Winterizing the body and mind

We take great preparation in winterizing our cars, air conditioners, sprinkling systems, and outside drainage pipes. As seniors, however, it is much more important to winterize our physical and mental selves. How can we keep winter sniffles and blues down to minimum occurrences?

Pumpkin power

‘Tis the season of autumn and time to celebrate the amazingly versatile and incredibly healthy squash fruit/vegetable known as the pumpkin. Introduced to the pilgrims by Native American Indians, the pumpkin was documented as having been served during the second Thanksgiving meal.

The high cost of low vision, Part 4: Low vision’s support resources, cost of services, research

“Helping someone with low vision and giving them the tools to live independent, productive, and happy lives can hopefully be achieved by listening to qualified speakers, learning about adaptive tools and technologies and available resources,” Marlene Pilger, one of the two ladies who started M’Eye Low Vision Group, said, summarizing the group’s mission.

The high cost of low vision, part 3: The use of rehabilitation/therapy and technology

Remembering regular eye checkups is critical to controlling and limiting damage done to our eyes as seniors. With proper management, even those eye diseases that can cause blindness can usually be helped.

The high cost of low vision, Part II: How M’Eye Low Vision Support Group can help those with low vision

Certainly one of the priceless perks of living in our senior community is our residents’ easy accessibility to support groups. All of these groups are exclusively for Sun City/Huntley seniors and are facilitated by our residents.

The high cost of low vision Part 1: Low vision’s four most common eye disorders and their symptoms

As we grow older, it is normal for our eyes to change. John Hopkins Medical Publication (Sept. 2013) tells us “Advancing age also puts you at risk for more serious eye diseases, as do chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma are among the most common causes of serious visual impairment, and their frequency is rising.”

Ticks are in the thick of it – Part II: Symptoms and complications of Lyme Disease

From Part 1 of this 2 Part Series, we learned that the blood-thirsty tick is an arachnid (related to the spider and scorpion), who, through its bite, spreads a dangerous form of bacteria. In the Northeastern and Upper Midwestern parts of our country, the resulting illness, Lyme disease, has reached epidemic proportions in recent years.

Ticks are in the thick of it – Part 1: Statistics, preventative measures, and tick removal technique

Having lived in the Kildeer/Long Grove area for 35 years, I am quite aware of that pesky, bloodsucking, disease-transmitting arachnid referred to as a tick.

The brutal impact of lupus, Part II: Lupus diagnosis guidelines and treatment options

In Part 1 of this series, lupus (SLE) was described as a very serious autoimmune disease, where over a period of time, the body’s defense system can attack multiple organs in the body. No single test exists today that can confirm a positive diagnosis of lupus.

The brutal impact of lupus, Part I: Background information and difficulty in diagnosis

“Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood disease in which the immune system is out of balance, causing damage to [possibly] any organ system in the body,” Diane Magerko, a volunteer for Lupus Foundation of America, Illinois Chapter, said.

Sun City seeks surfers for Relay for Life team

A plan for safe summer exercise

Helpguide.org states, “Exercise is the key to healthy aging.” Cathy Segarra, Centegra Huntley’s Wellness Center program manager and registered nurse, added, “According to the National Institute on Aging Health, studies have shown that even doing moderate amount of exercise…can improve your health.”

Fixing SAD for the holidays Part 2: Treatment Is Available

If you have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, treatment can help prevent complications, especially if the disorder is diagnosed and treated in its early stages before symptoms get worse. According to Mayo clinic.com: “It’s normal to have some days when you feel down. But if you feel down for days at a time and you can’t seem to get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy (especially during this holiday season when social life should abound), see your doctor.

Fixing SAD for the holidays, part 1: And the days grow shorter

Charles Dickens once wrote, “Nature gives to every season some beauties of its own. It is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress.” For at least 6 percent of the U.S. population, more women than men, the change of seasons from fall to winter is not so smooth but rather quite stormy.

Please Pass the Cranberries!

At this year’s holiday meals, you might frequently hear the cry for more cranberries to be passed around the family table. Whether in a drink, sauce, relish, jellied mold, bread, cake, or cookie, or in their original state, the health benefits of cranberries can’t be beat! According to the Kane County Farmer Newspaper, cranberries fight cancer, aging, diabetes, bacterial infections, and neurological diseases.

Seniors, get moving! Part 2: Let’s Get Started!

Cathy Segarra, Sun City/Huntley’s Wellness Department Nurse, advises seniors to “check with your doctor before starting any exercise. You may have some limitations–arthritic or back issues [for example].”

Seniors, get moving! Part 1: Exercise benefits the body and mind

Now that the warmer months of more exercise-friendly weather have departed, more discipline is needed for seniors to get in their daily exercise routines. Why am I such a crusader for moving the aging body? The truth is, Sun Citians, you can’t afford to not get moving!

Chronic pain management Part 2: Treatment for pain relief

There is no single proven test available to diagnose one’s pain. The diagnosis generally used begins with questions about the pain’s location, frequency, and duration. Asking the patient to rate the pain’s intensity on a one to 10 scale is usually included. A physician next will look for painful areas on the person’s body during a physical exam and ask what kind of pain is being perceived.

Chronic pain management Part 1: Factors Leading to Long-Lasting Pain

Tens of millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain. In fact, one in every three people is dealing with chronic pain as I write this report. Chronic pain can be mild or excruciating, episodic or continuous, merely inconvenient or totally incapacitating.

The changing role of cholesterol, part 6: For your heart’s sake/necessary lifestyle changes

It has been documented in some fields of research that possibly as many as a third of coronary victims don’t have any of the accepted risk factors. Nevertheless, risk factors for coronary and vascular diseases loom as giants in predicting future problems. Indeed, the new cardiac research continues to bolster these arguments. Because it takes years for heart disease to rear “its ugly head,” now is the time to make those lifestyle changes.

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