Elder Care Cafe

Whenever I am prescribed a drug for the first time, I always review the information that is enclosed. Then I promptly forget what I read. After all, the prescribing doctor gave the medication to me for a reason, and I know I need to follow the dosage for as long as the medication is needed. Then I move on.

How about you? [Read more →]

Rebound headaches occur because of frequent use of headache medication. Also called medication-overuse headaches, the headaches recur as pain relievers begin to wear off. Pain relievers are helpful for occasional headaches, but should not be taken more than a couple of days a week. Excessive use of over-the-counter or prescription drugs can trigger the painful cycle. [Read more →]

As we age, we are placed at greater risk for a number of oral health problems. The causes can very, but the result tends to be the same such as loss of teeth, poor looking teeth, systemic health problems, and other health complications. [Read more →]

Dentists know a lot more about your health than you realize. They can look into your mouth and predict whether you will someday have heart disease or diabetes. They can also determine whether you have a vitamin deficiency or eating disorder. Just looking at your gums and teeth tells observant dentists more about you than you may want them to know. [Read more →]

Recent reports indicate more seniors are smoking marijuana as baby boomers age. Are we really surprised by this? After all, who started the peace movement of the 1960s and early 1970s? Long considered a drug for young people, more people in their 50s and 60s, and even some in their 70s and 80s, are enjoying a joint or two along with, or in place of, their nightly glass of wine. [Read more →]

There are a number of ways to safely combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and relieve the symptoms of depression and darkness that descend every fall for many of you who live in the Northern Hemisphere. SAD symptoms include a sadness that rests upon someone during the months from November through February, irritability, cravings for carbohydrates, and lethargy. [Read more →]

This is the time of year that anyone who struggles with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may start to see the light, so to speak. It’s March, and the winter blahs will soon pass away until the next round of darkness strikes. In the Northern climates, around November, SAD sufferers begin to feel a weight come across their body and their life. Typically, it is a general feeling of fatigue and irritability. Other symptoms can include carb cravings, lack of interest in social activities, sleepiness, and weight gain. [Read more →]

As the world continues to become more mobile, there are many reasons why people find the need to change doctors. Some people move out of the area and need to find a doctor at their new location. Others may not like the way they are treated, have issues with the office staff, or disagree with the suggested treatment, and decide to make a change. Occasionally, a doctor retires leaving a number of people looking for a new physician. [Read more →]

Baby boomers have always been a social group. After all, they grew up with Elvis Presley, the Beetles, and Rock and Roll. Sports, dances, and clubs were de rigeur in high school and college. Sock hops and dances were the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights. In the winter months sock hops were held in the gym and during the summer, dances were held outdoors on a local tennis court or parking lot with a DJ pumping out the rock and roll tunes.   [Read more →]

As we approach Valentine’s Day, great news arrives for chocolate lovers around the world. Recent studies reveal that chocolate is good for the body as well as good for the soul. A new study that analyzed three previous studies reveals eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate can provide numerous health benefits, including the possibility of preventing a stroke. [Read more →]

Many people think that after they reach their senior years, 60 and beyond, they no longer need as many calories as they did when they were younger. That is not the case. Actually, seniors need more of certain nutrients because their bodies are less efficient in making or absorbing certain vitamins and minerals. For example, many people need additional vitamin D because their body no longer absorbs what it needs from the sun. [Read more →]

Although healthy living is important for everyone of all ages, it is especially vital that those of us over sixty follow a healthy lifestyle regimen. The three steps highlighted below will help all of us live longer, but also live better. We all want more energy, left health problems such as high blood pressure or cholesterol problems. The tips I am sharing today will give us an advantage as we move further into our senior years. [Read more →]

As Valentine’s Day approaches, many of us will remember our grammar school days when our mothers and teachers had us exchange a Valentine with everyone in our class whether we could tolerate our classmate or not. Many a child struggled with sending the Valentine with just the right wording so that our classmates of the opposite sex would get the right message, or not get the wrong message.  [Read more →]

When I realized I was getting close to my 300th post on this site, I started thinking about words such as milestone and landmark. First I thought this post was a milestone, but, according to the dictionary milestones mark a distance between two points. Writing this many entries might be considered a milestone, but then I looked up landmark. Another conundrum as I originally thought a landmark was something solid placed in a  position to mark some one’s property. [Read more →]

Seniors, can you feel Spring in the air? Over the last few days I have had the niggling feeling that Spring is in the air. I can feel it! Every year, sometime in February or March, I get the sense that the air around me feels a little different. There is a freshness and newness to the atmosphere. Some people think I am crazy when I feel Spring coming this early, while others nod their head in agreement. They feel it too. [Read more →]