Red swollen, itchy and runny eyes are not so pleasant conditions that are seasonally common in African countries. This is locally known as ‘apollo’ and is a very contagious eye infection. There are many beliefs surrounding this very disease and here are just a few of them.

 

 

WHY IS IT CALLED APOLLO?

 

Sources have it that the original outbreak of the disease in Africa, Ghana precisely, coincided with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. Hence locals believing that it had something to do with the event, referred to it as Apollo 11 disease, which is still a popular name for it now.

 

A source that attests to this

However, the name of the condition is conjunctivitis- which simply means inflammation or irritation of the conjunctiva(the protective, transparent membrane of the eyes). This is as a result of viral or bacterial infection which causes the blood vessels in the conjunctiva to become enlarged and leads to other signs and symptoms like pink/red eyes, itchiness, sensitivity to light and discharges from the eye. It can also have allergic causes.

 

In full, it is called Acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, AHC.

 

 

Related: Staying healthy in the dry season

 

CAN APOLLO BE TRANSFERRED BY STARING?

 

This was a popular childhood belief, that Apollo could be transferred by looking into the eyes of someone suffering from the disease. I once tried to prove it wrong because for all I knew, Apollo doesn’t make you Superman or give you Apollo vision or something.

I ended up contracting it… but not because it was true.

 

 

Apollo is a very contagious infection, why? Because of its nature. It has either a viral/bacterial nature and thus is easily gotten through hand to eye contact with people, surfaces or objects contaminated with respiratory products, feces, and other body fluids of an infected person, or allergic, as a result of exposure to allergens like pollen, cosmetics and even contact lenses.

 Poor sanitation and sharing of towels also aid transmission of apollo.

 

Children (in schools especially) are the most susceptible.

 

Wash your hands with soap frequently, avoid sharing personal belongings, avoid touching your face, avoid crowded places. These are the major preventive measures.

 

 

 

DO LOCAL REMEDIES WORK?

 

Bacterial conjunctivitis is treated with antibiotic eye drops or ointments. Like with other viral diseases, viral conjunctivitis symptoms are managed, they tend to clear up on their own over a period of days.

 

Some so-called remedies do more harm than good. Urine, breast milk and others have no business with conjunctivitis.

There are other plant-based remedies that have many attesting to their potency, but it is best to see your doctor.

 

 

 

 

Apollo or rather conjunctivitis, is a very discomforting condition. You literally feel that you have the world on/in your eyes. 

Have you had your own fair share of Apollo experiences? What have you heard of it?

Did this post enlighten you?

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This is the dry season, and as opposed to conditions brought by the harmattan winds, which is basically the African winter, this season is characterized by hot days and nights. Almost no precipitations are observed during this season.

 

 

The dry season is my least favorite of all the seasons in Nigeria. And I usually find it odd that people disagree with that when you basically have to do more to be comfortable this period.

 

There’s no need to give you a geography class but here are a few things to note if you want the most from this season.

 

 

 

Avoid exposure to the sun

 

The days are generally hotter this season and sun burns are going to get even more frequent if you carelessly expose yourself. UV rays are not really best of friends with your skin and continuous exposure can prove dangerous with increased risk of skin cancers and other issues that tell with time.

 

When outside, leverage shades, wear light and protective clothing, use hats, sunshades, and sunscreen lotions when possible. Note colours in your choice of clothing as darker colours absorb light, so if you’re all black then you’re really asking for it.

 

 

Related: Taking care in the rainy season

 

 

Bathe as often as possible

 

This is as necessary for your comfort as it is for your personal hygiene.

Bathing will help make you cooler and also get rid of the sweat and dirt that will be prevalent this season. Accumulation of both on your skin can cause skin problems and body odour.

 

 

 

Use moisturizing lotion

 

The effects of the heat and dryness on your skin can be mitigated with moisturizing lotions and oils.

They leave your skin refreshed and moist enough to handle the heat and make it look so, instead of looking parched.

 

 

 

Use facemasks or handkerchiefs

 

It is normally advised to breathe through the nose and not the mouth because the nose is equipped with hairs to filter the air, but no matter how equipped your nose is, it probably won’t be enough to handle the dust this season.

 

Use facemasks and handkerchiefs. While you may be tired of using the former because of this year’s events, now you’ll have a reason you can see(bad joke right?)

 

If you have allergies, they’ll be very helpful in keeping the brown particles away.

 

 

 

Be wary of mosquitoes

 

It’s the dry season so why should you be bothered about them?

 

Well, some species of mosquitoes still breed in the dry season and they may not come in the same numbers as the rainy season but they definitely don’t need to.

Mosquitoes do not transmit only malaria. If you noticed the somewhat nationwide yellow fever vaccination, it’ll be good to know that mosquitoes are also behind it. Watch out for them.

 

 

Related: Sleeping positions and your health

 

 

Drink a lot of water

 

‘Stay hydrated’ is the mantra for the season. It is actually the most important on this list.

At least four litres of water a day is recommended and much more than that will be needed this season. Dehydration can lead to a wide range of problems; headaches, fatigue, constipation et cetera. In fact many symptoms that are mistaken for health issues can be resolved with some glasses of water.

 

Water makes up about 70% of a living person and is vital for homeostasis, proper organ functioning, replenishing of fluids lost by the skin, blood flow and almost every other activity in the body.

 

Just drink a lot of water.

 

 

Drink water oh...

 

 

All these also apply to the harmattan except for the clothes. You’ll need thicker clothes: sweaters/cardigans. And in addition to the lotion, you’ll also need protection for your lips(lip balms or lip glosses) because the cold tends to dry and then chap or crack unprotected lips.

 

 

Let us know if you already do all these in the comments and don’t forget to share this post with someone.

 

There are myths and speculations surrounding the use of mobile phones and the effects they have on our health. Many of them are far from the truth, many hinge on fear and arise from ‘common sense’.

 

What then is true?

 

Phones give off radiofrequency(RF) waves, which is a form of non-ionising radiation.

Radiation is classified into ionizing and non-ionising based on the ability of their photons to effect change in the state of atoms and molecules. Other examples of non-ionising radiation include visible light, infrared, microwaves and FM radio waves.

 

They are not as strong as their counterparts which are capable of damaging DNA in cells, thereby causing cancer. Examples of which are x-rays, UV-rays and gamma rays.

 

 

The amount of RF waves given off by a phone depends on a range of factors from the phone’s make/manufacturer to others like distance from cell towers, closeness to the body(e.g when making calls) and amount of time spent on the phone(calls in particular).

 

Though exposure to RF waves has been shown to be capable of heating up body tissues, it is important to know that phones emit them at a much lower level than is able to do same. Also that the biological effects of a phenomenon do not necessarily correspond to health effects.

 

 

Conclusions from lab studies with rats that showed risks of tumours and other conditions attributed to RF exposure, could not be drawn because the amount of exposure used in the rat studies were somewhat proportional to microwaving a human being-something outside the range of what any phone is capable of.

 

 

A lot of studies have been conducted on RF exposure, most of which had different limitations. Check these articles for more detailed information:

American Cancer Society on cellphones

 Mobile phones and your health-Better Health Channel

The truth about cell phone radiation-Forbes

All however, border on cell phone use as ‘possibly’ carcinogenic and have no statements substantiating it as studies are still ongoing.

 

As for 5G networks, they operate on higher energy than the older generations(4G,3G,2G) but still use RF waves(non-ionizing).

 

 

If you’re still wary of RF exposure

 

·         Keep calls short or text when possible

·         Use Bluetooth devices or corded earpieces

·         Use speaker modes or video chat features

 

 

 

The distancing involved in the above practices and the properties of Bluetooth devices and earpieces are very good precautionary measures.

 

 

 

 

What phone use has actually done

 

1.      Road accidents: There is a direct link between phone usage while driving and increased accident rates. Much so that hand-use of phones while driving is banned in pretty much all parts of the world.

2.      Other accidents: RF radiations are far from best of friends with flammables and are a major cause of fire accidents in homes and places like gas stations. These accidents more often than not result in death or severe burns. It is advised to turn off phones or put them in airplane mode in certain places: home kitchens, gas stations et cetera.

 

 

How much of this did you know before now? How much do you use your phones?

Was this enlightening? SHARE IN THE COMMENTS

 

 

Transferred aggression, also called displaced or redirected aggression, is aggressive behaviour directed at someone or in some cases, something that is not the source of provocation.

 

This is usually because the pent-up aggression did not have a means to escape peacefully and especially when they cannot be released on the source. 

For example, a parent’s scolding that a child vents on his/her siblings, a superior’s criticism that a worker ‘eases’ on their colleagues et cetera.

 

It is important to note the aftereffects of the initial provocation can linger well after the incident. Simply meaning that an act of transfer of aggression may stem from rumination on a provocation that took place hours to days before. Especially in cases that are perceived to be humiliating.

 

It might not always come out of the blue, it can be triggered by an act on the victim’s part that provides a means for the aggressor to release his/her tensions self-justified-ly.

This situation is called TRIGGERED DISPLACED AGGRESSION.

 

 

Transferred aggression is very unhealthy and very difficult to check as well because it can happen unknowingly. Your state of mind could spill over to people without you being aware of it. Apart from immediate repercussions, it can cause prolonged strain on relationships.

Nothing positive can come out of something negative unless it is with someone who is tolerant and patient enough to try to understand and not hold it against you or atleast point it out to you in a tactful way. 

Otherwise, quarrels, fights and others in the same direction are bound to result.

 

What can help prevent Displaced aggression

 

Understand your emotions

 

The prompting emotion for redirected aggression is usually anger. It helps to understand oneself and what one feels. And to know if how one is feeling towards the provocation is actually right. 

The reason behind whatever is making you angry could be well-founded and you could well be reacting without cause.

 

 

Explain your mood before acting in your mood

 

Before you go ‘how am I supposed to start explaining myself when I’m angry?’, know that a fair warning can be enough.

A ‘not now please, I’m not in a good mood’ is a very polite heads up and can go a long way in keeping you from an outburst.

 

 

Understand that nobody is your scapegoat

 

People go through a lot too and try to keep it from affecting their relationships with you so it would mean a lot to them if you got a trash can and transferred your goodies into it instead. Or better yet, tell them about it instead of pouring it on them.

 

 

"You won't believe daddy scolded me today"

 

Have you had cases of a transfer of aggression? Do you also transfer stuff apart from money?(smiles in mischief) Do you think these suggestions will help? What are yours?

 

Let’s have fun in the comments.

 

 

I don’t want to say what I’ll regret later

 

There’s no point in talking about it

 

They just won’t understand.

 

 

 

There are different ‘reasons’ we prefer to keep quiet over something that actually bothers us - to just let it pass and forget about it. Sometimes, it could be a favour we feel we’re doing to the other person by simply overlooking their actions or words (sometimes their silence or inactions).

 

 

You could be right, and your reasons fully justified but not expressing your emotions has a lot of physically noticeable implications. Irritation, stress and even ill-health are linked to not properly engaging how you feel.

 

Most of all that is produced in the human body are either used or expelled: from hormones and cells to waste products. Same with emotions, keeping them locked up is not healthy for you.

 

 

WHY IS IT UNHEALTHY?

 

The issue doesn’t go away

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty obvious right?

 

Ignoring something doesn’t mean it is no longer there. You’re not an ostrich, and even if you were, you’d still have to unbury your head at some point to actually deal with it.

While it seems like conserving energy, it really costs same to avoid addressing an issue or facing a problem.

 

 

Your emotions can spill over

 

What happens when you shake a bottle of soda?

The pressure increases and depending on certain factors, it could burst open.

 

Never thought people and soda would have so much in common

 

When you bottle up your emotions - negative ones especially, you’ll either finally explode on someone or pour a bit of it on many people. The problem with the latter is that you might not have the slightest idea that you’re doing it. And the problem with both is that the people involved might not have anything to do with your state.

 

No matter how well you think you have shut it away, you’re only piling other emotions on each other till they all come crashing down on you and out to others.

 

Don’t bottle till you burst, because it won’t really be refreshing.

 

 

Facing them can be helpful

 

 

 

Avoiding how you feel about something takes away the big possibility that the situation can be helped at that moment. For example, deciding not to try to explain why you did something that someone has a problem with because ‘they just won’t understand’,  is actually depriving you of the chance to be reasoned with and understood.

 

Relationships; personal, friendly, romantic or family, are all adversely affected by turning away from issues.

 

 

 

WHAT COULD HELP?

 

Know the reasons

Why are you letting it be? Is it because you’re not comfortable with expressing displeasure? Or that it’s ‘not your thing’? Or is it what is best at the moment (and it definitely can be)?

 

 

Know your emotions

What are you actually feeling? Angry, hurt, shy, tired et cetera. Knowing your emotions can be an eye opener to the real reason why you want to avoid or face something. The mind can be deceitful.

 

 

 

Talk

Aside from people you trust and that are reliable, there’s always professional help. You don’t have to be mentally unstable to need help.

 

 

Do you like to just avoid issues or are you a no-nonsense person? How do you react and how do you feel others should too? Are there any other ways that could help?

 

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