Physician Assistant advices against skipping meals, avoid unhealthy lifestyles

Poor eating habits, including skipping meals and eating late, are major contributors to the growing incidence of peptic ulcer disease among Ghanaians, a Physician Assistant at the Bomaa Government Hospital, Maxwell Dery, has observed.

He made the observation during a free health screening exercise organised by ASA Savings and Loans Limited at Kintampo in the Bono East Region, where peptic ulcer disease emerged as one of the common conditions recorded among the more than 180 residents who participated in the exercise.

Mr. Dery said the trend was particularly worrying among drivers and other people whose work schedules made them skip breakfast and delay meals until late in the day.

Spicy foods
He said it was also common among people who consumed spicy foods, carbonated drinks and alcohol, which could aggravate the condition.

Mr Dery said many of those screened reported abdominal or epigastric pain, although some had already concluded that they had ulcer without undergoing the necessary medical investigations.

He explained that while clinical assessment could help health professionals determine the likely cause of the pain, endoscopy remained the gold-standard investigation for confirming peptic ulcer disease, including identifying the location and size of an ulcer.

Mr Dery said another important cause of peptic ulcer disease was Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, particularly among young people, while lifestyle and dietary practices could worsen symptoms and delay healing.

Caution
He cautioned people against routinely skipping meals, explaining that prolonged periods without food could contribute to gastric irritation, particularly in people already vulnerable to ulcer disease.

Mr Dery also advised people diagnosed with ulcer to follow medical advice on foods and habits that could aggravate their condition, including excessive spicy foods, carbonated drinks and alcohol, while avoiding smoking.

He said failure to manage the condition appropriately could result in serious complications, including bleeding or perforation, which could require surgical intervention.

Other conditions
The screening exercise, which attracted more than 180 people, also identified cases of hypertension, diabetes, malaria, Hepatitis B and C, skin infections, hernia, lipomas and third-stage haemorrhoids.

Mr Dery said some beneficiaries with hypertension had either been unaware of their condition or had stopped taking their medication after their blood pressure readings improved, wrongly assuming that they had been cured.

He stressed that hypertension and diabetes required continuous management through appropriate medication, diet, lifestyle changes and regular medical reviews.

Mr Dery said some Hepatitis B-positive beneficiaries were referred for further laboratory investigations, including a Hepatitis B profile and viral load, while those who tested negative but had not been vaccinated were advised to seek Hepatitis B vaccination.

Commitment
The Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Officer of ASA Savings and Loans Ltd, Lily Opoku Mensah, said the health screening formed part of the company’s commitment to improving the wellbeing of communities.

She explained that access to preventive healthcare was essential to building healthier and more productive communities.

Ms Mensah said the exercise was designed not only to help residents know their health status but also to provide them with professional advice and referrals to enable them to seek timely medical care.

"The strong turnout, with more than 180 residents participating, demonstrated the need for accessible screening and health education. While the conditions identified showed that early detection could help residents seek timely medical care and adopt healthier lifestyles," she said.

For beneficiaries, the exercise offered an opportunity to know their health status, receive professional advice and, where necessary, obtain referrals for further medical care.

They commended ASA Savings and Loans for bringing free healthcare screening closer to them.