If your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia and can’t live alone, finding the best long-term care for him or her may seem overwhelming. To make the most informed decision for your family member, read on for tips on touring facilities and questions to ask. Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia If your loved… Continue reading How to Find the Best Alzheimer’s or Dementia Care For Your Loved One
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.
Well-Known Drug Could Yield New Treatment for Herpes Viruses
Today, there is only one class of antiviral medicines against herpes viruses — a family of viruses that cause mononucleosis, herpes, and shingles, among other illnesses – meaning options for treating these infections are limited. If viruses become resistant to these frontline treatments, a growing problem particularly in clinical settings, there are no alternative drugs… Continue reading Well-Known Drug Could Yield New Treatment for Herpes Viruses
Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, Fourth 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. The first week of this riddle, the patient reported her symptoms to her PCP. The doctor proceeded with… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, Fourth Week
“Cold Turkey” Wins for Successful Smoking Cessation
Quitting smoking abruptly is more likely to lead to lasting abstinence compared to quitting gradually, according to a study published on March 14th 2016 in Annals of Internal Medicine. A release from the American College of Physicians notes that current guidelines recommend abrupt smoking cessation in which smokers choose a quit date and stop smoking.… Continue reading “Cold Turkey” Wins for Successful Smoking Cessation
New Evidence Supports Grapes’ Benefits to Eye Health
Eating grapes may help protect eye health, according to new research published in March 2016 in the journal Nutrition. The study showed that a diet supplemented with grapes was able to counter damage from oxidative stress and preserve retinal structure and function in a laboratory model of retinal degeneration. Natural components in grapes that help… Continue reading New Evidence Supports Grapes’ Benefits to Eye Health
Family Meetings Can Resolve Money Issues
People often find it harder to talk about money than politics, death or religion. To get family money issues out in the open, Anthony D. Criscuolo, certified financial planner with Palisades Hudson Financial Group, recommends holding a family meeting. “You don’t necessarily have to be in the ‘1 percent’ to benefit from having one or… Continue reading Family Meetings Can Resolve Money Issues
People with Anxiety Show Fundamental Differences in Perception
People suffering from anxiety perceive the world in a fundamentally different way than others do, according to a study done at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on March 3rd 2016. The research may help explain why certain people are more prone to anxiety. A… Continue reading People with Anxiety Show Fundamental Differences in Perception
Contact Lens Solutions With Hydrogen Peroxide: To Avoid Injury, Follow All Instructions
If you wear contact lenses, the way you clean them can affect your vision and health. Following instructions and taking note of product warnings is especially important if you use a solution that contains hydrogen peroxide. Here is advice from the FDA. Background The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates contact lenses and certain contact… Continue reading Contact Lens Solutions With Hydrogen Peroxide: To Avoid Injury, Follow All Instructions
Women Have Lost Their Advantage Over Men Regarding Living Free of Disabilities Past Age 65
In a reversal of a long-standing pattern, a 2016 study done at the University of Michigan found that older women in the U.S. have lost ground relative to older men in the number of years they can expect to live free from disabilities past age 65. The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging,… Continue reading Women Have Lost Their Advantage Over Men Regarding Living Free of Disabilities Past Age 65
Energy Healing with the Help of Nature
People of different wisdom traditions have recognized that natural spaces can affect their own energy in particular ways. Are you sensitive enough to recognize the subtle changes in energy as you walk from one area to another, such as across a meadow or along a beach? Are you able to identify spots that have healing… Continue reading Energy Healing with the Help of Nature
Specialized Tests for Melanoma Diagnosis & Treatment
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, information provided by Emily Y. Chu, MD, PhD, FAAD, assistant professor of dermatology, and pathology and laboratory medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, genetic and molecular testing can provide valuable information for doctors OVERVIEW Melanoma rates in the United States have doubled over the past two decades.1 Fortunately for… Continue reading Specialized Tests for Melanoma Diagnosis & Treatment
Inflated Charges in Medicare & Medicaid Payment Patterns Vary
In 2016, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles Health Sciences found inflated charges and significant variation in patterns of payments for surgical care by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That charges were inflated compared with payments disproportionately affects the underinsured and uninsured, who often must pay for their care out… Continue reading Inflated Charges in Medicare & Medicaid Payment Patterns Vary
Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, Third 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. The first week of this riddle, the patient reported her symptoms to her PCP. The doctor proceeded with… Continue reading Solve the Medical Riddle: Her Hands Have Started Trembling, and Her Voice Is Shaky, Third Week
Mobile Device Addiction Linked to Depression & Anxiety
Is cellphone use detrimental to mental health? A 2016 study from the University of Illinois in Champaign finds that addiction to, and not simply use of, mobile technology is linked to anxiety and depression in college-age students. Here at thifAge.com, we suspect that this addiction issue extends to older adults as well.The study was published… Continue reading Mobile Device Addiction Linked to Depression & Anxiety
Create a Garden Anywhere with Straw Bales
Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. This technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on a patio, lawn or any area with poor compacted soil. Straw bale gardening has been around for centuries, but thanks to Joel Karsten’s book “Straw Bale Gardens” it has gained new popularity.… Continue reading Create a Garden Anywhere with Straw Bales
Genetically Elevated “Good” Cholesterol May Actually Be Bad
The generally accepted medical maxim that elevated HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) is “good” has been overturned by a multi-center international study led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The researchers show that a certain genetic cause of increased HDL-C may actually be “bad,” noting that a specific mutation in… Continue reading Genetically Elevated “Good” Cholesterol May Actually Be Bad
Always Tired? You May Have Sleep Apnea
Your spouse says your snoring is driving her nuts. You wake up feeling unrested and irritable. These are common signs that you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that—left untreated—can take its toll on the body and mind. Untreated OSA has been linked to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, car accidents,… Continue reading Always Tired? You May Have Sleep Apnea
Moving Do’s and Don’t’s
According to recent studies, 61% of people place moving homes at the top of their stress list, ahead of relationship breakdowns, divorce or even a new job. One way to ease this stress is to hire professionals to do all the heavy lifting, but that still leaves the packing and organization of your affairs. Ross… Continue reading Moving Do’s and Don’t’s