LeadNG Health

  Written by the LeadNG Health team. We create simple, practical health articles to help everyday people understand common health issues. All content is for educational purposes only. Kunle Did Not Feel Sick Kunle is 42 and runs a small phone-accessories business. Most mornings, he opens his shop early. By afternoon, he is busy attending to customers. Some days he skips lunch. Other days, he grabs whatever food is available nearby. He rarely visits a hospital because, in his words: “I am not sick. I feel fine.” One Saturday, he went to a health center with his wife. While waiting, a health worker checked his blood pressure. The reading was higher than expected. Kunle laughed. “Maybe the machine is faulty.” He felt completely normal. No headache. No chest pain. No dizziness. Nothing that made him think he had a health problem. But this is exactly why blood pressure deserves attention. High blood pressure does not always announce itself High blood pressure, also called hypertension, ...

  Written by the LeadNG Health team. We create simple, practical health articles to help everyday people understand common health issues. All content is for educational purposes only. Imagine this. Chinedu wakes up one morning feeling weak. He has a fever, headache and body weakness. His first thought is simple: “It is probably malaria.” He buys medicine and continues with his normal activities. Two days later, he is still feeling unwell. His family becomes concerned, but because malaria is common, they assume the illness simply needs more time. This is one reason illnesses that can look similar to common infections can sometimes be difficult to recognise early. One condition Nigerians should know about is Lassa fever . Why are we talking about Lassa fever now? Nigeria has continued to report Lassa fever cases in 2026. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), by epidemiological week 36, Nigeria had recorded 1,086 confirmed Lassa fever cases and 259...

  Written by the LeadNG Health team. We create simple, practical health articles to help everyday people understand common health issues. All content is for educational purposes only. A Labour Room Case Study It is 2:30 in the afternoon at a busy maternity unit. A woman in her late twenties arrives with regular contractions. She has been having labour pains since the morning. Her husband runs a small repair workshop nearby. Her sister has come with her because the family expects the baby to arrive soon. At first, everything appears routine. The midwife checks the mother and begins monitoring the progress of labour. Several hours later, however, something does not look right. The contractions are continuing, but the expected progress is not happening. The mother is becoming tired. The baby's position and the progress of labour need to be reassessed. A junior health worker asks: “Should we just give her more time?” That question is important. Sometimes labour takes time. But sometime...

  Written by the LeadNG Health team. We create simple, practical health articles to help everyday people understand common health issues. All content is for educational purposes only. A woman is in labour. Her waters break, and suddenly something unusual is noticed near the vaginal opening. The nurse looks carefully and sees a loop of the umbilical cord. This can be frightening, but the most important thing is not panic. It is quick recognition, immediate communication, and appropriate emergency care . For nurses and midwives, knowing what cord prolapse looks like and understanding the urgency can help the maternity team respond appropriately. The Problem The umbilical cord connects the baby to the placenta and carries blood between them. Umbilical cord prolapse happens when the cord comes down through the cervix and may enter the vagina before the baby is delivered. Sometimes the cord can be seen outside the vagina. In other situations, it may not be visible but can be felt durin...

  Written by the LeadNG Health team. We create simple, practical health articles to help everyday people understand common health issues. All content is for educational purposes only. You wake up, prepare for work, open your shop, attend to customers, and return home tired. You feel normal, so you assume everything is fine. But some health problems can develop without obvious warning signs. High blood pressure is one of them. A person can continue working, running a business, caring for children, and living a normal-looking life while their blood pressure is higher than it should be. The Problem Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels as your heart pumps blood around your body. When this pressure stays too high over time, it is called high blood pressure , also known as hypertension. The problem is that high blood pressure does not always cause noticeable symptoms. This means a person should not depend only on how they feel to know wheth...

Many people feel unwell but delay going to a health facility. Some wait until the problem becomes serious. Others are not sure which facility to visit or what to expect. Primary Health Centers (PHCs) exist in communities across Ibadan, Osun State, and many other parts of Nigeria to provide basic and essential care close to where people live. Knowing how to use these centres properly helps families get care earlier, save money, and avoid unnecessary complications. The Problem Primary Health Centers are designed to handle common illnesses, maternal and child care, immunization, health education, and basic tests. Yet many people still bypass them. Some go straight to large hospitals for simple problems, creating long queues. Others first try self-medication or unregulated mixtures and only seek care when the condition has worsened. In cities like Ibadan and towns across Osun, PHCs are located in many communities. The challenge is not always distance — it is awareness, trust, and know...

You feel sudden fever, headache, and body weakness. You wonder if it is ordinary tiredness or something more serious. In many parts of Nigeria and across Africa, this is a common experience, especially during the rainy season. Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance — they can carry diseases that make people seriously ill. Malaria is the most well-known mosquito-borne disease, but mosquitoes can also spread other illnesses. Understanding how these diseases spread and how to reduce risk helps families protect themselves. The Problem Mosquitoes spread disease when they bite a person who is already infected and later bite another person. The germs travel from one person to another through the mosquito. Malaria is caused by a parasite. Other mosquito-borne diseases are caused by viruses. These illnesses often begin with fever, chills, headache, body pain, and weakness. Some people also develop vomiting or diarrhea. Because the early symptoms look like ordinary fever, many people first trea...

You feel unwell and someone recommends a herbal mixture. It is sold in a bottle without a proper label. The seller promises it can cure many problems quickly. Many people across Nigeria and other parts of Africa try such mixtures because they are cheap, available, and feel familiar. Some mixtures help with mild issues. Others contain harmful substances that damage the body. Not all herbal preparations are safe. Some are prepared in unclean conditions. Some contain high levels of natural toxins, heavy metals, or added chemicals. Others are mixed without proper knowledge of dosage. Taking these products can cause serious harm. The Problem Herbal mixtures are widely available in markets, motor parks, and from travelling sellers. Many are sold with strong claims — that they can cure diabetes, hypertension, infections, infertility, or even cancer. Because the bottles often have no clear list of ingredients or expiry date, users do not know exactly what they are taking. Some traditional ...

You spend many hours looking at your phone or computer. By the end of the day your eyes feel dry, sore, or tired. Sometimes your vision becomes slightly blurred. You rub your eyes and continue. Many people who use phones and screens for work or daily communication experience this discomfort and treat it as normal. Looking at screens for long periods forces the eyes to work harder. The eyes blink less, focus constantly at a short distance, and are exposed to bright light. Over time this leads to tiredness, dryness, and strain. The Problem When you stare at a phone or computer screen, your blink rate drops. Blinking is what keeps the eyes moist. With fewer blinks, the surface of the eye becomes dry. At the same time, the eye muscles stay focused on a near object for a long time without rest. Bright screens, small text, and poor lighting add extra stress. Common signs include: Tired or aching eyes Dryness or a gritty feeling Blurred vision after long use Headaches around the eyes...

You sit for many hours every day — at a desk, in front of a computer, in a car, or even on a bench while waiting for customers. By evening your neck feels stiff and your lower back aches. You stretch for a moment, but the next day the same discomfort returns. Many people who spend long hours sitting experience this pattern and treat it as normal. Sitting for long periods without movement places continuous pressure on the spine, neck, and surrounding muscles. Over time this leads to stiffness, pain, and reduced flexibility. The problem is common among office workers, students, drivers, and anyone whose daily work involves prolonged sitting. The Problem When you sit for a long time, especially with the head bent forward or the back curved, the muscles in the neck and lower back stay in one position. Some muscles become tight. Others become weak. The discs in the spine also experience more pressure than when you are moving or standing with good posture. Many people sit for hours witho...

You hear that someone in the community has been diagnosed with cancer. The news brings quiet fear. Many people believe cancer always comes suddenly and that little can be done. This belief stops some from paying attention to early changes in their bodies. Cancer is a group of diseases in which some cells in the body begin to grow in an uncontrolled way. Different types affect different parts of the body. While not every symptom means cancer, knowing common warning signs and seeking care early improves the chance of better outcomes. The Problem In many communities, cancer is still surrounded by silence and late presentation. People may notice unusual lumps, persistent sores, unexplained weight loss, unusual bleeding, or ongoing pain, yet delay going for a check. Reasons include fear, cost, distance to facilities, or the belief that the problem will dis...