You need not die of hypertension

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele
~Punch, Nigeria.

Mention the phrase 'blood pressure,' and the average adult is likely to stand still. For all reasons, issues relating to blood pressure readily arrest attention because it's one aspect of personal health that determines whether or not you stay alive - and in sound health.

Physicians say the normal blood pressure is below 120/80mmhg (millimetres of mercury). Pre-hypertension is diagnosed between 120/80-139/89; Stage 1 hypertension is between 140/90-159/99; and Stage 2 hypertension is a blood pressure above 160/100, hence the need to monitor your blood pressure religiously once you hit age 40.

Blood pressure and health

Cardiologists say about one in three adults has high blood pressure. And, as scary as it is, they warn that the condition usually presents with no signs or symptoms. As such, you may be walking around blissfully unaware that your days are numbered because of uncontrolled high blood pressure!

Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Peter Olumide, warns,"You can have hypertension for years without knowing it. During this time, the high blood pressure can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other organs in your body."

Knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, Olumide counsels; even when you're feeling fine. "If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your physician to keep it that way. On the other hand, if your blood pressure is too high, treatment may help prevent damage to your body's organs," he says.

The age, sex factors

Physicians warn that blood pressure tends to rise with age. However, they add, following a healthy lifestyle helps some people to delay or prevent rise in blood pressure altogether.

"People who have high blood pressure can take steps to control it and reduce their risk for related health problems. Key steps include following a healthy lifestyle, having regular medical check-up, and following your treatment plan," General Practitioner, Dr. Folabi Awolaye, counsels.

How to build a stronger relationship: 10 tips to deepen trust

Written by Rita Okonoboh - Nigerian Tribune

Web: www.catherine-morris.com

Trust is the bedrock for building a strong relationship. However, lack of trust is one of the most common themes to surface in most relationships. If you are struggling with the issue of trust in your relationships sbelow are some tips to help you develop greater trust with your partner.

Trust means that you have placed your confidence and faith in your partner, and that you expect honesty, integrity, loyalty, and respect to be at the centre of your relationship. You also expect your partner to keep promises and confidences, and to stay with you when the going gets tough.

Your trust should always be earned; you should not give it to another lightly. When you first met your partner, you probably shared information that helped you to figure out whether or not he or she was "worthy" of your trust and of your heart. As you got to know your partner better, you most likely shared more vulnerable information about yourself, expecting that he or she would hold this most precious part of you in a place of safety and love. At some point, however, your wonderful partner may have either said or done something that triggered you and your trust was broken.

We are all inherently complex beings who bring our past experiences, hurts, fears and expectations into every new relationship we enter. Sometimes our woundedness spills over into our relationship and we lose our ability to feel safe in our relationship - regardless of whether or not our partner actually "deserved" our lack of trust.

If you would like to deepen the trust between you and your partner, please try these 10 tips:

• Keep what your partner tells you within the confines of your relationship. Telling others what your partner has shared with you in confidence destroys trust.

Birth control practices

Written by Dr Sylvester Ikhisemojie - The Punch, Nigeria.

Sylvester Ikhisemojie

In much of Africa today, there is a burgeoning population made possible by explosive birth rates and the endurance of a majority youthful population. This has many evident positive advantages, not the least of which is the presence of a virile population of people in the productive age group.

The obverse in the problem here is that feeding this large population and finding adequate jobs for the large population will remain a challenge well into the twenty first century. It therefore means that efforts must now be made from this time forwards, in all countries of the region, to slow the rate of population growth to more manageable, more sustainable levels.

As a result, it is incumbent on health authorities throughout the region to teach women of all socio-economic groups about the immense benefits of birth control and child spacing. It is because of all these interwoven facts that issues of contraception and other efforts at birth control must now be examined and propagated.

While birth control and contraception do not necessarily mean the same thing, both of them are geared towards controlling the appearance of unwanted pregnancies. This is because it is possible to engage in birth control without engaging any means of contraception to achieve this aim. Our focus today must therefore centre on birth control. With this clarification, it can be seen that birth control practices will not always involve the use of means, devices and medications to avoid pregnancy occurring but can in fact be achieved naturally by following the natural rhythm of the body itself.

This means that birth control and contraception make up what is known as family planning. As a result, it is important for us to examine some of these methods.

This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Ingest Okra

~Culled from: www.collective-evolution.com

“Humans live on one-quarter of what they eat; on the other three-quarters lives their doctor.” – Egyptian pyramid inscription, 3800 B.C.

Abelmoschus esculentus or Hibiscus esculentus, also known as Okra, is a widely used vegetable all over the world. Not many people like it because of its ‘slimy’ texture, but this vegetable is loaded with a number of health benefits that will probably have you considering adding it into your diet if you are passionate about your health.

Okra originated in Egypt, and people have been growing it since the 12th century. It can be consumed in a variety of different ways, such as stewed, fried, or even fermented. It’s usually served with other vegetables and rice or put into soups.

The Many Health Benefits of Okra

·        According to a study published in 2005 in the Jilin Medical Journal, okra showed positive effects on nephropathy, or kidney disease. For the study, participants were put into two different groups — one was treated with okra, and the other was treated with traditional medical therapy. The study lasted 6 months, and while there were no changes for the group who used traditional therapy, those who took their treatment with the okra saw a reduction in uric acid and urine protein. (source)

Good hygiene can prevent viral infections

Viruses are smaller than bacteria. In fact, some viruses known as 'Bacteriophage' can even infect and replicate inside a bacterium. Although antibiotics cannot kill viruses, some simple hygiene-based practices can be of immense benefit in protecting us from viral infections.

Viral infections are usually passed on indirectly by touching contaminated surfaces, such as taps, toilet handles, or directly by close contact with the source of the virus which can be an animal (as with Lassa fever and the Ebola Virus Disease) or an infected person.

Human to human transmission of viruses usually occurs by breathing in the air that comes out when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Sicknesses caused by viruses range from trivial infections to plagues that alter the course of history. Viral infections are difficult to treat because viruses live inside the cells of the human body and they are 'protected' from medicines which usually move through our bloodstream. In fact, because of the enormous variations in viruses and in their epidemiology and pathogenesis, there is no single magic-bullet approach to control them.

Other common ways of getting infected with a virus also includes touching or shaking hands, touching food with dirty hands, ingestion of contaminated food or water, contact with body fluids, such as blood, saliva and semen, which contain the infecting organisms, by sharing hypodermic needles, through cuts from sharp objects and via transmission of infected fluids during sexual contact.

Most viral infections can be avoided by a variety of approaches. For example, frequent hand washing or sanitizing is one of the most effective ways to prevent transmission of many types of infection.

Lonely deaths in Indian hospitals

Written by Biodun Ogungbo - Punch, Nigeria.

Biodun Ogungbo 

We read about the shocking and sudden death of Chinenye recently. Apparently, she succumbed during a simple elective procedure on her leg at the Fortis Hospital in India.

Chinenye's mother and many sympathisers laid siege to the Indian High Commission in Nigeria and cried for justice. She alleged that negligence on the part of the hospital led to her daughter's death. But the hospital has denied it. However, our duty is to state a few facts and not judge.

Our shame

Newspapers have been full of stories of Nigerians dying in Indian hospitals and the latest is just one more in a procession of coffins returning home after a spell of medical tourism abroad.

Similarly, Nigerian Senators, wives of former Nigerian Presidents, former ministers, Nigerian Supreme Court judges and ordinary Nigerians have all died lonely deaths in hospital beds abroad.

It has reached a stage where bereaved families advertise the death of loved ones in newspapers, usually proud that the body would be flown in from a foreign hospital.

This is what we are reduced to: an assembly of people without national pride. Our collectively irresponsible behaviour has led to the collapse of our industries, educational and health care systems. We have systematically run down and bastardised our hospitals and failed to support our health care system with responsible people and significant investments. We are where we are because of the insatiable greed of our people and our past leaders. Leaders? What's that then?

With Ebola in check, are we ready for next outbreak?

The world will heave a collective sigh of relief when west Africa’s Ebola epidemic is finally declared at an end after claiming more than 11,000 lives over two years.

But with a cure still out of reach, and no vaccine on the market, are we better prepared for next time?

Important lessons were learnt the hard way from the unprecedented devastation and suffering wrought on Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone — the countries hardest hit by the outbreak which started in December 2013, say experts.

Epidemiological protocols were improved. At first, many infected people were not quarantined fast enough or given the right type of care.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) much-criticised reaction lag led to an overhaul of epidemic response guidelines. Deployment of medical staff, virus-blocking suits, medicines and other material is likely to happen much faster next time.

“We know how to stop the spread,” Liberia’s chief medical officer Francis Karteh told AFP. “Liberia is no longer at risk like the way it was.”

Diseases that can occur when you don’t exercise

Topics

• Diseases that can occur when you don’t exercise
• Natural Remedies To Help You Sleep

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Diseases that can occur when you don’t exercise

Written by Bukola Adebayo -  Punch, Nigeria.

Exercise, as simple as it sounds, is one activity that many people avoid. It is a cheap fact to say that people are not exercising as much as they should these days.

Many people find it difficult to walk to the market in their neighbourhood not to talk of going to a gym.

They categorise any walk that will take more than 20 minutes at a go as a stressful activity that they need not engage in.

However, for a family physician, Dr. Femi Omolola, the world is battling with three killer diseases because people do not exercise any more.

Type 2 diabetes

Studies show that the cases of Type 2 diabetes have skyrocketed due to sedentary living, especially in the last two decades. Type 2 diabetes is now a global problem. The non-communicable disease, hitherto associated with those above 50 years of age, is now rampant among young people due to what experts term obesity occasioned by lack of exercise.

Citing research date, another family health physician, Dr. Segun Agbaje, states that seven per cent of type 2 diabetes cases have links with lack of activity.

The woman a man needs

Written by Mercy Makinde

She is a Speaker, Writer, Coach and Entrepreneurship Advocate who owns theOnline Motivational Radio Station – www.iaspireradio.com and the Motivational & Inspirational Blog – www.iaspireblog.com

I was privileged to be at a Women's Entrepreneurship Conference recently and it was quite encouraging to see several women come out to do their thing! I was really excited to see women pitch to investors on the spur of the moment and they came off really strong and determined to make an impression. There are some hard working and daring women out there I must confess and I am really proud of them. I am happy to be a woman!

Nonetheless, there are still millions of women out there who don't see the need to bring anything to the table! They desire wealth and status without the demands of long hours in the workplace. Many on the other hand, hope to marry wealthy partners. A new survey has revealed that generations of young women are rejecting high-flying careers in favor of a life of ease and luxury. The so-called 'Easy Life Generation' has seen their mothers struggle with demanding jobs while trying to raise families and have no desire to follow in their footsteps. They certainly don't have any intention of doing housework or even actually loving a husband; he is meant to be their ATM (Any Time Money) machine to fund their lavish lifestyle in return for occasional sex. That's not being a traditional woman...you know what it is!

They come into marriage with very few assets yet they spend the little money that come their way on excessive luxuries to impress their friends and this can include things like designer apparels, upscale restaurants, frequent vacations, exotic cars, spa treatments and excessive amounts of clothing, purses, shoes and accessories. And when they run into trouble, their husbands pick up the slack and fix the mess they have made of their finances.

How I was drugged, raped, fired from Air Force

Written by By Egufe Yafugorhi - Vanguard, Nigeria ( Tuesday, December 15, 2015).

Igbobi Beauty Uzezi, rape victim

• Detained in cell with lunatic, chained to hospital bed.
• Starved for days to make me not expose my Air officer-rapist.

WARRI-WHEN the chair, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Delta State, Mr. Benefit Orugbo, called me on phone, about a fortnight ago, and said that he had a spine chilling case of human rights abuse in his hands, I did not understand the brutality of the matter and almost ignored the issue.

However, it was not until Warri Reporter, EGUFE YAFUGORHI, detailed to meet the victim at an agreed venue reported his encounter with Igbobi Beauty Uzezi, an Air Police of the Nigerian Air-force, NAF, with Personal Service Number, NAF10/25157F, that the reality dawned on me.

Uzezi, who hails from Bayelsa state, revealed that an Air-force officer (names withheld) drugged, raped and infected her with a Sexually Transmitted Diseases, STD, and the said officer detained and tortured her through proxies for daring to expose him and finally got her dismissed from the Airforce.

The air-force officers she complained to and sought help before the hammer fell on her, queried why she chose to make trouble with the officer, pointing out that she was not the only female personnel to pass through the ordeal.

They detained her in a cell with a mad woman, chained her to the bed in the hospital, locked for several days without food to force her to forgo justice. She refused to surrender and was court marshaled after she threatened to shoot one of the air-force officers used to intimidate her, who allegedly wanted to disarm her.

Virus spread by mosquitoes linked to rare birth defect

~TheGuardian, Nigeria. 

*Brazil sees sharp rise in babies born with abnormally small heads, researchers find

A mosquito-borne virus may cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads. Zika virus, which first appeared in Brazil in May, causes fever, rash, vomiting, red eyes and, in some cases, death.

According to a report published in ScienceNews, Brazilian health officials believe that a Zika infection during pregnancy harms growing fetuses. Pregnant women hit by the virus may be more likely to give birth to babies with the rare birth defect microcephaly, a congenital condition marked by a small head and abnormal brain development.

Over recent months, Brazilian health officials have noted an unusually high number of babies born with microcephaly. From 2010 to 2014, on average, 156 Brazilian babies were born with the birth defect each year. This year, health officials have already recorded 1,248 suspected cases of microcephaly. On November 28, government health officials reported that Zika virus had been found in tissue from a baby born with microcephaly, a find that links the birth defect to the virus.

Zika virus also has been documented in Africa, Southeast Asia and islands in the Pacific including the Cook Islands, French Polynesia and the Federated States of Micronesia. Because the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the virus live around the world, the virus will probably spread to previously unaffected areas, the United States (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns.

Palmwine is harmful to nursing mother and breast-feeding child | Managing fever blisters

In this page:

• Palmwine is harmful to nursing mother and breast-feeding child
• Managing fever blisters

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Rotimi Adesanya

Palmwine is harmful to nursing mother and breast-feeding child

Written by Rotimi Adesanya - Nigeria. 

Blog site: www.doctoradesanya.blogspot.com 

My pastor‘s wife sought advice from me, regarding the choice of hospital for her pregnant sister in-law who was due for child birth. The latter had returned from her base in another West African country, where she had been receiving ante natal care, to be delivered of her baby.

I suggested a few hospitals to her, based on their location, competence of the medical staff and convenience. Eventually the patient was successfully delivered of a baby girl with normal weight. Both mother and child were fine.

On my way to congratulate her and to see the baby girl, who was doing well at the time, I met my pastor’s wife at the reception and noticed she was worried. The following conversation ensued between us:

Me: Congrats Ma, where have you been?

Pastor’s wife: Doctor, I’ve been out all day in search of palm wine for the new mum.

Me: Palm wine! Palm what!

Pastor’s wife: The nurse asked me to get some for the new mum so that she could lactate.

Me: No ma, you need to hold on. You don’t need to get it and your sister in-law doesn’t need palm wine either.

Pastor’s wife: But the nurse asked us to get it. Anyway, thank God. And thank you.

Later I approached the nurse who directed that palm wine be given to the nursing mother. I asked if she knew that palm wine contained up to six per cent alcohol and it could affect the baby if consumed through breast milk.

The nurse admitted that palm wine was not prescribed by the doctor. She said that although the act of giving a nursing mother palm wine to boost lactation was not a medically proved treatment, it was a cultural practice that never failed to work.

Medical explanation

Naturally palm wine is a low-alcoholic drink and its alcoholic content is as little as three per cent. But fermented palm wine has the potential to breed as high 12 per cent alcoholic content.

If you are diabetic, don’t neglect your mouth

Written by Solaade Ayo-Aderele - Nigeria

Except a miracle happens, diabetes is a life-long disease. The best way to avoid it is to prevent yourself from developing it.

But then, if you have the condition, there’s no sitting down and wishing it never happened or indulging in self-pity.

Physicians say once an individual is confirmed as being diabetic, the best thing s/he can do is to enroll for medical care under a competent doctor in order to prevent complications from setting in.

Diabetologist/Medical Director of Rainbow Specialist Hospital, Dr. Afokoghene Isiavwe, warns that diabetes is not a condition that any individual can manage at home. Rather, she says, it’s a life-long condition that needs expert, life-long care if the patient must live quality life.

Isiavwe says diabetes comes with sack loads of issues which, if well managed, may not result in life-threatening complications.

Of course, having diabetes is life-threatening enough, experts lament; but they are quick to say that if you take practical steps by accessing good care, you can reduce the complications for which diabetes is notorious.

What is diabetes?

Isiavwe says an individual is said to be diabetic when the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.

Blood flows through every part of the body, because it is the fuel that keeps us alive. The day blood-flow to an organ ceases, that organ dies, literally.

The body needs healthy, untainted blood, to function optimally. But because of too much sugar in the blood — which causes diabetes in the first place — the body is inhibited from functioning properly.

Managing children with cerebral palsy

Written by Dr. Rotimi Adesanya - Nigeria. 

website:www.entrepreneur.com. 

Master O.K is an 11 months old infant who was brought to my clinic because the mother noticed the child could not crawl or make attempts to stand.

The infant's history was taken, the examination was done and the infant's condition was said to be fair.

She was asked to bring her husband the following day for full explanation of the child's condition.

The following day, I explained to the parents that the child was likely to have suffered some brain damage during child birth, a condition called Birth Asphyxia.

The Infant now has Cerebral Palsy. This means this child developmental milestones will be delayed, that is, she will not be able to walk, talk, stand and probably hear on time.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is not a disease; it is not hereditary or contagious, it is a disability.

The disorder can be managed with proper therapies and medication, with the use of assistive technology that can maximise independence, reduce barriers and enhance quality life.

Parents of children with this special condition need adequate orientation and education so that they would know the health status of their children.

The first thing a family whose child was diagnosed with CP needs is counselling, information and education. Without this, the family will be left groping in the dark.

Management of CP is not only intensive, it is also expensive. CP is said to be one of the most expensive congenital disorder to manage. It is difficult for a family to keep up.

I have approached Dr. Gbemisola Boyede, a consultant neurodevelopmental paediatrician at the department of Paediatrics, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, to give us a specialist overview to the subject.

Here is Dr Gbemisola's overview: Cerebral palsy often abbreviated as CP is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture.

"Cerebral" means having to do with the brain. "Palsy" means weakness or problems with using the muscles.

How high blood pressure cripples the body

~ Vanguard, Nigeria.

Checking the blood pressure

IN Nigeria and environs, High Blood Pressure, a.k.a. Hypertension, is increasingly becoming a problem. It puts people at risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Already a massive hidden killer, High Blood Pressure is set to sharply rise as Nigerians adopt western diets and sedentary lifestyles.

High blood pressure is twice as high in Nigeria compared with most neighbouring countries and less than 1 in 5 Nigerians are aware that they are hypertensive.

It is estimated that one in-three men and one-in-four women are hypertensive, and this is set to rise to 39 million cases by 2030. It is particularly worrisome that high blood pressure is treated effectively in less than 10 per cent of cases.

As one of the most prevalent Non Communicable diseases worldwide, hypertension is responsible for an estimated 45 percent of deaths due to heart disease and 51 percent of deaths due to stroke globally.

High blood pressure forces the heart to work harder, which can make it grow weaker. The effects can be felt throughout the body.

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure

As the heart beats, it pushes blood through the arteries on its way to the rest of the body. Blood pressure is the amount of force created within the arteries and veins. Systolic blood pressure is measured as the blood pumps out of the heart. Diastolic blood pressure is measured between heartbeats.

Blood pressure varies from person to person and can fluctuate throughout the day. Experts say, over time, a reading of 140/90 may require treatment. The top number (systolic) signifies the pressure in the arteries. A normal systolic blood pressure is 120 or below.

The diastolic blood pressure number or the bottom number indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.

Ovarian cysts

Written by Dr. Sylvester Ikhisemojie - Nigeria

Dr. Sylvester Ikhisemojie 

This is one problem that is not always a disease. Ovarian cysts develop in many women who do not even realise that they have them. The reason for this is that at about the period of menstruation, the ovary which has released a follicle, the very structure that is responsible for fertility occurring, would have developed such a swelling. Many of these cysts would regress on their own causing the woman no harm at all, and no obvious signs.

What often makes a woman become aware of these problems is the fact of having some difficulty with getting pregnant or frank infertility. It is thus an important topic for many women.

In all normal women, the ovary is a part of the reproductive system located in the pelvis. There is also the uterus, fallopian tubes and vagina. None is able to guarantee a pregnancy without the other and all must work in tandem to bring a pregnancy about. As a result, there is a point at which an ovarian cyst passes from a harmless growth into a problem. The usually harmless swellings mentioned above are things which would usually resolve on their own. This is the story all through the child-bearing years during which a follicle is released into the adjacent fallopian tube for onward transportation into the uterus, about once a month.

This describes the normal menstrual cycle. With modern ultrasound machines, this activity can be monitored and timed precisely so that those couples who have challenges with fertility can be advised accurately about when to try for a conception, failing which the timing is seen as equally vital to be successful in assisted reproductive efforts.

If a follicle develops and fails to release its egg into the fallopian tube, it can form a cyst which should disappear within a few weeks at the most. Sometimes, a different kind of cyst forms after a follicle has been released. This is called a corpus luteum cyst. Such cysts bleed a bit into a cavity in the pelvic region and would cause some pain for several days that are not usually serious. The pain and the spilled blood tend to resolve spontaneously.

Lead exposure in mothers can affect future generations

~Sciencedaily

A team of researchers at Wayne State University have discovered that mothers with high levels of lead in their blood not only affect the fetal cells of their unborn children, but also their grandchildren. Their study, Multigenerational epigenetic inheritance in humans: DNA methylation changes associated with maternal exposure to lead can be transmitted to the grandchildren, was published online this week in Scientific Reports.

It's a known fact that babies in the womb can be affected by low levels of lead exposure. If a pregnant woman is exposed to lead, the lead passes through the placenta into the baby's developing bones and other organs. Pregnant women with a past exposure to lead can also affect the unborn child's brain, causing developmental problems later in life. Previous research studies have suggested that exposure to heavy metal toxicants can influence a person's global DNA methylation profile.

In the recent Wayne State study led by Douglas Ruden, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, director of epigenomics, and program leader in the Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors, he and his research team revealed that lead exposure can cause specific changes in DNA methylation, which can be detected in dried blood spots beyond one generation. The neonatal blood spots from both the mothers and children in this study were obtained from the Michigan Neonatal Biobank, a unique resource that has most of the neonatal dried blood spots from children born in Michigan since 1984.

According to Ruden, epigenetic effects of environmental exposures beyond one generation have not yet been demonstrated in humans prior to this study. He and his team tested the hypothesis that human fetal germ cell exposure to environmental toxins causes epigenetic changes in the newborn blood from a grandchild of an exposed pregnant woman.

Why people have bad breath in the morning -Study

Written by Tunde Ajaja- Nigeria. 

When it comes to personal hygiene, apart from body odour, there are a few other things that can be as repulsive as having a bad breath, or simply put, mouth odour. Even the sound of it is distasteful, and not only does the smell nauseates, it goes ahead to present such a person in bad light, giving a vivid impression of a dirty human being. It could sometimes make the individual a lone ranger as people try to avoid such persons.

But as disgusting as bad breath is, it is amazing to find that most people experience it every time they wake up; mostly in the morning. It is also known as halitosis. In fact, it could be as repulsive to the owner of the mouth, not to even talk of others. Noteworthy is the fact that this case is independent of the chronic mouth odour, the product of which could make the listener (victim) puke.

Therefore, it is not uncommon to find that when people wake up in the morning, they tend to avoid close contact discussion, or better still maintain some distance or even cover their mouth while talking to others. The simplest cure would be to have a toothbrush. It could cure it all, only if done properly.

An expert in dental matters and periodontist, Sally Cram, said, "Everyone has morning breath to some degree. Here is the simple reason why: When you sleep, your mouth dries out and your normal flow of saliva decreases. When your mouth dries out, odour-producing bacteria multiply. That is why your breath can be worse in the morning."

However, for those who do not have mouth odour but wake up to find that they have bad breath, studies have shown that the trend is basically traceable to the fact that when a person is asleep, the mouth also goes into rest mode, leading to a drop in the rate of metabolic activities. And this form of bad breath is not limited to aftermath of waking up, it also happens when people close their mouth for too long without opening it.

Revealed! How husbands can have better sex with their wives

Witten by Tunde Ajaja - Nigeria

No doubt, many men (and women) are desirous of a happy marriage and an exciting sex life, but it appears there is a better way to achieve these other than the conventional ways of buying gift items, going on vacations and being a caring, good looking partner.

A study has shown that couples tend to have a higher level of satisfaction in their marriage if the husband looks after the kids. Understandably, that is often seen as a woman's natural responsibility, and in fact, in the days of yore, in some settings, women used to be saddled with the responsibility of catering for the children and overseeing the home while the men would go out to fend for the family.

But now that women are increasingly becoming an integral part of the workforce in the business and corporate world, the responsibility of doing the house chores and taking care of the kids seem to be falling on the shoulders of both the man and the woman.

Regardless, the study found that when couples share child care equally, both of them would be more satisfied, given that men are oftentimes interested in an exciting sexual experience with their wives and the woman would be willing to make it happen to reciprocate the love.

In the study, the researchers from Georgia State University in the United States examined about 900 heterosexual couples and analysed the data procured from them. They asked pertinent questions from the participants as to how they shared the house chores, who takes care of the kids and how they would rate their sexual satisfaction and their overall happiness in the marriage.

After analysing the data, the researchers found that if men go beyond the conventional way of sharing responsibilities in marriage to share childcare duties with their wives equally, they would both have more satisfaction and enjoy better sex.

In other words, it was found that when women were responsible for most of the childcare activities, both the husband and the wife had the lowest satisfaction in their sexual lives and in the marriage as a whole.

One of the researchers, Daniel Carlson, said, "What we find is that there's generally little to no downside to men being largely responsible for child care. We conclude that being an engaged father is very important to men, if it weren't, we wouldn't see such a high level of satisfaction. And it suggests that father engagement and sharing child care with one's partner is important to both sexes.