Benalina Medical Laboratory Services.

26/05/2025

👀 It’s time to turn our eyes to one of the most significant eye health threats of the 21st Century.

👓 Did you know that ‘shortsightedness’ or ‘nearsightedness’ are other names for myopia? They mean that a person can see clearly up close, but not well far away.

🧒🏽 Myopia is becoming more common in young children. If a parent has myopia, their children are more likely to develop it too.

📚 Near activities are ones that involve looking at things close up, like reading a book or using a smartphone. Lots of time on these things can increase myopia risk.

Here are some common myopia symptoms:

🔹 Difficulty seeing things across the room and far away.
🔹 Eye rubbing, squinting or closing one eye to see.
🔹 Sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close.
🔹 Sore or tired eyes.

These tips can help you prevent developing myopia:

🏞️ Spending time outdoors.
📱 Holding a book or device at least 30cm from eyes.
💡 Implementing 20-20-20 rule. Take a 20 second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes of doing near activities.

Regular eye exams are important! Have you already booked yours?

Find out more about eye care, vision impairment and blindness ➡️ https://bit.ly/43b8rPZ

08/05/2025

😮‍💨 Millions of people live with asthma and yet, many of them don’t know it. It is one of the most common conditions among children. Unfortunately, it is also unknown, underdiagnosed and undertreated.

🫁 Asthma is a chronic condition and affects the airways in our lungs. People who have asthma have particularly sensitive airways and they can become narrowed from time to time.

When the airways become narrow, symptoms start:

❤️‍🩹Cough
❤️‍🩹Difficulty breathing
❤️‍🩹Wheezing

The symptoms are not there all the time, they come and go, but are often worse at night or during exercise.

Asthma can be triggered by many different things, for example:

🔹 Cigarette smoke
🔹 Air pollution
🔹 Dust
🔹 Animal fur
🔹 Respiratory infections
🔹 Grass pollen

Even though there is no cure for asthma, for children, the condition often gets better as they get older. It’s important to try to avoid the triggers, but it’s not always possible.

👩🏾‍⚕️ If you or your loved ones are experiencing symptoms, make sure to see your healthcare professional. They can make the diagnosis, prescribe treatment and provide you with an action plan to manage the condition successfully.

Learn more about asthma here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3YwNFaJ

28/04/2025

🌏 24-30 April 2025 is *World Immunization Week*.

💉Over the last 50 years, vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives. That’s 6 lives a minute, every day, for five decades.

During this period, there has been a 40% improvement in infant survival. However, we still need to reach millions of children who’ve never had a single vaccine.

*We also need to protect:*

👵🏽 older people from flu
👧🏾 young girls from HPV
🍼 babies from malaria & RSV
🤰🏼 pregnant women from tetanus

⚠️ We are at a watershed moment in the history of global health. Hard-won gains in stamping out diseases that are preventable through vaccination are in jeopardy. Decades of collaborative efforts between governments, aid agencies, scientists, healthcare workers, and parents got us to where we are today –– a world where we’ve eradicated smallpox and almost eradicated polio.

World Immunization Week 2025 aims to ensure even more children, adolescents, adults – and their communities – are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

☂️ Protect yourself and your family with immunization and learn more here ➡️ https://bit.ly/4cGCQsg

14/04/2025

Today is World Chagas Disease Day.

🌎 Chagas disease, predominantly affecting impoverished populations in Latin America, is increasingly spreading across continents.

⚠️ There are currently 7 million infections globally, and an estimated 10,000 people die from Chagas disease every year.

🔬 Early detection is key as Chagas disease is curable when treatment is provided soon after infection.

💩 In the Region of the Americas, T. cruzi is mainly transmitted to humans through the infected faeces of the blood-sucking triatomine bug (the ‘kissing bug’), which is the disease vector.

Chagas disease has two phases:

1️⃣ An acute phase
2️⃣ A chronic phase

Most acute phases are asymptomatic or have non-specific symptoms.

During the chronic phase patients may also be symptom-free but some may progress to clinical forms of the disease:

🫀 Cardiac symptoms
😖 Digestive symptoms
🧠 Neurological symptoms

These symptoms can be life threatening if left undiagnosed and untreated.

You can protect yourself from Chagas disease by:

✅ Insecticide spraying
✅ Home improvements
✅ Good hygiene practices
✅ Using bednets

Learn more about Chagas disease here ➡️ https://bit.ly/42qFfCQ

08/04/2025

🎉 Happy World Health Day 2025!

Today we kick off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The health of mothers and babies is the foundation of healthy families and communities, helping ensure hopeful futures for us all.

🥀 Each year, nearly 300,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth, while over 2 million newborns die within their first month of life and another 2 million are stillborn.

The reality today:

⚠️ The vast majority of these deaths are preventable with timely and quality care.

⚠️ In many parts of the world, women still give birth without skilled health professionals or access to emergency care.

⚠️ 1 in 3 women report lasting health problems after childbirth - and struggle to access treatment.

How you can support:

🫶 Be present for pregnant women and new parents around you.
⚕️ Support WHO's efforts to improve global maternal and newborn care.
📣 Advocate for accessible, quality care, wherever you are.

Watch the latest Science in 5 video and learn more about mothers and babies health ➡️ https://bit.ly/4lgsS57

13/03/2025

ENDOMETRIOSIS
Did you know that endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and girls of reproductive age worldwide?

🔍 What is it?

Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

🥀 For some women, endometriosis can take a big toll, physically and emotionally.

Symptoms include:

😰 Severe pelvic pain, especially during a period
😣 Pain during s*x, bowel movements, or urination
😴 Fatigue
🩸 Heavy or irregular periods
💔 Trouble getting pregnant
🤢 Bloating or nausea
😓 Depression or anxiety

⚠️ Despite its impact, endometriosis is often misdiagnosed or ignored.

While there is currently no known cure for endometriosis, early treatment can slow or stop the progression of the disease and reduce the long-term symptoms.

❤️‍🩹If you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms, seek medical advice.

Learn more about endometriosis here ➡️ https://bit.ly/4bIsSWZ

15/02/2025

🎗️ *International Childhood Cancer Day - 15 February*

Every year, *400,000 children* worldwide are diagnosed with cancer. Most children with cancer can be cured, yet it remains a *leading cause of death.*

*Warning signs include:*
🌡️ Unexplained fever or infections
🤕 Severe headaches
🔴 Lumps, swelling, or unusual masses
📉 Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
🦴 Bone & joint pain
🩸 Unexplained bruising or bleeding

💡*Most common childhood cancers* are leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas and solid tumours, such as neuroblastoma and Wilms tumour. Most childhood cancers *do not have a known cause.*

✅ Please forward this message to your friends and family who have children.

🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/2NeFF8B

12/02/2025

*𝐋IPID PROFILE*
*Excellently Explained*

𝐀 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲.

𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 *𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐥*.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫-𝐢𝐧-𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 *𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞*.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 *𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭* 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲-𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨.
*𝐇𝐃𝐋* 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐬 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫). 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦.

𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐨𝐨, *𝐋𝐃𝐋*, 𝐰𝐡𝐨'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫-𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲.
*𝐋𝐃𝐋* 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐣𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩 *𝐇𝐃𝐋* 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧?

*𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐬?*

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠!_ 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐬 *𝐇𝐃𝐋* 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 *𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐥, 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐃𝐋* 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 (𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲) 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬' 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 (𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤). 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨.

*𝐒𝐨, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞!*
*Stay healthy*...and
*Have a good health*
This is quite a good article to increase the GOOD HDL and decrease the BAD LDL mainly by walking. *Every walking step will increase HDL. THEREFORE, WALK, WALK and WALK!*

11/02/2025

📊 CANCER
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Every minute, 40 people are diagnosed with cancer globally, and embark on a journey to overcome it.

🔬 According to projections by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the number of annual cancer cases could rise to 35 million by 2050, a 77% increase since 2022.

This week, on World Cancer Day, we honour the courage of those affected, celebrate scientific progress to treat the disease, and affirm our commitment to .

Here’s how YOU can make a difference in your community:

✔️ Educate on prevention & early detection.
✔️ Share personal stories & highlight patient experiences to humanize cancer care.
✔️ Promote people-centered care & emphasize the need to tailor treatment to individual needs.

Prevention, early diagnosis, and improved treatments can save millions of lives.

Learn more about cancer here ➡️

Cancer is a generic term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body.

05/01/2025

Prevention is better than cure!” ✨
The festive season is over now and we know it was all about food, fun, and family! But after December’s indulgence, it’s time to check in on your health. 🌟

🧪 Start your new year on a healthy note with these important medical tests:

General Wellness Tests

🎯 Liver Function Test (LFT): Give your liver some love after the festivities.

🎯 Lipid Profile: Let’s check those cholesterol levels after all the delicious food.

🎯 Blood Sugar Test (Fasting and HbA1c): Stay ahead of potential sugar spikes!

🎯 Kidney Function Test (KFT): Make sure your kidneys are in good shape.

🎯 Complete Blood Count (CBC): A full-body check-up to rule out hidden concerns.

🎯 Thyroid Function Test (TFT): Especially if you’ve been feeling tired or sluggish.

🎯 Uric Acid Test: Gout risks? Let’s rule it out!

🎯 Vitamin D and B12 Levels: Boost your energy and immunity.

Key Serology Tests

💉 Hepatitis Panel (A, B, and C): Check for viral infections affecting the liver.

💉 HIV Screening: A crucial step for self-awareness and long-term health.

💉 Syphilis Test (VDRL/RPR): Stay proactive about your s*xual health.

💉 Typhoid Screening (Widal Test): Detect signs of typhoid fever after heavy street food consumption.

💉 Rubella/Measles IgG: Important for immunity, especially for women planning pregnancies.

💡 Why wait? January is your time to prioritize YOU. 💡

Book a lab test today with us and invest in your health—because nothing is more valuable than a healthy YOU!!
Contact Benalina Medical Laboratory Services at Sukura near the Taxi Station on 0546698548 or 0242356553 for a wonderful service.

11/12/2024

Let us talk a little about Syphilis.

Why are syphilis cases rising around the world? What is it and how does it spread? Here’s what you need to know:

➡️ Syphilis is a s*xually transmitted infection. If untreated, it can cause serious health issues.
➡️ It’s a sneaky disease. It can mimic many other health conditions.
➡️ In 2024 alone, 8 million syphilis cases were reported around the world.
➡️ Syphilis is increasing in pregnant women, affecting their unborn babies and newborn children.
➡️ Syphilis is treatable and curable. People who suspect they may have syphilis should speak to their healthcare provider.

How does one get syphilis?

⚠️ By having s*x with an infected person
⚠️ From mother to child
⚠️ During blood transfusion

People with multiple s*xual partners are at greater risk of getting syphilis.

What are the symptoms?

The majority of people don’t have any symptoms. Some may experience:

❤️‍🩹 A painless ge***al ulcer
❤️‍🩹 Flu-like symptoms
❤️‍🩹 A rash on the palms of hands and soles of feet
❤️‍🩹 Affects brain, nerves and heart at advanced stages

How to avoid getting syphilis?

✅ Use a condom when having s*x
✅ Pregnant women should get tested during their first prenatal care visit
✅ Get tested once a year if you are at higher risk

For more interesting facts about syphilis, watch this video ➡️ https://bit.ly/3BniCWk