Archive for the ‘Treatment’ Category
Researchers from the University of Michigan said that beta cell function declines with old age. This causes impaired insulin secretion, leading to diabetes. They say that a sedentary lifestyle has similar effects to eating junk food and smoking when it comes to acquiring diabetes and heart disease.
However, there maybe hope for them yet. Another study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, states that even short-term exercise positively affects the beta cell function and therefore increases insulin sensitivity. The findings show that after exercising, there was a 53 percent increase in insulin sensitivity and 28 percent improvement in beta cell function.
Elderly people usually suffer from farsightedness, which is evident when they hold reading materials far from their eyes. This condition is called presbyopia or the gradual loss of ability to focus on nearby objects.
Sewing and writing are tasks usually difficult for elderly people, due to their propensity to suffer from eyestrain. They are advised to do these activities in a well lit environment and must take short breaks so their eyes can rest.
Treatment of presbyopia can be either be the use of eye wear or surgery. There are a lot of choices in using eye wear, the reading glasses, the bifocal or progressive addition lenses (PALs), and the multifocal contact lenses. A new option available for elderly with presbyopia is surgery.
It is highly recommended to consult your eye doctor regularly for the best possible treatment options.
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Alzheimer’s disease damages the part of the brain involved in memory, problem solving, judgment, and behavior. It is the most common type of dementia in older adults. Alzheimer’s usually starts with memory loss. And it gets worse over a few years. Medicines may for a short time improve some of the thinking and memory problems but they don’t guarantee the cure of the disease and further improvement of memory. Over time, Alzheimer’s robs people the ability to take care of their selves. They may become confused and frightened and may strike out at others. You may wonder how to tell whether memory loss normal or related to Alzheimer’s. Early on, it’s not always clear. But here are some few warning signs that you can look for:
• Trouble learning or remembering new information.
• Trouble with familiar tasks like cooking a meal or driving a car.
• Problems with language and finding the right words to say.
The elderly needs to get as much rest as possible. It’s a worry then if they start having problems with sleeping.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) older adults with sleep problems have a higher risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“As we get older, the amount of nightly sleep that we need remains the same as that of what we needed when we were younger. However the ability to get the sleep that we need does change. Older people have a hard time getting the sleep they need because of the interference of medical illness, the medications they take for those illnesses, and changes in their biological clock,” Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.
Here are some tips on getting a good night’s sleep:
- Establish a routine sleep schedule.
- Avoid using the bed for activities other than sleep or intimacy.
- Avoid substances that disturb sleep, such as caffeine and alcohol.
- Avoid napping during the day.
- If you have to nap, limit it to less than one hour and do it no later than 3 p.m.
- Develop pre-sleep rituals that help you relax, such as a warm bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading.
- Leave worries behind.
- Bedtime is a time to relax, not replay the stresses of the day.
- Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and a little cool.
- If you can’t fall asleep, leave the bedroom and do a quiet activity. Go back to bed only when you’re tired.