Angela Onwuzoo
As Nigerians daily battle the high cost of food with no end in sight, medical and nutrition experts have said that the situation may worsen the health of people with certain health conditions besides triggering new diseases.
They said the economic hardship in the country could lead to the development of asthma and more frequent asthmatic attacks amid the high cost and scarcity of inhalers.
This is just as the naira continues to suffer depreciation, thereby reducing the purchasing power of the people.
The experts who spoke exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise stated that the rising food prices which have assumed a frightening dimension in recent times are placing a heavy burden on Nigerians and that this could lead to poor recovery of those with existing health conditions, especially those with asthma.
The President, Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Prof. Taiwo Obindo, told our correspondent that Nigerians should pay more attention to their health and well-being more now than ever because of the high cost of living.
He said, “Stress can predispose people to develop peptic ulcer diseases, sleep disorders, more frequent asthmatic attacks, development of asthma and migrainous headaches.
“The situation has made people to find themselves thinking a lot without solutions. The rising inflation can impact on the mental and physical health of Nigerians.
“When some people are not able to meet their needs and obligations and are not able to think up ways out of the mess, a cascade of faulty cognitive processes sets in.”
The professor of Psychiatry at the University of Jos also said that besides a rise in asthma cases, elevated blood pressure, or poorly controlled BP despite taking medication are some of the health issues people are likely to face due to rising food prices.
He added, “Diabetes mellitus or poor sugar control, peptic ulcer diseases, more frequent asthmatic attacks or development of asthma, migrainous headaches or tension headaches.
“Others are irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis, recurrence of catarrh and upper respiratory tract infection due to lowered immunity, acne, pimples or other skin lesions.”
Obindo also noted that mental Illness may develop from the rising cost of living depending on the vulnerability or risks.
According to him, the most common ones include anxiety disorders, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, acute stress, reaction adjustment disorders, depression, and sleep disorders.
The psychiatrist, however, suggested what Nigerians could do to minimise the impact of the situation.
“People need to know and accept the fact that by worrying, the situation will not go away and it cannot be wished away.
“Rather than lamenting about the situation, concrete steps should be made to think of a way out.
“Hope is another ingredient to hold unto. I hope that things will surely get better someday. Appraising what brought us to this quagmire and what steps to take to redress the wrong.
“Seeking help early if any of the symptoms above are noticed and it is protracting.”
“Giving thought to and promoting mental health and preventing themselves from developing mental break down.”
On the part of the government, the psychiatrist said efforts should be made to improve the quality of life of the citizenry.
“Basic needs should be attended to such as efforts at reducing the cost of food, provision of shelter, and providing security of lives and property.
“There should be increased awareness and sensitisation on mental health. Implementing the Mental Health Policy of 2013 where mental health was meant to be incorporated into Primary Health Care”, he said.
Also, the President, Federation of African Nutrition Societies, Prof. Ngozi Nnam, said the rising inflation could increase cases of malnutrition and anaemia among pregnant Nigerian women because prices of foods have gone out of the reach of many.
Nnam, a professor of Community and Public Health Nutrition at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said a pregnant woman is supposed to feed well and have an adequate diet at all times for optimal development of the foetus.
“When a pregnant woman stops taking foods rich in iron, she will be deficient in iron and that deficiency will affect the foetus and the cells will not form properly and this will lead to malformation when the baby is born”, the nutritionist said.
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