Seniors Site

First off, memory problems are normal at any age. Ask an average toddler what he or she did, say 6 or 7 hours ago and I bet you, not an iota of idea, unless it’s something significant he or she will remember for the rest of their lives, but any other day, it’s na-da.
There are many reasons why a person may experience memory problems every now and then. Pregnant women are known to have mild memory loss which is closely associated to stress and anxiety or simply “too much to think of” during pregnancy. Like any other mild memory problem, the condition improves over time, especially if given enough attention. So does age-related memory loss. Like I have always said, senior moments can be delayed, no matter what researchers say, it can even be improved, albeit a little struggle than usual. It just needs regular brain exercises and a stress-free environment.
On the other hand, it is important to consult your healthcare provider if you suspect that your memory problem seems severe than normal, or if you feel it is progressive in nature. Progressive, in a way that, it seems more and more of your “stored” memory escapes you, even your most recent ones. Memory loss is a symptom of an underlying disease, do not forget that. With that said, you must be very vigilant on how your brain behaves. Contrary to popular notion, memory loss is not limited to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease only. In fact, it can be caused by many varying factors such as your medications and common age-related diseases.
Common–but marked–characteristics of Dementia are impaired verbal fluency and inability to complete or accomplish simple, everyday tasks. Certainly you don’t get that if you’re having a normal “senior moment”! To further assess your memory problem, here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:
·    Your age. Self explanatory.
·    Your level of forgetfulness. Like I said earlier, if you fail to remember how to take a bath, then it’s time to consult your doctor! If it’s just your keys then all you need is a key finder!
·    For how long? Usually, a bothering case of forgetfulness starts from an exact cause such as head injury or heart attack.
·    Time of attacks. How frequent? Is there any particular time of the day when it’s most persistent?
·    Your current mental and emotional state. These things indeed interfere with the way you remember things.

Aside from the basic and generally known fact that organic is good for your health, going organic really has many great benefits for an aging body like ours—and I am not only talking about market-bought organic foods and whatnot—it includes your backyard, homegrown produce which your hands have personally tended and cared for.
I have heard complaints from my penny-pinching friends when it comes to going organic. Seniors who are very conscious of their money-spending activities have expressed the same thoughts—that going organic is indeed expensive—and I have to agree with that. Although I really couldn’t see the reason why organic products cost more—like it discourages us to finally make the switch, sellers tell me that it is actually the demand/care combo it requires just to be able to arrive safely on our tables. Apparently, it is much easier and cheaper for traditional farmers to deliver in bulk than organic farmers hence the stiff price.
However, seniors should know that you don’t have to buy organic produce each and everytime as you can yield your own especially if you are a good gardener. If lucky, you can even earn money from it by selling some of your produce to your neighbors. You can also keep free ranging animals as long as your local authorities permit it. When aiming for all-organic produce, make sure that you are farming right. Some of the basic guidelines are:
·    Make sure that the soil is free from any chemical i.e not treated in any way with pesticides and chemical-based solutions.
·    Must be “fed” with organic fertilizers only.
·    Should maintain an all organic diet through its different stages of growth.
So why is organic good for you? First of all, anything that is chemical will have a reaction the moment it touches your blood. This reaction can never be good for you as chemicals are not a natural substance for the body to recognize. Most of the time, it considers these substances as a foreign object and will try to fight it. Problem is, these chemicals are a lot stronger than our immune system which only creates havoc inside of us. Most chemical byproducts found in the blood causes diseases and illnesses and can sometimes make underlying ones resistant to treatments. By avoiding products that are drenched with harmful chemicals, you are saving yourself from these life threatening diseases or at the very least, boost your immune system to fight them off.

For normal, average person like me, it is when the lower extremities i.e ankles or feet appear to be abnormally big for the rest of the body. Edema, one of the most possible causes of swelling, normally occurs during pregnancy however, seniors tend to get swollen legs from time to time especially if they suffer from arthritis. Other age groups do get them although not as frequent as the two aforementioned. It is important to take note that when you get abnormal swelling, consult your doctor at once since 9 out of 10, it signifies health problems needing immediate attention.
Health care providers consider swelling as a symptom of a disease, both underlying and ongoing. This means, everybody can get it at any point of their lives, young or old, male or female. In an elderly person’s case, swelling can occur as a side effect of the medications you are currently taking in. Furthermore, Swelling will also occur when there’s an existing health problem bothering the senior as of the moment such as arthritis and gout. Swelling of the legs is treated by health care providers in the same way they treat inflammation and in minor cases, especially when there’s no immediate health risk to the swelling, is only given anti-inflammatory drugs. A patient who is suffering from mild swelling is almost always sent home and advised of proper home care such as elevating the feet when lying down, using support stockings and receiving mild massage to improve circulation. Application of hot and cold compress in an alternating manner can also improve your condition.
Edema is not a disease, not even heredity, and it is only one of the reasons why a person suffers swollen legs. Edema happens when extra fluid leaks out of their normal way and somehow accumulated in the lower extremities. When you stand or sit too long without moving, it is most likely to happen. It is also noted that when you consume too much salt, a person who is predisposed to such condition will certainly experience swelling of either the face or the person’s extremities. Liver and kidney diseases are known causes of edema. Please take note that edema can cause respiratory difficulties so it is important that you submit yourself to a doctor when you experience any kind of swelling to receive proper care.
Obesity can also cause swelling as the weight adds unnecessary pressure to lower extremities. If you suspect this is the cause of your swollen legs, you just have to take an extra effort in losing excess pounds and managing to stay within the ideal weight.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is mostly associated with younger adults than in the seniors’ group. It is a digestive condition that is not at all fatal but absolutely stressful for the sufferer. Also, Irritable Bowel Movement or IBM cannot, in any way, lead to any serious disease of the colon or even the digestive track for that matter. IBM can be controlled by diet and medication but you have to submit yourself to strict monitoring by your health care provider for them to be able to pinpoint the exact cause which triggers the condition.
This condition has many symptoms that can be associated with it; it can be abdominal cramping, bloating, constipation or diarrhea. Other times, it can be as inconspicuous as backache and chest pains. Serious manifestations of IBM can disable a sufferer but these serious cases are very rare. This digestive condition is considered by doctors as common and manageable. However, for seniors, IBM can go unnoticed therefore subjecting seniors to unnecessary aches and discomforts, even getting diagnoses and medications that are not at all related to IBM.
There is no specific cause for Irritable Bowel Syndrome discovered yet.  Some researchers say that it is the movement or non-movement of the colon, while others claim that it is the person’s digestive sensitivity to some types of food such as gluten or alcohol. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is pretty much the same no matter the age you are in. Lucky are those who belong in younger generations since they don’t have any other diseases interfering with their IBM diagnosis. Seniors, on the other hand, have the tendency to experience the exact same symptoms from entirely different illnesses, making it very hard for their doctors to make the right diagnosis. My advice is, if you suspect that you are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, have your doctor look at your symptoms closely and insist on tests before dismissing the condition all together. It is also important to take note of your own digestive responses such as your bowel movement and abdominal pains– when and how are you getting them. This way, it will be easier to convince your doctor that indeed it is an IBS. Also, take into consideration that IBS is never age-related. It is not something you just develop later in life. Chances are, you have had bouts of them during your younger years, only you don’t give it too much attention back then. Also, when it attacks, it usually takes months—3 consecutive months, the least—to clear up.

No, I’m not talking about anything romantic today i.e stroking or one-on-one body massages, we’re all about health today:  seniors’ health!
Seniors are very much familiar with the words “high blood pressure”, “heart attack” and of course, “stroke”. In fact, too familiar that sometimes we tend to overlook simple details such as their warning signs and prevention. Stroke, even if the disease put seniors in the so-called “high-risk group”, it can be prevented. Even the “instant death” it tends to bring can be prevented if its warning signs are given immediate attention. The problem however is that, most seniors never even knew about these signs or may have recognized them but mistakenly associated them to other minor condition. Basically there are five warning signs a senior may experience when he or she is having a stroke:
·    Poor Balance. Unable to walk or stand steady and straight.
·    Slurred or difficulty in speaking.
·    Numbness of the face, or any side of the body including extremities.
·    Loss of vision.
·    Severe headache.
Just by looking at these signs, one would understand why it’s quite hard for seniors to know if they are indeed having a stroke. In an aging body like ours, these are common, normal, everyday occurrences. By the way, these stroke signs don’t come in complete bundle, they may come in two’s or three’s, making it more difficult to detect. Also, stroke occurs when there’s a blood clot that blocked a vessel in the brain or if a vessel breaks resulting to an internal bleeding.
As you age, your risk of having a stroke greatly increases. Adding to the risk is your lifestyle. Take note that smoking is a major contributing factor to stroke, as well as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. You can also blame your genes as tendencies to have stroke can also be inherited. If you have any of these diseases or factors, you should be very conscious of the warning signs and call your doctor at once when you are experiencing them.
Again, stroke can be prevented, especially if you are willing to undergo some changes in your lifestyle. Keeping your blood pressure in check can help keep stroke at bay. Staying active by doing some light to moderate exercises on a regular basis will help your blood flow and circulation. Smoking, on the other hand, causes hardening of the arteries which can lead to breakage and eventually, hemorrhage. It is also important to discuss this with your doctor as he or she can prescribe you the right medications to take.

Cancer has been a very emotional issue for me ever since. I have seen friends and families succumbed to the said disease, many have fought—and hard—but eventually lost the battle, others have just plain given up, died either lonely or happy depending on how they were able to spend the last days of their lives. Based on my experience, only a handful of seniors were able to survive the terrible disease and even after cancer, their life can never be the same. There is always the nagging feeling that anytime soon, the disease will strike back and by that time, the body is in a really bad shape, it could no longer fight back. Cancer survivors treat each day as their last. Just imagine that, not a single day shall pass without thinking about the day you will die!
I say, treatments are only the first phase of cancer and once you’re diagnosed with the said disease, expect your road to be long, winding and indeed rocky! Physically and emotionally, cancer will certainly leave indelible marks, during and after. Fear is amongst the first emotions a cancer survivor may feel. Adding to that is the very apparent work discrimination that cancer survivors are now experiencing. Many have gone back to their work place, only to find out that they have been sort-of “demoted” to less challenging positions; that is if they are lucky to even find their jobs still open for them after the long “cancer hiatus”. Some are encouraged to retire earlier than they are supposed to which leaves a senior with no choice but to accept, albeit half-heartedly.
True indeed, that cancer is not a death sentence, like it was once, but sadly, getting cured is only half of the story—the only good thing about cancer nowadays, even. Treatments are known to drain a cancer patient’s financial reserves, with or without coverage.  Scars would always be there to remind the senior of the pain and suffering he or she had been through. Take for example a breast cancer survivor who underwent a surgery to remove one or two breasts to stop the cancer cells from spreading. Just imagine what it feels like being a woman with no breast—I know, because I’ve seen my mom went through the same and never can I imagine the pain in her eyes.
It is important for caregivers to still be there for senior cancer survivor since, more than ever, this is the time they need someone’s help the most. It is a common pattern for friends and families to slowly drift away from the survivor once the cancer is cured; problem is, cancer survivors, especially seniors, are the last ones to move on from the whole experience. With that said, one should expect a senior cancer survivor to be prone to depression and it is imperative to never leave them even after cancer. Several support groups offer care plans for survivors; together with your senior, encourage them to go to these sessions.

Today, you can smell love in the air and there’s no denying it, it’s infective as ever! It’s hard not to get caught up with all the hustle and bustle of it. Whether you’re single or attached, you’ll certainly get the feeling that you need to join in the celebration and make someone feel loved today. Just this morning, my granddaughter who is currently living with me just arrived after spending the night at her cousin’s house holding a little heart-shaped balloon and a lone, red rose which I dearly suspect came from my own garden. She extended those chubby arms and in her 8-year old, high-pitched voice, shouted at the top of her lungs “Happy Valentine’s Day, Nana!” with a grin so big, it made my heart melt. I don’t know but little gestures like this, I appreciate more. I held back the tears because this kid might take it the wrong way, said thank you and I love you then kissed her cheeks.
These things made me think how important it is for me to stay alive longer, to be able to see them grow and build their own lives. I want to be there when they need me and knowing how they appreciate my being there for them is enough for me to go on, no matter how hard life can be. Since it’s a heart day, let’s direct our attention to that little muscle which has both medical and profound meaning, the human heart.
Now that I am old, I take an extra effort to take care of my heart as I see it getting vulnerable everyday. Of course, dying of an unexpected heart attack is not my idea of a stylish death so I am really conscious of getting my aging heart as healthy as can be.  Oftentimes, seniors tend to forget about their hearts, setting aside its needs, until they experience usual heart problems such as chest pains and palpitations. Problem is, when you reach this point, it is usually too late as the heart disease already progressed into something more damaging—and yes, life threatening too. As much as possible, make it a habit to care for your heart and never wait for the worst to come. Here are some easy ways to take care of your heart:
·    Do cardiovascular exercises. When you do these exercises, make sure you clearly know where your intention lies. Cardio is done for many reasons; some go for it to lose weight while others do cardio to tone their legs. Yours should be moderate cardio exercises that will just keep your heart beating adequately. No need to stress your heart, just give it its much needed exercise.
·    Go for high-fiber, low-cholesterol diet as it is the most heart-friendly diet. Make it a point to eat oats in the morning as it lowers cholesterol.
·    It was found out that lack of sleep causes calcium buildup in the arteries of the heart which leads to heart attack and stroke. If you love your heart, get enough rest and sleep. Read report here:  Lack of Sleep Linked to Heart Problems
·    Avoid stress as much as possible. Stress triggers hormonal reactions vaguely understandable by the body thus it fires up signals for which the heart takes the direct stress. As you get older, you must learn how to manage stress in your own ways.
·    Take supplements prescribed by your doctors. Your supplements should consist of Omega-3, antioxidants, and B-vitamins.

As we grow old, we find it very important to know every little thing about how the brain works, particularly how it loses brain cells. Primarily because, we fear that someday, we will lose our memories and give in to the ever popular Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is terrible, just thinking about it is enough to make a senior cringe. I have witnessed seniors in very advanced age whose brains are no longer capable of functioning but the body refuses to break and I must admit, they really are a sad story to tell.
What’s really fascinating is that, no matter how persistent researchers are to be able to solve this mystery once and for all, the only thing they were able to ascertain is that when Alzheimer’s disease is present, there will be plaques in the brain. One can determine the extent of the disease just by looking at how these plaques multiply or grow. In other words, we can only go as far as determining if Alzheimer’s disease is present when a senior dies but there is no surefire way to prevent them since we don’t have a single clue how it really begins or what triggers it. This is exactly what the medical community is trying to pursue.
Averagely, by the time we reach the age 65, our brain cells start declining in numbers. Some say, the brain shrinks although there is no existing scientific basis so far. Normally, during these times, seniors may experience frustrating “senior moments” and start improvising just to help them remember things. It was said that the brain works like a computer system. You are most likely to remember the things that your brains currently or usually use. Others just get dumped somewhere. Sleeping, on the other hand, is your brain’s time to “reboot and defrag”, assigning things to where they should belong. Just like your computer, it has an expiration date, such that when it reaches its maximum level of use, it should go. Unfortunately, we don’t have brain upgrades as of the moment so we just have to deal with what we have now.
Perhaps it was also the idea behind a study made to distinguish the effect of our lifestyle to our brain cells later in life. According to this study, a person who doesn’t subject himself to mental stress on a regular basis showed slower rate in terms of declining brain cells. Moreover, those people who are physically active but have calm minds react similarly. On the other hand, people who always worry and are prone to depression produces high levels of cortisol which is a suspected substance that shrinks the brain. See full report here:  Personality and lifestyle in relation to dementia incidence

There has been an ongoing debate whether or not there is an existing issue of ageism in terms of receiving medical care especially for cancer cases. Ageism by definition is age discrimination. If an elderly person is denied of anything just because they belong to a certain age group, particularly that of the elderly group, he or she is a victim of ageism. It can be in forms of work, service and even healthcare.
But how would you know if you were denied of something important for your wellness just because you’re old or if it was really for your welfare? Many healthcare providers refuse to give seniors the same kind of treatment options available for other patients of different age. Chemotherapy, the most popular treatment method for cancer, is known to be skipped altogether in cases when a person developed cancer at a very late age, instead, seniors were only given symptomatic treatments to alleviate pain, if there’s any. Unlike in younger adult’s case, aggressive treatments to kill cancer cells and boost immune system were given, a senior is most likely to receive milder therapy, mostly to make life easier but seldom a cure to the disease itself. Some seniors consider this as unfair but others just give up and surrender to their doctor’s verdict. Others believe that there, indeed, is ageism and it is costing us our seniors’ lives.
The usual reasons why doctors prefer not to give seniors anymore aggressive treatments are their state of health, i.e if their body is already laden with one hundred and one illnesses and diseases that might react defiantly upon treatment, and if the cons outweigh the pros significantly. As health care provider, doctors are very cautious of their methods to prevent further discomfort of the patient. Unfortunately for others who have the means to pay for treatments and the will power to live, they, too, were denied of these treatments no matter what they felt or believed. Other groups who see it the other way think that doctors are not giving their elderly patients with much of a choice.
The problem is, almost 50% of cancer victims belong to the senior group, age ranging from 65 and above hence it only goes without saying that almost half of our cancer suffering population is not really getting proper care—or cure. It was also found out that only a handful of these seniors were encouraged by their doctors to proceed with chemo treatments and fortunately they did well under these treatments. As to how these doctors pick their candidates is beyond anyone. For me, I think it depends on the doctor’s preferences and how well he knows his patient. If you think you are not getting enough care from your current doctor and by all means, go find another one!

Of course! And if I may say so, seniors are more than ready for change nowadays. Seniors today are living longer and healthier lives, unfortunately, our skin doesn’t always match our inner being. Honestly, one of the worst experiences we have to contend everyday is looking in the mirror and see a saggy, wrinkly face when you really are feeling 10 or 20 years younger than your true age. Unfair right? Especially when you know you fought hard for your health, only to end up with bagful of wrinkles evenly distributed around your face.
I have some friends who underwent the knife, some got their happy endings while others end up with a face a million times worse than what they exchanged for. I, for now, am sticking with my natural face but God knows, if I get to live some 40 more years and end up with jaws just above my collar bone, then I will definitely make necessary arrangements to Costa Rica—and fast!
Actually, it’s never a sin to be vain, just as long as you are doing it for yourself and never for others. Well, that’s according to me. When you reach a certain age, somehow you will hear a nagging voice inside of you saying that maybe it’s time to take care of yourself instead. For some, this voice gets a little louder earlier in life, say midlife?..
Whatever your reasons are and no matter how intent you are in having a plastic surgery, seniors need to be reminded that safety should always come first. I consider plastic surgery as merchandise wherein you shop around to find a retailer that suits you best. They may offer you the same thing and would promise you the same end result but let’s face it—and no pun intended—it’s a traumatic experience and not to mention risky. So if you’re adamant in getting it done, make sure you go for a doctor that would provide you with lesser stress and great results. This, you could only know by getting feedbacks from previous patients or from friends and families who underwent the same thing.
It is important that you do your research first and go meet previous patients to know about the procedure more before going to the doctor. The reason for this is, sometimes, cosmetic doctors tend to get all flowery with words that it gets harder to spot the “not”. In other words, it’s fairly easy to get blinded with promises and not see the warning signs at once. Aside from that, it is best if you explore other options aside from the ever popular face lift. Today, there are many non-invasive procedures that are available to erase those wrinkles away depending on the severity of the problem. Again, go for the ones that won’t stress you much and won’t require too much healing time. Lastly, always check your doctor’s credentials and make sure he or she is qualified to do such procedures. Bear in mind that it is your face at stake.