Seniors Site

In this day and age, it is quite impossible that you have never encountered one sinus problem ever in your life as there are many of them out there waiting for you. Actually, it was even found out that sinus problems are amongst the most popular chronic disorders in America and it affects seniors’ quality of life every time it hits.

Sinusitis is inflamed paranasal sinuses. These are air-filled cavities situated in your cranial bones. Sinusitis is usually a result of an infection which can be fungal, bacterial or viral in nature. It can also be an allergy or poor immune system. This sinus problem lasts depending on the severity of the cause; it can be anywhere between days to months. It is also important to note that weakened immune system can increase your risk of catching sinus infections more often. Sinusitis can occur as acute, sub-acute, and chronic. It can also occur from time to time without any distinguishable pattern.

Actually, once your sinuses got irritated from any foreign object, they react; this reaction is characterized by inflammation causing the nose to be clogged and stuffy. Aside from the difficulty in getting air pass in and out through your nose, you will also get headaches that are somewhat difficult to localize since they feel as if they affect the whole face. It will also be accompanied by nasal discharge. By the way, smoking can cause sinus problems that may worsen overtime.

Over the counter medications are most of the time, not advisable for seniors anymore since it may interfere with their current medications resulting to severe complications. Moreover, most of them will not treat the sinusitis itself but will only alleviate its symptoms. Unfortunately, sinus problem knows no age limit and they will attack you whenever they want to. For weary seniors, the next best thing for their sinus problem is natural home remedies or natural alternative treatments that are proven safe and effective. One of them is sinus irrigation.

Sinus irrigation is very popular in India and it is still widely practiced today. In fact, sinus irrigation is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that cleanses nasal passageways with water. This type of sinus cleansing will include the use of Neti pot. Neti pot looks somewhat like a kettle but it is much smaller and has longer snout and is usually filled with saline solution. This snout is then gently placed into your right nostril while tilting the head to make way for the drainage. Allow saline water to naturally drain from the other nostril. This should be done for each nostril. You will immediately feel the difference after every session.

Neti pots should be kept clean all the time, the same as how you treat your toothbrushes although it is not necessary to replace Neti pots regularly. Expect difficulties within first few tries as the technique requires some level of expertise but it will all be worth it after you get past through it. You should also consult your doctor first even if the procedure sounds easy and simple.

Housing is still an issue for seniors; considering the many varying factors that affect a senior’s life. Most of the valid reasons are: health, downsizing for better household management, security and of course, there’s the need for assisted living; all of which is sure to force a senior to this very tough decision: whether to rent or buy a new home.

Looking back, a younger adult would be dreaming a home to call his or her own; after all, it is the greatest American dream so why not? But that was 30 to 40 years ago, when you were still in your late 20’s or early 30’s; that was when you were still building your dreams one by one, invincible and healthy as a mule.

As you grow older each day, your priorities are going to shift from one concern to another. Once, you were saving every penny for your own “home-sweet-home”; now, all of it is going to your medical and emergency funds. Back then, you will need space for your kids, but now that the kids are on their own, you won’t need too much space for you and your spouse and let me tell you, downsizing is not bad, in fact you are doing the environment a favor; ever heard of sustainable living?

Now that we have arrived in this house predicament, the question is: is it still wise to buy your own house or should we rent instead? As a senior, we have more urgent matters to attend to so it is equally important to acquire a house that is quite manageable and at the same time, fits your lifestyle especially if you are living alone. House ownership surely entails many responsibilities and will bind you for the next 10 to 20 years.

If you are still on your “younger senior” years and you feel fit and healthy, is certain you can still pay the monthly amortizations fully and will still be able to keep up with the demands of housekeeping, then buying a house can work for you. The advantage of which is the pride of having your own place; you will have something tangible to pass to your kids and if you are lucky, it may even turn into an investment someday although this is not the situation as of the moment.

On the other hand, if you are living alone and you just need a little space to conduct your living then renting is more advisable for you. Due to unstable house rates, buying a house is not too wise for seniors to engage in. Aside from the fact that you will need to maintain a habitable home for yourself which is quite hard at times, mortgages have taxes, interests and insurances paid in incremental amounts. This situation proves to be hard for seniors in a fixed income.

Another thing to consider is your current lifestyle. If you plan to travel most of the time and you own a house, you will have to hire somebody to clean the house for you and another to look after your house while you’re away whereas if you are just renting an apartment or a small flat, the landlord or owners will take care of that so you don’t have to worry about it anymore plus you don’t have to pay them anything since these services are most of the time, included in your monthly rent.

Now that the H1N1 or the human swine flu has reached global alert levels, it was said that an actual global outbreak is very imminent and people all over the world are preparing for it.

In Mexico alone, where it was believed to have started and therefore declared as ground zero, the infection rate and death toll have been steadily rising as the infection continues to spread around the globe, even in Asia.

H1N1 is formerly known as the swine flu; the new name was given by CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid confusion with the true swine flu which affects hogs alone but never human to human infection—apparently, this is exactly what H1N1 is doing now. H1N1 is a combination of the regular human flu, avian flu and the swine flu making it able to penetrate a human’s system. It appears that the virus has 1-4 or 1-7 days of incubation period and soon after that, flu-like symptoms begin to show; the antiviral medication for H1N1 should be administered immediately or up to 3 days prior to infection however a patient should be absolutely certain that he or she is having the human swine flu and not the regular human flu.

It was already established that the virus spreads from one human to another but the mode of infection is not yet known and still under further investigation likewise if there is a certain age bracket for this virus. However, CDC advises 65 years and above seniors, children of ages 5 and below, pregnant women and those with chronic medical conditions to practice preventive measures for flu.

As opposed to popular misconception, this virus does not infect a person eating infected pork, although it is not good to eat the pork in question; so as drinking tap water. Generally, influenza virus enters and infects the respiratory track; usually through coughing and sneezing. It can also be passed by touching an infected person and somehow the virus ending up either in your nose or mouth.

For senior citizen, it is highly recommended to stay away from crowded places like malls, market, and public transportation. Do wash your hands as often as needed or if you cannot do this at the moment, you can bring an alcohol-based disinfectant such as hand gels and wipes with you everywhere. Seniors are also advised to wear face masks if you need to make a quick trip to a public place.

It is very important to contact your health care provider as soon as you experience some telltale flu symptoms so you can receive proper medication and care at once. If by chance, you just came back from a country where H1N1 is suspected to be infecting the area, it is best for you to quarantine yourself for a week to 10 days at most.

Tooth loss or teeth loss is very common to seniors; as common as diminishing eye sight and hearing impairment upon reaching our senior age. No matter how painstakingly we watched over our dental care in the past years, we will still lose that tooth, one way or another.

The problem with tooth loss is that once the milk tooth gave way for the permanent ones, you can never grow another set over again. The permanent ones should stay with you for life or else, you need to get an artificial tooth to replace it. This is exactly why children are reprimanded again and again as to how important their dental hygiene should be; most of the time, children don’t heed hence premature tooth loss.

Tooth loss is embarrassing especially if you lose those frontal ones while losing your molars can affect your nutritional intake likewise your digestive system. According to data gathered by dental association in the US, the leading cause of tooth loss is periodontal disease or gum disease. It was even found out that there are actually 80% of American adults having periodontal problems which can lead to tooth loss later in life; the most common of which is gingivitis.

Normally, you lose your teeth within your senior years but you can delay it if you take care of it very well by regularly visiting your dentist and staying away from the things that will destroy your healthy teeth. Apparently, your overall lifestyle affects your teeth. Smoking, for one, can increase your risk for tooth loss; so does diabetes and hypertension.

Aside from poor dental hygiene, you can also lose a relatively healthy tooth if you are active in extreme and contact sports. Some examples of popular contact sports are boxing, hockey and judo while extreme sports are skateboarding, dirt biking and snowboarding.

Well, dentures are a thing of the past as seniors are now opting for the more costly dental implants. With dental implants, you don’t have to take it out and put it back; it fits your mouth snugly and you take care of it just the same as how you would take care of a real tooth. To date, dental implants are becoming the number one choice for dental replacement. But take note seniors, these implants are done surgically with titanium screws to support a particular tooth. Usually, a dental implant patient should undergo general anesthesia so if you are planning to have yours done; you should do it with trained and certified dentists and surgeons only.

Unfortunately, most seniors choose to stay toothless and will not seek dental help even if they need it badly due to high cost of dental repairs.

You have been living alone with your pet for quite some time now. By now, you must admit, your pet has been a great help in nursing you back to life and you owe him a lot for staying by your side through your darkest moment. Now that you are stepping out of the dark, are you leaving your friend behind?

Of course not; anywhere you go, he does too. In fact, a survey conducted by a pet product company revealed that more than half, or should I say almost all, of seniors prefer traveling with their own pets in tow. Whatever reasons these older people may have, they surely are ready for some road trip action with their pets as soon as the weather permits them to do so.

Your pets are the best travel companion ever especially if he is well-trained and very comfortable with you. He provides the sense of security and the right amount of companionship; surely you will have lots of fun traveling with your pet. But before you engage in “the trip of your lifetime” with your beloved pet, you may want to check out some important details first such as health and permits.

You should also take note that most pets live with familiarity. This means your dog could react differently and unexpectedly especially if this is your pet’s first time to travel out of the house and to unfamiliar territories. You may want to secure your pet’s proof of health through your veterinarian since this serves as their pass to some hotels and other public places and areas. While you’re at it, it is best to consult your vet if your pet can or cannot travel with you and update vaccinations as well.

Take time to consider the type of trip you are embarking in; if it’s pet conducive. This should be safe and fun for your pets as well and not for you alone. Moreover, bear in mind that some countries do not allow pets and will put them in quarantine at once especially for international travels. Be sure to check these areas first to avoid inconveniences from happening; on the other hand, there are cities which encourage pet travels.

Regarding obedience and temperament, it is very important that your pet knows how to socialize with people and obeys basic commands from you. To test his reaction to people, bring him out for a walk then gradually introduce him to public places such as parks and market; if he behaves well within these parameters then most likely, he will be able to handle the trip very well.

Your pets can get lost during your trip so it is best to come prepared for it. A simple collar and pet ID tag can save you and your pet if he somehow ends up in a local shelter. Keep him on leash while walking so he won’t get distracted and dash away from you. Try to maintain him in this arrangement up until he properly adjusts with this new environment.

If your current situation does not permit you to carry your pet along during the trip, you may want to check out dog care facilities around your area. Usually, they have programs made for your dog while you’re away on a trip and they can make your dogs comfortable as can be.

Dogs are the best companion for seniors because they provide security likewise companionship to their owners. Dogs, as compared to cats, are more loyal and they can be trained to meet certain needs of their senior masters. It is very common to see dogs assisting blind people walking in streets and doing minor errands for them—that is because, most of the time, dogs will do whatever pleases his or her masters.

Dogs are great for watching over your house. They will know when to raise alarm and call for help. They effectively ward off offenders even before they come close to you. Dogs know exactly when to comfort you and lend companionship. This is exactly why dogs are very ideal for seniors especially for those living alone—like stated earlier, it’s the companionship and security combined.

But choosing the perfect dog depends on your lifestyle and needs. For seniors, it is highly recommended for you to get an older dog. Older dogs can be found in dog shelters, and rescue groups; moreover, if you adopt an older dog through organizations and shelters, you will be guided accordingly on how your chosen dog behaves and if this particular dog will be helpful to your lifestyle. They will help you choose the right dog for your needs.

Most of the time, an older dog doesn’t require further training since they are more or less, calmer and trained. But yes, you can teach your old dog new tricks, if it’s necessary and they can catch up fairly quick than training a puppy. This is because older dogs are not easily distracted and they can focus better on the task at hand.

If you have just brought him home from the shelter, you should introduce him first to where he should poop and pee. This way, you will know if he is already housetrained or not but usually, they are since they had been to other houses before. Wait for it if necessary, and praise him after. You should do this with him patiently every time the need arises up until he learns how to do it on his own. These are the times you should take note of: mornings, after meals, and before sleeping.

Some dog owners noticed that older dogs, just like puppies, tend to follow their masters during the first few days in their new home. Dogs by nature, hates to be alone and they seek security from human companionship but in due time, they will settle down and make themselves comfortable with their surroundings. In the mean time, apply crate training for your older dogs. This will help them recognize where to sleep and take a nap while you are away somewhere. Let him “be friends” with his crate so he could establish his place in the house.

Basically, all dogs need to learn obedience. Basic obedience training should include simple dog instructions and commands. This will help you establish bonding time and better communication to your dog. This training can be done personally—that is if you have enough patience for it. For those who don’t, enroll your dogs to obedience classes just to refresh his skills and learn a few more tricks.

Blogs are the latest craze in seniors’ world today. Actually, it’s a mix of different things for older people, not to mention that blogging is already becoming a very convenient and lucrative investment for them.

So why blog? Blogs are web logs and they function as online “diaries” or journals which, as similar to its original model, you can put your thoughts in writing (in this case over the internet, and you type the words). Your blog is fully controlled by you, you can keep it to yourself or you can share to the rest of the internet world what you’ve got. This can be your thoughts or just personal reflection although some senior blogs talk about their passion such as cooking and crafts. Blogs are very flexible and they can be arranged accordingly. Seniors can also have a blast posting pictures, videos and audios to their respective blogs.

As opposed to the traditional senior pastime of bingos and crosswords, blogs can also sharpen the mind while allowing you to keep yourself informed of the latest news and happenings out there via information and feeds from the internet; something that is not quite possible when hanging out in bingo halls and clubs. Don’t worry, you will not forgo your social life when blogging, instead you are given the opportunity to widen your horizons and meet new friends around the globe.

Then why are senior blogs popular even to younger generations? It is because a blog that is maintained by a senior blogger gives thorough, honest and straight-to-the-point, real life experiences which proves to be very useful for younger ones seeking some guidance. Simply said, their blogs hold a whole heap of valuable wisdom for all to see and senior bloggers never hold back as they are very generous in sharing their knowledge.

Like stated earlier, you can even generate some money while blogging, especially if you have already spent a great deal of time in there for let say, years now. By regular postings, you will be able to establish authority over your chosen topic hence the “found me” factor is already present. In internet marketing, it is called high rankings. Because of your internet visibility and expanded reader base, advertiser will notice your blog and would want to leave their thumbprints in there. Of course, this is entirely up to you if you want to pick up some pennies along the way or you would rather keep your blog clean and clutter free.

It is never too late to start your own blog, you can take your pick from popular blogging sites like Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, and Live Journal. Each has their own unique user-friendly tools to make your blogging experience as easy as possible. To maximize your blogging experience, you may want to research some more before signing in to a blogging site while keeping your supposed blog’s goal firmly in mind. That way, you will be able to examine each pros and cons of a certain blogging site against to what you have in mind all along.

Learning knows no age and limit; it certainly caters to all whether young or old, with or without enough educational background. It can also be done even in nontraditional settings such as home study, online tutorials and the good old self study. You can teach yourself to do new things by research and self-study or you can opt to enroll in short courses to learn new skills or just refresh and enhance your talent. As long as the person is willing to learn, everything is possible; that’s how powerful the brain works.

Seniors who plan to go back to school have their own reasons that might be a little different from the younger generation. When an older person decides to go back to school and finish a degree, he means business and he is dead serious about finishing the desired course. While there may be reluctance on others; surprisingly there has been a tremendous increase in number of senior enrollees this year. It only proves that seniors are more daring these days and they are willing to learn new things thus breaking the stereotypical bonds that have been binding them for a long time now.

It is all too common nowadays to see a senior or two in a college classroom, attentively listening to professors and exchanging chats with a younger seatmate. Indeed, they have changed the face of higher education for good!

Although some seniors will have a hard time catching up and adjusting to an unfamiliar territory, they close the gap fairly quickly. Sometimes these situations include: a little conflict in points of view against a younger instructor or professor; or have some trouble operating with technical, confusing stuff such as the computer.

If financial constraints are holding you back, it is good to know that there are learning alternatives you can avail of aside from the usual private institution. You can also apply for financial aid since it is available for all students. Some local government provides this kind of assistance for older students as well so be sure to check them out. Also, don’t forget to ask about your course credits, especially if you did some college in the past because they could be credited against your current course load which will bring down the cost of your tuition fee for the term.

A senior wanting to go back to school doesn’t have to go too far to do so. We are all too aware that public transportation sometimes hinders a senior from going places because most of the time, they are not accessible and could even pose a great health risk to our senior citizen. You just need to find a school in close proximity of your house; a school you can conveniently walk to and fro without any difficulties. With all the schools in the US, it’s impossible not to find any. However, if you are indeed experiencing some walking difficulties but would still want to go back to school, you may want to take a look at online learning and ask someone to sit with you all throughout the season, just to make sure you won’t miss anything.

Balancing school and work (if you are still working) is a tough job especially if you still have to attend to your household chores and other life’s obligations but at the same time, it is a very fulfilling and rewarding experience for seniors who are successfully making it somehow. You will also realize, somewhere along the way, that there are people and organizations willing to help older students like you to overcome your current challenges.

We all know that chronic illnesses and lifestyle diseases are indisputable when seniors are in question. There are lots and lots of health concerns which plague senior citizen and it all starts from the early age of 50. As the age accumulates, so do health issues. But, no matter how many diseases a senior may acquire as they grow old, AIDS has never really made it to their typecasting.

When we talk about AIDS or HIV infection, it is almost always gays and addicts. What we don’t know, there are victims somewhere between these stereotypes which we will never acknowledge. There are kids born to moms with AIDS; victims of straying partners; nurses who accidentally jabbed themselves by infected needles while caring for AIDS patients and other unfortunate events which are beyond our control. AIDS is real as sex and sex is natural; as long as humans engage in sex, there is AIDS and nobody is really safe from it—promiscuous or not.

If anybody can contract AIDS even if they are maintaining a decent sex life, then what will set senior citizen aside then? They are just about as human as everybody else and they enjoy a good sex every now and then. Some even maintained a regular sex life even if they are way beyond their expected age. Also, let’s not forget all those necessary medical treatments which expose them to AIDS as much. Unfortunately, it was found out that cases of seniors contracting HIV are steadily increasing since last year.

These figures don’t imply as your average senior going sex-crazed and it is nowhere near that notion as well. Lack of formal information for seniors would be the number one cause of these rising numbers since anti-AIDS campaigns are primarily focused to teenagers and younger adults. Most of seniors don’t practice safe sex because they just don’t believe in it and are not fully aware of the risks. Years ago, the only way a senior could catch HIV was through blood transfusion but now, even engaging in heterosexual contact can be very dangerous to seniors, no matter how long they know their partners. Drug abuse can also bring about HIV and a handful of seniors are now enjoying this kind of lifestyle, never minding its health risks and complications.

Sadly, AIDS in seniors can be overlooked due to other health issues since AIDS symptoms are more or less similar to other diseases. The usual HIV symptoms are dry cough, fatigue, cold sores, and swollen glands—all natural occurring to an aging senior. Another thing to consider is their doctor’s perspective. More often than not, a geriatric doctor would not suspect AIDS to a senior patient. It will almost always something other than AIDS and usually after so many hits and miss, by now the AIDS is already full blown and it will be too late for any kind of treatment.

AIDS is a terrible disease caught by engaging in either sex or drugs but sufferers should not be discriminated in any way especially seniors who need strong support system with or without HIV infection. AIDS, just like any other lifestyle diseases out there, will not spare anyone. Would you condemn someone obese just because he ate too much? Of course not.

At around 25%-50% of our senior population showed evidences of medication noncompliance and unfortunately, it’s still gaining in numbers due to many varying reasons, primarily being the stiff cost of these prescribed medications—something our health care providers fail to see or they just simply ignore.

Usually upon reaching the age of 40, there are already maintenance drugs that will be prescribed by your physician. These are drugs that will prevent further damage or worsening of your condition considering all factors such as hereditary and lifestyle. Within this age bracket, your prescribed medications are typically multivitamins, soft gel capsules and others—all of which are within reasonable price range and of course, they are not too detrimental to your health if you skip one day.

If only seniors could stay this way forever; unfortunately as seniors grow older, the costs of their medications grow alongside them as well. Plus let’s not forget all those reports we are receiving about these prescription drugs namely: their long term side-effects and potential complications. To a senior buying them at high prices, one thing is definitely running in their minds, “..and I am paying for those as well?”

Although it is quite understandable at times but seniors must know that it is indeed dangerous for their health to stay noncompliant to their prescribed medications. Noncompliant simply means cutting back on prescribed dosage or not taking the medications at all and it is a very rampant practice among senior citizen today.

Another survey revealed that sometimes seniors tend to inadvertently forget their medications or confuse them with other drugs—something that seniors can’t help doing so either by accident or mental illness. This mistake proves to be very unsafe and can be fatal at times.

Medication noncompliance committed by seniors can immediately lead to serious health issues and untimely death. Over-medication can cause liver problems to seniors while under-medicating will expose you to your dormant disease’s complications. For every chronic condition that you may have right now, there is almost always a drug or two to take care of it so the more illnesses you have, the more medications you have to manage. Certain medications can cause you problems such as sleeping difficulties, dizziness and others but it is not advisable that you stop them at once. In cases like these, talking to your doctor will be the next best step a senior like you should take. If you are planning to stop taking all your prescribed medications for some reason, it is much better if you take your case to another doctor rather than not seeking professional medical help at all.

There are also other alternatives that you may want to explore such as herbal medicines, alternative health practices and lifestyle changes. All of these can assist you in managing your health problems better but you still need a professional advice for that. It is extremely important for seniors to regularly check with their doctors because they are the ones that can help us in time of need.