Seniors Site

The other day, I was talking about how to protect your knees, today, I’m going to blog about what to do if it’s already damaged. We’ve heard about knee replacement surgery, as well as its twin sister—and equally gruesome, if truth be told—hip replacement. For a senior like me, I find it weird that parts of the body can be replaced with bolts, nuts and whatnot, making us, more or less, look and feel like half-man, half-robot.
Kidding aside, knee replacement surgery is a major operation. Seniors are the most likely candidates for such operation since their knees are usually beyond repair. Knee replacement surgery should be your doctor’s last resort. That is, if all else fails. Which means to say, there are many treatments available for your aching knees and you should try them all before subjecting yourself to a knee replacement operation.  By the way, it takes years of wear and tear before your knees finally give up, unless of course if it’s eating itself away!
In a knee replacement surgery, the doctor will remove the damaged knee and replace it with metal and sometimes, plastic held together by wires and cement. You would know if it’s time for you to undergo a knee replacement surgery if there is a persistent pain in your knee area despite of medication and treatments. This pain should be characterized by sharp, crippling pain which prevents you from doing normal activities of the body such as walking or just simple bending of knees. For seniors, there are many factors considered before a knee replacement surgery, some of which are:  age, overall health and bone density. Keep in mind that your doctor will still try to find other ways to save you from your aching knees other than surgery since the cons sometimes outweigh the pros. Total knee replacement is NOT recommended for adults 40-50 years of age, unless they suffered a badly damaged joints as those of athletes’.
For seniors who are having doubts about having their knees replaced, there is a new procedure which aims to lessen the recovery time after surgery but still achieve the same result as that of total knee replacement. MIS knee joint replacement or Minimally Invasive Surgery will only require a small incision to insert the implant. However, due to the “newness” of the technique, only a couple of doctors are known to do such procedure. If your doctor is not one of them, you are most likely to be referred to someone who does.
What you should expect after a surgery? Seniors are required to undergo physical therapy the soonest possible time to avoid stiffening of the surgical area. To avoid blood clots from happening, you will be given a series of medications to thin the blood. Bear in mind as well that these implants are not intended to live forever. They, too, wear out in time. However, in the mean time, you should enjoy your newfound knees and use it while it’s as good as new.

For as long as I can remember, there’s always a pain present in and around my knees. They may differ in intensity and levels but I tell you, they never, not even once, leave me. They are just always there; dull, crippling, whatever! Some say, it has something to do with gender but I’ve seen members of the opposite sex in much worse shape than what I have now which, by the way, I could consider manageable at times.
When I was young, my coach used to tell me to always protect the knees when engaging in sports, no matter how fit and athletic you are. It’s because like a cracked eggshell, the injury never really heals, they just keep themselves together. However, they are bound to bring hell come 45 years and up, some even younger. Which brings me to my point:  fit or unfit, seniors are vulnerable to aching knees.
Here are 10 easy ways to protect your knees and hopefully, make aches and pains of the knee a little more manageable!
·    Know the enemy. Are you prone to osteoarthritis? Know that osteoarthritis has several factors which could trigger the said disease. These are:  age, weight, past injuries, hereditary factors, and inactivity leading to weak muscles.
·    Assess your current health status. Did you know that some diseases and illnesses you may have right now could affect your knees? For one, diabetes is known to cause joint troubles particularly around the knee area. Get your doctor involve by assessing your health condition together.
·    Maintain a healthy weight all throughout your life, especially when nearing the golden age as this is when the knees are at its weakest. Know that the knees take the most pressure of the body’s heaviness and weight so please be kind to your knees. The lighter you are, the kinder it is to your knees.
·    Avoid activities that can injure your joints. These are activities in which your joints are regularly subjected to high-impact stress. These are very common in the sports industry. Prolonged standing can also induce too much stress on your knees.
·    Move adequately enough. Try to build and strengthen muscles around your knees by performing exercises which have a lighter impact on the joint itself. Muscles support and protect the joints.
·    Walking devices prove to be helpful especially when there’s already an ache present. No need to induce stress to an already hurting knee.
·    In an event that you fall, trip, hit or whatever your knees, consult your doctor at once and have them evaluate the extent of damage. Never self-assess!
·    Try to find a fitness program or regimen that is kind to the joints. It is best if you train under a professional instructor’s supervision.
·    Take pain reliever if you need to. You don’t have to endure pain and have it run your life, take control!
·    Eat healthy. You will need calcium, vitamin D and those with omega-3 fatty acids to make your bones stronger and keep inflammation at bay.

Why constipation today? I just had a bout this morning just because I ran out of my fiber sachets and forgot to stock up right on time! I used to be a fan of natural laxatives such as senna in tea bag form but have moved on to fiber sachets just because they are milder on the digestive tract as compared to senna leaves and pods, or so my doctor said. I believe it’s only a matter of one’s preferences but certainly it won’t hurt to consult a doctor considering our age.
Chronic constipation is very common to seniors and elderly people. It’s because as we age, our digestive tract begins to slow down in activity as well. Notice how foods that our stomach received well in past cause trouble when introduced today? One good example is Chinese food, especially those greasy ones with glass noodles on it. No matter how good they are, you know that it will only be a matter of time before your stomach acts up, rendering you almost unconscious!
Generally, constipation is when you are having a hard time passing stool. It should be every single day, as a normal, average person would have it. A senior with constipation however, could have bloody stool, a direct effect of too much “pushing” or could have that bloated, uneasy feeling that you would like to “go” but apparently, it’s a “no-show”! Some of the known causes of constipation, aside from our own age are:
·    Diet that is low in fiber. We should be doubly aware of the food we eat as we near the golden age. As I’ve said before, things inside us are not anymore what they used to be and would need some boosting to perform their tasks. Fiber-enriched foods will help you prevent constipation from happening.
·    Dehydration. Water is needed if you need your stool to go southward. Drink plenty of it.
·    Lack of exercise. For some reason, when you exercise, you’ll feel the need to “go” soon after!
·    Your medications. Yes, you heard it right. Sometimes your medication can cause constipation without your doctor even knowing it. However, if you suspect your medications to be the culprit, discuss it with your doctor so he’ll be able to weigh the pros and cons and how to go about it.
·    Health conditions. Particularly that of the digestive tract. Seniors should be aware that some medical conditions such as colon cancer can easily put seniors at risk for constipation. In fact, it is one of the signs of the said disease.
Also, if you are a chronic laxative user, you might want to seek healthier alternatives since laxatives are known to damage the nerves and muscles of the colon. Some studies found out that regular use of laxative could even worsen your condition, and it is never good for seniors unless prescribed by your doctor.

There have been debates and indeed, different opinions of which comes first to a person: is depression an end result of obesity or obesity stands as a byproduct of depression. Studies have been made to pinpoint how one affects the other. However, the mystery remains uncertain and the issue still baffles the mind of researchers the world over!
As to why the issue was made important is that if medical science will be able to know exactly what triggers what, it will be easier for health care providers to help their patients overcome one or both conditions. Treatments will be more target-specific to the problem thus preventing it from getting worse.
It was a known fact that there’s a link between depression and obesity. A depressed person is most likely to suffer obesity in the future while those battling obesity tend to get depressed easily. Some say, it has something to do with our hormonal behavior which tends to go haywire in both events. The reason why these things are important for seniors to know is that they will be able to understand their condition better, helping them deal with their feelings better.
What’s undeniable however is that the positioning of these two is interchangeable. An obese person is indeed susceptible to depression. In case of an obese senior, it is almost always their health that depresses them, running in close second is their physical appearance and of course, limited range of motion. The latter denying them of time to have fun with their family and friends.
On the other hand, depression creates havoc inside our bodies. It messes up our hormonal behavior, sending false signals to different parts of the body. When we are stressed, we usually find ourselves craving for food even if we are not hungry. Comfort foods, which are usually sugary and sweet, give the body a certain high in a way that we often seek them when we need uplifting. Also, when a person is depressed, his energy level is too low that the best thing to do is to lie down and be immobile for as long as the body permits. Poor eating habits and non-activity are the perfect combination for obesity so in a way, obesity may be a direct result of depression.
What researchers suggest is for health care providers to examine closely the root cause of the problem before intervening or attempting cure. Sometimes, an obese person does not always require dieting especially if the person is nursing a depression deep within. The same goes for prescribing anti-depressant to someone who only needs proper nutritional counseling. They further recommend to treat an obese/depressed person for both conditions at the same time instead of treating each individually.

Cancer proves to be one of the most financially draining diseases—if not the most—that strikes seniors. In fact, it knows no age and not only the patient’s financial status gets badly jeopardized but also his families’ and friends’ in attempt to save their loved-ones’ life. The problem with cancer is that it requires long-term treatments in which every treatment costs a lot. Health insurances on the other hand can only do so much in aiding the patient financially, sometimes their families will still need to find financial help somewhere else which proves harder than anyone thought. Some may resort to fundraising or even groups and associations for support and advice.
If you are seriously thinking of getting financial help now, whether for you or for your cancer-stricken loved-one, be forewarned that it will take some of your time and energy in finding them. Also, make sure that you have every little thing covered as one overlooked piece might be your clue to solving this puzzle. The best way to do this is start with the one nearest to you then go broader until you find what you’re looking for.
Equally important is getting your doctor involved with your problem. You see, when the doctor knows you’re now in a financial rut over the treatments and cancer whatnot, he would be able to think of other ways to, at least, lessen the bills or find other alternative, not to mention cheaper, ways to save the patient’s life. If high bills are inevitable to the cancer treatment, seek help from the hospital’s financial counselor as some hospitals are willing to make payment arrangements that suit your pocket nicely.
Cancer centers are a goldmine of information and resources covering all aspects of cancer, including its financial side. Bear in mind that millions of people go through this situation yearly, with that said, you should know that this is not the first time cancer centers encountered such problem and certainly they have the answer to your problem. Just go ask.
Cancer organizations can also help you in finding a sponsor company. Sponsor companies give financial aid to cancer patients as part of their “giving something back to the community”. Start with popular cancer organizations such as National Cancer Institute and do your research as there are hundreds of such organizations out there. If general cancer organization can’t help you right away, then go more specific such as organizations for breast cancer, lung cancer, liver and so on..
It will be a hard and long road, but with the help of your family and friends, there’s no doubt you’ll be able to overcome the problem no matter what.

After a long and tiring day, all your tortured and weary body could ever think of is a good massage. No matter what kind or type it would be, just as long as it will knead all those knots you’ve been feeling due to stress endured all throughout the day! Just imagine how good it will be to just lie down and relax while a pair of capable hands sooth every inch of your tired muscle!

However, for seniors especially those really old ones, massage therapy becomes valuable to alleviate pains and aches that come with an aging body. But, not all types of massage work with seniors. Due to the ever rising number of seniors requiring massage minus the therapy facilities and doctors, many expert therapists are now developing massage techniques that will benefit seniors tremendously. Massage therapy for seniors, commonly referred to as geriatric massage, is more target-specific to seniors’ needs. Furthermore, geriatric massage is a sure-fire way to relax a senior’s body which proves to be very helpful in maintaining a positive outlook in life.

While strokes used in a geriatric massage are no different than a regular massage, trained therapists are more conscious not to hurt or administer unnecessary pressure to the client’s body while applying them only to points where they are needed. Also, some seniors require special attention such that positioning of the body during a massage is very important. Aside from the therapeutic effects of a massage, as well as its instant relaxing feel, it has many benefits.

Therapeutic body massage is known to improve a senior’s mobility, flexibility and range of motion. In a way, it will make one’s quality of life better and more livable. Some of the most bothersome diseases that seniors may have right now such as arthritis and joint pains can be relieved by regular massages. Not only that, even your blood circulation is greatly improved, part of the reason why health care providers specializing in elderly care approved of the practice.

According to studies, massage therapy or even touch therapy, can be extremely beneficial in treatment of Alzheimer’s disease since the sense of touch seems to be the hardest memory to erase. Moreover, the sense of touch involves every inch of your skin. That’s why every time the skin is stimulated, the body remembers.

Therapeutic massage should never be considered as a cure, instead doctors and health practitioners deem them to be complimentary medicine wherein it should work hand-in-hand with scientific-based medication. While its affects are indeed felt, there is no existing medical explanation as to why it does that and to what extent it can help a person.

If we take a closer look on how illnesses and diseases develop, we can easily see that the aging process has a lot to do with it. Whether we like it or not, our system goes in auto-decline or sometimes, parts of it just stop whatever they are assigned to do which signify trouble to the rest of the so-called parts. Our lifestyle is said to be the key to longer, fuller lives but let’s not forget the hereditary factor these illnesses may have. Also, there are things that were embedded in our genes the day we were born which may or may not affect our system in due time.

So why go natural? One, going natural is the best for our environment. If we support sustainable living, going natural is the only thing that makes sense right? And two, chemicals are never, and I repeat, NEVER, good for our body. In fact, chemicals a.k.a synthetic medications are known to trigger some underlying diseases while pretending to cure the ones you may have right now.  With that said, consider your meds to be a give-and-take matter: it will give you some but it will definitely take a lot! The problem is, nowadays meds and drugs seem to be the only way to cure diseases and illnesses. I would like to think that we are victims of times.

Staying young indeed has a lot of benefits especially to a chronologically aging body.  Aside from hearing praises from your wrinkled friends, just imagine the elation you’ll feel when someone mistaken you for someone younger.  Furthermore, you’re less likely to experience major diseases that come with age. While aging is inevitable, there are ways to delay or slow them up so that we can enjoy our lives longer than we are supposed to—and naturally!

·    Hydrate yourself. Tea, water, juices, soups.. just about anything that has water in it is good for you. As we all know, when we age, the body will need hydration more than ever. That’s because the level of hydration in one’s body tends to decrease with age resulting to wrinkled and dry skin.
·    Limit red meat from your diet. Although you may need red meat in your diet, it’s not that important as we age. Lean toward fish, vegetables and fruits as they will supplement most of the nutrients you really need as well as prevent an aging body in developing heart diseases—one of the major killers of all time!
·    Take natural and herbal supplements. Bear in mind that anything that is God given can never be bad for you, instead doubt those manmade ones because you never know what it can do to your body. The reason why you need to consult your doctor before trying any of these is because it may react with your current medications. I would suggest seniors to start them earlier in life while your body still has no need for synthetic supplements and maintenance pills.
·    Be a conscious-eater. Midlife crisis can bring about binge eating but the problem is, even after our midlife phase, we tend to carry our eating portions well into our golden age when we should have been watching what we eat closer than ever. While you’re at it, stay away from fastfood restaurants since they are focusing more on marketing than their costumers’ health.
·    Stay away from psychologically stressful situations. When we are stressed, the brain will fire signals to the body to combat the yet unknown stressor. It will try to find out what it is and since the stressor is not present inside the body, the brain will never stop giving out orders to its troops resulting to the body’s internal imbalance hence the “haywire” feeling that comes with stress. Bear in mind that anything which disrupts your body’s system is bad.

Our age has long been associated with Alzheimer’s disease although the connection wasn’t clearly established. There had been debates on whether Alzheimer’s disease comes with age or the disease stays dormant for a long, long time—obviously taking its sweet time to blossom into full-blown. It is important to know which of the two comes first in a patient as it will be the only way to provide solution to a long-overdue problem. If it’s the latter, then even a 20-year-old is at risk to this terrible disease, given a situation that the disease be triggered by some unknown factor. However, researchers are leaning towards the former as they strongly suspect that age has something to do with it.

Alzheimer’s disease usually occurs at age 65 and quickly progresses from there on. On the other hand, those who are blessed with good genes which enabled them to live longer lives are usually without wasting diseases such as Alzheimer’s. This provided a hint to researchers that the way we age is a big factor in developing Alzheimer’s disease and it may also be the root cause of the said disease. According to recent study released by Salk Institute for Biological Studies late last year, these researchers might be on their way to successful discovery!

According to the study, by simply delaying the aging process, we could protect ourselves from the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors who are actively participating in the study believe that this might be the key to treatment and prevention of the said disease. Furthermore, they encourage seniors to try to live a healthy lifestyle in order to maintain a biologically young age. This simply means your body should be maintained in a state wherein it’s 20 or even 30 years younger than your chronological age. And no, it doesn’t simply mean youthful looking skin, it should also come from within!

One of the marked characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease is plaques in the brain. More plaques there would signify the severity of the condition. With this study, they were able to determine why old age has something to do with it. During the course of the study, they found out that young, healthy cells were able to flush out plaques before they get the chance to accumulate. Unfortunately, aging bodies do not have the same amount of healthy cells to control these plaques from forming in the brain. In the case of lucid centenarians, it was believed that their bodies are able to process and drain away these plaques even if they are way pass the golden age as opposed to what a normal person’s body could do.

Have you ever wondered why some people age faster than others while some blessed few with good genes look young longer than their contemporaries?.. While genes are said to be the major contributing factor to one’s aging, our nutritional intake also plays a vital role. With that said, obviously the things you take everyday contribute to how fast—or slow—your aging would be. To further prove the “hereditary” point, just look at your grandparents’ picture, or even your parents’ and you are bound to see a pattern there!

Two of the most popular vitamins included in anti-aging products are Vitamin E and Vitamin C. However, vitamin C has proven itself to be more than just an anti-aging component since it can also save you from several health conditions. It was reported that vitamin C can stop and reverse Werner Syndrome, a rare disorder which is characterized by premature aging, usually starting from age 20 and continues to show age-related conditions until the sufferer’s body ultimately succumb to death, usually before age 50. Due to this report, there’s also a possibility that vitamin C could delay the signs of aging, no matter how natural these changes are.

Appropriate amounts of vitamin C in a senior’s diet are now recommended by health care providers since there seems to be no harm in trying and seniors may even benefit from doing so. However, please be warned that taking it in large amounts doesn’t mean you’ll live a longer life, the report only shows that you need to have adequate amounts of vitamin C in your body to help delay signs of aging. Supplementing your vitamin C intake is indeed important as the body’s own production tends to decrease with age. Furthermore, vitamin C also performed great in terms of speeding up one’s metabolic rate. While this area remains unexplored, vitamin C can now be viewed as a fat burning substance which can help overweight seniors to lose some unwanted fats.

Recognized as an instant cure for common cold, Vitamin C is now all that and more! It helps the body in producing collagen which makes our skin plump and younger looking. Applying vitamin C topically proves to rebuild damaged skin in no time. Like vitamin E, it is an anti-oxidant which protects cells from free radicals and at the same time, it boosts your immune system.

Seniors who would like to delay signs of aging, or even alleviate its symptoms can surely benefit from a diet with adequate amounts of vitamin C. Since it has a lot to offer to an aging body, health care providers see no harm in recommending them.

Our elderly friends have certainly become health buffs in their own right! While exercising seemed impossible for seniors whose generation doesn’t include bulging muscles during their younger years, these alternative methods of keeping one’s body fit indeed got them hooked.

Yoga remains as the most recommended exercise for the elderly because it’s kinder to stiff joints and won’t cause any damage when done with a professional instructor. Aside from that, yoga adapts to one’s capabilities, not the other way around. To further prove that this kind of exercise is ultra safe, there are pregnant women who choose to belong to yoga classes than do any other form of exercise. Some of the known benefits of yoga are fitter and leaner body, relaxed mind and calmer being.

We all know how nasty the affects of old age can get. Fortunately, yoga alleviates these symptoms for a better you by helping you get in touch with yourself and boosting your self-esteem. In a way, yoga prevents emotional problems from occurring while the physical improvement it brings is a surefire way to delay, if not avoid, health problems from occurring. In other words, yoga is good for both mind and body which ultimately creates a positive outlook in a senior’s life.

All yoga poses or body positions have their own effects on the body. For seniors, the most popular of which are poses that can improve blood circulation and flexibility for better range of motion. On the other hand, breathing techniques which are introduced when doing yoga clear the air passages, allowing us to draw air from the lungs more easily.

When doing yoga, it is wise to gauge yourself during sessions. First timers should not find themselves tired and aching after a session, on the contrary, you should be calm and relaxed during and after each session. In order for seniors to achieve this, it is important that you respect your body’s limits and stop when it tells you so. Never, and I repeat NEVER, try to push yourself beyond your limits just because you saw the girl next to you did more. Yoga poses are done only if you can and achieving Yoga’s full benefits mean you should do the positions properly otherwise you are only exposing your body to injuries. Yoga should be simple enough to do, that’s why it has become one of the highly recommended exercises for seniors.

Other milder forms of exercise for seniors are brisk walking, swimming, tai chi and jogging. Exercise helps seniors fight age-related conditions that can affect our overall quality of life. When done on a regular basis, it delays signs of old age significantly.