Liamify

What is it about Friday that makes us all tired? Or makes me tired? It was 1:30 pm by my watch and had only been in theatre for slightly over 4 hours. I was helping the anaesthetist pack the instruments after our last scheduled case when the attending surgeon came in. Seemed like our day wasn’t done yet. The anaesthetist too was tired but he gets paid anyway and I don’t. Am a student though and need to maximise every opportunity to learn too… I had the option of leaving and going to have lunch and rest (am human too) or staying back to learn some more..…this never ending internal conflict, this duel loyalty idea, at times just takes a toll. The patient was a 5-day old female neonate born with an imperforate anus-simply, the bottom end was closed. Sadly, this malformation doesn’t usually occur in isolation but is associated with heart, urinary, tracheal and oesophageal defects among others. Quickly, my thoughts were drawn to think of the little’s girl’s future outlook. Here I was in

Your beliefs about God affect not just your spiritual health, but your mental, emotional, and physical health as well. How? The way you think about God impacts your brain, which directs all of your decisions in life. The thoughts you choose to think are constantly changing your brain’s physical structure. “The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible, comparing scripture with scripture and spiritual things with spiritual. There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigour to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose rarely seen in these times.” SC 90. Whether meditation, prayer, reading the Bible, discussing the Bible, or Bible studies, they all change your brain. Get

Smoking is a damaging habit for the brain and other organs in the body. On autopsy, chronic smokers are found to have a thinner brain cortex than non-smokers. This part of the brain is essential for memory, language, perception and a host of other functions of the brain. A thinner brain cortex is associated with mental decline. These effects can also be reproduced in passive smokers, that is, people who stay with active smokers and end up unintentionally inhaling the polluted air. Alcohol consumption affects the body in many ways and has long lasting damaging effects on the brain even after it has left the body. Chronic alcohol use is associated with impaired memory and a slowing in reaction time. People who have been consuming large amounts of alcohol for extended periods of time run the risk of developing serious and persistent changes in the brain that persist well after the person achieves sobriety. Quit cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption.

Our brain functions best when we have opportunities to socialize with others. The lack of social contact can lead to depression, feelings of loneliness, and even affect our ability to remember things. Children who don’t get enough social contact with their parents and peers are more likely to develop psycho-social problems. In adults, a lack of social integration can also lead to forming bad habits such as drinking and drug abuse. People who rarely talk may end up suffering from mild brain damage. This is because the brain cells tend to become dormant, making it shrink in size. On the other hand, indulging in intellectual talk stretches the brain, strengthening it in the process. This is essential as far as brain development and growth is concerned. Thinking is like exercise to our bodies. The deeper the thoughts, the more the brain ‘muscles’ are exercised and the better your brain develops. Maintain a good circle of friends and don’t shy away from social gatherings/ function

Cognitive development, defined as the development of intelligence, conscious thought and the ability to solve problems, begins in infancy and continues throughout adult life. Genetically we are born with a defined cognitive framework, but it is the sights and sounds of experience that help us reach our particular genetic potential. Brain growth is ignited and occurs when the senses are stimulated. When any of the five senses -- touch, sight, sound, taste or smell -- are activated, electrical activity occurs in the brain. Each sensory experience excites neural circuits, thereby creating a stronger connection. Learning occurs when neural circuits are strengthened through repetition. Over time, other neural circuits become inactive through lack of use. These inactive circuits often drop away in a process called "pruning." A lifestyle without the necessary stimulation to prompt neuronal growth inhibits cognitive and developmental growth. Thinking is the best way to train o

As with all body organs, the brain also requires a sufficient supply of nutrients from all food groups. Sugar is the only energy source that can be utilised by the brain. Despite its great importance, excess sugar consumption can lead to detrimental effects in almost all body systems, more so for the brain. Sugar is a general term used to describe a large number of organic compounds. It is used here to refer to a diet high in refined carbohydrates, glucose, sucrose (common table sugar) and other sweeteners found as additives in processed foods and drinks. In a diet high in sugar content, the excess sugar interrupts with the absorption of proteins and other nutrients which interferes with brain development (especially in children) and function (especially in adults). A diet high in added sugar reduces the production of a brain chemical known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Without BDNF, our brains can’t form new memories and we can’t learn (or remember) much of anything

Despite being ill, we are still required to carry on with the pressures of life. This however may not be too good for our brains. The body being one complex system is interconnected. Disease in one part of the body affects all other systems. Fluid intelligence is composed of short-term memory, abstract thinking, creativity, and problem solving. Crystallized intelligence on the other hand is composed of all learning accumulated over the life span in education, work, and cultural experiences. Fluid intelligence is often affected by aging, disease, or injury, while crystallized intelligence tends to increase through the 60s and 70s, and may not begin to decline until the 80s. Working the brain whilst sick hastens the aging-related decline in memory and thinking skills associated with fluid intelligence. Give your brain a break when you’re sick. Overworking it during an illness will only decrease its effectiveness sooner than it should happen.

The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Brain cells are very sensitive to decreases in oxygen levels and don't survive or function well very long without it. Without oxygen, irreversible brain damage starts to occur after around 5 minutes. Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decreases the concentration of oxygen in blood. This is because when you sleep under the covers you continue to breathe in air that you just breathed out which has more carbon dioxide than oxygen. This leads to low oxygen supply to brain cells. Alzheimer’s and dementia are often seen as the result of hypoxia (diminished oxygen supply) to the brain. Repeatedly sleeping with your head under the covers is associated with early onset dementia by age 50, 20 years earlier than should be. If you already have this habit, try tucking in your blankets from the foot end of your bed to avoid pulling them over your head. Think twice before pulling the blankets

Eating too many calories does more than just expand your midsection. A habitual high caloric intake over time raises your odds of developing memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), later in life (more pronounced after 60 years of age). Inspiration further adds that…”A clogged stomach means a clogged brain”...”The affliction of the stomach affects the brain”…”The power of the brain is lessened by drawing so heavily upon it to help the stomach get along with its heavy burden.” Regardless of the quality of the food, the resultant high blood sugar causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power. Like many pleasurable behaviours—including sex and illicit drug use— overeating triggers the release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter in the brain. This internal chemical reward, in turn, increases the likelihood that the associated action will eventually become a habit that will be difficult to stop i.e overeating can become a semi-addiction

We spend roughly a third of our lives asleep, but sleep is a remarkably productive time for our brain. Sleep allows the brain to rest from the day’s activity, repair itself and prepare for the next day’s activity. Inside the skull, the brain sits in a clear fluid that acts as a buffer or cushion called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). During sleep, the space between brain cells expands significantly and more efficiently allows CSF flow between them. The CSF acts as a waste removal system for the brain as it facilitates the clearing of toxins generated throughout the day’s activity. The brain clears out toxins much more rapidly while we’re asleep than when we’re awake. These toxins include β-amyloid protein, a precursor for the plaques found in Alzheimer’s disease, and the very destructive free radicals (by-products of oxygen metabolism). A habit of not getting enough sleep each night will therefore accelerate the death of brain cells. Plan on getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep each n

The brain daily requires a supply of up to 120 grams of glucose (sugar) for optimal function. The sugar requirements during the night may be less, however most of us we are most active in the morning way before we eat lunch. As such, we need to take breakfast to supply the brain with the needed sugar for the morning. Not having breakfast results in less sugar being available for use by the brain. A chronic habit (takes many years to develop) of insufficient supply of sugar leads to brain degeneration which increases the risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Develop/ maintain the good habit of having breakfast every morning. In fact, it should be the largest meal of your day, composed of one-third to one-half of your daily energy requirements.

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. In as much as the human body needs every other part for complete function, the brain is one of the important parts. It allows a person to think, feel and store memories, and also controls and coordinates the body's actions and reactions. In a car, it is the equivalent of the engine, or the processor and hard drive of a computer. Certain habits can however damage the brain so much as to produce significant health effects. A habit by definition is a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up. These are therefore not a onetime acts but activities/actions/practices that we do almost all the time. I will for the next 10 days post one brain damaging habit for your consideration.

Some Zambian statistics to think about: Childbearing begins early in Zambia, with more than one-third of women giving birth by age 18 and more than half giving birth by age 20. Zambia’s fertility rate currently stands at 5.3 births per woman…on average each woman is likely to have 5 children. Zambian men marry on average five years later than women. The median age at first marriage among women currently aged 25-49 is 18.4 years, and the median age among men now aged 25- 49 is 23.9 years. Forty (40%) percent of children under age 5 are stunted, 6 percent are wasted, and 15 percent are underweight. Ten (10%) percent of women aged 15-49 are underweight and twenty-three (23%) percent of women are overweight or obese.

Entry #: 12 (8th March, 2017; 02:37hrs) Most days, if not all, I am usually learning from the misfortune of others so I can one day help other people too. Today is different from all other nights I have spent here...Its 01:42hrs in the morning. Thirty minutes later, its 01:43hrs. I feel bad when patients/ caregivers are treated with attitude, not attended to on time and well perhaps given suboptimal treatment. With the exception of the good rec eption from the nurses today, I still had to wait in line for 3 hours before the medical officer came through to admit dad. Yes 3 hours and the old man was in pain, still in pain. I feel bad when people skip the line in the name of staff/ white coat priviledge....my conscience wouldn't let me....there were a couple of people ahead who came in at 13hrs and hadn't been seen yet by 20hrs. Too bad the other guy brought in by the Police passed on whilst on the queue. Mosquitoes are the new flies here. Cockroaches roam the floor with author

“We will just give him some analgesia and HOPE to see him after 3 months.” These were the words of my attending oncologist during a round through the oncology ward and off we went to the next patient. The old man had prostate cancer that has spread to the spine and left him paralysed from the waist down for more than a year now. Of late he has also been talking irrelevantly. There are many of such patients whose cancer has spread beyond what can be treated. All we could do for him now is just palliative care. Cancer treatment is mainly stage-based and palliation is the last treatment modality for end-stage cancer. Loosely said, it’s basically that nothing can be done to stop the cancer at that stage. But how did we get here in the first place? Advanced cancer just doesn’t spring up from nowhere. Cancer is a progressive disease and MANY are CURABLE if detected early. Could it be a problem in the healthcare system? Could it be due to the low socio-economic status of our people th