Why Do Doctors Wear White Coats?

The American Medical Association voted Tuesday on a resolution that would recommend hospitals ban doctors' iconic white lab coats, citing evidence that the garment contributes to the spread of infection. (The resolution was referred to a panel for further consideration.)

  

Indeed, a number of studies have shown that the coats harbor potentially harmful bacteria (and may cause "white coat hypertension"). If white coats are so bad, why do doctors still wear them?

Because a white lab coat says "I am a scientific healer." The knee-length coat in medicine crossed over from the laboratory sciences at the turn of the 20th century.

Before that time, medicine was generally seen as the haphazard province of quacks and frauds, and physicians wore street clothes even in the operating room.

As the field developed into a respected branch of applied science in the early 1900s, doctors adopted the costume of the laboratory as a way of bolstering their scientific credibility.

In pre-white-coat times, physicians used primitive tools and techniques and had little formal training. (Medical school could be finished in a year.) Early doctors competed for legitimacy (and patients) with other healing arts like homeopathy and medical eclecticism.

''But the development of antiseptics and anesthesia, among other things, demonstrated the exceptional power of science to improve health. Doctors strove to become more scientific, in practice and in dress''

The lab coat served both purposes by providing a (supposedly) sterile work environment and soothing patients with its air of scientific authority. The traditional lab coat was beige, but doctors adopted white because the color symbolizes life and purity.

(In earlier times, doctors were more likely to wear black, in keeping with the high mortality rates seen at hospitals. The nuns who served as nurses often wore black habits.)

By 1915, physicians working in hospitals had for the most part switched from street clothes to white coats and pants

With their scientific bona fides firmly in place, doctors today are divided on the white-coat question. Supporters say the coat instills docs with a humbling sense of responsibility and puts patients at ease, while detractors see it as an alienating symbol of medical hubris.

More than 100 medical schools host "white coat ceremonies" where first-year med students are outfitted with shortened versions of the white coat, and the coats are ubiquitous at large teaching hospitals where they help differentiate between doctors and students.

However, doctors in smaller hospitals and private practice are more likely to wear regular clothes. A recent study suggests that only 1 in 8 doctors actually sport a white coat at work.

Perhaps the most ardent supporters of the garment are patients: In one study, 56 percent of those surveyed believed doctors should wear coats, compared with only 24 percent of doctors. (Elderly people tend to be most supportive of the white coat.) 

Another study found that patients were much more likely to trust a doctor if they were wearing a white coat than if they were in scrubs.

If hospitals followed the AMA resolution and banned the white coat, what would doctors wear? 

The Scottish National Health Service outlawed white coats in 2008 and instituted a uniform of color-coded scrubs for all medical personnel. The Mayo Clinic doesn't allow white coats; their doctors wear business attire.

Source: Medical Talks

Acha kula chumvi nyingi kuepuka maradhi ya moyo

Dar es Salaam--Inakadiriwa pia kuwa ifikapo mwaka 2020 magojwa ya kuambukiza yatakuwa na uwiano sawa na magonjwa yasiyoambukiza. Hii inatokana na magonjwa yasiyo ya kuambukiza kama maradhi ya moyo kuongezeka miaka hadi miaka.

Moja ya mambo ambayo yamekuwa yakichangia kuongezeka kwa matatizo ya moyo ni ulaji wa chumvi. Chumvi ni moja ya kiungo kinachoweka ladha katika vyakula.

''Chumvi ni muhimu pia mwilini. Huusaidia mfumo wa fahamu katika kutekeleza kazi zake, kujivuta kwa misuli, udhibiti wa kiwango sahihi cha maji na uwiano sahihi wa chumchumvi mwilini''

Chumvi hutumika pia kwa ajili ya kudhibiti wingi wa maji katika damu, ogani na tishu za mwilini. Pale chumvi inapozidi basi figo huwa na kazi ya kuitoa kwa njia ya mkojo.

Chumvi ikiwa nyingi figo hushindwa kutoa kiasi chote na kubakia mwilini hivyo kusababisha matatizo.

Watu wengi hula chumvi nyingi na hujikuta wakiongeza wanapopatiwa chakula. Wengi hawafahamu kama ulaji chumvi kwa mtindo huu ni hatari kwa afya zao.

Msukumo wa damu mwilini hutegemea na uwepo chumvi na pale inapozidi mwilini msukumo wa damu nao unakuwa juu. Hali huwa mbaya kwa yule ambaye tayari ana matatizo ya moyo. Watu ambao kwao kuna historia ya shinikizo la damu ni vizuri kuchunga na kupunguza matumizi ya chumvi katika chakula.

Chumvi nyingi husababisha magonjwa mengine kama vile kiaharusi. Hii hutokea pale msukumo wa damu unapokuwa mkubwa zaidi na kusababisha mishipa ya damu kuathirika.

Mishipa ya artery huweza kuharibika na kuwa myembamba au kusinyaa na kuta zake hukukaamaa. Hali hii huufanya moyo kuwa na kazi ngumu na hivyo inakuweka katika hatari ya kupata shambulizi la moyo la ghafla, moyo kushindwa kufanya kazi au kiharusi.

Matatizo mengine ni kama vile moyo kuwa mkubwa na valvu kuwa na matatizo. Hii inatokana na ujazo mkubwa katika mzunguko wa damu, hivyo kuufanya moyo uwe na kazi ya ziada ili kuwa na mzunguko sahihi unaotakiwa na mwili.

Kadiri muda unavyosonga na uwepo wa hali hii husababisha moyo kuongezeka ukubwa na valvu za moyo huwa nyembamba. Hali hii husababishamaumivu ya kifua, kushindwa kupumua na kuwa na uchovu usioisha. Pia kifo cha ghafla na moyo kushindwa kufanya kazi huweza kutokea.

Chumvi pia husababisha magonjwa mengine kama ya figo, mwili kuvimba na upungufu wa maji, tindi kali kuwa nyingi tumboni na udhaifu wa mifupa.

Namna ya kutumia chumi ipo kanuni ya dole gumba. Kiasi unachofinya ndicho kinatakiwa kiwepo kwenye kila mlo.

Are you suffering from ''Doctor-shopping''? Are you fond of roaming from doctor to doctor?

By Dr Syriacus Buguzi 

Doctor shopping or double doctoring or roaming from doctor to doctor is the practice of a patient requesting care from multiple physicians, often simultaneously, without making efforts to coordinate care or informing the physicians of the multiple caregivers.

Doctor shopping is  usually caused by the patient's addiction to, or reliance on certain mediactions or other medical treatment. Some do it because they don't trust their doctors or  because they are psychologically fond of that. The victims always have a feeling that they are always sick-even if they are not. So they will end up using much of their income on a series of irrational medical investigations and treatment options.

''Usually the patient will be treated by their regular doctor and be prescribed a drug that is necessary for the legitimate treatment of their current medical condition''

But some patients will then actively seek out other physicians to obtain more of the same medication, often by faking or exaggerating the extent of their true condition, in order to feed their addiction to that drug.

This practice exposes the patient to dangers of overuse of medications because they roam from doctor to doctor and each may prescribe basing on the wrong medical history of the victim of doctor shopping.

The overuse of drugs can have many problems. The most common is for the user to suffer any number of side effects including nausea, headaches, diarrhea, sleepiness and nervousness.

Some of these can actually be worse than the condition the medication is supposed to treat. As you take more drugs, there is also an increased risk of drug interactions.

Drug interactions can be caused by a seemingly innocuous combination of drugs and can result in heart attacks, stroke or even death.

It is important that every doctor you see be given a complete and updated list of all medications you are on including vitamins. Many people do not realize that vitamins can affect certain prescription medicines. 

Kutembea kwa dakika 20 kila siku, huongeza siku za kuishi

Dar es Salaam--Kulingana na maendeleo ya sayansi na teknolojia, mtindo wa maisha umebadilika ikiwamo watu wengi kutumia usafiri wa magari hata kwa safari ya umbali mfupi.

Mabadiliko hayo ya maendeleo kwa kiasi kikubwa yamekuwa chanzo cha watu wengi kuwa wavivu wa kufanya mazoezi hata yale rahisi, kiasi cha kusababisha mwili kutokuwa mwepesi.

''Kutembea ni mojawapo ya mazoezi yasiyokuwa na masharti makubwa na magumu ambayo kila mmoja anaweza kufanya kwa nafasi yake''

Jambo la kushukuru na kufurahia ni kile kilichoelezwa na watafiti wa tawi la Chuo Kikuu cha Cambridge nchini Marekani kuwa kutembea kwa dakika 20 kila siku huongeza muda wa kuishi kwa asilimia 16 hadi 30.

Wataalamu hao walisema kuwa, kutembea kwa muda huo kila siku hupunguza hatari ya kupata maradhi kama shinikizo la damu, saratani, kisukari.

Waliendelea kueleza kuwa kutembea kwa dakika 20, kwenye umri wa ujana husaidia kupunguza gharama za matibabu wakati wa uzeeni.

Utafiti uliofanywa na Chuo Kikuu cha Phoenix, umebainisha kuwa kutembea kwa dakika 20 huongeza umri wa kuishi na kupunguza gharama za matibabu.

Wataalamu wa chuo hicho walikusanya washiriki 20,667 wa umri kati ya miaka 40 na 79 , miongoni kila siku walitembea kwa dakika 20 na wengine hawakupewa zoezi hilo.

Walibaini waliokuwa wanafanya zoezi hilo wanaishi kwa kutumia gharama kidogo zaidi ya wale wasiofanya.

Walibaini kuwa kati ya watu waliofanya zoezi hilo kulikuwa na waliokuwa na tatizo la kisukari na shinikizo la damu, huku baadhi yao wakiwa wameanza kupoteza kumbukumbu lakini baada ya kufanya mazoezi hayo mfululizo walipona au kupunguza hatari ya kufariki kwa maradhi hayo.
Wataalamu hao walirahisisha zaidi kwa kusema kuwa hata wale ambao hawakutembea dakika zote 20, mara moja bali waligawa mara tatu kwa siku walipata faida pia.

Kwa mujibu wa ripoti ya Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO), watu wengi zaidi katika maeneo yote duniani wako katika hatari ya kupata ugonjwa wa kuharusi, moyo na saratani kutokana na kutokufanya mazoezi.

Takwimu za WHO zinaonyesha maradhi kama shinikizo la damu na unene wa kupita kiasi vinaongezeka kutokana na watu kushindwa kufanya mazoezi.
Chanzo:www.mwananchi.co.tz

Saratani ni kati ya mada kuu mkutano wa kiuchumi wa dunia, Uswis, kesho

Dar-es-salaam--Rais Jakaya Kikwete ni miongoni mwa viongozi zaidi ya 40 kutoka duniani kote wanaoudhuria mkutano wa dunia wa kiuchumi, yani World Economic Forum, huko nchini Uswiz katika mji wa Davos. 

Kati ya mada kuu zinazotegemewa katika mkutano huu unaoanza kesho, Jumatano, ni mapendekezo juu ya nini kifanyike kutokomeza magonjwa ya saratani duniani kote.

''Shirikisho la wataalamu wa magonjwa ya saratani linaloitwa World Oncology Forum, lenye makao yake makuu nchini Marekani,wamekuwa msitari wa mbele katika kuipenyeza mada hii kuhusu saratani kwenye agenda za mkutano mkuu wa kiuchumi wamwaka huu''

Viongozi wanategemewa kukubaliana juu ya suluhu ya janga la saratani ulimwenguni kote, lakini hasa katika nchi zinazoendelea ambako saratani huwakumba watu wengi kutokana na kukosa elimu ya kutosha juu ya saratani na pia ukosefu wa vipimo bora vya kutambua ugonjwa huu ukiwa bado katika hatua za mwanzo.

Kwa taarifa zaidi tazama ukurasa huu katika wavuti: http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/Call-to-step-up-cancer-response/-/1840392/2594102/-/b3hq2jz/-/index.html

Imeripotiwa na Syriacus Buguzi, katika gazeti la The Citizen, kwa msaada wa mashirika ya habari za kisayansi Ulimwenguni, Eureka Alerts.

Saratani ya tezi dume si ugonjwa mpya, ni muuaji wa kimyakimya!

 Dar es Salaam--Watu wengi wamekuwa na shauku ya kutaka kujua ugonjwa wa saratani ya tezi dume, huku wakidhani ni mpya. Lakini ukweli ni kuwa umekuwapo miaka mingi na wengi wameugua.

Takwimu zinaonyesha wanaume wengi huugua ugonjwa huu unaoongezeka kwa kasi ya hali ya juu.

Kulingana na utafiti uliofanywa na Taasisi ya Saratani ya Ocean Road (ORIC), kutoka mwaka 2006, zinaonyesha kuwa kila mwaka kumekuwa na ongezeko la kesi mpya ya wagonjwa saratani ya tezi dume.

Novemba ya kila mwaka, jumuiya za kimataifa huadhimisha tukio ambalo hujulikana kama Movemba.

Maadhimisho hayo huhusisha kukuza kwa masharubu, kukusanya fedha na kuleta mwamko na ufahamu wa masuala ya afya kwa wanaume kama vile saratani ya tezi dume.

Jina hilo la Movemba ni mchanganyiko wa neno ‘Masharubu na Novemba’.

Maadhimisho hayo ya mwezi mzima yanalenga kuongeza ufahamu na mwamko kwa kupima ili kugundua mapema.

Mwaka jana peke yake zaidi ya Dola za Marekani 120 milioni zilikusanywa.

Hadi sasa, Movemba imekusanya zaidi ya Dola 550 milioni kupitia wanachama wake milioni nne katika nchi 21 duniani kote.

Waziri mstaafu wa Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii, Profesa David Mwakyusa alinukuliwa akisema asilimia 10 ya wagonjwa wanaosumbuliwa na aina mbalimbali za saratani wamejitokeza hospitalini kwa uchunguzi na matibabu.

Anasema asilimia 90 iliyobaki hawajafanya jitihada zozote kuhudhuria uchunguzi na matibabu.

Akizungumzia juu ya uchunguzi wa hali ya tezi dume nchini, Mwanzilishi na Mwenyekiti wa Hospitali ya Apollo yenye makao makuu India, Dk Prathap Reddy anasema kuwa ugonjwa huo unaathiri watu wengi na kusababisha vifo vingi nchini kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa ufahamu wa kina juu ya ugonjwa huo.

Utaratibu wa uchunguzi wa saratani ya tezi dume haufanyiki kutokana na gharama na ukosefu vifaa vya uchunguzi nchini.

''Watu wengi hurejea hospitali wakati ugonjwa huo upo katika hatua ya mwisho na hauwezi kuzuilika tena. Hata hivyo, kuna uwezekano wa ugonjwa huo kutibika endapo utagundulika mapema.''

Pamoja na kuwapo kifaa maalumu cha utambuzi wa saratani ya tezi dume ‘chaprostate specific antigen’ (PSA) duniani, Watanzania wachache wana uwezo wa kupata huduma hii.

Kwa sababu kifaa hiki kina gharama kubwa na kinahitaji wafanyakazi wenye ujuzi na upimaji wenyewe ni gharama kubwa.

Mchungaji Dk Emmanuel Kandusi aliyenusurika na saratani ya tezi dume ana uzoefu wa kutosha juu ya ugonjwa huu na anajaribu kujenga ufahamu na uelewa kwa wananchi wenzake.

Tofauti na Watanzania wengi Dk Kandusi alikuwa na uwezo wa kupata matibabu ushauri kutoka nje ya nchi.

Wakati akiugua alikuwa akipatiwa matibabu katika Hospitali ya Apollo.

“Kutokana na maendeleo na upatikanaji wa vifaa muhimu na wafanyakazi wa kutosha katika hospital hiyo nilikuwa na uwezo wa kuokoa maisha yangu na kuanza kuwaelimisha wengine,” anasema.

Ukilinganisha mazingira yaliyoko katika hospitali za nje ya nchi kama Apollo na hali ya taasisi zetu za afya hakuna uwiano. Hadi sasa nchi ina kituo kimoja tu tiba ya mionzi ya saratani yaani ORCI.

 Mahitaji ya wagonjwa wa saratani nchini haishabihiani na huduma zenyewe.

Kutokana na tatizo hili na ukweli kwamba ORCI hakiwezi kukidhi mahitaji yote ya wagonjwa wote wa aina mbalimbali za saratani, mathalani wagonjwa hulazimika kwenda kupata matibabu yao India hususani kwenye Hospitali za Apollo.

Saratani ya tezi dume ni aina ya saratani ambayo huanzia kwenye tezi za kibofu ya jinsia ya kiume itokanayo na ukuaji hafifu wa seli inayopelekea uvimbe katika tezi.

Baada ya hapo seli za saratani husambaa kutoka kwenye tezi dume kwenda sehemu nyingine za mwili hususan katika mifupa na matezi ambayo husababisha maumivu hasa katika kupitisha haja ndogo na wakati wa tendo la ndoa.

Hii ni aina ya saratani ambayo hushambulia zaidi wanaume walio juu ya miaka 50.

Tafiti zilizofanyika hivi karibuni zinaonyesha kuwa wanaume walio chini ya miaka 40 wana uwezo wa kupata saratani ya tezi dume kwa uwiano wa mtu mmoja kati ya 100,000.

Kwa wanaume walio kati ya miaka 70 na 74 wako katika hatari ya kupata saratani hiyo kwa wastani wa watu 1,326 kati ya 100,000.

Hali kadhalika inakisiwa mwanamume mmoja kati ya sita hupata saratani ya tezi dume katika maisha yao .

Kila mwaka kati ya wanaume wote wanaogundulika na saratani moja ya nne wana saratani ya tezi dume.

Desmond Tutu anasema ugonjwa huu wa saratani ya tezi dume kuwa hauna mipaka ya kijamii.

Dalili

Dalili za tezi dume ni matatizo katika mfumo wa haja ndogo pamoja na kwenda haja mara kwa mara hususan usiku na kushindwa kuistahimili kwa muda.

Nyingine ni matone ya damu kati haja ndogo, maumivu katika sehemu ya chini ya mgongo, upotevu wa hamu ya kula na kupungua uzito.

Ili kugundua saratani ya tezi dume, mgonjwa anahitaji uchunguzi wa kina katika njia yake ya haja ndogo ambako daktari hujaribu kuhisi uvimbe wowote utakao kuwa katika mfumo wa mkojo na matezi uchunguzi ambao hufuatiwa na vipimo vya damu

Usitumie vyakula na vinywaji hivi mara baada ya mazoezi

Dar es Salaam--Mazoezi ni miongoni mwa vitu vinavyosisitizwa na wataalamu wa afya kwa ustawi wa mwili wa binadamu huku yakiwa na mchango mkubwa katika kuukinga mwili na maradhi mbalimbali.

Mwili wa binadamu ukiachilia kufuata utaratibu wa lishe iliyokamilika wataalamu wanasema kinachofuata ni mazoezi ili kuuweka fiti na kuupa nguvu ya kupambana na kila kinachokuja mbele yake.

Kwa maana hiyo pamoja na kula mlo kamili, kunywa maji kwa wingi, bado mwili unahitaji mazoezi ili kukamilisha kinga na uimara wa kujikinga na maradhi na kuwa mwenye afya njema muda wote.

Kama ilivyo ni muhimu kuyafanya , kuna vyakula pia ambavyo ni hatari kuvila saa mbili baada ya kufanya mazoezi ikiwamo vile vyenye sukari nyingi. Hatari yake ni kuharibu kile chote ulichokipata kwa kufanya mazoezi.

Tovuti ya masuala ya afya iitwayo fitness.mercola.com imebainisha kuwa kutumia vitu vya sukari saa mbili baada ya kumaliza mazoezi huharibu mfumo mzima wa ulichokifanya kwa makusudi ya kujenga mwili na badala yake huzalisha homoni bila mpangilio.

Tovuti hiyo imeeleza kuwa utumiaji wa vyakula vya sukari hata hii ya majumbani saa mbili baada ya kufanya mazoezi huvuruga mfumo wa homoni na ukuaji wa mwili, huku ukiharibu mfumo wa urekebishwaji wa kiwango cha sukari mwilini unaoweza kumsababishia muhusika ugonjwa wa kisukari.

Jarida la Food and Fitness Advisor la Marekani limebainisha kuwa ni vyema baada ya kumaliza mazoezi kula vyakula vyenye kiwango kidogo cha wanga ambavyo huepusha magonjwa ya kisukari (aina ya pili) na magonjwa ya moyo.

Kwa hapa nyumbani mfano wa vyakula vyenye wanga kwa kiwango kikubwa ni viazi, mkate mweupe na muhogo.

Wataalamu hao wamesema kuwa mbali na vyakula vyenye sukari, ni vyema pia kujiepusha kunywa juisi au vinywaji vingine baridi vyenye sukari ya viwandani kwa sababu ya kujiepusha navyo ni kuepuka kubadili mpangilio mzima wa mwili.

Ushauri huu ni mzuri kuzingatiwa na wale ambao wanafanya mazoezi kwa lengo la kupunguza mwili kwani watakuwa wamefanikiwa kupunguza mafuta huku ukiwahusu pia wanaofanya mazoezi ya kurekebisha mwili kufikia malengo yao kwa kutobadili mfumo wa mwili.

Muhimu kwa kila anayefanya mazoezi mara baada ya kumaliza ni kunywa maji mengi ili kurudisha yale yaliyotoka kwa njia ya jasho.