Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
I Got Musing . . .
. . .the other morning
about what type of work I might do
and I could see myself hanging mirrors
Exercise Exorcizes Pain
Your muscles, ligaments, and tendons have to be stretched regularly to remain limber and
lubricated. You can start before you get out of bed by lying on your side, pulling your knees up in a fetal position and pushing your butt toward your heels for about 10 seconds. This stretches and pulls your spine into proper position. Do this a couple of times on both sides.
When you get out of bed, kneel on the floor and place your palms on the floor under your shoulders and arch your back toward the ceiling for about five or 10 seconds. Reverse the motion and push your back downward while you push your head toward the ceiling. Hold this for five or 10 seconds. And repeat the sequence three or four times.
Now lay stomach down on the floor and do a half-body push-up. Press your hips on the floor and stretch your head and neck toward the ceiling. Hold this position for five or 10 seconds
and repeat the exercise a three or four times.
Now you can stand up. Spread your legs apart as far as you can without hurting yourself and, while keeping your knees straight, bend forward as far as you can. If your hand touches the floor, fine. Hold this for five or 10 seconds and repeat a few times.
If any of these, or any exercises, cause you pain, either modify the motion or quit.
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The Lady At The Next Table . . .
. . .looked surprised
when I told her
she’d painted here eyebrows too high.
Don’t Answer Ringing in Your Ears
Any ringing, whistling, whooshing or hissing sound in one or both ears when there is no external source of noise could be a sign of tinnitus. Up to 15 percent of adults have prolonged tinnitus that often requires medical evaluation. The problem can interfere with sleep, concentration and daily activities.
Tinnitus often is caused by age-related hearing loss. Exposure to loud noises also can damage hearing and lead to tinnitus. It can be caused by something as simple as a buildup of wax blocking the ear canal. Some medications, certain antibiotics, and cancer drugs can cause or worsen tinnitus. Aspirin taken in excessive amounts can cause temporary ringing in the ears.
There is no cure. A medication change or removal of earwax may diminish symptoms for some people. Beneficial treatment strategies include:
— Amplifying hearing with a hearing aid;
— Avoiding excessive noise, such as using ear plugs when operating noisy machines and tools;
— Avoiding such stimulants as caffeine, nicotine and decongestants;
— Adding soothing background noise, such as quiet music or a fan, and
— Using sedatives or antidepressants when the condition interferes with sleep or causes a high level of anxiety or stress.
Apropos Of Nothing . . .
. . . I got to thinking
that if you took the shell off a snail,
you’d just make it more sluggish.
Make a Fist to Fight Arthritis
To avoid stiffening and soreness in your hands, or alleviate it if that’s already started, clench your hands into a fist.
It’s one of several easy exercises you can repeat two or three times that are recommended by
orthopedic experts for everyone to maintain flexibility and use of your hands.
The idea is not to force any movement, especially if you’re suffering from any form of arthritis.
After making a fist, you should straighten out all your fingers and thumb as far as possible. Then spread apart all your fingers and thumb as far as you can.
Close your fingers, aim your hand at the ceiling and point your thumb to the side. Then hold your hand out in a hand-shake position and roll your thumb from an outstretched position to touch the base of your little finger. Then cup your hand and touch the tip of each finger with the tip of your thumb.
If You Are . . .
. . . what you eat.
They must be feeding dope
to the guy down the hall.
Coffee Worth the Break
Caffeine can be good for you. Moderation matters in all corners of our lives but up to three cups of coffee a day can be healthy.
Critics warn that caffeine dehydrates your system, increases hypertension and the risk of heart attack, cuts down on your ability to sleep, is linked to gout attacks, raises blood pressure, and brings on anxiety, heartburn and stomach problems. While coffee fans admit much of this may be true, there’s a growing list of benefits for those who drink coffee.
It’s been discovered that an eight-ounce cup of java contains more disease-fighting antioxidants than a regular serving of oranges or blueberries. Coffee drinkers reportedly have a lower risk of such chronic conditions as diabetes and heart disease as well as less cognitive decline as they age. Researchers have found that seniors who have as many as four cups of coffee a day cut in half their risk of heart disease compared with those who take in less caffeine.
Caffeine interacts with many medications so go over your list of prescriptions and supplements with your primary care physician to make sure coffee is compatible.
The Best Part of Growing Old . . .
. . . comes after you’ve I’ve seen it all and done it all,
and you have time to remember it all.
Heart Attack Can’t Wait for Donors
You catch someone by surprise and they’re likely to blurt out that you almost gave them a heart attack. If they did suffer an attack, they would be among the more than 800,000 people who are struck by such a sudden attack every year.
The lucky ones are among the more than 300,000 heart transplant patients.
However, almost 400 people died last year because there’s a shortage of organ donors. While the public overwhelmingly supports organ donation – more than 90 percent said they would donate a family member’s organs if that was their wish — slightly more than half the adults have granted permission to have their organs donated after they die.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death, accounting for one out of four fatalities in this nation.
A coronary attack can be silent and unobtrusive or strike like a sledge hammer. One-third of its victims don’t experience any chest pain, leading to misdiagnosis of their problem. Global studies indicate folks with symptoms such as sweating, fainting, vomiting, nausea and shortness of breath are more likely to have their condition misdiagnosed and are three times more likely to die in hospital than patients suffering the tell-tale chest pain.
A myocardial infarction, the high-fallutin’ label for a heart attack, normally occurs when a blood clot or fatty build up in an artery blocks a vessel to the heart. This deprives the organ of the oxygen and nutrients it needs. This leads to a feeling of deep pressure or tightness of the chest.
Any chest discomfort or pain that lasts for more than a few minutes requires immediate medical attention. Less common symptoms include pain or discomfort in the back, neck or jaw, between the shoulder blades, your left shoulder and in one or both arms. Other red flags include shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea, vomiting, a feeling of indigestion, dizziness or light-headedness, sudden fatigue or weakness, and a sense of impending doom.
If any of these last for more than five minutes, call 911.
Medical Mistakes Can Be Fatal
Errors in medical treatment, diagnosis and medication result in close to half a million deaths a year in this country.
These medical errors are the third leading cause of death, behind heart disease and cancer. These errors are blamed on hide-bound medical theories, lack of up-to-date information, laziness, stubbornness and stupidity, unskilled staff, system failure, and just plain honest mistakes. All doctors are human, and the long-known tenet still holds true – to err is human.
Figures on the number of deaths resulting from medical mistakes vary widely because views vary widely on just what is a medical error. One reason for the discrepancy in the number of medical-error deaths is that physicians, funeral directors, coroners and medical examiners rarely note on death certificates that human errors and system failures may be involved.
Proponents of medical safety point out patients can take steps to protect themselves.
Ask questions.
Ask about the benefits, side effects and disadvantages of a recommended medication or procedure. Get a second opinion from another doctor: A good doctor will welcome confirmation of his diagnosis. Bring in an advocate. Sometimes it’s hard to process all the information by yourself. Take a family member or friend to your appointment, someone who can understand the information and suggestions given and ask questions.
Overheard The Woman . . .
. . . at a nearby table today,
tell her meal mate
that she ran into her ex-husband on her morning shopping trip,
Then she backed up and ran into him again.
Aging Politicians Ignore
Aging Population
While there have been loud voices bemoaning the fact that we’re not paying enough attention to climate change, there isn’t even a whimper about what’s happening to our population change. It’s paradoxical that the greying heads in government are paying little attention to the graying of their constituents.
The voters’ rolls are aging at the rate of 10,000 over-65ers every day. You’d think that all those silver-haired politicians would be looking hard at how to accommodate the needs of folks who are growing old just as they are. Even the aging talking heads on television seem ignorant of what’s concerning a growing segment of their viewers.
The apparent reasoning for this blindness to a massive problem is the mantra that 70 is the new 50. And the spreading myth that age is simply a state of mind. Several studies topple this trend in thinking by supporting what we’ve always known – ailing and aching increase as you get older.
No matter how Pollyannaish we may feel, our odds of falling victim to such widespread debilitations as Alzheimer’s disease increase the longer we live. While health-care is high on the list of promises by those seeking votes, the focus usually is on the young who have inadequate coverage rather than the elderly who cannot care for themselves.
Another major concern is the strength and stability of Social Security. Predictors tell us there will be about two workers supporting each recipient by the early 2030s. This was not in any forecasts when there were more than 45 workers for each recipient of benefits when the program was instituted back in the 1930s.
Has it Occurred to You . . .
, , , that, if you’re not getting older,
you’re dead?
Future of Telemedicine is Now
Getting cured in cyberspace sounds like science fiction but it’s already here. Telemedicine – the practice of getting diagnosis and treatment via your laptop or cell phone – has been gaining traction rapidly as the way to monitor and maintain your health.
Accelerating this drive to remote medical servicing is the unavailability of health care in rural (and some urban) areas because of the diminishing number of doctors as the over-65 crowd grows at the rate of 10,000 people a day. As it stands, one out of five residents live in areas that have been identified as being short of health professionals.
Telemedicine opens the door to specialists as well as second medical opinions without taking up too much consulting time by the health experts contacted. It also reduces the stress on the patient as well as eliminating the need to travel to an appointment, which requires the patient to find a driver in many cases.
Seniors fretting about their lack of computer equipment or skills find a telephone conversation may work as well. Medicare has expanded its coverage of medical treatment by phone or computer. While not all health-insurance companies are following suit, several recognize telemedicine helps reduce the cost of health care.
For example, it allows primary care physicians to schedule appointments at any time and not just the traditional “office hours” and reduces unnecessary office and emergency-room visits. It also lowers the cost of patient no-shows.
A barrier in the way of expanding telemedicine is the reimbursement rules that require treatment to be conducted in specific sites, such as the doctor’s office or a health center to qualify. Government licensing laws also get in the way.
Federal law requires telemedicine health-care providers to be fully licensed to practice medicine in the state where the patient is physically located. Providers in health systems that have locations in more than one state may need to apply for and pay to maintain multiple licenses.
A Disease That Sneaks Up On You
By Tom Morrow
(The author is a long-time friend and colleague of this blogger.)
A 19th century malady that is becoming more prevalent in today’s society is Parkinson’s Disease.
PD is thought to occur primarily with the elderly. There are no easy explanations and it can hit the young. Males are more often affected than females at a ratio of around 3 to 2.
When young people like actor Michael J. Fox and boxer Muhammed Ali are afflicted, the age factor sort of goes out the window. Fox was 27 when he was diagnosed. Ali was 38. Older victims such as well-known actor Alan Alda are more commonplace. Singer Linda Ronstadt was 67.
I was 75 when I was diagnosed.
PD is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor nerves. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms become more common. The most obvious early symptoms are tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty with walking and keeping balanced.
By 2015, it was estimated PD affected more than 6 million people and resulted in about 117,400 deaths globally. The average life expectancy following diagnosis is between seven and 15 years.
The cause of PD is unknown but both inherited and environmental factors are believed to play a role. Those with a family member affected by PD are at an increased risk of getting the disease, with certain genes known to be inheritable risk factors. Other risk factors are those who have been exposed to certain pesticides and those who have had head injuries. Cognitive and behavioral problems also may occur with many victims suffering from depression, anxiety and apathy. Dementia can become commonplace in the advanced stages of PD.
Boxers, such as Ali, and sports figures who have sustained a number of blows to head often develop PD. A lot of football players are victims.
Those suffering with Parkinson’s also can have problems with their sleep and sensory systems. The motor symptoms of the disease result from the dead cells in the mid-brain leading to a dopamine deficit. The cause of this cell death is not very well understood. Diagnosis of typical PD cases is usually based on symptoms when motor skills difficulties are the patient’s chief complaint.
The bad news is that there still is no known cure for PD.
For those of us with PD, treatment can reduce the effects of the symptoms. Initial treatment is done typically with medications such as levodopa or dopamine agonists. As the disease progresses, experience has shown these medications become less effective.
Actor Fox has greatly increased the public awareness of the disease. After diagnosis, Fox embraced his Parkinson’s in television roles, sometimes acting without medication to further illustrate the effects of the condition. He has appeared before Congress without medication to illustrate the effects of the disease. The Michael J. Fox Foundation aims to develop a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
Professional cyclist and Olympic medalist Davis Phinney, who was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s at age 40, started the Davis Phinney Foundation in 2004 to support PD research, focusing on quality of life for people with the disease.
While boxer Ali showed signs of PD when he was 38, it was not diagnosed until he was 42. He has been called the “world’s most famous Parkinson’s patient.”
A physician initially assesses PD with a careful medical and neurological history. Focus is put on confirming motor symptoms and supporting tests with clinical diagnostic criteria being discussed by a physician and PD specialist.
Multiple causes often mimic PD, making it look similar to the disease. Stroke, certain medications, and toxins can cause “secondary parkinsonism” and need to be thoroughly and properly assessed. Parkinson-plus syndromes, such as progressive palsy and multiple system atrophy, should be considered and ruled out appropriately due to different treatment and disease progression.
For PD victims losing their motor skills, such as walking and difficulties in keeping balance, swallow your pride and use a walker both indoors and out. The results of a bad fall can be worse than any disease.
You Can’t Hide . . .
. . . from the sun.
So slather on sun screen whenever you go outdoors
to avoid being harmed by UV rays that pour down,
even through clouds,
and are reflected by water, pavement, sand and other smooth surfaces.
Mature Life Features 