Ibusa professional women organises free health screening, treatments for women

The Association of Ibusa Professional Women Saturday May 27, embarked on free health screening and talk on various health issues ranging from screening for hypertension, diabetes, breast and cervical cancers, eye screening with free eyeglasses for the women of Ibusa, in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. 

Addressing the beneficiaries at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Ibusa, the Chairperson of the Association, Dr. Ifeoma Utomi described blood pressure as the pressure of blood in the human arteries, the vessels that carries blood from heart around the body, explaining that blood pressure changes throughout the day and it is affected by many different activities of the day. 

According to her, "when your blood pressure is measured you get two readings, the first reading is always higher and is systolic pressure. It is the blood pressure when your heart beats and pushes blood around the body. The second reading is the diastolic pressure and is the blood pressure when your heart relaxes between beats."

She said a normal blood pressure in a healthy adult might be around 120/80mmHg, meaning a systolic pressure of 120 and a diastolic pressure of 80.

Dr. Utomi described hypertension as a condition where the blood pressure is higher than normal, saying high blood pressure is defined as either a sustained systolic pressure greater than 140mmHg and or a diastolic pressure of greater than 90mmHg.

In most cases, people don’t known the cause of high blood pressure, but often time linked it to lifestyle factors. 

“As you get older you are likely to have high blood pressure, some people are at a high risk than others and advise the women to always visit their doctors if there is a family history of high blood pressure or heart disease, overweight, lack of ability to exercise, high quantity of alcohol and diet that includes a lot of salt. In some persons, blood pressure shows no symptoms, but advises the women to cultivate the habit of checking their blood pressure regularly, because if left untreated, high blood pressure could lead to stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, loss of sight, heart attack, brain damage and narrow arteries. 

Utomi disclosed that the Association of Ibusa Professional Women was formed to carter for the welfare of the people, noting that they choose to address the issues of health due to growing cases of non communicable diseases. 

A beneficiary, Mrs Arinze Catherine, thanked the group for their efforts in addressing the health issues of their community and the less privileged one. She urged the association to sustain the programme even as she advised that they should come with a specialist in future health screening. 

The event features educational talk on breast and cervical cancers, hypertension, diabetes and free screening and treatments. 

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