Preventing Arthritis

21st of June, 2017

Preventing Arthritis:

Arthritis is the inflammation of joints which causes stiffness, pain and limited range of motion. Arthritis is more likely to inflict people of older ages, from normal wear and tear of the joints. Genetics, excess wear

and tear, injury and the natural aging process can both increase the risk for arthritis. While arthritis can be painful, it is not life threatening. Here are some tips to prevent arthritis from afflicting you:

1. Keeping your weight at a healthy number can definitely reduce the likelihood of arthritis. When the body carries around excess weight, it puts extra stress on the skeletal system, joints, and muscles. keeping excess weight off will reduce stress on your joints and prevent deterioration.

2. Keeping a healthy diet and eating plenty of fish can help you keep your bones healthy. The healthy omega-3 fats in fish, help you keep a strong skeletal system, keep excess weight off and provide your body with much-needed nutrients.

3. Engage in low-impact exercise, which will help strengthen your muscles, keep the excess weight off the bones and joints. The best, low impact exercise is biking, swimming, yoga, pilates, walking.

4. Prevent injury during any activity by wearing the appropriate protective devices, cushioned shoes, and other safety gear. Preventing injury is the best way to diminish the likelihood of arthritis in people of all ages and genders.

5.  Keep your Vitamin D levels high by engaging in outdoor activities with sun exposure. Yes, you can take vitamins to ensure you have proper levels of Vitamin D. However, Vitamin D from the sun cannot be replaced by a pill and is necessary for proper calcium absorption and strong bones.

6. Stay Hydrated by drinking plenty of non-sugary water throughout the day. The cartilage in our joints largely consists of water and drinking water is necessary to replenish it. Not only that, drinking water helps keep off excess weight and helps the body function better overall.

Use these tips daily, check in with your doctor regularly and help prevent arthritis!

Avoiding Scams as a Senior

13th of June, 2017

Avoiding Scams as a Senior:

In the recent years, there have been many unfortunate incidents of the elderly getting scammed. The technological revolution has made it easier to scam the older generation in new ways.

The key to preventing fraud and scams is by not revealing personal information over the phone or to someone you don't trust. Shy away from revealing your social security number or credit card number to someone, especially if you are receiving unexpected calls from them. Do not reveal person

Some best ways to protect your older loved ones is by becoming involved in their finances and becoming Power of Attorney. This will give you permission to making financial decisions for your loved ones. This is especially useful if they have dementia and cannot make their own decisions. Visit your loved ones regularly and educate them about keeping their information private.
It is also a good idea to keep track of their emails, phone calls, and physical mail to make sure they are not receiving fraudulent information.


The most popular scams:

Do not provide any information in emails, or text messages either. Any email asking you for financial information should be seen as a threat, especially if there is an elaborate story behind why the individual needs your information.

The Grandchild Scam - if someone calls pretending to be your grandchild, asking for money - be wary. Sometimes due to poor hearing or a poor phone connection, an older person may fall for this and send money via Western Union to their "grandchild."

The Medicaid/Medicare Scam - a representative will call to collect and "additional" payment or additional information that they need to keep their membership/enrollment up to date. Do not give any information unless you receive formal mail.

The Internet Fraud - this can take place via email and the story can vary every time. Either it is someone from a foreign country who needs money or the recipient of the email has won an absurd amount of money and must provide bank information. Do not give them your information.

Stay Safe - Keep your information Private!

Fall-Prevention for the Elderly

12th of June, 2017

Fall-Prevention for the Elderly:


As people age, their bones become more brittle and soft. Their gait also becomes more unsteady and balance becomes poor. This leads to unexpected falls and broken bones. Unfortunately, in the elderly, broken bones do not heal quickly or easily and can lead to permanent disability.
To prevent falls in the home and help them maintain their long-term independence, here are some tips:

Furniture should not be in the way where there is a lot of foot traffic. Rugs should be removed or secured using anti-slip backings. These backings can be bought in any supply store or online and put on the back of the rug. Tape or remove any loose wires, such as phone wires or internet cables, to prevent falls that way as well. Keep all objects off the floor and keep the apartment/house well-lit.

Bedrooms should be well-lit as well and there should be a lamp next to the bed, available for easy reach. A night light is also recommended to use. Night lights are cheap and affordable and provide a constant, dim light in a room for children as well as the elderly or those who have fears of the dark. Have a bed that is low to the floor so getting in and out of the bed is less challenging.

Bathrooms are the most important place in the home to safe-proof for the elderly. There are many dangers lurking that can cause a fall. For instance, use a non-slip mat or sticky strips in the tub to prevent falling when it gets wet and slippery. Grab bars are important to install outside the tub/shower as well as inside. This will allow a person to steady themselves when showering. A removable seat would also be recommended so sitting down while bathing could an option.

The same tips should be used in other areas of the home. It is important that if an individual does fall, that they have a way of calling for help. This could be by using a personal alarm system or by always carrying a cell phone with them.

We hope these tips prevent future falls for your loved ones.

The Science of Love

8th of June, 2017

The Science of Love:

Romantic Love is an intense, pleasant and complicated feeling. What causes us to love someone? Love is a remarkable feeling but is an evolutionary way of keeping humanity together and reproducing.

There are several stages to falling and staying in love. The truth is neurotransmitters and chemicals play a bigger role in falling in love than we think.

The Initial Stage of falling in love involves physical lust and sexual desirability.  The lust stage is driven by the hormones  testosterone and estrogen. When we find someone attractive because our sex hormones drive us to find a sexual mate. Both of these hormones (testosterone and estrogen) are present in men and women and motivate us to pair up, have sex and reproduce.

The Attraction Stage of falling in love occurs when we begin dating and start having "fuzzy", warm feelings for that particular person. The positive feelings are usually attributed to the feeling of falling in love. The three primary hormones involved in this stage are adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. This occurs in new relationships and these hormones are responsible for that feeling.

The Attachment Stage is the third stage where couples become bonded to each other. The hormone oxytocin is involved in this stage and causes a bonding feeling. Oxytocin is responsible for attachment, feeling of fondness, familiarity and love. Oxytocin also increases after couples have sex. Evolutionarily speaking, it is a good hormone because couples need to stay together to ensure their offspring is taken care of.

Hepatitis B & C: what is the difference?

5th of June, 2017

Hepatitis B & C: what is the difference?

 There are five hepatitis types: A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis B and C are both viruses that affect the liver and are the most detrimental ones. Hepatitis literally translates to inflammation of the liver. Before we get into the detrimental effects of hepatitis, it is important to understand why the liver is important to the body. The liver cleanses the blood of pathogens and toxins, stores glucose for energy and digests fats. 
Hepatitis wrecks havoc on the liver and prevents it from completing its daily functions. 

Symptoms for Hep B and C are the same.  The symptoms include but are not limited to fever, joint pain, abdominal aches, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes), diarrhea, loss of appetite.

Hepatitis B has a longer incubation period than Hep. C but both are spread through contact with blood or other bodily fluids. They can both be transmitted sexually. There is a vaccine to prevent Hep. B but unfortunately no vaccine for Hep. C. It is advised that infants, children, and teens get vaccinated for hepatitis B. In cases of all Hepatitis versions, alcohol should be avoided or kept to a minimum. Alcohol is very toxic for the liver and increases the likelihood of liver failure. 

You can prevent Hepatitis by not sharing needles, using protection during sex and not being in close proximity to bodily fluids.