Health Matters with Nurse Betsy

04/09/2026

Hi 👋

02/09/2026

22/08/2026

21/08/2026

🚰 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮: 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸

Imagine a mother preparing breakfast for her children.

She washes her hands.
She washes the plates.
She even reminds the children to wash their hands before eating.

But the water being used to prepare the food came from a source that was contaminated.

Everyone in that house may unknowingly be exposed.

This is one reason cholera is not simply a “hospital problem.”

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰-𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

And with cholera currently affecting communities in Nigeria, this is something we should be talking about—not only when someone becomes critically ill, but before that happens.

𝗦𝗼, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮?

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by certain strains of Vibrio cholerae.

It is commonly associated with consuming food or water contaminated with the bacteria.

And the frightening part?

A person can move from having diarrhoea to severe dehydration surprisingly quickly.

That means the biggest immediate danger is often not the diarrhoea itself.

𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆.

Think of the body like a water tank.

When severe diarrhoea continues, the tank is rapidly losing its contents.

If that water and the necessary salts are not replaced quickly, the person can become severely dehydrated, go into shock and potentially die.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵:

Cholera does not happen simply because someone is “dirty.”

That explanation is too simplistic.

Cholera thrives where people may lack reliable access to:

• Safe drinking water
• Proper sanitation
• Functional toilets
• Safe sewage disposal
• Handwashing facilities
• Safe food handling
• Timely healthcare

So if an entire community has contaminated water, telling individuals to “be clean” does not solve the whole problem.

Public health looks at the bigger picture.

It asks:

Where is the contamination coming from?

How is it spreading?

Who is most exposed?

Can the community access safe water?

Are cases being detected early?

Are people receiving treatment quickly?

And what can be done to stop new infections?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗱𝗼?

If cholera is circulating in your community, don't wait until someone becomes seriously ill before taking precautions.

1️⃣ Be careful about drinking water.

Use water from a safe source.

Where the safety of water is uncertain, use an appropriate method such as boiling or an approved household water-treatment method.

Store treated water safely too.

There is little point treating water and then dipping an unwashed cup or dirty hands into the container.

2️⃣ Wash your hands properly.

Especially:

👉🏽 After using the toilet
👉🏽 After cleaning a child who has defecated
👉🏽 Before preparing food
👉🏽 Before eating
👉🏽 Before feeding children

Handwashing is simple, but it is not a small intervention.

3️⃣ Be careful with food.

Cook food thoroughly.

Keep cooked food away from contamination.

Wash fruits and vegetables with safe water.

And be particularly cautious with food that has been sitting in conditions where contamination is possible.

4️⃣ Don't ignore sudden watery diarrhoea.

This is important.

A person with frequent watery diarrhoea can lose fluid rapidly.

Do not wait until the person becomes extremely weak, confused, unable to drink or collapses.

Seek medical care promptly and begin appropriate oral rehydration while arranging care.

Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is not simply “salt water.”

The correct ORS formulation contains the right balance of glucose and electrolytes to help the intestine absorb fluid effectively.

So if you have access to properly prepared ORS, use it according to the instructions.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:

❌ Don't assume every case of diarrhoea is ordinary food poisoning.

❌ Don't rely on antibiotics bought without proper medical assessment.

❌ Don't delay treatment because someone says, “It will stop by itself.”

❌ Don't wait for severe dehydration before seeking help.

❌ Don't stigmatise someone because they have cholera.

Remember:

Disease does not discriminate between the “clean” and the “dirty.”

A contaminated water source can affect an entire community.

There is also a bigger lesson here.

When we talk about health, we often focus on what happens inside the hospital.

But public health begins long before the patient reaches the hospital.

It begins with:

Water.
Sanitation.
Housing.
Food safety.
Health education.
Surveillance.
Vaccination where appropriate.
Community trust.
Early detection.
Accessible healthcare.

And this is why health education matters.

One person who understands how cholera spreads can protect a household.

A household can influence a street.

A community can reduce transmission.

And when communities, healthcare workers, governments and public-health agencies work together, outbreaks become much easier to control.

So the next time you hear:

“There is cholera in that area.”

Don't respond only with fear.

Respond with knowledge and action.

Know the symptoms.

Know how to prevent transmission.

Know how to rehydrate.

Know when to seek help.

And most importantly, remember that preventing cholera is not solely the responsibility of the hospital.

It is a shared public-health responsibility.

— Nurse Betsy | Health Matters with Nurse Betsy🩺

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘢, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘩𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

11/08/2026

Have you ever had pain and thought:

"𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆."

You take a painkiller. The pain settles. You get on with your day.

Then it comes back.

So you take something again.

But here's the question we sometimes forget to ask:

“𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬?”

Pain is one of the ways our body alerts us that something needs attention. It can happen because of an injury, inflammation, infection, nerve problems, overuse, or many other causes.

And no, every pain does NOT mean something serious is wrong.

Sometimes pain is temporary and resolves as the body heals. Sometimes chronic pain continues even when there is no single identifiable disease causing it.

But persistent pain shouldn't automatically become your new normal.

Think about a warning light on your car.

You can cover the warning light, but that doesn't necessarily fix the problem.

In the same way, treating pain can be helpful - but sometimes we also need to understand what is causing it.

Pay attention when pain:

🔹 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸
🔹 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲
🔹 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱
🔹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀
🔹 𝗜𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱
🔹 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀, 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀

And please don't compare your pain with somebody else's.

"She had the same pain and she was fine."

You are not her.

Pain needs to be understood in the context of the person experiencing it.

So I'm not telling you to panic every time something hurts.

I'm saying:

𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲.

Pain relief matters.

But sometimes, the better question isn't only:

“What can I take?”

It's also:

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?”

Listen to your body.
Pay attention to changes.
And when something doesn't feel right or isn't improving, seek appropriate medical advice.

𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.

I'm Nurse Betsy, and this is 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘕𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘴𝘺.🩺

This is general health education, not a diagnosis. Severe, sudden, unexplained or rapidly worsening pain - especially with other concerning symptoms - requires prompt medical assessment.

04/08/2026

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱... 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

A while ago, I found myself saying the same thing almost every day:

"𝘐'𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥."

I blamed it on work. Long shifts. Looking after my family. Trying to keep up with life. After all, who isn't tired these days?

So I carried on.

I woke up exhausted. I went to work exhausted. I came home exhausted. Even after a good night's sleep, I still felt like my body hadn't rested.

That's when I paused and asked myself an important question:

What if this isn't just normal tiredness? What if my body is trying to tell me something? I went to the hospital and found out that the tiredness was due to iron deficiency anemia after a series of blood tests.

As a nurse, I know our bodies often whisper before they shout. Yet, like many people, it's easy to ignore those whispers because life is busy.

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿-𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽, 𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 (𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮), 𝘁𝗵𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆, 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗱𝗲𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

The lesson for me was simple: 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺.

If you're constantly tired for weeks, despite getting enough rest, don't just push through it. Listen to your body. Make time for proper sleep, eat nourishing meals, stay hydrated, keep active where you can, and if the fatigue doesn't improve or is affecting your daily life, speak with your GP.

One thing I've learned, both personally and professionally, is this:

🚨Your body often gives you early warning signs. Ignoring them doesn't make them disappear - it only delays getting the help you may need.

So today, if you've been telling yourself, "I'm just tired," take a moment to check in with yourself.

Your health matters.

06/02/2026

🫀 Chest Pain: What Your Body Might Be Trying to Tell You

Chest pain can be scary — and for good reason.
Across the world, chest pain is one of the most common reasons people rush to hospital. But many people still ignore it, hoping it will just pass.

Let’s talk about chest pain in plain, simple language.

🤔 What Is Chest Pain?

Chest pain doesn’t always mean a heart attack — but it should never be ignored.

Your chest contains many important parts:
Your heart
Your lungs
Muscles and bones
Your food pipe (oesophagus)

Pain from any of these areas can feel like chest pain.

🔍 Common Reasons People Feel Chest Pain

Heart-related
Pressure, tightness, heaviness
Pain may spread to the arm, jaw, back, or neck

Lung-related
Sharp pain when breathing in
Pain with cough or fever

Muscle or bone pain
Pain when you move, twist, or press the area
Often happens after lifting or exercise

Indigestion or acid reflux
Burning feeling
Sour taste in the mouth
Worse after eating

Stress or anxiety
Tight chest
Fast heartbeat
Shortness of breath

Different causes can feel very similar — that’s why guessing at home can be dangerous.

🚨 When Chest Pain Is an Emergency

Get urgent medical help immediately if chest pain:
Feels heavy, tight, crushing, or squeezing
Spreads to the arm, neck, jaw, back, or shoulder
Comes with shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, or fainting
Is sudden, severe, or getting worse

It is always safer to get checked early.

🌍 Why This Matters Everywhere in the World

Heart disease is the number one cause of death globally.
Many lives are lost because people:
Wait too long
Think it is “just gas”
Are afraid to seek help
Lack clear health information

Knowing when to act can save a life — possibly your own or someone else’s.

💙 Final Thought

Chest pain is your body’s warning signal.
It may turn out to be nothing serious — but only a medical check can confirm that.

When it comes to chest pain:
Don’t ignore it. Don’t guess it. Get it checked.

— Health Matters with Nurse Betsy

06/02/2026

30/01/2026

🫁 “It’s Just a Cough…” — Or Is It a Chest Infection?

Every week, especially during colder months, many people brush off a persistent cough as “just flu” or “just a cold.”

But sometimes, that cough is actually a chest infection — and knowing the difference can help you get the right care at the right time.

Let’s break it down simply.

🦠 What is a Chest Infection?

A chest infection happens when germs (viruses or bacteria) infect the lungs or airways.

It can develop after:
• A cold
• The flu
• COVID
• A sore throat that “moved to the chest”

There are two common types:
🔹 Bronchitis – infection of the airways
🔹 Pneumonia – infection deeper in the lungs (more serious)

🤧 Common Symptoms

A chest infection is more than just a light cough.

Look out for:
✔ A cough that lasts more than a few days
✔ Coughing up yellow, green, or brown phlegm
✔ Chest pain when breathing or coughing
✔ Feeling very tired or weak
✔ Fever (high temperature)
✔ Shortness of breath
✔ Wheezing or noisy breathing

In older adults, confusion or sudden drowsiness can also be a warning sign.

🧍🏽‍♀️ Scenario 1: “I thought it was just flu”

You start with a sore throat and runny nose. A few days later, the cold seems to improve — but the cough gets worse.

Now you’re:
• Breathless walking short distances
• Producing thick phlegm
• Feeling exhausted even after resting

That could be a chest infection, not “just flu.”

🧍🏾 Scenario 2: The child with a lingering cough

Your child had a cold last week, but now:
• They’re breathing faster than usual
• Their chest seems to suck in when they breathe
• They are not eating well
• They are unusually sleepy

These can be signs the infection has moved to the chest — and they need medical assessment.

🧓🏽 Scenario 3: Older adults

In elderly people, chest infections may not start with obvious cough.

Instead, you might notice:
• Sudden weakness
• Not eating or drinking
• Confusion
• Sleeping more than usual

This is why chest infections can be more dangerous in older adults.

🏨When Should You Seek Help?

🔹Call NHS 111 or see your GP if:

28/01/2026

🚨 “But I came before them…” — Understanding How A&E Really Works in the UK.

Imagine this.
You walk into A&E holding your stomach in severe pain. You can barely stand. You check in… and sit down.
Ten minutes later, someone else walks in, talking normally, no visible distress — and they are taken straight in.

Your first thought?
“How is that fair?”
This is where one important word comes in:

TRIAGE

And understanding it can completely change how we see emergency care in the UK.

🧠 What is Triage? (Simple Version)
Triage is a sorting system.
Not sorting by:
❌ Who came first
❌ Who looks the most uncomfortable
❌ Who shouts the loudest
But sorting by:
✅ Who could die or get much worse very quickly without treatment

In UK A&E, the rule is:

Treat the sickest first, not the earliest arrival.
👩🏽‍⚕️ What happens when you arrive?
A nurse or trained clinician quickly checks:

• Your breathing
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Oxygen level
• Level of alertness
• Your symptoms and pain

This usually happens within minutes of arrival. From there, you are placed into a priority group.

🚑 Scenario 1: The Quiet Emergency
A man walks in calmly and says,
“I feel a bit of pressure in my chest.”
He looks okay. He’s not crying. He’s not shouting.
But his symptoms could be a heart attack.
Even if you are in severe pain with a swollen ankle, he may be taken in first — because heart muscle can start dying within minutes.

🧠 Scenario 2: The Silent Stroke
A woman walks in with her daughter. She is not in pain. She just seems “not quite right.” Her speech is slightly slurred.
This could be a stroke.
She will go in before someone with intense back pain — because brain cells die quickly during a stroke.

😖 Scenario 3: Severe Pain (But Stable)
Now imagine someone with:
• Kidney stones
• A broken bone
• A gallbladder attack
The pain is excruciating. They may be crying, restless, sweating.
But:
✔ They are breathing well
✔ Their heart is stable
✔ They are conscious and alert
They are suffering — but their life is not in immediate danger. So they may need to wait while life-threatening cases are treated.