Category Archives: Health

A healthy smile for years to come!

Throughout our life, teeth are exposed to various effects – both beneficial and negative. Negatively affecting them is food, improper care, irregular dental visits and other factors. Young people’s teeth are more resistant to various diseases, but in old age it becomes more difficult to avoid problems. This is primarily due to negligent attitude to the teeth, lack of proper treatment and prevention, as well as thinning of tooth enamel.

How to take care of teeth in old age
Due to natural aging processes occurring in a body, teeth in old age are exposed to various infections and destruction. At the same time, the gums and muscles of the oral cavity become weak, less saliva is produced, so the bacteria begin to multiply actively. In addition, drug treatment often has a very negative effect on the condition of teeth in old age.

Proper brushing of teeth
It shouldn’t be forgotten that daily observance of the rules of oral hygiene is the main guarantee of dental health in the elderly. Teeth are cleaned twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. The duration of this procedure should be at least 3 minutes.

Sometimes it is not possible to get to the hard-to-reach places with a toothbrush. In this case, you can use dental floss and special mouthwashes. In such a way you protect it from the multiplication of a variety of bacteria that facilitate the inflammation of gums. A toothbrush for the elderly should be changed every three months. Note that a toothbrush with a small head is much easier to use for the elderly.

Regular oral examination at the dentist’s
It is necessary to visit the dentist at least 2 times a year to check the condition of the teeth and oral cavity. Taking certain medications can lead to dry mouth, problems with the gums, weakening of the tooth enamel. And a dentist can give pieces of advice on how to avoid these unpleasant consequences.

Besides, if an elderly person uses dental prostheses and crowns, a regular visit to the dentist will help to monitor their condition and prevent the development of complications.
If there is a possibility, care should be taken to conduct professional oral hygiene, which allows removing dental deposit (dental calculus and plaque). This will not only provide prevention of caries and periodontal diseases, but, as numerous studies have shown, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Monitor your diet. Healthy diet – healthy teeth!
People in old age are particularly in need of vitamins and minerals. The most important element for the teeth, especially in the elderly, is calcium. Unfortunately, after the age of forty, it accumulates rather badly in the bones and is even washed out, increasing their fragility. Also in the elderly, the body needs vitamins D, A, C and others. With nutrient substances the body is nourished by healthy food, as well as by various vitamin complexes.

Try to eat a piece of cheese at the end of each meal. This product helps to maintain the strength of teeth, especially in old age.
In order to strengthen teeth and gums in old age, twice a day drink half a glass of water with two teaspoons of lemon juice (if you have no contraindications to this product!). After eating it is helpful to chew the cloves. This product also helps to strengthen teeth and gums in old age.

Try not to abuse sweet. Before you drink a cup of tea or coffee in the morning, eat a small piece of a solid food. Also a special benefit for teeth in old age brings a glass of pure water with a spoon of honey mixed in it. Such a drink can be consumed in the morning instead of the usual tea. With its help, you will get rid of the potential danger of developing a dental disease, and also be able to cure the already existing ones.

Elderly people should not mix too cold and hot food (for example, drink hot coffee immediately after eating the ice cream).
Sensitivity of gums to cold and hot can warn of the onset of a disease, a crack in a teeth or caries. Do not ignore these symptoms; do not hesitate to contact your dentist.

Rinse your mouth more often with water
Even if the elderly person no longer has own teeth, it is recommended to regularly rinse the mouth with water – this will help to prevent problems with the oral mucosa.

Observe the rules of denture care
Remember that when chewing food dental plate moves, so it must be fixed with special glue. Sometimes in the elderly who wear dentures, salivation increases. In this case, you can suck lollipops or menthol tablets.

After eating, it is recommended to remove dentures and wash them in warm water with soap, then rinse and use as directed.
Teeth in old age lose their strength, so they require additional care. With the help of special antibacterial tablets you not only eliminate the bacteria, but also get rid of bad breath. Dissolve one tablet in a glass of water and put the prosthesis there for 15 minutes.
Every day, treat the gums with a warm solution (one teaspoon of salt per glass of water).

Also you should perform every day massage of gums. Periodically remove the dentures, so that the gums can rest. Do not remove the prosthesis for more than one day, because the cheeks and lips can lose shape. Protect the prosthesis from overheating and mechanical damage.

To maintain healthy teeth in old age, you should regularly take care of the oral cavity and follow simple rules of hygiene.

Heat Stroke – How to Behave during Hot Season

Leave a reply

In summer, and sometimes in mid-seasons, people (especially senior people and children) run into increased danger due to high air temperatures and high humidity. This is especially dangerous when “heat waves” occur (a few particularly hot days in a row) and when the thermal load (a mixture of high temperature and relatively high humidity, or a very high temperature, even if the humidity level stays low) is significantly increased. Definition of the “heat wave” throughout different countries is the following: air temperature above 90°F for three consecutive days or more. A high thermal load will occur at a temperature of 86 °F in case if relative humidity exceeds 70%, or in a case of a higher temperature, even if humidity is lower.

Staying in the heat can lead to negative consequences of varying difficulty. The most dangerous consequences can be heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat stroke happens if a person’s body cannot cool itself in hot weather: sweating is ineffective and body temperature quickly jumps, reaching sometimes 105.8°F and more within 15 minutes (!). Heat exhaustion is not as dangerous as the heat stroke, and is a consequence of staying in the heat during several days if a person does not drink enough water or other fluids.

High temperature is especially dangerous for elderly people. The danger increases even more if an elderly person suffers from excess weight, chronic diseases, takes certain medications, as well as in case of acute illnesses or dehydration being present at a person.

Recommendations as for preventing the adverse effects of sun exposure

The best way to protect yourself against the adverse effects of sun exposure is to prevent these effects. It is advisable to monitor weather forecasts and get prepared according to them. It is also necessary to pay attention not only to the air temperature, but also to the thermal load – a combination of air temperature and humidity.

• During the hours when the heat reaches its peak, it is strongly recommended to stay where the air conditioner works. If your home does not have AC, it is advisable to spend several hours in some public areas where the air conditioner works, and as little time as possible in the heat;
• In hot weather, a good practice is to draw the blinds or close the drapes to reduce the penetration of sunlight, but it is essential to ventilate the room. Closed blinds can reduce the penetration of heat into the apartment by about 80%;
• A cool shower (or bath) will help to cool the body;
• It is strongly recommended to wear light and only comfortable clothing;
• Try not to go out into the heat. A good option is to leave the house only in early morning and during the evening hours;
• During the hot weather rest is advisable. Do as little physical work and sports in hot weather as possible. In case you still need to do this, during exercise or work, needing with physical activity, drink 2-4 glasses of cold water and other soft drinks/liquids in a quantity which exceeds the recommended.

Please consult a doctor in such situations:

- If a person suffers from various cardiovascular diseases, some chronic illnesses, overweight, mental disorders, as well as in case of acute illnesses or dehydration;
- If a person takes medications acting on central nervous system (brain), such as sedatives, hypnotics, drugs for Parkinson’s disease, and medications for certain mental disorders. These drugs can increase significantly sensitivity to heat, which in its turn increases the risk of suffering from heat stroke.

The most dangerous consequences of staying in the heat are heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

Heat stroke

Usually, when the temperature rises, the body cools itself by sweating, and does not allow body temperature to rise. However, in hot weather and with high humidity, sweat does not evaporate quickly, and the body is not capable of cooling itself. In this case, a heat stroke can occur – the most dangerous consequence of the heat exposure on the body.

Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to cool itself in hot weather: sweating is ineffective and body temperature quickly jumps, reaching sometimes 105.8°F and more within 15 minutes. This can cause severe consequences for the nervous system and can be manifested by a darkening of consciousness, confusion of consciousness or convulsions, as well as a violation of the work of other vital organs. If a person suffered from heat stroke is not immediately provided with assistance, this can lead to death or permanent disability.

The risk of suffering from heat stroke is increased in the elderly, in infants and children from birth to 4 years old, in people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, in people suffering from excess weight, in people suffering from chronic diseases, in people taking certain drugs, as well as in case of acute illness or in case of lack of fluid in the body (dehydration).

Symptoms of heat stroke

The following symptoms are typical for a heat stroke:
- the first signs are: general weakness, a feeling of stuffiness and a strong thirst;
- high body temperature;
- tachycardia;
- pulse exceeds 130 beats per minute;
- blood pressure drops sharply (further, with normalization of body temperature, blood pressure is restored);
- loss of consciousness;
- some people experience diarrhea and vomiting.

In the absence of timely help, a person’s condition worsens and develops more serious symptoms:

- delirium and confusion;
- disorientation;
- convulsions;
- hallucinations;
- cyanosis;
- gastrointestinal bleeding;
- a syndrome of hepatic insufficiency, accompanied by jaundice, encephalopathy and hypoglycemia;
- acute renal damage, accompanied by oliguria (decrease in the amount of urine) by changing the color of urine.

A heat stroke requires the provision of emergent medical care. Timely assistance will prevent the development of irreversible processes in the body of the patient and reduce the risk of death.

What to do in cases of suspected heat stroke?

If there is a suspicion of heat stroke, it is necessary to take quickly all possible measures to lower the body temperature of the person. If possible, the patient should be transferred to an air-conditioned room, wrapped in a wet sheet, in general all possible steps should be taken to cool the affected person. It is quite effective to wipe the affected person with ice or alcohol.

To normalize the activity of the hypothalamus, an ice pack should be applied to the scalp.

The main task of the first aid is to lower the patient’s temperature below 102.2 °F. When providing first aid, continuous rectal body temperature control is recommended.

And of course the affected person should be quickly delivered to the hospital.

Studies have shown that when there is no assistance to the heat affected person within an hour, irreversible processes begin in the body that affect the central nervous system, leading to disability of the patient, or to a lethal outcome.

DANCE TO STAY HEALTHY

1 Reply

Dance belongs to those things that really can colorize the monotonous life of any person. Dance is good for the emotional state, psychological health and physical condition, together with feeling good and self-awareness in general. When you decide to add physical activity into your life, you try to choose something exciting and entertaining. And what could be more exciting than dances?

The dance with a good reason is called “a song of the soul” – the older a person is, the more meaningful are his or her movements, the more sense and experience it is possible to invest in the dance steps. Dance is a nonverbal way to express yourself, to process the accumulated problems, find new dimensions of the world. One should not also forget what a wonderful way to exercise are the regular!

Dancing is just a perfect way for people, irrespective of age, to keep themselves in a good shape. Dancing is not only fun and enjoyable, but also very good for health. In this article, we will tell you what kind of benefits can dancing bring to your body.

How useful is dancing for the general well-being?

- Dance protects our hearts
Dance is an excellent exercise for people who are living with a high risk of cardiovascular diseases. An Italian study has proved that people with heart failure, engaged in dancing as a kind of exercise strengthen their health, heart and improve their breathing. Their life-quality also improves significantly in comparison with those who are doing exercises on a stationary bike or treadmill.

- Dance helps to lose weight
If you attend dancing-classes regularly, they will definitely help to lose weight. The scientific research has shown that sportive aerobics based on dance movements, is as effective for losing weight and gaining of a good shape as cycling or running.

- Dance gives energy
Do you feel during the day, that you do not have enough energy? Dancing is one of the things which can help you regain it. Yet another scientific study found that weekly dancing can improve the physical condition and make adults more energetic.

- Dance endows with flexibility, strength as well as endurance
Ever and again dances require flexibility from you. Most dance classes are started with a warm-up, when people are doing stretching and suppling exercises. During the dance, you have to do your best to have all the muscle groups involved.
Dancing makes you stronger, causing the muscles to resist the weight of your own body. Many styles of dance, jazz and ballet among them, include jumps. In order to jump, your leg muscles need to be particularly strong.
It’s not a secret that dance can be called a physical exercise that is why it makes everyone more enduring. And what is endurance? It is the ability of muscles to work each time for more time without getting tired. If you’re dancing regularly, especially if you are doing some energetic style, you will be much more enduring.

How useful is dancing for the emotional state?

- Dance brings happiness
Dance is a special action which is enjoyed by any person. If you watch a dancing person, you will certainly notice a big happy smile on a dancer’s face. Smile and laughter while dancing is absolutely normal! That is because dancing provides an opportunity for real enjoyment of life and each other. Unlike other physical exercises, dancing has no age limit. A person irrespective of age can dance and take advantage of the benefits that this activity brings to his/her health.

- Dance saves from depression and de-stresses
It is proved that the dance can prevent mild depression and make a dancing person more self-confident. Depression is becoming increasingly common problem in teenagers and adults of various ages.
The research, published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, has proven that therapy that includes dance moves, not only helps to get rid of depression, but also helps to fight stress, since it regulates serotonin and dopamine levels in organism. Taking into account that dance has also a social aspect, it helps to get rid of feelings of loneliness, from which so many people in depression are suffering, and very often – elderly people living alone.

- Dance enhances the self-esteem
Dancing helps to become more self-confident. Each time you master a new movement, a wee bit of confidence is added to you and your mood gets better. And this increased self confidence extends to all areas of your life.
As we have already said, dance is a social action. Studies of specialists have proved that strong social relationships and communication with friends help to increase self-esteem and give a positive attitude towards life. Dancing gives you plenty of opportunities to meet other people. Sign up for dance classes and it will give you a chance to raise the self-esteem and make new friends. Considering that the physical exercises relieve tension and stress, dance will allow you to feel good in general.

How useful is dancing for the state of mind?

- Dance improves memory
Scientists have proved that dancing can improve memory and prevent dementia. Scientists have found that aerobic exercises help to prevent reduction in the hippocampus volume – the part of the brain responsible for memory. Hippocampus in a natural way diminishes during adulthood. This often leads to problems with memory, and sometimes to dementia.

- Dance helps to combat Alzheimer’s disease
A study involving elderly people, represented in the New England Journal of Medicine, enlightened the fact that dance frequently helps to prevent symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease along with some manifestations of dementia. Moreover, dancing makes people of any age smarter. This study also manifests that people having Alzheimer’s disease are capable to restore forgotten memories when dancing to familiar music.

- Dance makes people smarter
For centuries, books and other writings about dancing praised benefits of this activity for health, considering dance, as a rule, as a physical exercise. Today, thanks to the scientists, the benefit of dancing for the mind has been proved. The main quality of an intelligent person is the ability to make decisions. The ideal way to develop this ability – to get engaged in an activity that requires a constant fast (within seconds) decision making. Thus, to become smarter, it is enough just to work on your dance style, without having to remember the sequence of movements.

What is the best dance style?

There are many dance styles. Jazz, salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, zumba, hip-hop, ballet, etc., all of which require different music. Each dance style is equally useful. Any dance gives an opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle. Dancing can help in many different things. All kinds of dance are equally effective, the main thing to choose the style that you prefer, and do it regularly, so that this pleasant activity brings benefit to the health.
During the scientific study the specific dances have been established, which have the most positive impact on the state of health of elderly people. These include: Waltz and Argentine Tango.

WINTER SPORTS: HEALTH BENEFITS

Leave a reply

If a person leads an active lifestyle, exercises or works out and takes care of health, the onset of winter does not mean for him or her the beginning of “winter slumber”. On the contrary, winter sports are an opportunity to diversify pretty much physical activity and even more – to improve health, and the old age is not at all an obstacle. Frosty fresh air, snow, sparkling in the sun, a company of good friends – what can be better for the pastime! Excellent mood and cheerful spirit will be guaranteed, but not less important is the impact of winter sports on health.

What an elderly person can do in winter

When it’s cold outside and the snow has piled up, then the only desire is to nestle cozily in a warm plaid in front of TV and drink hot tea with homemade pastry. But after a few winter months spent like this, you may suddenly find out that your health has deteriorated: some overweight appeared, your joints and spine start “reminding” constantly about their existence by aching pain, the blood pressure “jumps” from time to time and the heart “cuts didoes”. In order to prevent the progression of chronic diseases, and various degenerative-dystrophic changes in the body, a person, in adulthood as well, should try not to stay at home but to move as much as possible.

Winter provides excellent opportunities for this. This is skiing, sledding, skating, Nordic walking, or just walking in a snow-covered park. For a golden-ager the personal sporting achievements are not important and daily trainings are less needed. It is enough to get adequate physical exertion 1-3 times per week, which will provide a good mood, strengthen the immune system and improve health.

Skiing is traditionally very popular in many countries. Almost every elderly person is capable of taking a short walk at his or her own pace. Skiing is an aerobic kind of sports, i.e. implying the combination of the load on muscles with the intake of large amounts of oxygen. Already the first lesson has a beneficial effect on heart muscle and blood vessels: they are toned up, the blood flow normalizes. This improves performance of other internal organs too, strengthens muscles of legs, arms, abdomen, back. If an elderly person is skiing on a weekly basis, then by spring, he will feel both rejuvenated and healthier.

Sledding is another activity very useful in adulthood. Especially wonderful is when the whole family participates in it. During the down-run, coordination improves; literally every muscle is toned up, breathing quickens and deepens and the release of adrenaline happens.
Skates can be recommended to elderly people, if they previously had an experience of ice-skating, since the possibility of injury is pretty high. This kind of sports trains the muscles of the lower limbs, buttocks and abdomen, and also teaches people to quickly coordinate their movements.

In recent years, such sport as Nordic walking is gaining its popularity. You may be engaged in it both in summer and in winter. It is especially attractive because it does not require the purchase of expensive sports equipment, it is enough to buy just special sticks.

What is needed for winter sports activities?

In advanced age, it is important not to overwork and not to harm your health, so medical consultation before the physical activity is required. If you have a chronic disease, the effects of injuries and surgeries, degenerative disease at any stage, the question of the possibility of any exercise and physical activity is considered individually.

It is very important not to get excessive physical load at the very first activity, it should be increased gradually. Important is also the choice of clothes, always take into account the weather conditions. Sport suit has to be free cut, the fabric – water resistant, breathable and impermeable. You cannot stand on skis or skates right after eating, at least 2 hours should pass after it. On the cross-country skiing or sledding it is recommended to take a thermos of hot tea or mineral water without gas, to avoid dehydration.

Going in for any winter sports, it is important to monitor your health. There is no need to catch up with younger skaters or skiers, since the goal is not sporting achievements but systematic improvement of health. As soon as you feel severe fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath or pain, you must stop the activity.

With careful attention to yourself any winter sport will bring only benefits, cheerfulness and excellent mood!

GETTING READY FOR AUTUMN

Leave a reply

HEALTH OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN AUTUMN

Autumn has already come, and the cold is just around the corner, which in our climate occupies quite a long part of the year. The so-called “golden autumn” passes quickly, and the rest of the time is dominated by mud, cold and slush. The sharp drop in temperature and frequent changes in barometric pressure may themselves cause serious deterioration of health, especially this appeals to elderly people with chronic diseases.

First of all, these factors affect the condition of elderly people with diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, disorders of musculoskeletal system and psycho-emotional disorders. The sharp fall of temperature causes a spasm of blood vessels, which can lead to a hypertensive crisis or angina attack. Atmospheric pressure drop causes hypoxia – low oxygen content in the body. This in its turn leads to a lack of it in the heart muscle and brain. People can feel heartaches and headaches, and in people who are prone to emotional instability, their psychological condition is deteriorating, and sometimes they face a real depression.

Elderly people who have diseases of the musculoskeletal system (osteoarthrosis, rheumatism), there are aching pain in the affected joints in places of old fractures or wounds, and even absolutely healthy people during this period often feel uncomfortable.

The cold leads to a reduction of immune system capacities: dramatically increases the number of acute respiratory diseases, chronic illnesses are aggravated.

Following our recommendations below will add some bright colors to your autumn:

• If during this period of the year you experience the exacerbation of chronic disease, you should consult your doctor and try to follow all his prescriptions and recommendations. Do not self-medicate.

• If your health and mood are heavily dependent on the weather, take care of yourself. Dress warmly in cold.

• Include in your diet herbal teas, which may include some brier, eat more vegetables and fruits, add some vitamin complexes with microelements.

• If the state of your health allows this, move more regardless of the weather – it enhances the metabolic processes in the body and normalizes blood circulation.

• Wear low-heeled shoes with non-slip soles. Remember that the fall is the main cause of serious injuries and death among the elderly.

• If you have a reduced visual acuity, try not to leave the house in the dark period of the day, to avoid injury.

• And most importantly – create for yourself and your family a good mood, it is a universal remedy against different diseases. Friendly and smooth attitude towards others, optimism and humor – all this contributes to a long and healthy life.

It is well known that negative emotions: resentment, fear, sadness, anger, grief, envy, hatred – are risk factors, approaching old age and shortening life, and vice versa, positive emotions – delight, joy – cause extraordinary rise of vital forces of an organism. Laughter is a sign of joy, cheerful mood and mental health. It favorably affects the lungs and regulates the metabolism.

Practice care and attention towards each other. Try especially after retirement, to organize the rhythm of life. Alternate feasible work with a reasonably organized rest.

• Much attention should be paid to sleep. Sleep is a vital human need. The duration of sleep should be such that after waking up a person should note good spirits and a burst of energy. A healthy and sound sleep requires a right regime of life: go to bed at the same time, dine without overeating not later than 2-3 hours before bedtime. Take a thirty minutes walk before the bedtime and do not watch too emotional television broadcasts, neither take tonic beverages such as strong tea or coffee before the bedtime.

Autumn of life is called the elderly age, and it is a very difficult season. But this time of life has its joy and delight. A person in this age moves into a new quality, he or she becomes a grandparent. And life begins to play with new colors, new, previously unknown feelings and joys, new worries and concerns, life takes on new meaning.

Stroke. General Information

Leave a reply

Stroke occupies one of the leading positions among diseases representing a mortal danger to humans. The problem is that in early stages it is quite difficult to recognize this disease. A little numbness in the arm, dizziness, being tongue-tied – few people will attach importance to these symptoms. Neither the patient nor his family can even know that at this time a brain disaster is happening. Meanwhile, the person’s life often depends on competent and immediate action of those who are close by. It is therefore useful to know the causes of stroke, its symptoms and the way to act in a critical situation.

At the situation with stroke literally every minute counts. Depending on how quickly and accurately people surrounding the patient find the way around the situation, depends not only on the possibility of further recovery but first of all the person’s life. Because of a stroke, millions of people die each year. And this disease spares nobody – neither men nor women, neither old nor young people.

Risk Factors
In recent years stroke “became much younger”. Cases of the disease in people aged 25-30 years surprise no one anymore. This is facilitated by a number of factors – from inheritance to bad habits. The main risk factors for stroke include:

• Arterial hypertension
• Increased level of cholesterol in the blood
• Alcohol abuse
• Constant stress
• Smoking
• Sedentary lifestyle, obesity
• Malnutrition (excess of salty, spicy, fatty foods)

In addition, more strokes are registered in the elderly. And if under the age of 60 years, men are susceptible to this disease more than women, after 60 years, the situation changes – women suffer from strokes more often. As for the adverse outcome, the death rate from stroke is higher among men.

The mortality rate in stroke is conditioned by the fact that the people, who were near, did not attach importance to suspicious symptoms, were confused and did not call an ambulance in time. And the precious minutes were slipping away, taking with them the chances of the person to survive. The mortality rate in strokes depends directly on how quickly the qualified medical assistance was provided

Each of us is exposed to stroke risk, and at any moment someone next to you might need an emergency. And if you know how stroke manifests itself, what to do if it happens, thus you can save the life of this person.

Important!
The sooner the medical assistance will be provided in stroke, the lower is the probability of death and the risk that the person will be for a lifetime confined to a wheelchair.

What is a stroke?
A stroke is a syndrome of acute cerebrovascular accident, which leads to the development of certain neurological disorders. In accordance with the genesis strokes can be divided into ischemic and hemorrhagic. The first one is caused by the blockage of cerebral vessel by thrombus or embolus, the second one is characterized by a rupture of the vessel. In both cases circulatory failure occurs and, consequently, the loss of a certain area of the brain tissue. Cells located in the midst of disaster, are often beyond repair. However, around this “dead” area there is a zone of reversible changes – for this area actually the struggle in the treatment of the patient is unfolding. And here every minute counts: the time during which the cells can resuscitate in the zone of reversible changes is only three hours after the stroke. It is essential to keep within this so-called “therapeutic window” to minimize the affected area.

How to recognize the symptoms of stroke
Stroke symptoms in most cases occur already in the first minutes of the disease. And everyone can recognize them. During the stroke the brain cells, deprived of normal blood supply, begin to die, that may manifest itself by the following symptoms:

• Sharp headache
• Severe dizziness, incoordination
• Weakness, numbness of the muscles on one side of the body
• Speech problems (retardation, smudging, complete inability to pronounce sounds)
• Blackouts, a sense of the blurred image, double objects, reduction of vision
• Confusion or loss of consciousness (usually short-time)
• Disorientation (confusion in the dates, the inability to determine location, the lack of in-touch capability, a person cannot recognize the loved ones)
• Hallucinations

Do not ignore the alarming symptoms, even if they were short-term. At the slightest suspicion of a stroke, for example, if a person stumbled several times for no reason, or just for a few seconds lost consciousness, use the rule of SSR:

• S – smile
Ask the person to smile. During the stroke muscle paralysis or paresis occurs usually on one side of the body, resulting in the curved smile – on the affected side the mouth will be downward-sloping.

• S – speak
Try to speak to the stroke victim, asking him to say any simple phrase, such as “It is raining outside.” During a stroke the speech is usually disturbed, it becomes incoherent or hindered.

• R – raise the arms
Ask the stroke victim to raise both arms up simultaneously. During the stroke one arm will fall or go sideways.

If doubts remain, ask the person to put out tongue. During a stroke it usually sinks down to one side. If the afflicted person has at least one symptom of a stroke – immediately call an ambulance! At the same time as accurately as possible, list all of the symptoms. Even if the signs of a stroke were short-term, and the afflicted person recovered quickly, it is important to convince him to seek medical help.

One should know that frivolous at first glance symptoms of a stroke almost in 100% of cases are indicative of serious brain dysfunctions. And this, in turn, can cause serious consequences that can chain the afflicted person to a bed or wheelchair, and even lead to death.

Pet Therapy – a Wonderful Cure for Loneliness

Leave a reply

The help to elderly people cannot be accomplished without ensuring, first of all, a harmony in the soul of an elderly person. Pet can carry out the most important assistance to the elderly – to make them not so lonely, provide them with an extra incentive to existence, and give them their warmth and joy. Pets bring harmony and order into the emotional state of their masters.

Any pet, whatever it may be – large or small, and even a fish in the aquarium, as if connects to human energy, adjusting it to a positive mood. Each animal species has certain unique features; that is why their positive impact on a person has its shades and nuances, but the result of this interaction has always the most beneficial impact on an elderly person.

Sometimes there are such situations in life, when pets are the only friends for the elderly and lonely people. They fill their lives with meaning and care. Help to relieve mental and physical pain and suffering. Pets give their owners life energy.

Elderly people understand that the main and the best part of their lives is left behind. Their emotional tone is decreasing, and the physical condition is worsening. And this in its turn may lead to such a mental state, as depression. To avoid this, we need positive emotions, and in this our four-legged friends can help.

Animals have a natural ability to maintain a person’s emotional state. And remove the feeling of loneliness when you are not needed. This feeling appears because the majority of elderly people live alone, away from their children and grandchildren. And they need anything to fill in the lack of attention and communication. Animals will love devotedly their master and will constantly be near. And most importantly is that the elderly and lonely people will acquire a vital need to be wanted and needed by someone.

Pet-therapy or animal therapy

The origins of psychological illnesses treatment with the help of animals go back to the end of the 18th century, when the Yorkshire mental hospital began to use dogs for the treatment of patients. Even then, the clinic doctors have noted that animals had a positive impact on patients. In the course of therapy the reduction of aggression and frequency of episodes was noted in patients.

Today Canistherapy (dog therapy) and Felinotherapy (cat therapy) is widely used to improve the condition of children with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other pathologies. The specialists observed the improvement of coordination, decrease of spasticity and significantly improved memory in children.

Communication with your pet has also a beneficial effect on the activity of a human brain, which helps to prevent or reduce many psychological disorders. Thus, in particular, during Alzheimer disease – communication with cats eliminates anxiety, which is so pronounced in this disease. A sense of great responsibility in relation to a pet, and taking care of the beloved one stimulates an elderly person to be active, which in its turn stimulates the desire to be healthy and to live.

How pets help to cope with depression and stress

With the approach of autumn, many people gain such kind of psychological disorder as “autumn spleen”. Causeless melancholy, gloom and other subdepressive states begin to exhaust us with the arrival of the first frosts. Often even quite healthy people can be difficult to force themself to get out of bed in the morning and do not frown during the day. If you are familiar with such states, physicians strongly advise to adopt a pet.
Pets live according to their own schedule, in which the emphasis of life corresponds to the daily cycle. Thus, a dog or a cat is sure to wake you up early and require a morning walk or feed. And it will be a good enough reason for you not lie in bed until noon.
Morning walking the dog helps to strengthen immunity, is good for the heart and helps to lose weight. If you feel a bit lethargic and inactive, a dog will teach you to be more cheerful, open and determined.

Equally effective cure for the blues Is communication with the cats. Did you notice that the Internet is full of videos with funny shots of the cat tricks and pranks? These animals are very curious, and having got a kitten in your home will be an endless source of funny events and situations. In addition, cats are curing the vain anxiety and excessive fatigue by the warmth of their body and the characteristic “purr”.

But not only dogs and cats are “home psychotherapists”. Other pets, such as aquarium fish, birds, rabbits, hamsters and even insects, are also doing an excellent job in fighting with stress and despondency.

Psychological observations allow the following conclusions: pets help people to cope with the problems they face, with stress, loneliness. They significantly improve the bad mood and give a great emotional support. And it does not matter who lives at a person’s home: a cat or a dog, a bird or a simple fish – any animal has a positive effect on the physical and psychological well-being of an elderly person. Daily contact with a pet reduces the risk of various diseases, as well as inspires the human soul with optimism and reliability.

Pets give their owners a hundred percent, selfless love and attention, no matter who is their master: a young boy or a very old man. Pets turn into the very best friends with whom you can talk and share feelings. Communication and interaction with the animal increases the level of serotonin in the brain, which increases the sense of well-being of the owner.

Take care of yourself and your pets, and stay healthy!

WHAT A SENIOR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FLU

Leave a reply

Flu (Influenza) is an acute respiratory disease of viral etiology, occurring with symptoms of general intoxication and damage of respiratory tract. The influenza virus is very easily passed. The most common route of infection – airborne. Another route of virus transmission is also possible (although much rarer) and that is infection through various articles of daily use.

Flu is a severe viral infection that affects people regardless of sex or age. This is an acute disease that is characterized by an acute toxicosis, catarrhal symptoms in the form of rhinitis, stuffiness in nose and cough with bronchi lesion.

Flu in elderly patients causes the largest number of complications, and it is quite difficult to cure it, because the immune system of people after 59 years is significantly weakened.
The regular flu can turn into a tragedy for an elderly person who is suffering from chronic diseases.

What is different about the flu in elderly patients against the flu in people of other age categories?

Peculiarities of influenza in seniors

- The majority of people of this age group have not one, but a whole bunch of chronic diseases, therefore, the flu in such patients will proceed particularly hard with possible hospitalization.

- The frequency of complications after the recent flu in this age category is many times higher than the permissible percentage (up to 70% of flu cases have serious complications on the cardiovascular system, lungs, kidneys, acute exacerbation of chronic diseases).

- The risk of death in a case of severe influenza among the elderly is several times larger than that of middle-aged people, frequently visiting the areas with large concentrations of people. This means that a person of the age 35-40 years with a chronic disease and always using subway services, is less likely to get sick during the seasonal flu period than the older man, who came in a regular store to buy some bread, and the risk of getting a severe complication is significantly higher for an older person.

- Elderly people at the age of 65 and over, especially living alone, seriously suffer from flu, because they have to take care of themselves, and therefore, during the first 3-4 days there is a high risk of dehydration and increasing stress on heart.

- Unlike young people, seniors get sick with flu faster, stay sick longer, and often do not seek medical advice, engaging in self-treatment, or come absolutely sick to a clinic, becoming a source of infection for other people, and exposing themselves to a risk of complications, incompatible with life.

- Seniors have an extremely weakened immune system, so the flu will progress rapidly, causing complications.

- Elderly people impaired cough reflex, which leads to stagnation of bronchial mucus, which in its turn causes complications connected with the respiratory system of the sick person, provokes heart failure and may cause death.

- The presence of chronic diseases with a large number of medicines do not always allow vaccinating an elderly person.

How does the flu manifest itself in elderly patients?

The flu manifests itself approximately the same as that of other people, but older people suffer through the flu much harder – organism can no longer serve them as truly as before, the work of many organs, including the immune ones, is partially impaired.

Flu symptoms:

• Fever
• Total weakening of the whole body
• Chills
• Headache and muscle aches
• Severe fatigue that lasts up to three weeks
• The pressure in the chest, cough, runny nose
• Dry throat and nose
• Difficulty in breathing
• Sometimes gastrointestinal disorders may appear in seniors with flu: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. However, these symptoms are more characteristic of childhood.

Possible flu complications in seniors

These complications can manifest themselves not immediately but that doesn’t make them less serious. Sometimes, in particularly difficult cases, there are several complications, for example, bronchitis and tonsillitis. Also, the symptoms of long-standing chronic diseases may aggravate, which a person previously disturbed a person, and now resumed after or with the onset of flu.

• Dehydration of the whole body
• Tonsillitis of different species
• Pneumonia
• Bronchitis
• Tracheitis
• Laryngitis
• Rhinitis

Therefore, when having any of flu complications one should immediately seek medical attention. The earlier the treatment is started, the greater is the chance to avoid more serious complications.

How to prevent flu in elderly people?

A young person can easily cope with flu in a week, but for an elderly person this disease can be fatal. Or it is rather difficult to cure. Every day of life of our beloved ones is very valuable to us, and we do not want them to suffer. Therefore it is very important to help seniors to protect themselves from the flu.

The best protection against the flu is annual vaccination.
Practice shows that vaccinations that are properly selected and are done at the right time, reduce the risk of flu by 80%. Studies show that vaccination in the elderly can reduce mortality rate due to influenza in nearly 90% of cases, and the possibility of hospitalization – up to 70%. These are very large numbers. Behind them – a lot of lives.

How to treat the flu properly in seniors?

Flu treatment in elderly patients is not limited to pharmacy drugs. To eliminate dehydration and remove toxins it is necessary to drink plenty of warm fluids (not soda). It can be fruit drinks, brews, teas, mineral water without gas.

Also, you need to protect yourself from stress – for a weakened organism, it is destructive, moreover, it disrupts the nervous and immune systems.

In old age, almost all people are taking some medicines. Therefore, you must make sure that these drugs can be combined with preparations for the prevention of influenza or its treatment. Your doctor should consult you on this question.

The usual medication for the elderly, eliminating the symptoms of flu at the initial stage is Relenza (zanamivir) or Tamiflu (oseltamivir). If you take these medications (one of them) for two days after noticing flu symptoms, the disease will significantly reduce its course and will be suffered through much easier than without treatment. Flu in seniors can be prevented if they would take good care of their health. But if you are already sick, see a doctor immediately, because in this case, timing is critical.

Seek medical advice immediately if the following symptoms occur:
- If you start feeling difficulty in breathing
- Flu symptoms do not improve, but worsen after 3 or 4 days
- After the flu symptoms improved, and then suddenly the symptoms of a more serious illness started developing: nausea, vomiting, high fever, chest pain or expectoration of yellow-green mucus.

Take care of your beloved ones and stay healthy!

The Importance of Exercising for Seniors

Leave a reply

Physical activity is the way to health and longevity, especially when it concerns elderly people.

It is believed that with age many people have reduced activity. This may be due to age-related negative emotions and decrease in self confidence. The lack of physical and mental activity really accelerates the aging process, therefore it is for the benefit of all people to prevent or at least reduce the effects of aging. For this purpose it is certainly worth to sharpen our focus on physical training.

Is not hard to guess, that physical activity contributes to muscle tone, maintenance of the cardiovascular system, good mood and improvement of the quality of life.

Factors affecting the change in the life balance of elderly people

Unfortunately, the factors of aging every day have a negative impact on human health. Several factors are inevitable, and they cannot be affected, but some can be controlled or even minimized.

Behavioral factor of elderly people

- Maintain an active lifestyle. Use comprehensive training programs: strength / resistance, cardio/endurance, stretching/flexibility.

- Balanced proper nutrition including the most essential vitamins and nutrients. In particular, vitamin D is very important.

- Comfortable shoes. Shoes should not be too high (a negative effect on your posture) and heavy. Comfortable, lightweight, fitting shoes provide the best contact with the ground. Even walking barefoot (not everywhere of course) becomes an excellent help

- Pay attention to reception of medications. Individual side effects are possible. Always consult your doctor as for the impact of certain drugs.

Age-related biological factor

With age loss of vision, hearing and mental clarity is possible. There is a risk of arthritis developing and deterioration of the vestibular apparatus. You may experience the appearance of any chronic disease.

Studies show that many diseases and ailments that accompany the aging process, such as difficulties with movement, can be prevented by physical training. In addition, physical activity is an excellent way to improve the quality of life and make friends. Also, regular physical activity reduces the risk of the following diseases:
• heart disease,
• stroke
• diabetes
• osteoporosis
• arthritis,
• back pain,
• high blood pressure,
• some cancers, such as colon cancer.

As a prevention of the described above diseases can serve all the same exercises and training. A competent physical activity improves endurance, strength and immune system.

Exercises help to increase muscle strength and improve their tone, thus reducing the risk of accidental falls, leading to injuries. In addition, regular physical exercises develop flexibility, mobility, speed of movements, endurance improve cognitive abilities, memory, the ability to sound judgment, well-being and quality of life.
Physical training is also new acquaintances and communication.

External factors

Try to avoid the potential dangers that surround us in everyday life. That’s a minimum list of external factors:

- Winter time. The presence of ice on the roads
- Rooms with slippery floors
- Curbs and various roughness of the pavement
- The quality of lighting in the streets and indoors
- Escalators

The task of exercises is to adapt the body to everyday loads, regulate the cardiovascular, autonomic, neuromuscular systems, strengthen the musculoskeletal system, create a good mood. All exercises should be done with a smile and best of all to the music.

The most important point to be considered in training is a balance between physical exercises. For example, between normal walking and running. Understanding the balance helps to optimize the training process and avoid unexpected injuries. This is especially important for the elderly.

Each year, about 20 percent of people older than 60 years receive a variety of injuries. Fear of injury restricts people in physical activity. This fact, and the fact of biological changes in the body, changes in the environment and the difficulties of life forms certain stereotypes. But all this can be avoided through a balanced exercise (strength training, cardio, etc.).

Nowadays almost all gyms develop various special programs for seniors. But before you start any training it is better to consult your doctor concerning the possible initial physical loads for your body.

Remember, it is impossible to stop the natural biological processes, but it is completely possible to control them, staying active at any age. Physical activity is that little thing you can do for yourself at any stage of life.
As one very wise man said: “Help your body now and the body will help you in an old age.”

Day View Adult Family Home provides qualified and affordable services for seniors. Our trained staff understands the importance of exercises and we work to create positive environment for seniors’ training.

Heart Attack: Symptoms and Prevention

Leave a reply

The human heart is primarily a muscular organ. It performs many functions in our body, violation of at least one of them leads to serious disruptions in the whole body. Quite often many of us do not pay attention to the alarm bells of the heart, telling that it is just the time to start taking care of it. We work ourselves ragged, smoke a lot and laugh too little, worry too much about trifles and do almost no exercises or sports. So we can say about almost every resident of the modern metropolis. And that doesn’t do any good to our heart.

Most of the cardiovascular diseases begin with poor lifestyle and the gradual “clogging” of the arteries. Heart disease should be diagnosed by a doctor after a comprehensive analysis. However, the symptoms of these diseases should be known to anyone, even to people, who are very far from medicine.

A heart attack, which can very often be provoked by abovementioned, is known as a terrible disease, taking human lives. Heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction, leads the list of causes of death. But what factors contribute to heart attacks and how to avoid it?

When the access of the blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, it does not get enough oxygen, part of the heart tissue begins to die, and there comes a heart attack.

Blocking of blood flow to the heart occurs because of the presence in the coronary arteries of sufficiently large blood clots, known as plaques. When the plaque blocks the artery, it blocks the path for blood to the heart. Without blood flow the heart doesn’t get oxygen and part of its tissues start to deteriorate, or even die.

The plaques may start to appear in coronary arteries already in childhood. Over the years the situation may worsen. By themselves, the plaque may partially restrict the access of blood to the heart, then angina starts – a disease that increases greatly the possibility of heart attack.

Let us consider the symptoms of a heart attack

The most typical manifestation of myocardial infarction is the appearance of pain. The pain may arise in the left half of the body, in the arm before forearm, in scapula, in the left side of the neck. It is also possible to feel pain in hands, in the lower jaw, in shoulder area, and in the upper abdomen. The pain is long-standing and can be squeezing, stabbing, burning and aching in nature.

Characteristic symptoms indicative of a heart attack, is the shortness of breath, which manifests itself even at minimal activity, and may also be felt at rest. This happens because of the fact that the heart does not receive the needed quantity of blood for its normal functioning. A person may also feel weakness. Sweating may increase greatly.

Attention should be paid to functioning of the heart also in case of increased fatigue. This feeling of fatigue may persist for several days, weeks without any special attention to be paid to it. A heart attack may also be accompanied with stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. In most cases, these symptoms are not associated with a heart disease, but one should pay attention to them, if they occur on the basis of normal food consumption and are not associated with the reception of poor nutrition. Sometimes a temporary loss of consciousness happens.

Heart attacks may be preceded by increased heart rate, which manifests itself in a form of rapid and disordered pulse.
Precursors of a heart attack can also be such conditions as anxiety, feeling of discomfort, insomnia.

People with diabetes, and / or those who are over 75 years may have “silent heart attack.” Such a heart attack is not accompanied by any pain sensations.

Reasons that increase the risk of heart attack

• Age: Age is considered one of the major risk factors. In men over 45, women over 55, the risk of having a heart attack raises a lot.

• Angina: a disease, which increases the risk of a heart attack. The major difference between a heart attack and angina is that having angina the patient will feel better within 15-30 minutes after taking the medication, and the patient having a heart attack will feel no improvement.

• The level of cholesterol in blood: if a person has increased cholesterol level, the risk of blood clots formation in the arteries increases. The clots can block the blood flow to the heart muscle, and this can lead to a heart attack.

• Diabetes: People with diabetes are unfortunately at a higher risk of development of a number of diseases and conditions, many of which contribute to increased risk of a heart attack.

• Diet: People consuming large quantities of animal or saturated fats has a higher risk of a heart attack.

• Genes: a person may inherit a predisposition to heart diseases.

• Heart surgeries: patients who had undergone a heart surgery have more chances to suffer from a heart attack.

• Hypertension (high blood pressure): the disease also increases the risk of heart attack, and hypertension itself can develop due to a lack of physical activity, overweight, diabetes, family diseases history and some other factors.

• Physical inactivity: people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, have much higher risk of heart attack than people who lead an active lifestyle.

• Previous heart attack: anyone who has had a heart attack, are to a much greater extent than other people at risk of heart attack.

• Smoking: people who smoke regularly, are also at risk of a heart attack.

• Excessive body weight (obesity)

Prevention

Is there any prevention of myocardial infarction or how to avoid it?
We can answer this question in the following way: something we are destined by nature (we can not escape from such risk factors as age and heredity), but there are a number of factors which we can influence, so that at least delay the time of the heart attack.

1. Control of body weight. In people who are overweight, the load on the heart increases, together with the risk of hypertension and diabetes development.

2. Regular physical exercise. Physical activity leads to the improvement of metabolism, and hence weight loss. It is proved that regular exercise lowers for 30% the risk of recurrent myocardial infarction in those who have suffered it. A set of exercises and the level of activity is chosen by your doctor.

3. Quitting the bad habits. Scientists have already long ago proved that smoking and alcohol consumption significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In people who do not want to give up the destructive habits, the risk to have a recurrent heart attack increases twice.

4. Control of blood cholesterol levels. All people older than 45 are recommended to regularly monitor the parameters of lipid metabolism, as atherosclerosis is one of the major causes of cardiovascular problems.

5. Control of blood pressure as at arterial hypertension the load on the heart increases significantly.

6. Diet. It is recommended to limit consumption of salt, foods containing large amounts of cholesterol, and high-melting fats. The diet should increase the amount of fruits and vegetables containing fiber, vitamins and minerals, and seafood.

7. Receiving preparations containing acetylsalicylic acid. Aspirin is included in the standard of not only treatment of myocardial infarction, but also its prevention. For the selection of the optimal dosage and selection of a particular drug you should consult a doctor.

8. Avoid stressful situations and learn to manage stress.