The EKOCORP PLC, an acronym of the first letters of the founder’s surnames in alphabetical order i.e. “E” for ENELI, “K” for KUKU and “O” for OBIORA is a successor to Eko Hospitals limited established in 1982 as a Joint Medical Practice patterned after both a teaching hospital as a Medical Center.
All About Belches!
03
Jun
“My latest most embarrassing moment happened during the SATs when, for apparently no reason, I burped so loud, the whole class cracked up. I tried to pretend it wasn’t me but everybody knew,” remembers Lara with a resigned smile. “It just came right up and surprised me.” That’s what they do, these burps, (technically called belching or, if you’re a crossword fan, eructation), they most always catch us unawares. Although generally harmless, belches provide no lasting relief and are a social no-no, at least in the United States. Since you’ll be dealing with their unannounced appearances throughout your life, we thought we’d give you the lowdown on these most benign of body noises.
Did you know that…
Gas comes from two sources… either swallowed air or the breakdown of undigested nutrients.
Burps are nature’s way of getting rid of excess gas in the stomach. When your stomach gets uncomfortably full, gas can be vented either through the intestines or it can rise up the esophagus and throat and escape through the convenient escape valve of the mouth.
We tend to swallow more air when drinking than eating, especially if we’re using a straw. And almost twice as much when we’re rushing though a meal. Researchers say we may take up to 1000 swallows of air a day, including about seven swallows an hour while we’re sleeping.
The biggest food culprits are airy desserts like ice cream and high fiber carbohydrates, beans and carbonated drinks.
Unless it’s excessive, burping alone is fairly innocuous. If however, it is accompanied by a sour or bitter taste in the mouth and a feeling like you want to throw up, that’s heartburn. If this occurs more than once in a while, it might be something worth looking into.
In Elizabethan times, a discreet burp at the end of a big meal was considered polite. Today passing gas, in either direction, a dozen or more times a day is considered normal.
Other triggers for swallowing air are chewing gum, sucking on hard candies, and smoking.
Sometimes belching is just a habit a person develops to relieve sensations of fullness or bloating after a big meal. An unintentional cycle may begin even though the relief is only temporary.
Sometimes people will swallow air when they are nervous or stressed, hence Lara’s experience with the SATs.
Burps are composed of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and sometimes methane. They often don’t have an odor, unlike when you pass gas where traces of sulfur are picked up from bacteria in our large intestine.
Carbonated beverages contain dissolved carbon dioxide. That is what produces the fizz as it begins to escape from the drink. If you drink enough, your stomach will have to release that extra gas.
Hands On Facts!
01
Jun
“We’ve got a disaster on our hands.” She’s playing right into our hands.” Our hands are tied.” “The future lies in our hands.” “It’s time to get our hands dirty.” There’s no doubt that our hands are the body parts most often used to express how we feel. A recent search of the Internet for the word “hand” retrieved over 20 million web pages! So let’s stop sitting on our hands and learn a bit more about what one philosopher called “the cutting edge of the mind.” The anatomy info is factual; the rest is just for fun. Give it as much credence as you would an astrologer or fortuneteller.
Did you know…
There are no muscles in our fingers. The muscles which bend the finger joints are located in the palm and up in the mid forearm, and are connected to the finger bones by tendons, which pull on and move the fingers like the strings of a marionette.
Each hand contains 29 bones and 29 major joints and 48 nerves.
Contrary to popular opinion, humans are not the only primates with thumbs. What makes the human hand different, however, is the ability of the small and ring fingers to rotate across the palm to meet the thumb.
Finger bones are straight on the back side but curved on the palm side.
If you lose a fingernail, the feeling on the palm side of the fingertip is changed.
About a quarter of the part of the brain that controls all movement in the body (the motor cortex) is devoted to the muscles of the hands.
Popular myths…
- If you can move your finger, it’s not broken.
- Cold hands, warm heart.
- Eating gelatin makes your fingernails stronger.
- Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis.
Julius Caesar ordered the thumbs of captured warriors amputated so that when they returned home, they would serve as an example of defeat and be unable to bear arms ever again.
There are those who believe that your hand shape provides an outline of your personality. A squarish palm, short fingers and few lines on your palm is said to reveal a solid, reliable, down to earth person who has a tendency to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. If your hand is more shoe boxed-shaped, with long fingers and more lines across the palm, your might be more objective and aloof. You tend to observe more than participate. Those with short fingers, a roundish palm and Zorro-like lines on their palms tend to be passionate, active and enthusiastic. If you have a narrow, elongated palm and lots of thin lines on your palm, you tend to be sensitive, emotional and empathetic.
Skin texture also reveals useful information. It gives an immediate clue about how a person functions in life. Fine and silky skin indicates shrewdness, expensive taste, sensitivity and an alert and observant mind. Firm texture indicates a healthy combination of physical and mental power. The owner of these hands is active, capable and efficient. Leathery skin reveals a love of open air. It might also reveal a healthy risk taker.
Nail shape, whether it’s long, short, broad or narrow, is another issue. A naturally long nail owner tends to be emotional and imaginative. When nails are short and round, they tend to belong to someone who is proud, a hard worker and loves to argue. Broad nails that are wider than they are long tend to belong to strong, active healthy owners who love to be challenged. Narrow nails indicate a predisposition to be a worrier.
People with palms that are soft and spongy are pleasure seekers who do the least amount of work they can get away with. People with firmer, more resilient hands are practical and energetic and keep busy in order to be happy.People with short fingers are quick on the uptake, lose patience with people who take all day and because they are not detail oriented, are better at starting projects than finishing them.
People with long fingers enjoy detail work, are conscientious, and enjoy getting down to the bottom of things to understand what makes them work. If you have to wait on a line, choose one with a cashier with short fingers. She will move more quickly than her more detail oriented, longer fingered colleague. On occasions when you need someone to pay particular attention to details, however, choose someone with the longest fingers you can find!