Health
What Your Face Says About Your Health
A Look in the Mirror
You’re really familiar with the face staring back at you.
But a closer peek may show clues about your health — if you know what to look for.
Yellowish Skin and Eyes
This is jaundice. It’s when you have too much of a waste product your body makes when it breaks down red blood cells. It’s common — and usually harmless — in babies born before 38 weeks, because their livers aren’t mature enough to work the way they should. In adults, jaundice can mean more serious conditions, like viral infections (hepatitis, mononucleosis); problems with your liver, gallbladder, or pancreas; or alcohol abuse.
Moles
These are spots or bumps, often dark in colour. Most are nothing to worry about, but skin checks can help you spot cancer before it spreads. When it comes to moles, remember your ABCDEs:
Asymmetrical: Is the shape different on each side?
Border: Is it jagged?
Colour: Is it uneven?
Diameter: Is it larger than a pea?
Evolving: Has it changed in the past few weeks?
Talk to your doctor if you answered yes to any of these questions.
Sores
Ones around your lips and mouth are most likely cold sores, which are caused by the type 1 herpes virus. (Most people with oral herpes were infected from saliva as children or young adults, not from sexual contact.) Once you get the virus, it stays with you. Sores may break out when you’re sick, anxious, or overtired, or you’ve been out in the sun too long. They usually go away on their own, but if you have big or frequent outbreaks, your doctor may suggest medication.
Cracked Lips
Everyone gets dry or cracked lips from time to time, especially in winter. Balms can help protect them and keep them moist. But sometimes, dry lips are a sign of a health issue, like dehydration — when your body doesn’t have enough water. They can also be an allergic reaction or response to a drug, such as steroids.
Butterfly Rash
Most rashes aren’t serious and get better on their own, but this one is unusual. It covers both cheeks in the shape of a butterfly, and it’s a common sign of lupus. That’s a disease that makes your immune system attack your own tissues and organs. You may also have fever, achy and stiff joints, and fingers that turn blue in the cold. See your doctor if you have an unexplained rash, especially if it comes along with those other symptoms.
Hair in Unusual Places
It could just be a hair growing where you don’t want it — that can happen to men as they get older around the ears and eyebrows, and to women around the chin. In younger women, facial hair can be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that can make it harder to get pregnant.
Drooping Eyelid
Doctors call it ptosis or blepharoptosis. It can happen in one or both eyes — in severe cases, your eyelid may block your vision. You may be born with it or get it over decades. It’s often harmless, but it can be a sign of problems with your brain, nerves, or eye socket. See your doctor if it happens in days or hours, or if you have double vision, weak muscles, trouble swallowing, or a bad headache — those can be signs of a stroke.
Can’t Move One Side of Your Face
If you can’t move part of your body, get medical help right away. But if you don’t have other symptoms, it’s probably Bell’s palsy. It happens when something — probably a virus — presses a nerve that controls muscles in your face or makes it swollen. It shows up over hours or days and usually weakens a side of your face. You also may have pain in your jaw and behind your ear. Usually, it’s not serious and gets better in 3 to 6 months.
By: Kevin Nengia
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.
