The contributions of older Americans are celebrated each May during Older Americans’ Month. This year’s theme, “Engage at Every Age,” emphasizes that you are never too old to enrich your physical and emotional well-being.
To encourage happy, healthy and productive golden years when older adults are able to pursue their hobbies and passions, consider these tips from Cigna-HealthSpring, one of the nation’s largest providers of Medicare plans.
• Get an annual exam. Annual visits are critical for identifying potential health issues early, as well as maintaining a relationship with your primary care physician. During this visit, your doctor can establish a plan based on your age, gender and health status for the vaccinations and health screenings you need, such as mammograms, cholesterol screenings and colorectal cancer screenings. Medicare and Medicare Advantage cover certain types of annual exams at no extra cost. Check with your plan for details.
• Take medications as prescribed. Your drugs were prescribed for a reason. It is important to adhere to your medication regime and take medications as prescribed. Some drugs can cause harmful interactions, so make sure your doctor knows everything you take, including over-the-counter drugs.
• If you smoke, stop. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. It’s never too late to quit, and the benefits of doing so are almost immediate, according to the American Cancer Society. Keep in mind that parts of Medicare cover smoking cessation counseling and prescription medications.
• Get some exercise. Regular exercise can help older adults stay independent and prevent many health problems that come with age. Many Medicare Advantage plans offer exercise programs designed specifically for older adults at no extra cost. If your plan has a program like this, make sure to take advantage of it.
• Have some fun! Be sure to make time for activities you enjoy and seek out others who also enjoy them. The social interaction is good for you.
“We are constantly inspired by stories of older adults reinventing themselves later in life in meaningful ways, from running marathons to mentoring young people to painting for the very first time,” said Brian Evanko, president of Cigna-HealthSpring. “The key that unlocks all of this is maintaining your physical and emotional health and well-being through the years.” — StatePoint
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
For patients experiencing ischemic stroke — the leading cause of disability in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the time it takes to receive treatment is critically important for avoiding irreversible brain damage. While getting evaluated by a specialist used to take up to several hours, new in-ambulance technology being tested by hospitals nationwide is helping patients get evaluated within minutes.
May is American Stroke Month, and a good opportunity to learn how a new technology known as In-Transit Telestroke (ITTS) may transform the field of stroke treatment. With ITTS, stroke neurologists can examine patients by using video technology from ambulances, decreasing the time between a patient’s onset of symptoms and crucial treatment.
“In the case of strokes, every moment counts, and thanks to ITTS, we’re able to deliver treatment faster than ever before,” says Gary Belt, M.D., stroke neurologist at Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J., a not-for-profit multihospital system and the first in the country to implement ITTS technology.
Recent research highlights the benefits of this technology: patients evaluated with ITTS in ambulances while in-transit to the hospital can be treated with the brain saving drug alteplase 13 minutes faster than those patients not assessed until they are in the emergency department (referred to as door-to-needle, or DTN, time), according to a recent study by researchers at Overlook Medical Center and Atlantic Health System and published by the journal “Stroke.”
The first-of-its-kind study assessed 89 presumptive stroke patients in ambulances over 15 months from January 2015 through March 2016. Atlantic Health System paramedics responding to neurological emergencies used an InTouch Xpress device — a portable unit with a high-definition camera, microphone and screen — allowing video communication with a stroke neurologist who performed a neurological evaluation of the patient while in-transit to the emergency department. Once the patients arrived at the participating hospital’s emergency department, the neurologist assumed care and, when indicated, administered alteplase, a tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) that breaks down blood clots to restore blood flow to the brain.
“We are constantly looking for ways to treat stroke patients as quickly as possible, as each passing minute of lost blood supply translates to more brain damage,” says John J. Halperin, M.D., senior study investigator and chair, department of neurosciences at Overlook Medical Center. “Our observations suggest that pre-hospital evaluation with telestroke may provide a scalable, affordable way to speed stroke treatment, as well as more rapidly direct patients to the centers capable of performing the procedures that will serve their needs best.” — StatePoint
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
Warmer weather is the perfect motivation for ending your winter hibernation and making healthier choices. Whether your goal is run a short race or lose a few pounds before summer, these simple tips can help you get started.
Create your own exercise plan. Most of us know that regular exercise and physical activity are two of the best ways to keep our body healthy, but sticking to a new gym routine or fitness class can be hard. An exercise plan with clear, specific goals and schedules can help you stay on track.
Eat healthy. A lot of fad diets promise fast results, but they often limit your nutritional intake and tend to fail in the long run. Eating healthier food and fewer calories is the key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Focus on preparing nutritious meals with fresh ingredients and choosing your portion sizes carefully.
Stay motivated with smart tech. Using a fitness app on your smartphone to keep track of your progress and learn healthy recipes or new exercises. A fitness tracker or workout app can be useful for setting up friendly reminders to keep moving and stick to your exercise appointments.
Be strategic at restaurants. When eating out, there are some great tricks that let you enjoy your favorites while avoiding overindulging. The three-bite rule lets you take three bites out of a treat and then set it aside for a few minutes — you might discover that those few bites can be very satisfying, and might be all you really wanted in the first place. Substitute fries with healthier sides such as steamed vegetables, brown rice or a salad with dressing on the side.
Control your cravings. Sometimes you feel like you’re doing everything right, yet still not getting results. Things like cravings can get in the way of your weight loss by leading you to eat even when you’re not hungry. If you’re overweight and have health problems because of it, talk to your doctor or physical therapist about a new treatment option for chronic weight management. — News Canada
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
For many adults, growing older seems to involve an inevitable loss of strength, energy and vigor — but that need not be, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The frailty and decreased energy associated with aging are largely due to muscle loss due to inactivity. And when it comes to muscle, the old saying is true: “Use it or lose it.”
What to do
One of the best ways to keep muscles healthy and strong, the CDC advises, is through exercises called strength training. Done regularly, strength training builds bone and muscle and helps to preserve strength, independence and energy. These exercises are safe and effective for women and men of all ages, including those who are not in perfect health. In fact, people with health concerns — such as arthritis or heart disease — often benefit the most from lifting weights a few times each week.
Strength training, the CDC adds, can also reduce the signs and symptoms of:
• Arthritis — It reduces pain and stiffness and increases strength and flexibility.
• Diabetes — It improves glycemic control.
• Osteoporosis — It builds bone density and reduces risk for falls.
• Heart disease — It reduces cardiovascular risk by improving lipid profile and overall fitness.
• Obesity — It increases metabolism, which helps burn more calories and helps with long-term weight control.
• Back pain —It strengthens back and abdominal muscles to reduce stress on the spine.
What’s more, studies have shown that people who exercise regularly sleep better and have less depression, more self-confidence and self-esteem, and a greater sense of well-being.
Fortunately, strength training exercises are easy to learn, and have been proven safe and effective through years of thorough research. You may also be relieved to learn there are ways to train without undo strain, aches and pains.
Doctor’s advice
To help, Bob Arnot, M.D., an award-winning journalist, author of 12 books on nutrition and health, host of the “Dr. Danger” reality TV series, previously Chief Medical Correspondent for NBC and CBS News, and Chief Foreign Correspondent for MSNBC and NBC, offers this advice:
• Find a few minutes at least two to three times a week to maintain general fitness. Try three or four five-minute bursts of activity such as walking or climbing the stairs at the office.
• Take two or three more minutes a day for yoga breathing and movements to help your body maintain balance, usable strength, flexibility and muscular restoration.
• Spend another few minutes every day and before any vigorous exercise doing calf stretches and forward bends.
• Stay hydrated before, during and after your workout.
• To reduce your risk of muscle soreness after exercise, consider a massage, an Epsom salts bath or intermittent hot and cold showers, as well as proper stretching and cooldown.
• Muscle strains and muscle pulls are major health concerns for weekend athletes. Signs you should look for alerting you to rest your muscles and avoid overtraining are a higher than normal resting heart rate, disrupted sleep due to an elevated heart rate, muscle cramping and muscle twitching.
• Eat right. In addition to lots of fruits and vegetables and a few lean meats, consume foods with magnesium, which helps fight inflammation, and with vitamin B12 — especially if you’re over 50 — such as fortified cereals. Drink three cups of fat-free or low-fat milk throughout the day or consume the equivalent in yogurt, cheese or other dairy products. Consider an anti-inflammatory diet — cut out sugar, potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant.
• Go topical. Topical pain relievers such as creams, gels and patches work locally. For example, the Salonpas Lidocaine 4% Pain Relieving Gel-Patch provides the maximum strength of lidocaine available without a prescription. According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, “Lidocaine is a highly effective pain reliever and its unique non-narcotic and nonaddictive properties make it a benign alternative to opioids, without the risks and devastating side effects of opioids.” These unscented patches can desensitize aggravated nerves and provide numbing relief generally within an hour of application.
For further health hints from Dr. Arnot and others and information on relieving aches and pains, go to salonpas.us. — NAPS
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
Many of us with pain are prescribed painkillers. Opioids are one of the most commonly prescribed pain medications in the United States and Canada, and are necessary for some people to lead productive lives and to manage their pain.
But opioids can also cause people to become dependent on the drug and can lead to substance use disorder, otherwise known as addiction, if there isn’t careful attention by health care providers on dose and duration of time a patient may take an opioid.
If you are prescribed an opioid, have a discussion with your health professional who can help you weigh the benefits and the risks of these powerful drugs based on your needs. Discuss your concerns and any risk factors you may have for developing problematic substance use, such as family history or your own past history with opioids. And ask about alternatives to opioids.
Informing yourself as a patient about the risks and benefits of these drugs will help you make an informed decision and participate in determining your best treatment option.
If you are prescribed opioids, keep in mind that storing them safely is also extremely important, especially if there are others in the household. Most young people surveyed report that their most common source for prescription opioids was a family member.
Know your risks, talk with your health professional and, if you are prescribed opioids, use them as directed. Seek assistance early if you encounter problems reducing or stopping your treatment. Your pharmacy can also help you safely dispose of any unused opioids.
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
Spending time in the hospital can be a challenge, and the last thing you need is another setback on your road to recovery. This is why it is so important to know that being in the hospital — particularly if you are dealing with surgery, a physical trauma or a serious illness like cancer — places you at increased risk for the development of a deadly blood clot.
Each year, blood clots affect about 900,000 people in the United States, and about half of all blood clots occur during a hospital stay or within three months of a hospital stay or surgery.
Many blood clots occurring during or after hospitalization can be prevented, but fewer than half of hospital patients receive proper prevention measures. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Blood Clot Alliance advise that you have a blood clot prevention plan when headed to and home from the hospital.
Your Blood Clot Prevention Plan
Follow these steps to help prevent blood clots:
• Before entering the hospital, discuss all of your risk factors with your doctor, including your personal and family history of blood clots.
• Ask if you will need prevention measures for blood clots while in the hospital.
• Before leaving the hospital, ask your doctor what to do at home to prevent blood clots.
• Ask about the signs or symptoms of a blood clot and what to do if you experience them.
Signs and Symptoms of a Blood Clot
Blood clots occur most often in the legs or arms, and symptoms include:
• Swelling
• Pain or tenderness
• Skin that may be warm to the touch, red, or discolored
Blood clots in your legs or arms can travel to your lungs, which can be deadly. Symptoms of blood clots in your lungs include:
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain that worsens with a deep breath
• Coughing up blood
• Faster than normal or irregular heartbeat
When released from the hospital and you return home, follow all instructions and take medications as prescribed. Get up and move around as often as possible. If confined to bed or unable to move, ask a family member or friend to help you move. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience signs or symptoms.
ProActive Sports Rehab, with offices in Hamburg and West Seneca, offers one-on-one physical therapy and rehabilitation services. For more information, please call 674-9600 (West Seneca office) or 648-8700 (Hamburg office). You can also follow ProActive Sports Rehab on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProActiveSportsRehab for frequent updates.
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