Health
Welcome to our Health category, where we share news and opinions on what it means to live well in your senior years. We explore various topics to help you stay active and informed, from managing everyday wellness to understanding the latest trends in senior health. This is a place for discovery, learning, and conversation.
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Arthritis in Older Persons
There are many forms of arthritis and they all involve pain. Some forms, such as fibromyalgia, have historically been difficult to diagnose. Today, there is a wealth of information available about Arthritis. Overview of Arthritis The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons offers the following overview: “Arthritis literally means ‘inflammation of a joint.’ In some forms…
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Medications Can Impair Memory
According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are both prescription drugs and over the counter medications that can impair memory. The FDA article “Coping With Memory Loss” reports: “Examples of medications that can interfere with memory include over-the-counter and prescription sleeping pills, over-the-counter antihistamines, anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, …and pain medicines used after…
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Common Senior illnesses “Geriatrics Syndrome”
A new guild developed by the American Geriatric Society Foundation tells us about “geriatric syndromes” or illnesses common to older people that can lead to more serious problems. Some of these problems are caused by medications or combinations of meds. Others are caused by physical changes. Caregivers and loved ones shoud be alert for the…
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Senior Illness
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease control, by 2030, the number of Americans aged 65 and older will more than double to 71 million older Americans, comprising roughly 20 percent of the US population. The nation’s health care spending is projected to increase by 25%. Today, eighty-eight percent of those over 65 years of…
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Grief And Memory Loss
Grief and emotional trauma can cause memory loss. Usually, as the person recovers, memory returns. Grief from bereavement is especially painful but there are other causes of grief. In our lives, we have other losses. We can lose our hearing, our vision, and our mobility. Circumstances can require a move away from home and we…
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Older People Are Quiet Alcoholics
A couple of my friends recently went on a tour of Eastern Europe. Two women pals, sharing accommodations and exploring the world. Both in their late 70s, active and curious. One of them told me that her friend brought a very large plastic container of Gin in her suitcase. Each evening, the Gin-owner would have…
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Drugs With MCI As A Side Effect
Dr. Leo Galland is an author and award-winning physician who really believes we need to know what is in the meds we are taking. He says, “numerous drungs have been shown to produce mild cognitive impairment (MCI). They may create or aggravate Alzheimer’s-type symptoms.” Dr. Galland writes that most of the drugs that cause memory…
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Beers List by Panel of Experts
The Beers List (or Beers Criteria) contains medications that cause side effects in the elderly due to changes in our bodies as we grow older. The list was originally created by geriatrician Mark H. Beers, but is now managed by a panel of experts and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. It was last…
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Some OTC Meds Can Hurt Elderly
Most Over-the-Counter drugs have special dosage recommendations for children. The reason is that child is smaller and has a different metabolism than an adult. Elderly people are often smaller and have different metabolisms too but there are no special recommendations for them. So we need to be careful. Older people account for more than 40% of…
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