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This Monday, July 24th, international day of self care concept that World Health Organization (WHO) defined as the ability of individuals, families and communities take care of their own health and prevent and manage disease or disability, with or without the help of a healthcare professional.
According to the WHO, by 2030, a global shortage of approximately 18 million health workers is projected.which highlights people need to be empowered through education for responsible and safe self-care.
Similarly, reports from the health organization show that nearly 400 million people worldwide “have no access to the most basic health services, and every year about 100 million people are plunged into poverty due to the costs associated with paying for medical services.” Therefore, it is urgent to find innovative strategies that go beyond the usual health sector response,” the WHO said in a statement.
basic self care rules include health literacy, mental well-being, physical activity, healthy eating, limiting dangerous habits or practices such as smoking or excessive drinking-, good hygiene –hand washingfor example – and responsible use of over-the-counter medicines, among other things.
In line with these principles, “it is important to raise people’s awareness of the need to take care of themselves and make decisions about their health, such as responsible and safe self-medication when a mild illness is detected,” says Dr. Jimena Vorsel, medical director of the Argentine Chamber of OTC Medicines (CAPEMVeL).
While Sanofi, an innovative global healthcare company, claims that healthcare systems – both in Argentina and globally – are facing major challenges related to demographic change, climate change, an increase in chronic non-communicable diseases, and the fragmentation of health services.
With the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Self-Help Federation (GSCF) was created. Self Service Readiness Index 2.0 (SCRI 2.0) to improve the design of health systems and lay the foundations for various initiatives. The results of this project’s study confirmed the current lack of a comprehensive view of both self-care and its systemic benefits.
Although ideas about self-care vary around the world, this concept is present in many national strategies, mainly within prevention programs such as vaccination and health promotion. Although health education is largely neglected around the world, SCRI 2.0 has found that empowering individuals reduces the need for health interventions and improves the health of all populations.
As part of the International Day of Taking Care of Yourself, phlebologists from Clinical Hospital of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) they called the patients to a new meeting to learn how to be the protagonists of their own well-being. The conclave will take place on Wednesday, July 26 at 10:30.
One of the main directions of this event will be diseases of the veins. As Hospital de Clínicas said in a statement, 60% of the world’s population lives with the condition, while more than 300 million people suffer from some type of lymphedema, or tissue inflammation.
Seminars for patients with chronic venous diseases and lymphedema will be held in the Department of Venous and Lymph Surgery every last Wednesday of the month at the Hospital de Clínicas de la UBA (Avenida Córdoba 2351, CABA). These are theoretical and practical meetings to learn about these diseases, their causes, treatments and how to strengthen your own skills to improve the quality of life.
Doctor in that tone Mabel Bussati, Medical Specialist in Phlebology and Lymphology and Consultant of the Department of Venous and Lymphatic Surgery of the Clinical Hospital (MP 57716) explained: “It is extremely important that a person understands the role he plays in fighting his disease and maintaining a good condition. Health professionals should provide them with information, encourage the development of their skills, and encourage the involvement of care team members and families so that they feel supported.”
The function of the venous system is to return blood to the heart. In the lower extremities, with insufficiency of the valvular apparatus, the blood remains in the affected sector, the veins expand, the pressure rises and the blood flow velocity decreases. This causes changes in the venous wall, valvular apparatus, and surrounding tissues, causing the symptoms and signs of venous disease.
The most common symptoms are pain, swelling, itching, leg cramps and heaviness, swelling and visible signs such as spider veins, telangiectasias, varying degrees of varicose veins, changes in skin color and texture. The most common complications are venous ulcers and venous thrombosis. Pathology can also cause disability.
“It is important to know that there are factors that we can modify in order to prevent the progression of venous disease: avoid being overweight, struggle with a sedentary lifestyleperform compression with bandages or stockings that perform this function, and take venotonic drugs, ”said Bussati.
Regarding lymphedema, the specialist explained: “Lymphatic vessels are involved in blood circulation, which perform a very important function, removing water and high-molecular proteins from tissues into the general bloodstream. When this fails, there is swelling of the body part that we know in human lymphedema. Timely diagnosis and treatment is also very important here in order to avoid disabling forms.”
Lymphedema can appear from birth and affects men and women equally from birth to adulthood. The spectrum of causes is very wide and covers both the disease of the lymphatic system itself and others that can affect it secondarily, for example, untreated chronic venous insufficiency, bacterial or parasitic infection, and others.
“In all chronic conditions, it is very important that the patient knows what kind of disease he has, what are the causes, what is the treatment. Diagnosis is achieved through a non-invasive study, Doppler echo, which detects areas of reflux or insufficiency and provides information to the physician to determine the best treatment for each individual,” Bussati said.
Treatment agreed with the medical staff requires the active participation of the patient, as it usually requires learning to live with the symptoms and new situations associated with caring for him: “All his life he will live with the disease and its treatment, so it is important that he knows how to eat a healthy diet, what exercises to do, how to manage compression, how to start the lymphatic system with breathing and simple maneuvers at key points in the body,” Bussati said.
Finally, the expert clarified that the above does not replace the treatment provided by the medical team, but rather “encourages it during periods when the patient is not attending consultation and is not directly related to treatment. Patient support is provided through the provision of education, the intervention of medical personnel to improve people’s skills and self-confidence, periodically assessing their progress and problems, and setting goals and solving problems.
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