Collapsus

Why may people suffer distress and collapse, unexpectedly?

Many conditions may give us little time or means to act to stem impending havoc, upon acute manifestations.

What should we do?

Go for regular check-ups to monitor our vital signs( cardiovascular,breathing etc) and do some tests such as glucose tolerance test, blood lipid profile; take control measures to stem the insults or get treatment; know the limit to which we can safely stretch ourselves and live lifestyles that do not put unnecessary demands on the functioning of our vital organs.

Recognizing the signs of impending stroke, heart attack, shock, heat stroke, exhaustion and administering first Aid prior to hospital referral can be life saving.

Dr. Oliver Verbe Birnso

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 3, 2009 at 9:09 AM

    Interesting stuff!
    Thanks a ton for bringing this information to us in a very compact format over the blogshere.
    In the process, it seems we are agreeing that it might make sense to aggregate all the conditions that result in sudden death as a result of individuals collapsing without any physical push or pull factor, collapsus. That sounds more approachable if not just simply down to earth.

    It seems a major contributing factor in collapsus is that many people do not carry out routine physicals and or health checks of various forms. Do you know of any statistical information about the number that get hit by collapsus as a result of refusal to accept the presence of some condition (HBP, for example) especially in the tropical parts of Africa or even just Cameroon alone?
    Thanks
    Ngwang Bannavti

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oliver Verbe BirnsoApril 3, 2009 at 6:43 PM

    Thanks a lot Joe for your question.

    Many people seek the services of a doctor or clinician only when they must have felt some form of pain in their body.

    High blood pressure is known as a silent killer, because it kills with little or no warning pain. It only becomes apparent that there is danger when a heart attack, stroke or renal failure is imminent, at which time irreversible damage has already been caused.
    Most people in Cameroon and tropical Africa in general are oftentimes in a state of denial when told they have hypertension because they feel they are in good health simply because they may not be experiencing any pain. This belief of good health is re-enforced by social compliments such as " you look great" when a person puts on extra pounds. Rather than being concerned about weight gain and sedentary lifestyle people tend to cherish these. It is common to be asked why one is not using a car when seen taking a walk. These are some of the societal pressures that prevent people from sticking to informed decisions taken to stay healthy.

    I am speaking from observation of cases that I have monitored, counseled and treated for hypertension in my medical practice. And I stress that effecting a desirable move to change one's perception of value and adopting a healthy lifestyle are amongst the most difficult things a human being can do, for they require acceptance and commitment on the part of the victim to change even against the tides of social pressure. They require a determined mind set of the primary beneficiary, first and foremost, in addition to encouragement and coaching from an empathetic counselor. This is what health education is all about.

    Dr. Oliver V. Birnso

    ReplyDelete

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