Fear of falling is one of the most common fears older adults deal with. However, it can diminish your self-confidence so much that you start limiting your activity. This can make you weaker and more prone to falling. Facing your fears about falling will help make those feelings less overwhelming. This article will explore possible reasons behind your anxiety and help you learn ways to lower fall risks. What Is Fear of Falling?...
Glaucoma surgery is performed to help lower your intraocular pressure when you have glaucoma. This can help to reduce your risk of losing vision. Glaucoma surgery also may be done to lower the number of eye drop medications you use. When you have glaucoma, you may need one or more eye drops every day to help keep your intraocular pressure down. Keeping track of those different eye drops and using them properly can be challenging....
Controlled coughing is a technique that can help assist your body’s natural mucus-clearing mechanisms. If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), this can be helpful as your cough reflex may have been weakened by long-term exposure to an irritant (typically cigarette smoke), hampering your ability to clear your lungs. Coughing serves a number of helpful purposes: In addition to keeping your airways clear, it’s a defense mechanism against foreign or toxic substances that you may have breathed into your lungs from the environment....
Cervical cancer is the most common disease related to human papillomavirus (HPV) worldwide—but that doesn’t mean it’s the only one. While it has been known for years that HPV is also associated with anal, penile, and vulvar cancers, scientists have recently found a strong link between HPV and oral cancers of the mouth and throat. In fact, in the United States, oral cancers have passed cervical cancer as the most common malignancy caused by HPV....
One way to test for Alzheimer’s disease is to assess the brain’s functioning. There are several frequently used cognitive screenings that can be used to evaluate someone’s memory, executive functioning, communication skills, and general cognitive functioning. These tests are commonly done in your healthcare provider’s office; widely used is Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). These can be very helpful in identifying if a problem exists, or if there’s just a normal lapse in memory....
Every year, 735,000 Americans have a heart attack and 350,000 suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Many of these situations could be prevented if people recognized the symptoms and knew what actions to take. Sadly, a recent Cleveland Clinic survey revealed that the majority of Americans know nothing or very little about heart disease. In fact, only 49 percent of Americans know about the health of their own heart. And 22 percent said they’d rather look at Instagram or read about their favorite celebrity than learn about it....
Walking with a cane that is too short or too tall can be difficult, and it can put you at risk for falling or for injury. It’s important to get the right cane so you can get around safely. There are different types of canes, such as the common “C cane” with its curved head, or the functional grip model with its straight head for a better hold. The four-point quad cane offers more stability at the base....
Everyone wants (and expects) their surgery to go well. But we all understand that surgery has the potential for complications. Some complications are more difficult to control, but we know that an experienced surgeon is often less likely to have as many complications. But how do you know if you have found a surgeon with enough experience? Surgeon Experience Results in Better Surgery Success Rates Numerous studies have been done to evaluate factors that may influence the result of a variety of surgical procedures....
The vast majority of nerves that send information to and from the brain relay that information through the spinal cord, which is wrapped in the protective bone of vertebrae, between which openings (foramina) permit the passage of nerve roots. Those nerves go on to form the peripheral nervous system. Sometimes these nerve roots can be compressed by a bony growth from the vertebrae, or the slipping of one vertebra over the other narrows the opening (foramen) through which a nerve runs....
As part of the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF), you may have to take daily progesterone injections to increase the odds of becoming pregnant. This article explains why progesterone is important during pregnancy. It also offers tips on how to self-administer intramuscular injections of progesterone if your doctor has prescribed them. Purpose of Injection Progesterone is a sex hormone that plays a key role in maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Self-administering progesterone during IVF helps your body prepare for a pregnancy....
Acute bronchitis and pneumonia are often confused because they cause such similar symptoms. A cough that lasts for weeks or even longer are hallmarks of both illnesses. However, there are key differences between these infections that you need to know about. If you have ever been diagnosed with either one or know someone who has, you’ll want to know how they differ. Understanding Bronchitis Acute bronchitis is inflammation of the airways that lead to the lungs....
Plant-based milks made from almonds, soy, and oats have flooded grocery store shelves. But when it comes to the closest alternative to cow’s milk, many experts recommend pea milk. Pea milk, unlike other plant-based options, contains a similar amount of protein, calcium, and vitamin D as cow’s milk. Key Takeaways Pea milk is one of the closest plant-based alternatives to cow’s milk.Store-bought pea milk contains higher levels of protein, calcium, vitamin D, and some micronutrients when compared to many other plant-based milks....
Chronic gastrointestinal bleeding is bleeding that is usually slow and can either continue for a long time or start and stop in a short period of time. The symptoms of chronic GI bleeding depend on where in the digestive tract the bleeding is occurring. Chronic bleeding in the GI tract may not be easily detected as acute GI tract bleeding because the signs of it are less obvious. It is important that you seek medical attention whenever you either see signs of GI bleeding, or show the symptoms of a GI bleed....
Although Parkinson’s disease is not fatal, research suggests it may influence life expectancy. One study examined the six-year survival of nearly 140,000 Medicare beneficiaries with Parkinson’s disease in the United States. During the six years, 64% of the participants with Parkinson’s disease passed away. This article discusses Parkinson’s disease and how it may affect life expectancy. Parkinson’s Disease and Life Expectancy The risk of death of those with Parkinson’s was then compared to Medicare beneficiaries who did not have Parkinson’s or any other common diseases, including:...
One of the lesser-known side effects of treatment for blood and marrow cancers is lung damage. This type of lung damage may also be called pulmonary toxicity or lung toxicity. Pulmonary toxicity can range from inflammation of the lining of the lungs to permanent scarring of the lung tissues. It has been estimated that as many as 10% of patients who receive chemotherapy—at least the types of chemotherapy used for blood cancers—will have pulmonary side effects....
Many people with psoriasis look forward to the warmer weather months. The warm, moist air of spring and summer can help to relieve dryness and itching, and sunshine helps to improve skin symptoms. Even though spring and summer are gentler on your skin, there are still some precautions you should take to keep psoriasis flares at bay. Here are some tips for managing psoriasis during the warm weather months. Benefits of Sunlight for Psoriasis UVB rays from the sun may help treat psoriasis symptoms by slowing down skin growth and shedding....
The nucleus pulposus is located in the spine, between two vertebrae, where it plays a major role in providing the spine with shock absorption during movement. It prevents bone to bone contact, reducing the possibility of injuries and pain. What Is the Nucleus Pulposus? The nucleus pulposus is part of the intervertebral disc. It is the soft filling located in the center of the disc. It is surrounded by a strong covering consisting of 3 concentric layers of tough fibrous tissue....
A uvulectomy is a surgical procedure in which all or part of the uvula is removed. The uvula is a bell-shaped organ that hangs from the top of the throat. There are a few different reasons a uvulectomy is performed including some rituals, but most are controversial. The uvula plays a role in the gag reflex. It also has a small part in keeping the mouth moist as it contains many salivary glands....
Retinopathy of prematurity, also called ROP, is a disease that affects the retina of the eye. ROP affects the blood vessels on the retina in a preemie’s eyes and is one of the leading causes of childhood blindness. Overview During pregnancy, the blood vessels in a baby’s eyes begin to develop around 16 weeks gestation. By about the 34th week of pregnancy, the blood vessels in the eye are well developed enough that the retina has a good blood supply....
Ribbing disease is a rare disorder that causes bony growths to develop on the long bones of the legs—the thigh bone and shin bone. The condition can also affect the long bones of the arms. Ribbing disease often develops after puberty (after the skeleton has matured) and will affect more women than men. Ribbing disease goes by other names, including multiple diaphyseal sclerosis, diaphyseal sclerosis, and heredity multiple diaphyseal sclerosis. It is also is a part of a group of disorders called sclerosing bone dysplasias—rare genetic diseases characterized by abnormally thick and overgrown bones....
