FITNESS: Greetings from Cardiology!!

Hello people!
I just completed this month's rotation in Cardiology department and phew!! It was a whirlwind.! I totally loved it..maybe because I was rocking it with a man (my teacher ni oo.....lol) that I would love to give the title of "Cardio God".

I learnt a whole lot and my scope in Cardiology is broader...thanks to Cardio God.

I brought a real good moment with a patient...enjoy!

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Doctor ; How often do you drink alcohol?
Patient ; Everyday more than 2 litres.

Doctor: it's unhealthy for you and it has gone a long way to endanger the health of your heart and general well-being.
Patient: well what can i do? I heard somewhere that daily intake of alcohol is good.

Doctor: (smiles) well,yes but the alcohol we are referring to is wine and it should be about 200ml per day not 2litres.
Patient: (with a serious look on his face) 200ml is too little for one day! what if i stay off alcohol all week till one day on weekends and drink the total for the alcohol free days at once?

hehehehehe....I fought so hard to stifle threatening loud laughter waiting to explode out my chest.. and managed a small teeny weeny smile because cardio god's eyes were on us all..

***
A message from Cardio God: The tortoise's heart rate is about 6 beats per minute while that of a rat is above 200 beats per minute. The life span of a tortoise is above 200years while that of a rat is about 2years.
Moral of the story, care for your heart! The ways to do so, eat healthy and wisely..,exercise regularly but don't overdo it!

Fact: If you are fit your heart rate would be lower than a non-exercising individual's heart rate..,that's why athletes generally have lower heart rates about 40-60bpm!!
Normal Heart Rate: 60-100bpm.

How to check your heart rate: If you have an automatic sphygmomanometer(forget the big word..,its just the stuff that goes around the arm or wrist to check blood pressure) good for you! You get to check your blood pressure and heart rate at a go...,but if not or just in case you don't have access to one and you need to check your heart rate at rest or during physical exercise, the touch method still is the way! No need for extra baggage all you need is a watch or timer with seconds counting!
Just locate your pulse on your wrist..,turn one palm facing upward and apply slight pressure to the outer 1/3 of your wrist..,do you feel it?? yep ! yep! that's your pulse..,just count for 15seconds and multiply by 4..,whatever the figure is your heart rate! Bet you have seen that done in tons of movies..

Or you can go for checking at you neck!Locate your pulse just at the corner of the lower jaw(see picture) just count and multiply as above..

Do this well and you can audition for a role in "House M.D"...lol..but pity the series has ended,,,*smiles

Note: heart rate less than 60 without any form of PROLONGED athletic fitness and accompanied by symptoms like weakness,dizziness and fainting is NOT normal..! contact your doctor immediately oo!
Before you will say it's DammyJewel's blog that said it is normal to have heart rate of 0.5bpm..(LOL)

Eat well ...,Be active!!

cheers people..!!
xoxo

FEMININO: How often do you check?

It's been a while I posted on the label FEMININO and it makes me feel negligent.

The reason I opened the page is to pass some information across which to those who already know it will serve as a reminder and to those who don't it becomes a source.

*****

So, some might wonder "how often do you check what?".

What = Breasts!

>>>

I have stumbled upon a few more cases of breast cancer online these past weeks and most of the cases were pretty advanced! It made me wonder, what if they had checked more often?

Don't get me wrong I am not implying that checking regularly will prevent the cancer from developing but it sure would aid early detection! Early detection means better prognosis.

Key points:

Q: When is the best time to perform the breast self-exam?

A: it is best to check halfway through your menstrual cycle(anytime from the end of the menses is fine)..,because most female tumors are hormone dependent.,,,,have you ever wondered why your breasts feel fuller when you are expecting your period? It's pretty much the same way any abnormal growth inside will most likely increase in size around that same period! 

Q: How to perform the breast exam?

A:  M-B-S....Mirror, Bed, Shower!

 Start in front of a mirror: Study the shape,size,drape,skin color and symmetry of your breast carefully first with both arms hanging loosely on your sides, then move your hands to your waist and then clasp them behind your head...all the while studying your breast carefully.

Next starting from the middle with one hand still behind the head make small circular motions on the breast with the free hand from bottom to the other side..,paying attention to any swelling visible or felt in the armpit area. Switch hand and repeat. The breast should feel uniform without abnormal bumps.

After the both breast have been checked slightly press each nipple between thumb and fore-finger..In  norm there should be no discharge with exception to lactation.

To the Bed: Same movements only with change of body position..,lie back with a pillow beneath your head and shoulders..,repeat the hand motion as above on each breast.

In the Shower: The importance of this part is the ease of hand movement due to the extra slipperiness given by soap.., so make sure you have enough lather..,then repeat the hand motion on each breast.

Finito! You are done.

Take note of all your findings..,if you sense anything off..,contact you gynecologist immediately!

Once every month, approximately 15 minutes of your time could be a life-saver and an opportunity to know your body more!

P.s: For those who are not confident they are doing the exam right ,ask your gynecologist to directly teach you on your next appointment, also when you are there you could ask for the breast self exam cards..,they are tiny cards with pictures and step by step instructions on how to perform the exam..,get one of those and give it a place on your bathroom mirror!

Be health conscious, be body conscious, be wise...

Know your body!

Cheers!!