[unable to retrieve full-text content]
A sustainable future powered by sea
Reply
Daily Archives: 22/09/2017
Assembly of nanoparticles proceeds like a zipper
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Stimuli fading away en route to consciousness
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Ancient textiles reveal differences in Mediterranean fabrics in the 1st millennium BC
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Winter cold extremes linked to high-altitude polar vortex weakening
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Flint’s water crisis led to fewer babies and higher fetal death rates, researchers find
[unable to retrieve full-text content]
Alarm as ‘super malaria’ spreads in South East Asia
The usual treatments are failing 60% of the time in some regions of Cambodia, scientists say.
Health24.com | Older HIV patients demand a seat on the Aids Council
As continuing efforts to combat HIV infections in South Africa target mostly young people, older people say they are feeling sidelined and neglected.
The number of HIV positive South Africans over 50 has increased from 4.7% in 2005 to 9.7% in 2012.
This is according to the World Health Organisation, which found that the highest proportion of older people living with HIV was those in the 50-54 age group with 13.2% being infected .
‘All about youth’
In the Northern Cape support groups for people living with HIV have been established by NAPWA (National Association Of People Living with HIV), where it has been found that about 20% of people over 50 are HIV positive.
These people say they are bothered by the fact that current programmes promoting Aids awareness tend to exclude older people – particularly those who don’t know their status.
Maria Magabe (*not her real name) is 61 years old and has been living with HIV for more than 22 years. She once belonged to a support group, which she says she left it because it was “all about youth and the younger generation”. She felt like she did not fit in because of her age.
“Aids programmes today are focusing on young people only, and that is why older people are still at risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections,“ she said.
“As we age we become more vulnerable, because we are not catered for by these programmes,” Magabe explained.
Older people less likely to use condoms
“We need a platform for older people living with HIV, because as experienced older people living with HIV we are the ones best able to convince other older people to go for testing so that they can know their status earlier and start treatment earlier.”
According to the People Living with HIV Sector Leader in the District, Agnes Sibi, HIV infection progresses more rapidly in older persons because of the presence of the other underlying chronic diseases and undernourishment. These are more common in older individuals and contribute to immune suppression.
“Older people are also less likely to use condoms because today`s generation views condoms as a tool for young people, and this can lead to more reinfections and early deaths for older sexually active people who don’t use them,” Sibi said.
Magabe continued to urge the National Association of People Living with HIV in the district to revive awareness programmes that will cater for older people in the community.
“Older people living with HIV are also facing new challenges as they now have to guide their own children. This a dual responsibility for them and their children and grandchildren who are sometimes also infected with HIV,” said Magabe.
“HIV is perceived as a disease for young people, so when an older person shares her story of living openly with HIV it doubles the stigma.”
‘Older people need to be heard’
Magabe added that mostly elderly people do not want to participate in community dialogues when HIV is introduced as a topic, because they believe it is not relevant for them, and they also did not see any value in being tested.
“The myth is that this is a lifestyle disease for young people. When (older people) test HIV positive, they always claim it is through blood contact because they are usually taking care of the their sick families. They never want to talk about being sexually active and not practising safe sex, simply because safer sexual practices are for the young generation,” Magabe said.
“The District Civil Society Forum in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Aids Council has not yet introduced a sector for older people and there is a need for that. Older people need to be heard, their input is important in shaping the forum,” Magabe said.
“We may all be HIV positive, but our challenges and experiences are not the same. They differ along with our ages, and unless something is done now by civil society, the already pressured health system will not cope with the added burden,” says Magabe.
Sibi says the idea is welcomed, but the problem will be funding that is needed in order to present training workshops and community around the province. – Health-e News
Image credit: IStock
Health24.com | From drug addict to keen runner
I was born on the 9th February 1980, brought up in a privileged and loving home. ‘No’ wasn’t a word that I often heard, and I generally got what I wanted, when I wanted it. This played a major role in my life later on. My parents got divorced when I was two, and as I got older, I enjoyed having two homes as that meant that I got double the amount of attention and material items. As the years passed on, my dad met my stepmom who has played a huge part of my new life today. My mom is still around, and our relationship gets stronger as the days go by. Then there is my dad, my hero, I can hope one day to be half the man that he is today.
Read more: Survival of the fittest: running saved my life!
Fast forward a couple of years. I hated school, I just didn’t fit in. I failed Grade two and seven. Those were big blows to me, but I showed no emotion or sense of disappointment. This is how I lived my life. If I was upset I kept it to myself, I tried to figure things out alone and kept people at a distance. My parents thought that I was a well-behaved child as I knew how to play the “game”. It was all about fitting in for me and changing my personality to suit my surroundings.
Read more: Why I ran the comrades dressed as Spider-Man
I was in Grade eight the first time I got drunk. The Matrics got hold of us one night and made us down a six-pack and six shots of warm tequila. I remember having this feeling of overwhelming confidence. I felt like I belonged and this was the start of a slippery, painful slope for me. A few months later I took my first ecstasy tablet – I can’t even explain the feeling, the love the acceptance and endless confidence that I had so desperately needed. I loved the person I became, and so began my love affair with drugs. The problem with me was there was no ‘off switch’. It was all about going bigger, bolder and harder.
I learnt from a young age that I could manipulate and get anything I wanted from my dad. I knew he couldn’t say no to me and I took advantage of that. This became a huge problem in my life, I lost respect and appreciation for money. I started to ‘worship’ money. Money and status became my higher power.
The drugs helped me numb the few emotions I had, and gave me the persona I so craved. I spent my life shoving everything and anything up my nose, I took whatever I could so that I couldn’t feel. I had this warped thinking that if it went up my nose then I wasn’t an addict. Only people with needles in their arms were addicts. I still had a car, I still had a house, I still had food in my fridge, and I still paid my daughter’s school fees so therefore my lifestyle was acceptable, right? Yes, I did put my love for drugs ahead of the love for my daughters, something I still struggle with on a daily basis. I could see the pain and hurt on the faces, I could hear it in the voices but I couldn’t face what I was doing to them.
I finally started to get my life in order when I was put into rehab, recovery was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to endure in my life.
When I was getting my life back on track, I struggled and despised being alone. And so I was challenged by people in the facility to walk around the property – alone – to face my fears. I had to start with one lap (1.3km) so in true-addict style, I decided to run to get it over with as quickly as possible. After doing that for a few days, I surprisingly started to enjoy it. I felt relaxed even though it felt like my lungs were going to explode. My dad used to be big into his running and fitness. He has done a few Comrades Marathons, triathlons and Dusi canoe races. My dream is for us to be able to run a Comrades Marathon together to signify my new life.
After a year, I came out of a long-term treatment facility, where we did intensive therapy all-day every day. Something was missing. Now that the drug life was a closed chapter, I needed to find my next healthy ‘addiction’. And so my love with running officially began. When I’m alone and need to get my mind back on track, running gives me that realignment that I so desperately crave.
There is nothing more satisfying and rewarding than getting up before the sun rises to go for a run, hearing the birds chirping, seeing fellow runners happy to be outside with smiles on their faces. It is different, much healthier life compared to driving around the streets looking for drugs in the early hours of the morning.
Read more: 6 foolproof ways to become a morning runner!
I now run for a club in Johannesburg called Jeppe. I have done a few road races, my first one out of treatment was a 25km race on the South Coast. In true addict-style, I signed up for the longer distance and finished in 02:25. When I finished the race, I had this huge sense of achievement. Just eight months prior, I was in hospital on many drips going through a rough detox. How my life has changed for the better! I love doing the Parkruns every Saturday morning and I set myself a goal each week, next up – to run under 19 minutes. Bring it on!
I recently took part in the Tim Man Triathlon, I did the sprint race. It was an amazing feeling to finish the race. I have been putting in lots of time into the water, on the bike and on the road. My commitment to training has paid off, I feel fresh and strong for the first time in my life. My oldest daughter sent me a message after the race saying “well done daddy”. Those words made all hard work I’ve put into my recovery worthwhile!
I am fortunate to have the family that I do. Despite everything I have put them through, they have supported me through some of my darkest days. I have treated them like dirt and they still show me so much love. They have put me through rehab and have bent over backwards for me. My relationship with my daughters improves on a daily basis. They have taken an interest in my new life and they want to run and get active with me.
Read more: Walker to runner in 10 weeks!
Running has given me my life back! I am one of the lucky few that managed to overcome addiction, and have come out fitter and healthier than I’ve ever been before.
It is a cliché perhaps… but I’m high on life now.
This article was originally published on www.runnersworld.co.za
Image credtis: Supplied
NEXT ON HEALTH24X
Health24.com | You’re not too young to have a heart attack
We cannot live without a heart.
But how much do you really know about your heart health?
Heart disease includes a number of conditions, such as ischaemic heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, angina and heart valve disease.
But did you know that heart disease is not only a problem in older people? While it’s true that you are at greater risk of heart disease as you age, it can affect people of any age.
18 years old
“I’m too young to have a heart attack” is a common misconception among teenagers and young adults. The truth is that your lifestyle can affect your cardiovascular health, even from an early age.
According to The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa, there are some risk factors for heart disease you cannot control.
Family history and genetics play an important role in determining the likelihood of heart disease.
Another risk factor is poverty, which is rife in South Africa. According to Statistics South Africa, poverty levels rose from 53.2% in 2011 to 55.55% in 2015.
Children 17 years and younger, black Africans, females, people from rural areas and those with little to no access to education are the main victims of poverty.
This increases anxiety and stress levels. Healthy lifestyle choices are not always an option and good medical treatment is often inaccessible.
25 years old
A study has shown that many young people show early signs of heart disease such as blocked arteries due to high cholesterol.
The biggest risk factors for a clogged artery were found in obese individuals with high levels of “bad” cholesterol. If you’re in your 20s, have your cholesterol tested.
High cholesterol can be treated through dietary and lifestyle changes and medication.
The younger you are, the better it is to make positive and healthy lifestyle choices that may benefit you in the long run.
30 years old
Signs and symptoms of heart disease in your 30s are an even greater risk for complications later in life.
Symptoms may differ in men and women.
According to the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, some women who have coronary heart disease (CHD) show no signs or symptoms – this is called silent CHD.
Many factors together increase the likelihood of heart disease, and there is no single cause. The more risk factors you have, the higher your chances of developing heart disease.
40 years old
According to The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa women are better protected against a heart attack before menopause, but the risk increases after the onset of menopause.
Menopause by itself does not cause heart disease, but a decline in oestrogen may be a contributing factor. Studies suggest that oestrogen has a positive effect on the inner lining of the artery walls by allowing the blood vessels to accommodate adequate blood flow.
Further risk factors for heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. Unhealthy lifestyle choices increase your risk as you grow older.
People who are diagnosed with peripheral artery disease and stroke, which carry the same risk factors as heart disease, have an increased risk of developing further heart complications and illnesses.
65 years and older
Advanced age and family history are risk factors for heart disease. Stats SA reports that non-communicable diseases have increased in the elderly.
Non-communicable diseases, which include cardiovascular diseases, are accountable for 62.5% of the top 10 leading causes of death among females 65 years and older, and 48% among males 65 years and older.
But it does not mean that you will develop heart disease. Controlling risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, body weight, physical activity, stress and nutrition can lower your chances of developing heart disease throughout your life.
Image credit: iStock
