions which has brought a number of influences on people's daily lives.

For some, it is impossible to go a single day without the internet; it has simply revolutionised the way we live, interact and operate on a daily basis. Ordering for a pizza, for instance, purchasing a television set, sharing a moment with friends, transmitting a picture via instant messaging, sending a mail and more are already common activities online.

Before the invention of the internet, if you wished to get any news, you must walk down to the newspaper stand or seek out a newspaper vendor early in the morning to be able to buy the local edition of the newspaper reporting what had occurred the previous day.

Now, one or two clicks away on your device with internet connection, (laptop, mobile phone, iPad, etc), is enough to enable you to gain access to read your local online newspaper like www.punchng.com or any other newspaper from anywhere in the world in real time as they are being updated.

The magic of handshakes, more than greetings - Study

Written by Chioma Obinna - Vanguard, Nigeria

IN most African countries like Nigeria, the most common greeting is a handshake with a smile. However, whether limp or firm, handshake conveys subliminal social cues. Do you know that a simple handshake can mean more than greetings? A new research finding has revealed that handshakes also transmit chemical signals that can explain the meaning of the greeting in the first place.

In the study, published in the journal eLife, scientists from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science discovered that people use the touch of a handshake to sample and sniff signalling molecules.

Hidden cameras

During the experiment, around 280 people were greeted either with or without a handshake. They were filmed using hidden cameras and observed to see how many times they touched their face. One finding of the study was that people constantly sniff their own hands - keeping a hand at their nose about 22 percent of the time.

Learn to understand what your body says

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele - Nigeria

There are some illnesses that don't knock you down. You may be up and about without knowing that you're genuinely ill and need to slow down and take care of yourself.

Health experts say nature makes us know that our body is crashing under ill health when it manifests certain telltale signs. Body parts such as the lips, tongue, eyes, palms, etc. sometimes warn us about our health. Here are a few telltale signs that we need to be aware of.

Lips: Cracked, sore, pale

Human lips have been designed to speak. However, beyond lending voice to your intentions and desires, your lips also speak volumes about your health!

Lips can become pale, cracked, plagued with cold sores, or swollen. Whichever way, the state of your lips will indicate your state of health, hence the need to recognise what's going on in your body, health-wise, as your lips manifest it.

Family Doctor, Tunde Johnson, warns that if you've not been hit in the mouth and didn't fall down from a commercial motorcycle, you should be genuinely concerned if you wake up with swollen lips.

He says this is because swollen lips might be indicative of Crohn's disease - a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus.

Johnson explains, "This disease is caused by a combination of environmental, immune and bacterial factors in genetically susceptible individuals; and it results in chronic inflammatory disorder, in which the body's immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract."

He adds that sometimes, when you eat foods that you're allergic to, it may result in swollen lips. So, when your lips suddenly swell up, check it out with your doctor in order to prevent major health issue.

Angular cheilitis (cracks on both sides of the mouth) is another telltale sign that all is not well. Johnson says this symptom is common among people who are anaemic; and that's why, in extreme case of anaemia, the cracked surfaces are whitish, irritating to whoever looks at it.

He explains, "Angular cheilitis presents with sensitive sores at one or both corners of the mouth; and though it is not contagious like cold sores and fever blisters, nor spreads to other parts of the body, it can spread to the other side of the mouth fairly easily."

The physician warns that angular cheilitis might be indicative of iron deficiency. "Deficiencies of iron and various B vitamins account for as many as 25 per cent of cases of angular cheilitis, hence the need to eat balanced diet always; and to also treat any infection as appropriate," the doctor says.

He notes that iron deficiency is the most common cause of anaemia worldwide, being a deficiency of red blood cells that can occur either through the reduced production or an increased loss of red blood cells.

Do eye test, it can save your life!

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele - Nigeria

There's a popular saying among physicians, to the intent that the eye is the window to the body. Even if you've never heard this before, have you noticed that when you visit the doctor, one of the regular examinations he does is to gently examine your eye? It's not for nothing, it turns out.

Indeed, experts say, the body's systems are interconnected, such that changes in the eye can reflect whatever changes are ongoing in the vascular, nervous and immune system, among others.

Researchers say that because the eyes are see-through in a way other organs aren't, they offer a unique glimpse into the body, and the blood vessels, nerves and tissue can all be viewed directly through the eye with the aid of specialised equipment.

Numerous researches are being carried out to determine how physicians can use the window of the eye to correctly tell where a problem lurks in the body, and checkmate it before it progresses further. Here are some of the diseases that can be correctly diagnosed through the eye.

Diabetes

Experts say one of the well-known effects of diabetes is eye and vision damage, usually caused by diabetic retinopathy.

"This means that delicate blood vessels in the eye swell or bleed; while they may also grow abnormally on the retina itself. When this happens, it allows unprocessed blood sugars, fats, and proteins to leak out of weakened blood vessels. And that is what damages the retina and can cause vision loss," Diabetologist/Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe, says.

An online portal, rnib.org.uk, notes that the unusual changes in blood sugar levels resulting from diabetes can affect the lens inside the eye, especially when the diabetes is not being controlled via proper medical supervision. This can result in blurring of vision, which comes and goes over the day, depending on the patient's blood sugar levels.

Isiavwe notes that cataract is the resultant long-term effect of diabetes, being a condition that makes the lens of the eye to go cloudy.

Not everyone who has diabetes develops an eye complication, experts say. And of those that do, many patients have a very mild form of retinopathy, which may never progress to a condition that threatens the sight.

The American Diabetes Association notes that roughly 90 per cent of diabetes-related blindness can be avoided by getting an annual eye exam.

Isiavwe warns that in order to prevent sight loss due to diabetic retinopathy, you should have regular retinal screening. "Early detection and treatment may prevent sight loss," she declares.

If you experience knee pain when climbing stairs

By Stella Oyefesobi - Nigeria

(dr.oyefesobi@lagoonhospitals.com)

Stella Oyefesobi

Going up and down the stairs, an activity we all take for granted, could bring up fear and reluctance in some people due to ensuing pain.

Knee pain, when on the stairs, is a complaint shared by many people who usually feel fine while walking; but pain begins either suddenly, or happens each and every time while they are on the stairs, with some days being less intense than others.

All the same, it can be a real problem that limits activities of daily living and overall quality of life, especially for those living in houses with one or more flights of steps.

Although there are several possible causes of knee pain, many knee problems feel worse on the stairs; but the three main problems where knee pain on the stairs is one of the most prominent features are: patellar tendinitis, chondromalacia and osteoarthritis. The focus today will be on patellar tendinitis.

Patellar tendinitis

The patella (kneecap) is the small bone in the front of the knee. The patellar tendon is a thick band-like structure that connects the bottom of the patella to the top of the large shin bone (tibia).

The muscles on the front of the thigh, the quadriceps muscles, straighten the knee by pulling at the patellar tendon via the patella. This makes the patellar to glide up and down the groove in the thigh bone (femur) as the knee bends and straightens. Patellar tendonitis is the condition that occurs when the tendon becomes inflamed and irritated.

What causes patellar tendinitis?

Activities that subject this tendon to large amounts of stress will inevitably cause "micro tears" leading to inflammation and pain as well as degeneration in the tendon tissue.

In athletes, the most common of such activity is jumping, therefore patellar tendinitis is also known as 'Jumper's Knee'. Running, walking or cycling may also place repetitive stress on the patellar tendon.

In non-athletes, patellar tendinitis can also be caused by problems with the way your hips, legs, knees or feet are aligned.

Having wide hips, being knock-kneed, or having flat feet, can be predisposing factors for patellar tendonitis, because such body mechanics will place more stress on the tendon during normal activities.

Banana, sexual superfood to boost sperm count

By Toyin Akinola of Nigerian Tribune

Infertility, a condition of the reproductive system that prevents the conception of children after regular intercourse for a period of one year without the use of any contraceptive, may arise from different health conditions which can make getting pregnant difficult.

Semen is a rite of passage for men. It is a tell-tale sign of being very virile and masculine. It marks the climax of a very happy sexual encounter. The man has a powerful orgasm and the woman is there to witness the power of that orgasm. Semen is needed in both of these examples and without the right amount and quality, everything falls apart. The man is not able to impregnate his wife or have the powerful orgasm that both he and his partner want him to experience.

Studies show that the semen of the average man today has half the normal sperm, and is of poorer quality, than 50 years ago. This is believed to be caused by exposure to xenoestrogens (PCBs, DDT, dioxin, other pesticides, plastics and industrial pollutants) that mimic the effects of oestrogen.

Organisation of African Unity. As it was in the begining..

Organization of African Unity

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) or Organisation de l'Unité Africaine (OUA) was established on May 25, 1963. It was disbanded July 9, 2002 by its last chairperson, South African Thabo Mbeki and replaced by the African Union.
Its intended purpose was to promote the unity and solidarity of the African States and act as a collective voice for the continent. This was important to secure Africa's long-term economic and political future. Years of colonialism had weakened it in both respects.
The OAU was also dedicated to the eradication of colonialism, as there was still a number of states that hadn't yet won their independence. South Africa and Angola were two such countries. A Liberation Committee was established to aid independence movements and look after the interests of already-liberated states. The OAU also aimed to stay neutral in terms of global politics, which would prevent them from being controlled once more by outside forces -- an especial danger with the Cold War.
The OAU had other aims, too, though:
• Ensure that all Africans enjoyed human rights.
• Raise the living standards of all Africans.
• Settle arguments and disputes between members -- not through fighting but rather peaceful, diplomatic negotiation.
Soon after achieving independence, a number of African states expressed a growing desire for more unity within the continent. Not everyone was agreed on how this unity should be achieved. Two opinionated groups emerged in this respect:
• The Casablanca bloc, led by Nkrumah of Ghana, wanted a federation of all African countries. Aside from Ghana, it comprised also Algeria, Guinea, Morocco, Egypt Mali and Libya.
• The Monrovian bloc, led by Senghor of Senegal, felt that unity should be achieved gradually, through economic cooperation. It did not support the idea of a political federation. Its other members were Nigeria, Liberia, Ethiopia and most of the French-speaking nations.