Editor’s note: Welcome to our thirdAGE feature that gives you a chance to play medical sleuth as we share the details of what happened when a patient presented with a problem that stumped the physician at first. Last week, the patient reported her symptoms. The doctor proceeded with the examination using the components of the… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has a Fever, Nausea, Neck Pain, and a Headache, Second Week
Author: Sondra Forsyth
Sondra Forsyth is Co-Editor-in-Chief of ThirdAge.com. She is a National Magazine Award winner with scores of major magazine bylines and twelve books to her credit. Her most recent book is “Candida Cleanse: The 21-Day Diet to Beat Yeast and Feel Your Best”. Sondra was Executive Editor at “Ladies’ Home Journal,” Features Editor at “Cosmopolitan,” and Articles Editor at “Bride’s”. A former ballerina, she founded Ballet Ambassadors, an arts-in-education company in New York City, and served as Artistic Director for 16 years.
Spring Cleaning Tips for a Healthy Home
Spring is almost here and that means it’s time for spring cleaning. In addition to getting rid of the clutter in your home, how can you create a truly healthy living environment for your family? Start with the closets for one very important reason: Start with your closets so you’re not dumping everything into a… Continue reading Spring Cleaning Tips for a Healthy Home
Many Women Are Not Informed of Heart Disease Risk
Although nearly three-quarters of women taking a recent survey had one or more risk factors for heart disease, a startlingly small proportion — just 16 percent — had actually been told by their doctors that these factors put them at risk for heart disease, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s… Continue reading Many Women Are Not Informed of Heart Disease Risk
7 Tips for Overcoming First Date Jitters
Whether you’re 15 or 50, first date jitters are real and can even be uncomfortable. How can you better handle them? How can you reduce your anxiety and have a better first date? However, there are some simple and natural ways to deal with them. Here are my tips: Picture yourself in the situation ahead of… Continue reading 7 Tips for Overcoming First Date Jitters
Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years for Older People
Exercise in older people is associated with a slower rate of decline in thinking skills that occurs with aging. People who reported light to no exercise experienced a decline equal to 10 more years of aging as compared to people who reported moderate to intense exercise, according to a population-based observational study published in the… Continue reading Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years for Older People
Labeling Emotions Can Help You Manage Them Better
Is that anger boiling up? Could that tension in your shoulders be a sign of fear, or maybe worry? Are you feeling sad, disappointed, dejected even, or simply a little uncomfortable? No matter what you feel, the ability to accurately label your emotions can help you manage them better, according to researchers. Affect labeling, as… Continue reading Labeling Emotions Can Help You Manage Them Better
How Common Are Falls Among Older People?
According to the National Institute for Health: Senior Health, more than one in three people age 65 years or older fall each year. The risk of falling — and the risk of disability and other life-changing problems caused by falls — increase with age. Falls are not an inevitable part of getting older, though. Many… Continue reading How Common Are Falls Among Older People?
New Insights into Human Tears = More Comfortable Contact Lenses
When contact lenses work really well, you forget they are on your eyes. You might not feel the same at the end of a long day staring at a computer screen. After too many hours of wear, the lenses and your eyes dry out, causing irritation that might outweigh the convenience of contacts. Stanford University… Continue reading New Insights into Human Tears = More Comfortable Contact Lenses
High Standards Produce Mixed Effects on Marriages
There is a tension between what spouses demand from their marriages and what they are capable of attaining from those marriages, according to recent psychology research. The results are published in the April 2016 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. High standards, whether in caring, support, or independence, improve satisfaction only in strong marriages.… Continue reading High Standards Produce Mixed Effects on Marriages
10 Things Grieving Children Want You to Know
One in 20 children will lose a parent by the age of 18. Most Americans will experience the death of someone close to them before graduating high school. Death is a part of life, and loss is difficult for everyone, but children and teens grieve differently than adults. When a child’s grief goes unnoticed or… Continue reading 10 Things Grieving Children Want You to Know
Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has a Fever, Nausea, Neck Pain, and a Headache, First Week
Editor’s note: Welcome to our thirdAGE feature that gives you a chance to play medical sleuth as we share the details of what happened when a patient presented with a problem that stumped the physician at first. We’ll start this week by letting you know what the patient told her PCP and how the doctor… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: She Has a Fever, Nausea, Neck Pain, and a Headache, First Week
Rescue Inhalers: New Approach Increases Mastery of Life-Saving Technique
A rescue inhaler can be a lifesaver during an asthma or COPD flare-up, but using a rescue inhaler is complicated and misuse is common, putting patients’ lives at risk. An education strategy, called teach-to-goal, may help patients use their inhalers properly during these critical times, according to research published online in March 2016 in the… Continue reading Rescue Inhalers: New Approach Increases Mastery of Life-Saving Technique
Discussing Older Adults’ Values & Goals Helps Guide Healthcare Providers
According to he Health in Aging Foundation, person-centered care puts individual values and preferences at the heart of healthcare decisions, measuring success by focusing attention on people’s health and life goals. When you’re an older adult faced with a life-threatening illness — especially if you’re also dealing with other chronic health problems — your expressed… Continue reading Discussing Older Adults’ Values & Goals Helps Guide Healthcare Providers
Seven Ways to Spring Clean Your Mind
Spring is almost here, and many people will jump into the annual spring cleaning ritual in their homes and offices, trashing the old and getting rid of the clutter. But how many people will be spring cleaning their minds, or getting mentally organized? Of you’re not mentally organized, you’ll be wallowing around unclear about what… Continue reading Seven Ways to Spring Clean Your Mind
Is Increased Dementia Risk in Women a Matter of Proteins?
Gender-specific differences between the levels and structures of proteins present in the white matter and the mitochondria of the brains of men and women suffering from dementia have been revealed for the first time in a study published in March 2016 in the open access journal Molecular Brain. A release from BioMed Central explains that… Continue reading Is Increased Dementia Risk in Women a Matter of Proteins?
Tips for Helping Stepfamilies Get Off to a Smoother Beginning
Any new marriage has its hurdles. But when the newlyweds also bring children from previous marriages, they face the additional challenge of trying to balance the needs of the relationship with the needs of the kids. It’s rarely as easy as the Brady Bunch made it seem. Too frequently, partners imagine that because they love… Continue reading Tips for Helping Stepfamilies Get Off to a Smoother Beginning
Systemic Antibody Responses to Oral Bacteria with Aging
On March 17th 2016 at the 45th Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, researcher Jeffrey Ebersole, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA, presented a study titled “Systemic Antibody Responses to Oral Bacteria with Aging.” The AADR Annual Meeting was held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association… Continue reading Systemic Antibody Responses to Oral Bacteria with Aging
What You Need to Know If You’re Named the Executor of an Estate
It is time to meet your team. They are (in no particular order): lawyer, accountant, appraiser, realtor, auctioneer, insurance agent, banker, broker, assorted bureaucrats, and the people who haul away a lifetime’s worth of junk. You may not need all of them, but chances are very good that you will need most of them—especially if… Continue reading What You Need to Know If You’re Named the Executor of an Estate