Addiction & Substance Overuse Drug Abuse Among Seniors By Jane Farrell article By Judy Kirkwood The problem of older adults abusing prescription and illicit drugs hasn’t gotten enough attention says Dr. Gaya Dowling, acting chief of science policy branch at NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse). “When we think of drug abuse, we think of young people,” says Dowling. But there has been an undeniable rise in the number of patients over 50 who require intervention and treatment. Many more remain in the shadows, undiagnosed.
_ Alternative Health My Acupuncture Treatment By Jane Farrell article Earlier this year I completed a six-week trial of acupuncture to see if it would banish the pain in my butt from Piriformis syndrome, an inflammation of the sciatic nerve. It didn’t fix that, but it did do something else that I hadn’t experienced with massage or chiropractic treatment (and certainly not with ibuprofen). And I did feel better.
_ Exercise ThirdAge Health Close-up: Pilates By Jane Farrell article By Judy Kirkwood I’m doing Pilates machines workouts by the process of elimination. I’ve tried and given up just about everything else. For the last year, my friend’s words have echoed in my guilt chamber: “Just pay the money and do Pilates machines classes. They work!”
_ Dr. Marie's Advice About Bacterial Vaginosis By Sondra Forsyth article About 50% of all cases of vaginitis, an inflammation or infection of the vagina, are caused by bacterial vaginosis. If BV is not treated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain and possible infertility. It can also lower your defenses against other infections. However in this digital age, when many women are turning to the Internet rather than see a doctor, a recent study found that fully two out of three women with bacterial vaginosis misdiagnosed themselves when they Googled their symptoms.
_ Overactive Bladder (OAB) & Incontinence Urinary Health Dr. Marie's Help for Incontinence By Sondra Forsyth article A 2008 article in the New England Journal of Medicinearticle revealed that 25 percent of perimenopausal women and 40 percent of postmenopausal women report leakage of urine. ThirdAge medical expert Marie Savard, M.D., author of "Ask Dr. Marie," says that the main causes of this annoying condition are decreased estrogen levels and aging pelvic muscles that are losing strength. She adds that obesity can exacerbate the condition, as can asthma, diabetes, a chronic cough, and medications such as diuretics, antihistamines, and antidepressants.
Rare Disease Day: 1 in 10 People Are Afflicted By Sondra Forsyth article Ten years ago at the age of 44, Liz Gorka was stunned when she was diagnosed with a disease she had never heard of before. Systemic sclerodema is a progressive disorder that causes the hardening of connective tissues and can seriously damage vital organs. As the Mayo Clinic site puts it, "For unknown reasons, the immune system turns against the body . . . Scleroderma has no known cure."
_ Living Single Are You Lonely? By Sondra Forsyth article If you're a Boomer who's living alone, you're part of a growing phenomenon. Close to 30% of the older population is in what the Census Bureau calls "single person households," and the number skyrockets to almost 50% for women over the age of 75. Yet while mid-lifers who are yearning for some "me time" may think that flying solo sounds great, the truth is that coming home to an empty house or apartment night after night can bring on depression as well as a host of related physical ailments.
The Great Ballets 101 -- Part I By Sondra Forsyth blog When I was a young ballet student, I read "The Complete Book of Ballets," by Cyril Beaumont, many times over.
_ Dr. Marie's Hemorrhoid Advice By Sondra Forsyth article One of our favorite experts, Marie (Dr. Marie) Savard, M.D., confides that back when she gave birth for the first time, she ended up with a huge hemorrhoid that made having a bowel movement exquisitely painful. "I was so preoccupied with my sore bottom that I could barely enjoy my new baby," says Dr. Marie. She adds, though, that this incident inspired her to teach her patients how to prevent and treat hemorrhoids, also called "piles." Here is what you need to know about this nuisance ailment that strikes an estimated 90 percent of us at least once.
Parlez Vous Ballet? By Sondra Forsyth blog 'Tis the season when rehearsals for myriad annual productions of "The Nutcracker" are underway across the country. If the beloved holiday ballet is coming to a theater or high school auditorium near you and you're not a regular balletomane, here's your chance to bone up in advance with my Q&A about the history and lore of the liveliest art's classical dance form. Q. Why are all the ballet terms French?
_ Women's Health and Wellness Dr. Marie's Stay-Well Checklist for Women By Sondra Forsyth article One of our favorite experts, Marie Savard, M.D., Medical Contributor to "Good Morning America" and the author most recently of "Ask Dr. Marie," has given us a comprehensive checklist to help you can stay as healthy as possible and catch any problems early.
I Walked My Daughter Down the Aisle By Sondra Forsyth blog On a blazingly beautiful July afternoon in 2003, I walked my daughter down the aisle. Well, actually, it was a hill since the ceremony was on the grounds of a lodge in Montana's Glacier National Park. The point, though, is that she was on my arm and not her father's.
Well-being How Doing Good Helps You By Sondra Forsyth article Like a lot of Boomers these days, you may be leading a full and fairly stressful life. Here's a counterintuitive way to make yourself feel better both emotionally and physically. Add one more item to your To Do list: volunteering. And if you're retired with a little leisure on your hands, filling the void with projects that reach out to others is a scientifically proven way to boost your morale and your immune system at the same time.
_ Dr. Marie's Hospital Guide By Jane Farrell article No one is in a better position than a nurse to give you insider information about your hospital stay – unless she's a nurse who went on to become a doctor. Marie Savard, M.D., medical contributor to Good Morning America and the author of Ask Dr. Marie and How to Save Your Own Life, offers these tips for taking charge of your healthcare when you're going to the hospital: