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Dr. obilor Health Informatics, Port Harcourt (2026)

04/04/2026

Hepatitis B: what are the signs and symptoms?

A lot of people infected with hepatitis B virus won't show any symptoms. Some of them may not be aware until the infection resolves. In a society where every illness is initially viewed as malaria and typhoid, they treat the symptom with antimalaria and antibiotics. Most of the symptoms resolve, not because of the treatment, but because many cases of hepatitis B in adults resolve without any treatment. some people only become aware of their hepatitis B status following screening as is routinely done during antenatal and other periodic blood check.

Because hepatitis virus infects the liver cells, watch out for the following:

👂right upper abdominal pains. The liver is located at the right upper part of the tummy, and health problems involving the liver can cause pain in this region. Hepatitis B can present with such pain.

👂The eyes may appear yellow 🟡. This is because the virus destroys some liver cells hindering their ability to remove a toxin called bilirubin. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is detoxified and excreted by the liver. When liver cells are damaged by hepatitis viruses, bilirubin builds up in the body and gets deposited on the skin, eyes (sclera) and mucus membrane causing yellow discoloration. If you notice any yellow discoloration of the eyes, hepatitis B is one of the tests that should be carried out.

👂Intense itching over the body can occur in hepatitis B infection. This can result from the accumulation of the toxins under the skin, and immune response to the virus. If one is experiencing itching with or without rashes, hepatitis B is one of the infections to be considered.

👂Dark, coke or tea-coloured urine may signal hepatitis B infection. Some liver problems (which can also be caused by hepatitis B) will lead to the leakage of bilirubin into the blood, which is excreted by the kidney and turns urine dark.

👂trivial symptoms of hepatitis B may easily be confused with other health problems. These include Fever, headache, loss of appetite, feeling of unwell, vomiting, joint pains etc. these looks like common malaria symptoms right?

These are some of the common symptoms and when present, hepatitis B is one of the tests to be carried out. See your health care provider.

If you enjoy our posts, follow up for more and hit the 👍 button.

Health Informatics Team

30/03/2026

Is hepatitis B curable?

As discussed in our previous post, after infection with hepatitis B, the body has the ability to clear the virus. Within the space of six months following infection, most people with viral hepatitis B infection become negative (up to 90 % of infected adults get rid of the virus).

🌟This period of six months of hepatitis B infection is called Acute Hepatitis and it's very important because this is the period we expect the body to clear the virus on its own. Infection lasting beyond six months means that hepatitis B virus is still present, multiplying, and the body was unable to clear it. With such replication producing many more viruses, more liver infection occurs causing damage within the cells which can lead to liver failure. The liver can be destroyed to the extent that it becomes replaced by fibrous tissues, and cancer can as well develop. This stage of hepatitis B virus infection lasting beyond 6 months is called Chronic Hepatitis. And about 10% of adults with hepatitis B virus develop chronic hepatitis; this is even higher in children

🌟These people with chronic hepatitis B viral infection need treatment in order to slow or prevent the replication of the virus, which if not on check, can cause liver failure, cancer and cirrhosis. This means that the aim of treatment isn't for a cure, but to control the virus in the liver so as to avoid those life-threatening complications, and the person can live a relatively normal life since there is no drug for the definitive cure of hepatitis B virus yet. Monotherapy with antiviral medication (like Tenofovir, Lamivudine etc) is the mainstay treatment currently.

More on hepatitis B to come...

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Health informatics team

28/03/2026

Hepatitis B may not need any treatment.

The mere fact that one is infected with hepatitis B virus doesn't mean that he/she needs treatment. In adults with hepatitis B about 90% (90 out of 100 persons infected) resolve without any treatment, and within a short time, the virus disappears from the blood.

Hepatitis B is one of the viruses that attacks the liver. It does so because the liver cells (hepatocytes) have receptors that bind to the virus.

As a foreign agent, the moment it enters the blood, the body immediately recognises its presence and builds up a defence system (immune response) to clear the virus. Yes, the powerful body soldiers combat this virus and can successfully clear them from the body within six months. After victory, these soldiers remain and protect the body against future attacks by the virus (life-long immunity).

How to know when the infection has cleared.

HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) shows the presence of hepatitis B virus in the body. Its presence shows that one is infected with hepatitis B virus. When this marker disappears following repeated tests, it shows that the virus has been cleared. This clearance is brought about by the action of the body's immune system (HBsAb) The presence of HBsAb (hepatitis B surface antibody) depicts that the body is fighting the virus, and when it succeeds, the virus (HBsAg) disappears.

Welcome to hepatitis B series.

Stay with us as we bring more information about hepatitis B to you.

Health Informatics Team

23/03/2026

Living without functioning kidneys, the story of dialysis

Whatever thing you do, don't allow your kidneys to fail

It was an exciting moment to find himself abroad; a longtime dream that shaped everything. But the joy was short-lived when he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Diseases such as this don't know boundaries. The cost of medical treatment was enormous and he returned to his native country.

Although he experienced swollen legs in the past, this time around, it was difficult for him to make urine. His chest was tight and he laboured to breathe. He spent 5 nights sitting on the chair because he couldn't sleep; each time he lay down, there was this choking feeling that he was being strangulated.

While in the hospital, a wide canular was inserted into the veins. This is the genesis of dialysis. The doctor said the extra fluid in the body would be removed through a machine. One session is about 120,000 and there were three sessions per week which transform to 360,000 per week. At a time when the economy is suffocating the living, medical bill is squeezing the life out of what is left
Every session is preceded with a test that costs 30,000.

It's not that dialysis is a cure for kidney failure; it only helps in removing excess metabolites or water from the body. This means that dialysis is to be done many times to help remove toxins since the kidneys have stopped functioning.

Sometimes, erythropoietin injection and outright blood transfusion are given when the blood level is low. Epo injection incurs other expenses as well as blood transfusion.

The veins in the hands have been punctured several times that none is visible again. It's a hell to live with kidney failure especially end stage kidney diseases. If kidney transplant is the only way out, how many people can support kidney transplant...

Guard your kidneys jealously.

Health Informatics Team

23/03/2026

From the consulting room.

What happens when the kidneys stop functioning? Chronic kidney disease

🔥 Water builds up in the body causing facial swelling, leg swelling, abdominal swelling... This happens because the kidneys lose the ability to remove water from the body.

🔥Toxic substances build up in the body. Usually, functioning kidneys help remove some toxins from the body by excreting them in the urine. But when the kidneys stop functioning, the body loses the ability to make urine and consequently, these toxins build up in the body and cause serious life threatening conditions. High urea level can cause seizures, altered mental status, vomiting, coma and death...

🔥 Blood level gradually falls leading to dizziness, weakness, easy fatigability... This happens because one hormone needed for the production of red blood cells called erythropoietin is mostly produced by the kidneys. When kidneys fail, the ability to produce this hormone is lost.

🔥 Pains in the bones can be an uncomfortable feeling when the kidneys stop functioning. Lack of active vitamin D in chronic kidney disease leads to low calcium and high phosphate. The body therefore will compensate by acting on the bones to recruit calcium (bones are the largest stores of calcium) in human body. This leads to bone pains and increases the risk of fracture.

🔥 The accumulation of water in the chest/lungs will lead to difficulty breathing, cough and restlessness.

🔥 Lack of electrolyte regulations like high potassium level can affect the heart causing abnormal heart rhythm and de£h.

🔥Etc

As much as you value your health, try not to lose the kidneys.

Next: activities/factors that increase the risk of kidney failure.

Health Informatics Team
From the consulting room

Give us 👍 and lets know what you think

19/03/2026

SALIVA, the unsung hero of the body.

To ordinary people, it's just a watery secretion from the mouth that is swallowed or spit out; but the powerful role in human body is quite underrated.

Imagine swallowing a food without saliva; that would be difficult because saliva moistens the food and reduces friction, making it easier for us to swallow.

As we swallow saliva intermittently most bacteria in the mouth is washed off and sent to the stomach where they are destroyed by stomach acids. Saliva also helps keep the mouth away from microorganisms because of its antimicrobial activities. It contains lysozymes, lactoperoxidase etc that helps fight microorganisms

In the saliva are enzymes that aid in food digestion. Salivary amylase helps in the digestion of carbohydrate; lingual lipase helps in fat digestion.

is it not clear saliva is underrated?

16/03/2026

We did it again🎉. 1000 followers strong and counting

It was very difficult for me to start again after I lost thousands of followers on my previous page. I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who follows, likes, comments, and supports my content. Your encouragement means more than you know. Thank you for being a part of this journey. ❤️

To 1,000 amazing people thank you for believing in this space. ✨

Dr. Obilor

15/03/2026

How does palm wine help in breast milk production after delivery?

One problem faced by women after delivery is the delay in the ejection of breast milk. It gives a bunch of worries to women. Traditionally one solution that is proffered is the ingestion of palm wine.

The grandmother when she heard her daughter has given but breast milk wasn't flowing immediately went to meet the palm wine tapper early in the morning and bought a gallon of palm wine. Hurriedly she entered the clinic and the aroma filled the room. Ada, "drink 2 cups" she said "e go begin to flow"

This knowledge/myth has been there for ages, and one thing I've come to discover that is peculiar to our cultural practices is that traditionally we associate the function of anything with it's physical characteristics. For example, palm wine being natural has a similar appearance with the breast milk, so it is believed that drinking it will add more milk and force its ejection. Ada's case was different

What is palm wine made of?

The analysis of palm wine shows it contains water, sugar, alcohol, vitamins and minerals. Being abundantly made of water, taking palm wine is like drinking water amidst other constituents and these have not been shown to have a direct effect on milk ejection in humans. One key component of breast milk that requires a little attention is alcohol. Fresh palm wine can contain up to 3.5% alcohol and this gradually increases with fermentation. After absorption, alcohol ingested by the mother is secreted into the breast milk, meaning that the child with the immature brain will be exposed to alcohol while sucking, which may pose a risk to the child's development (na rishi Kara Ka dey carry am😂).

Dealing with delay in breast milk ejection

After delivery, even if the breast milk is not flowing, let the mother put the baby's mouth in the ni**le and encourage the child to suckle the empty breasts.
This suckling activity stimulates the nerves around the ni**le, which in turn causes the brain to release hormones. One hormone released is prolactin which promotes more breast milk production while the second, called oxytocin, acts in a manner that squeezes breast milk out of the ni**les. The secret therefore is sucking... Let the child continue to suckle the breast even if nothing appears to be coming out because it will flow in a normal condition.

After giving a woman palm wine to drink, she is encouraged to breastfeed. This action of breastfeeding stimulates the ni**le establishing the fundamental knowledge we discussed above and that's the process that leads to the flow of breast milk. The difference is just the psychic. The woman feels relaxed because she has taken something she thinks is therapeutic and indirectly allows nature to take its course.

What do you think about this? Do you agree? Let's have your contribution

Follow Dr. obilor Health Informatics for more health tips.

Health Informatics Team

14/03/2026

The reasons why fungal infections take a longer time to treat than most bacteria infection

When treating fungal infections, sometimes the treatment can last up to six weeks and beyond. Understanding the reasons becomes crucial in order to encourage compliance. In some situations, the treatment of fungal nail infection (onychomycosis) can take up to 3 months or more Let's look at the reasons

🔥 Fungi cells resemble human cells (both are eukaryotic) unlike bacteria and other organisms whose cell structure is totally different from human cells. This resemblance matters a lot. For this reason, when antifungal drugs are given (perhaps in a high dose), there is a risk of injury or toxicity to the human cells. As the fungi are affected, the drugs can also exert a similar effect on human cells.
🔥🔥To avoid this su***de attack antifungal drugs are formulated in a relatively lesser dose that will minimise injury to human cells (and likewise a reduction in the amount that gets to the fungus). To compensate for this, the treatment will take a longer time

🔥Some fungal infections thrive where there is limited blood supply. Consequently, with poor blood supply to the affected part, the delivery of drugs will be decreased. This will prolong such infection and increase the duration of treatment.

🔥Like other micro organisms, fungi can develop resistance to some drugs.

For these, it is not a mistake when the doctor recommends that antifungal medications be taken for 2 months. Sometimes, before the effect of the drugs would be seen, it could take up to 6 weeks, and a lot of us expect drugs to have rapid onset of action. Many of us will stop taking the medication the moment we didn't see any effect within 5 days and complain the drugs are not working.

Some antifungal drugs can take a while before the symptoms resolve.

13/03/2026

The nutritional values of periwinkles.

To some people, a soup without periwinkle is not well garnished. The little animals keep the mouth and jaw whining during eating and this gives a sort of satisfaction. 'Isam or piom piom throw away' is a variety in which the periwinkle and the shell is added to the soup after cutting a portion of the tail. The sweetness of sucking the flesh makes one demand for more, but don't pray to suck the rotten periwinkle; it's an experience not worth tasting.

Periwinkle is a rich source of
🔥multivitamins that support various metabolic needs of the body
🔥 minerals (like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium.) that support strong/healthy bones and teeth, blood formation etc
🔥 proteins that repair worn out body tissues and regulate other biological functions
🔥 carbohydrates and fats for energy and other structural supports

Nature has a way of supplying us with the things needed for growth and development.

13/03/2026

What happens when you start losing weight without any explanation may throw you off balance. Imagine having a good appetite and eating very well, yet, there is a progressive reduction in weight.

So Amadi said "doc, I am ashamed of myself. People are making mockery of me how within 2 months I have become as dry as 'okporoko'. I was very fat before, but checkout,..see me today, people think I have HIV, but I don't. And boom, the blood sugar was very high

Weight loss can be a feature of diabetes (and other chronic diseases), and one with a progressive weight loss needs to watch out for other features such as frequent urination (worse at night), drinking too much water (polydipsia) and weakness.

In diabetes, despite the availability of sugar, the body cannot make use of it because of the problems associated with insulin. In fact, the body is not aware of the presence of sugar, therefore is said to be starving in the midst of plenty. This leads to the activation of systems that break down fats and proteins into energy sources: the person therefore begins to lose weight.

Unfortunately, some of the products from the breakdown of fats and proteins are converted to sugar (because in diabetes, the cells think there isn't sugar, despite the presence of sugar). This cycle continues, and as more and more fat is broken down from the body, more sugar pile up in the blood forcing the kidneys to remove excess blood sugar via the urine. This is the reason frequent urination occurs in uncontrolled diabetes.

If you find yourself losing weight, among other tests to be conducted, also check your blood sugar

To learn more about human health follow Dr. obilor Health Informatics

11/03/2026

When the toenail grows into the surrounding skin.

Look at the picture. This condition is called ingrown toenail. It occurs when the nails grow from the corner and get buried under the surrounding skin. It causes swelling, pains and purulent discharge when infected. The big to is mostly affected.

CAUSES INCLUDE:
🌟Cutting the nails too short
🌟Putting on tight shoes 👠
🌟 Trauma or injury to the nail
🌟 Abnormal nail curvature
🌟Nail infection

TREATMENT
Self care remedy can include:
🌟Soaking the foot in warm water mixed with salt. This will aid in controlling infection
🌟 Place cotton wool or a splint at the edge of the nail to lift it slight above the skin. This will direct the growth of the nails properly above the skin. (N:B the foreign body (cotton wool) is to be removed and replaced regularly to avoid infection
🌟Topical antibiotics can also be applied to control infection.
🌟 Analgesics can help manage pains
🔥In severe cases in which recurrence occurs, partial or total surgical removal of the nail becomes necessary

PREVENTION
🔥 Cut the nails straight and not too short.
🔥 Avoid creating a curvature around the sides or corners of the nails.
🔥 Avoid putting on tight shoes.

Dr. obilor Health Informatics

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