MOUTH ULCERS : CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS

Mouth ulcers are painful SORES in the mouth and gums. They are also known as CANKER SORES. Mouth ulcers are mostly harmless, but can be extremely painful and uncomfortable which makes it difficult for some people to eat, drink, and brush their teeth.

Mouth ulcers range in size, and the exact symptoms of the mouth ulcer will depend on what type of ulcer a person has as there are basically different types of mouth Ulcers. 

There are three main types of mouth ulcers. These include:

HERPETIFORM ULCERS (HU)

Herpetiform ulcers are a subtype of aphthous ulcers and get their name because they resemble the sores associated with herpes. Unlike herpes, HU is not contagious. HU ulcers recur very quickly, and it may appear that the condition never gets better.

MINOR ULCERS

This type can range in size from about 2 millimeters (mm) up to 8 mm across. These ulcers typically take up to 2 weeks to get better and will cause minor pain.

MAJOR ULCERS

This type of ulcers are usually bigger than minor ulcers. Major ulcers are often irregular in shape and often penetrates deeper into the tissue than minor ulcers. They can take several weeks to go away and are likely to leave scar tissue when they clear.

Mouth Ulcers can be very painful, and the pain can be made worse by food, drink, and poor oral hygiene.

HU LEGIONS: 

   •   They appear as extremely painful ulcers in the mouth 

   •   Recur very quickly, so infections seem continuous 

   •   Increase in size, eventually coming together to form a large, ragged ulcer 

   •   It usually takes 10 or more days to heal 

   •  They are known to appear anywhere in the mouth. 

They tend to be found in more females than males and are more common in older adults.

SYMPTOMS FOR MINOR AND MAJOR ULCERS INCLUDES: 

    •     One or more painful sores that may  appear on the cheeks, the roof of the mouth, or the tongue 

    •.    The appearance of round lesions that  have red edges and are yellow, white, or gray in the middle

During more extreme outbreaks of mouth ulcers, some people may experience fever, sluggishness, and swollen glands.

SOME POSSIBLE CAUSES OF MOUTH ULCERS

The exact cause of mouth ulcers is still not known and varies from person-to-person. Acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, may aggravate mouth ulcers. 

However, there are some common causes and several factors that may aggravate mouth ulcers, including the following:

1)   Quitting smoking 

2)   Citrus fruits and other foods high in acidity or spice races, 

3)    Poor-fitting dentures, and other apparatus that may rub against the mouth and gums 

4)    Stress or anxiety 

5)     Hormonal changes during pregnancy, puberty, and menopause 

6)      Medications including beta-blockers and pain killers 

7)      Genetic factors

Some people may develop ulcers as a result of a different medical condition or a nutritional deficiency.

Conditions such as celiac or Crohn’s disease, vitamin B12 or iron deficiency, or a weakened immune system may all trigger ulcer's to form.

Thankfully, mouth ulcers tend to clear up on their own, and the pain associated with an ulcer typically disappears within a couple of days.

There are some medications in the form of ointments and solutions that may help with pain and swelling, but these are often not necessary for a person to make a full recovery.

To prevent future outbreaks, people should try to reduce stress and anxiety as much as possible.

DANGERS OF EXCESSIVE INTAKE OF SALT (SODIUM CHLORIDE) INTAKE IN YOUR FOOD

Too much intake of salt (sodium chloride) can raise your blood pressure, which puts you at increased risk of health problems such as heart disease and stroke. But a few simple steps can help you to cut your salt intake.

You don't have to add extra salt to your ready-to-be eaten food on your dinning table as it amounts to too much salt in your food that would impact negatively in your body system.
Studies have shown that about 75% of the salt we add to our food on our dinning tables is already in our natural everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals.

A diet that is high in salt can cause increased blood pressure, which currently affects more than one third of adults.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms, and it is estimated that about one in every three people who have high blood pressure don’t even know it. But if you have it, you are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. If you're aged 40-74, you have to regularly have a check on your blood pressure in a health facility.

Cutting down on salt lowers blood pressure, which means that your risk of having a stroke or developing heart disease is reduced.

HOW MUCH SALT IS ENOUGH FOR ADULTS?

Some schools of thought opines that  Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day – that's around one teaspoon. While children should eat even less (see below for recommendations for babies and children).

Salt and sodium in your food

Salt is also called sodium chloride. Sometimes, food labels only give the figure for sodium. But there is a simple way to work out how much salt you are eating from the sodium figure:

Salt = sodium x 2.5

Adults should eat no more than 2.4g of sodium per day, as this is equal to 6g of salt.

DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN USE NUTRITION LABELS TO CHECK SALT LEVELS?

Cutting down on added salt is only a small part of the solution. To really cut down, you need to become aware of the salt that is already in the everyday foods you buy so that you would choose lower-salt options using label information.

Fortunately, nutrition labels on food packaging now make this a lot easier. Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging.

Many foods also display information about the salt content on the front of the packaging. This may show the salt content as a percentage of your refrence intake (RI) or have colour-coded nutrition information to show whether the food is low, medium or high in salt. Where colour-coding is used, red means high. Try to eat high-salt foods only occasionally, or in small amounts, and aim to eat mainly foods that are green (low) or amber (medium).

Look at the figure for salt per 100g:

High is more than 1.5g salt (0.6g sodium) per 100g. These foods may be colour-coded red.
Low is 0.3g salt (0.1g sodium) or less per 100g. These foods may be colour-coded green.

If the amount of salt per 100g is between 0.3g and 1.5g, that is a medium level of salt, and the packaging may be colour-coded Amber
International salt content color code:

1) RED  COLOR CODE        -  HIGH SALT
2) AMBER COLOR CODE - MEDIUM SALT
3) GREEN COLOR CODE  - LOW SALT

As a rule, aim for foods that have a low or medium salt content. Try to have high-salt foods only occasionally, or in small amounts.

Of course, one easy way to eat less salt is to stop adding salt to your food during cooking and at the dinner table especially. However, if you regularly add salt to food when cooking, try cutting it down or adding less.
Also when you sit down to eat, taste your food first to see if it needs salt before adding any. It doesn't take long for our taste buds to get used to less salt and you might find you start to appreciate other flavours even more.

HOW MUCH SALT IS ENOUGH FOR BABIES AND CHILDREN?       

Babies and children under 11 should have less salt than adults.

Babies under a year old should have less than 1g of salt a day. If a baby is breastfed, they will get the right amount of minerals, including sodium and chloride, from breast milk. Formula milk contains a similar amount to breast milk.

Don't add salt to your baby’s milk or food and don't use stock cubes or gravy as they're often high in salt and their kidneys can’t cope with it.
Remember this when you’re cooking for the family if you plan to give the same food to your baby.

Avoid giving your baby processed foods such as ready meals as these are often high in salt. However, food manufactured specifically for babies should meet the recommended levels. If in doubt, always check the label.

The daily recommended maximum amount of salt children should eat depends on age:
1 to 3 yrs   –  2g salt a day (0.8g sodium)
4 to 6 yrs   – 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium)
7 to 10 yrs – 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
11 yrs plus– 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium)

Making sure your child doesn’t eat too much salt means you’re also helping to ensure that they don’t develop a taste for salty food, which makes them less likely to eat too much salt in adulthood.

Foods that contain salt

Some foods are almost always high in salt because of the way they are made.

Other foods, such as bread and breakfast cereals, can contribute a lot of salt to our diet. But that’s not because these foods are always high in salt – it’s because we eat a lot of them.

DO YOU KNOW THAT SOME SOLUBLE VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT OR PAINKILLERS ALSO HAVE SALT CONTENTS?

NOTE: If you routinely take effervescent (dissolvable) vitamin supplement, or take effervescent painkillers when necessary, it's worth remembering that these can contain up to 1g salt per tablet. Therefore, you may wish to consider changing to a non-effervescent tablet, particularly if you have been advised to watch or reduce your salt intake.

- Special thanks to NHS-UK

Guidelines on Sanitary Handling Of Raw Vegetables and Fruits For Sale /Transportation:

PREAMBLE

Vegetables and fruits are an important part of our diet and are commonly consumed as cooked meal or raw as salads, garnishes, cut fruits or fruit juice. Hence, it is important to handle raw vegetables and fruits safely to prevent contamination, which can occur through agriculture, harvesting and post-harvest handling, such as sorting and storage. Eating contaminated raw vegetables and fruits, including their juices, can lead to serious food-borne illness commonly known as food poisoning. 
Food handlers in food retail outlets play an important role to provide safe food to the public. The following safe practices should be observed when handling raw vegetables and fruits to minimise contamination.  

1)  SANITARY GUIDELINES FOR THE SALE, PURCHASE AND PRESERVATION/STORAGE OF VEGETABLES & FRUITS

a) Purchase vegetables and fruits from reliable and hygienic sources 
b) All vegetables and fruits for sale must be hygienically displayed for sale in a transparent glassware with a fitted covering that would prevent dust from settling on it.
c) Reject vegetables and fruits that are bruised, damaged, mouldy or show signs of damage by pests/vermin. If good quality vegetables and fruits are not available, please endeavour to use other more hygienic alternatives such as canned or frozen vegetables and fruits. 

d) Never buy or display vegetables and fruits openly for sale or transportation. Such fruits and vegetables should be confiscated by the Environmental Health Authority and destroyed sanitarily in line with the public Health Law and issue DESTRUCTION CERTIFICATE (which must be signed by the Environmental Health Officer in charge) to the owner alongside diligent prosecution.

2) SANITARY GUIDELINES ON SAFE STORAGE OF RAW VEGETABLES AND FRUITS MEANT FOR SALE OR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION:

a) Refrigerate raw vegetables and fruits below 5°C.

b) Refrigerate cut vegetables and fruits below 5°C within two hours of peeling or cutting to maintain quality and safety. Leftover cut produce should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

c) In pursuant to the above, the ministry of agriculture must establish and maintain large cold room facilities in all the local government area headquarters to store and preserve fruits and vegetables including other fresh foods sanitarily.

d) Vegetables and fruits must be stored above raw meats, fish and poultry separately on different shelves or compartments to avoid cross-contamination in the refrigerator or (coldroom facility). 

e) Also, it is strongly, professionally, advised that vegetables and fruits must be stored in separate storage compartments as fruits can cause green vegetables to turn yellow during the ripening process. 

3) SANITARY GUIDELINES ON SAFE PREPARATION AND SERVING OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS: 

a) Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling fresh produce. Do not handle or prepare any food when you are ill and exhibit symptoms such as vomiting and/or diarrhoea.
 
b) Wash all chopping boards, dishes, utensils and table tops with soap and water before and after the preparation of vegetables and fruits.

c) Always remove the base of vegetables containing soil and wash vegetables with clean water to ensure they are free of any soil. For leafy vegetables such as lettuce and cabbage, remove and discard the outer leaves.

d) Cut away any bruised or damaged areas of vegetables and fruits. Discard rotten vegetables and fruits.

e) Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking to remove dirt, bacteria and chemical residues.

f) Always soak vegetables in fresh tap water for about 15 minutes. Special detergent or washing liquid is not required. Before cutting or cooking, rinse the vegetables once more under running water.

g) Scrub vegetables and fruits with hard surfaces (such as cucumbers, potatoes, carrots & rock melons) etc with a clean brush under running tap water. Peel fruits and vegetables to remove dirt and bacteria that may still be present.

h) Use designated clean and dry chopping boards and utensils to prepare raw vegetables and fruits.

WOMAN KILLS 3 CHILDREN AFTER HER CAR FAILED BRAKE IN ABIA STATE. (GRAPHIC PHOTO. VIEWER DESCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED)

Yesterday, morning was a sad Sunday in Aba, Abia state as a woman driving an SUV had a break failure and crushed to death three (3) children at Redeemed Christian Church located around 103 Omuma  road in Aba, Abia State. 

According to reports, the woman’s car failed brake as she rammed into the kids -crushing them to death in the process. May their souls rest in peace.

That is the essence of regular safety checks of your break.

Vehicle users must do daily checks on your engine oil level, hydraulic oil level, radiator coolant/water level and any other check for optimal efficiency and safety.........................

Check  your  tyre, your  tyre locks/bolts etc 

Ensure that your car mechanic carryout strict evaluation/checks on your brake pads/liners regularly.

HERE IS EVERYTHING BASIC YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BRAKES

HOW DO BRAKES WORK ?

Just as your ankle bone is connected to your foot bone, your brake system relies on each connected brake part to function successfully and safely too.

Here’s a quick lesson: By pressing down on the brake pedal, you activate the cylinder that delivers brake fluid to the calipers that then engage your brake pads. Your brake pads then apply pressure to the rotors, creating the friction needed to stop your car. You see, it’s all connected.

All your brake parts work together to perform one important and crucial function: safe and precise stopping power.

WHAT IS A BRAKE INSPECTION?

As a vehicle owner, you need to have a reliable, experienced  and trustworthy mechanic or technicians that not only can spot potential problems, but also have the know-how and precision to restore brake awesomeness in such a way that when they're done, you’ll have total confidence knowing your vehicle brakes.

Brake Inspection includes checking your brake: 

i)  Pads (and/or shoes),                     

ii)  Calipers,                                           

iii)  Rotors  (and/or drums)                   

        iv) Wheel cylinders hardware (springs and adjusters) 

 v)   Hoses, parking brake cables fluid condition, 

vi) Wheel bearings and grease seal's, 

master cylinder fluid exchange etc

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE MY BRAKES INSPECTED?

A six (6) months interval checkup will not only give you the confidence and guidance of our expert technicians, it will also provide you with the best opportunity to spot the necessary smaller repairs to avoid the bigger and more expensive ones. However, if you are experiencing any warning signals, then a more frequent inspection may be required.

Also, its advisable that you consult your owner’s manual for specific brake inspection intervals for your particular make and model.

WHAT ARE BRAKE PADS?

Brake pads are the parts that contact your rotors and cause friction in order to stop your car.

WHAT’S A ROTOR?

The rotor is directly connected to each tire. To stop your car, the rotor must stop spinning. It stops spinning by friction created by the brake pad.

WHAT’S  A  CALIPER?

The caliper applies pressure and activates brake pads so the pads create contact with the rotors. The caliper requires brake fluid in order to function properly.

WHAT EXACTLY IS BRAKE FLUID?

Brake fluid is a crucial element needed to make your brakes operate successfully. When pressure is generated in the brake fluid lines, energy is distributed to your brake parts so they can perform their main job — stopping your car. 

If you have a brake fluid leak, your car could take longer to stop or, worse, won’t stop at all. If your vehicle has no brake fluid, you’re brakes won’t even operate. And that’s a scary situation we’d never wish on anybody.

GOOD FOOD HYGIENE PRACTICES BY FOOD HANDLING/SERVICE STAFF IN FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS: THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER'S PERSPECTIVE FOR FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.

INTRODUCTION:

All persons, including food handling/service staff (e.g. waiters, waitresses) working in retail food establishments should practise good personal and food hygiene to ensure that food served to customers is safe for consumption.
They must realize that safe and sanitary food handling and personal hygiene practices may also influence customers’ decisions in re-visiting the food establishment.
The following guidelines inform food establishment operators and service staff of the good hygiene practices that should be adopted when serving food to patrons  

GUIDELINES:

1) Health Status of Service Staff : Operators of food establishments should ensure that all service staff are free from any symptoms of illnesses. This is ensured by subjecting all food handling service staff to a periodic medical examination to ascertain health fitness before allowed access to food storage, preparation, and service. After the fitness examination in a government health faculty, the food handler would be issued a medical report by the medical officer in charge of the health facility. The medical report would then be brought to the Environmental Health Authority in charge of the area, where a Health Certificate of Fitness shall be issued to each food handler.
Service (food handling) staff who are ill could contaminate the food served and spread diseases to customers through their contact with the food, e.g. by coughing or sneezing onto raw, cooked or ready-to-eat food, touching raw, cooked or ready-to-eat food with bare hands and not washing their hands thoroughly after using the toilet.  The following must be ensured by food establishments:-

a) All food handling staff should inform their supervisors if they are feeling unwell. Supervisors should ask staff who are feeling unwell to see a doctor immediately, without delay. 

b) Supervisors should only allow service staff to come into contact with cooked food and serving utensils 48 hours after the cessation of illness. 

c) Food service staff with cuts and sores must completely stay away from food preparation and service till wound heals.

2)  Personal Hygiene:
Operators of food establishments should ensure that all service staff put on clean clothes and follow good personal hygiene practices to prevent the contamination of food. Some good personal hygiene practices that service staff should adopt include:
 
A.) Wear clean, proper and tidy attire when they are at work. The attire should be changed on a daily basis, or when they are soiled.
 
B.) Keep their fingernails short and clean and not put on nail polish or fake    fingernails. Bacteria harboured under fingernails can get into food when fingernails come into contact with food. Bacteria will multiply and contaminate food.
 
C.) Do not wear accessories or jewellery as they may drop into the food. Such articles could also trap food debris that can contaminate food.
 
D.) KEEP HAIR AND BEARDS NEAT AND TIDY: Long hair should be tied up using hair restraints such as caps, head scarf etc. 

E.) EFFECTIVE HAND WASHING is important to help prevent harmful bacteria from spreading from hands or arms to food, work surfaces, utensils, equipment, etc. Hands and exposed portions of arms must be washed thoroughly with soap and water before starting work and especially: 
i.    After visiting the toilet
ii.   After having a break
iii.  After handling money
iv.  Before and after serving food
v.   After coughing, sneezing, eating or drinking
vi.  After handling rubbish
vii. After cleaning works e.g. clearing plates, wiping tables and clearing food mess/remains.
 
F.) OPERATORS of food establishments are to ensure that there are dedicated non-hand operated hand-washing sinks for service staff to carry out the following proper hand washing steps: 
i. Wet hands with clean, running water and apply soap. Rub palms together to make lather.
ii.    Scrub in between the fingers
iii.   Scrub the back of your hands
iv.   Scrub your thumbs
v.    Scrub your palms
vi.   Scrub your nails and fingertips
vii.  Scrub your wrists
viii. Rinse and dry your hands with paper towel 

G.) Hand sanitizers should be provided within the refreshment area for service staff to disinfect their hands regularly. Soiled hands, however, would need to be cleaned with soap and water before the use of hand sanitizer.
 
H.) To prevent the contamination of food or food-contact surfaces, staff should not do any of the following when handling or serving food:- 
i.    Smoke
ii.   Spit
iii.   Pick nose
iv.   Clean ears with fingers
v.    Blow or breathe on glassware or cutlery to polish them
vi.   Wipe hands on a dirty cloth
vii.  Comb or touch hair
viii. Wipe off perspiration with bare hands

3)  FOOD HANDLING AND SERVING PRACTICES: 
Operators of food establishments should ensure that all service staff are aware of and follow proper food handling and serving practices to prevent contamination of food. The service staff should:
a) Turn away from food and cover their noses and mouths with tissue paper or handkerchiefs when sneezing or coughing. Wash their hands thoroughly after sneezing or coughing.
 
b) Do not touch cooked or ready-to-serve food with bare hands when serving food. Care should be taken to ensure that their thumbs or fingers are not in contact with the food 

c) Always use tongs, ladles or spoons to handle cooked, ready-to-eat food or cut fruits. When necessary, wear disposable gloves when handling cooked, ready-to-eat food or cut fruits. Discard the gloves after each use. 

d) Handle crockery and utensils by the base, handle or areas that are not in contact with food. Ensure that crockery and utensils are not dirty, chipped, broken or cracked. 

e) Do not touch the inside and rim of cups or glasses. Use a food tray when serving drinks. 

f) Do not use bare hands to handle or place ice into glasses. Always use tongs, scoops or other ice dispensing utensils or equipment to handle ice. 

g) Always provide serving spoons to patrons who are sharing dishes. 

h) Do not serve cooked or ready-to-eat food which has dropped on the floor or        exposed to contaminants e.g. cleaning chemicals, pests.  

i) Keep the dining environment clean and do not sweep crumbs or remnants onto the floor. Staff should wipe tables with clean cloth and sanitizer.