ABUJA – Following reported cases of deadly Ebola virus and confirmed death of a Liberian patient in the country, medical and health experts said the indiscriminate use of salt could expose consumers to hypertension.
Rumours of bathing with and drinking hot salted water to either prevent or cure Ebola spread in the country late Thursday night through the early hours of Friday.
But reacting to the development, a Dietician with the State House Medical Centre, Abuja, Mrs Nelly Akuchie, advised Nigerians against the indiscriminate use of salt.
Akuchie told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that such action could predispose one to hypertension.
She said that high intake of salt, especially people with hypertension or aged persons, was not good for their health.
According to her, sometimes hypertension goes with age; people of about 45years and above are already advancing in age; high intake of salt will make their blood pressure to go up.
“Also asking people with a family history of hypertension to take salt can predispose them more to high blood pressure which is not good for the health.
“Bathing with salt is a source of sanitising the body but one can use antiseptic such as Dettol instead of salt,’’ she said.
According to her, talking of salt in terms of religion, when a religious person asked you to bath with salt for prayers is good.
Akuchie, therefore, recommended hand sanitisers and washing hands with soap or antiseptics instead of using salt to prevent germs.
According to her, salt is being used for preservation of foods and other consumables and to wash consumable items.
“People should refrain from high intake of salts, instead they can wash their hands with soap, use hand sanitisers and Dettols to prevent bacterial infections and some micro organisms,’’ she advised.
Meanwhile, panic has gripped residents of Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna state and environs over false alarm of the outbreak of Ebola in the area.
NAN gathered that the false alarm on the disease, which was spread through telephone calls, had it that a number of persons from across the area were already infected.
The alarm generated tension throughout the night as residents were forced to drink and bath with warm salt-water solution as a preventive measure against the disease. [eap_ad_1] Mrs Grace Abiri of Garaje area told NAN that she received calls and text messages around 2 a.m. informing her about an outbreak and the need for her to bath with salt-water immediately.
“The entire house was in a confused state as it seemed to be true. We had no option than to do as told,” she said.
Mr Soje Silas of Katsit area said although his family members panicked, but he ignored the speculation.
“I did not see the rational to wake up at such odd hour and bath with salt,” he said.
Mrs Irene Lawrence of Housing Low Cost said she hurriedly woke her two children from sleep and bathed them as instructed.
“I did not want to give it a second thought especially when I was told there had been casualties already,” she said.
The Medical Director, Kafanchan General Hospital, Dr Jonathan Gajere, dispelled the rumour describing it as unfounded.
He said the medical facility in the area had recorded any case of the said disease.
Gajere urged residents to remain calm and disregard any unfounded information concerning outbreak of Ebola virus in the area.
The physician, however, advised residents to imbibe hygienic lifestyle and not be ignorant of the menace of the disease.
On his part, the Archbishop, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins, urged Priests in the archdiocese to be engaged in the public enlightenment to complement the services of medical doctors and other health workers on Ebola.
Martins in a statement on Friday urged priests in the archdiocese to assist in sensitising the people on the symptoms, effects, preventive measures, management of self and how to handle infected persons of the disease.
He also urged them to encourage the people to practice frequent washing of hands with suitable anti-bacterial hand-washing liquid and use of hand sanitisers.
“Priests should exercise caution when they go for sick calls particularly when they have to administer the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. “They should ensure regular hand washing after visiting patients in the hospital or homes. Priests should encourage the use of gloves,” he said.
