Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Carbon monoxide (CO), an odorless and colorless gas, is the most common cause of poisoning death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year at least 50,000 people visit the emergency department and 430 die due to accidental CO poisoning. Carbon monoxide comes from […]
Keeping Cool
Keeping cool in the summer heat Climate change has been raising the temperature greatly over the last several summers. You need to protect yourself in hot summer weather—older adults are more susceptible than their younger peers to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It isn’t just being outside in the sun that makes you vulnerable. Simply […]
Type 2 Diabetes: What You Can Do
Type 2 Diabetes: what really matters? Diabetes occurs either because the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that regulates the absorption of sugar from the bloodstream into the cells (type 1 diabetes), or because the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin (type 2 diabetes). The result is that sugar builds up […]
Foot Pain
Studies suggest that about one in four older adults suffer from some form of foot pain. We don’t often give our feet much thought, until they start to hurt. But they are a complex arrangement of bones (26) and joints (33), which are held together by more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons. They also […]
Responding to Those Who Are Grieving
Responding to those who are grieving: As we get older, we’re more and more likely to have friends who have lost significant people recently in their lives. If you have a friend in this situation, you likely will want to reach out and help in any way you can, but often it isn’t obvious what […]
Retirement
We often focus on retirement as a goal in itself: we’ve worked hard for decades and we’ve earned a rest. But often the reality is that we end up feeling like we’re no longer contributing to society. The sense that your life has meaning and direction and that you are achieving the goals you set […]
Q&A: Decreasing Fall Risks
My mother will soon be moving in with me so that she will have some company as she ages. I’m keen to ensure that she doesn’t sustain a fall over the next few years, and have taken steps to “fall-proof” my home, but are there any “clues” my mother herself might provide about her fall […]
Q&A: Thyroid Disease
What’s the difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, and what are the main risk factors for these conditions? Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism both refer to the amount of hormone excreted by the thyroid gland, which is located in the neck and regulates your metabolism. Hypothyroidism means you have an “underactive” thyroid. The risk for this condition increases […]
Q&A: Gastroesophageal Reflux
A friend and I both have gastroesophageal reflux disease, but while my doctor recommended I take an H2 blocker to manage the symptoms, my friend’s doctor told her to take a proton-pump inhibitor. Why the different advice? Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by stomach acid flowing (refluxing) backward into the esophagus, where it irritates […]
Q&A: Moving to a Nursing Home
I’ve been caring for my elderly mother for a couple of years, but her dementia is getting worse. I have my own health problems, and am beginning to feel very isolated because I need to spend most of my time at home with her. With these factors in mind, I have reluctantly decided she may […]