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Seniors & Covid

Tips to manage stress and anxiety

by Carol Marak
written by Carol Marak

If you’re feeling anxious and stressed over the recent adversity and hard times, I feel you. Thousands of Americans are in the same boat. You are not alone.

Whether you’re worried about the unsettled economy, your job, or the “not so peaceful” protests, each of these are disturbing. If ignored, they can affect your mental and physical health.

Stress can be a physical reaction to feeling confused and frustrated by a situation. It will affect your sleep, eating patterns, and emotional health. Over the years, I’ve discovered a few ways to help myself through troubling times. I’d like to share them in hopes you can find peace and relaxation to ease your mind and emotions.

Tips to Manage Stress

Practice Meditation or Prayer – Sit and breathe deeply for a minute or two. Then visualize white light or a sense of goodness flowing through your body and into each of your cells while continuing the deep breathing. Do this for at least 10 minutes. At the end send your love and peace out to the world.

Exercise – Walk outside for at least 30 minutes a day. Being outside in nature helps me stay healthy and releases negative thoughts and tension. Fresh air is good for the body.

Eat Nutritious Foods – Diet is so important when mitigating stress. Add more vegetables, fruit, legumes and healthy snacks and less sugar and meats. High levels of sugar and carbohydrates can raise your stress level and play havoc on the immune system.

Take a Break from the News – The latest news can throw your stress in a tizzy. So, don’t tune in all day. Go outside and look at greenery and flowers.

Journaling – My favorite way to rid my stress is to record my feelings and to write about my confusion, frustration, and anger. With everything that’s happening, it’s easy to feel anxious or confused. However, there is always something to be grateful for. I end my morning “pages” with gratitude. I write three uplifting things that happened that morning or the day before. This helps change my perspective and reminds me where I need to put my energy.

Talk with a Friend – Just talking to someone about how you feel can be helpful. Talking distracts me from my stressful thoughts and releases built-up tension by discussing it. Having constant tension clouds my judgement and can prevent me from seeing things clearly. Talk things out with a friend, or a trained professional. You will find solutions to cope with stress and put your problems into perspective.

Carol Marak, aging advocate, and editor at Seniorcare.com. She’s earned a Certificate in the Fundamentals of Gerontology from UC Davis, School of Gerontology.

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Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer
Conditions & Treatments

Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

Poor sleep habits are a common problem among elderly adults. Up to 40% of older Americans suffer from some form of sleep disorder, which include trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and a range of related problems. Research has shown that sleeping quality worsens as we age, and many older adults pay the price, faced with daily fatigue and an increased risk of health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and memory problems.

Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer
Medical professionals recommend a range of strategies to seniors who struggle with sleep disorders, including reduced caffeine intake, avoiding TV and computers before bed, and breathing exercises. But a small study published in Frontiers of Human Neuroscience suggests a new way that seniors might be able to improve their quality of sleep: pink noise. Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer

According to research performed by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, pink noise therapy may help seniors achieve the deep sleep they desperately need — and could improve memory in the process.

Researchers Induce Deep Sleep with Pink Noise

What is “pink noise”? In simple terms, pink noise can be thought of as a cousin of white noise — the sound you used to hear from your TV when it was tuned to a dead channel. Pink noise is made up of a mix of high and low frequencies, and while it sounds similar to white noise, the balance of these frequencies creates a more soothing and pleasurable sound. Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer

During the study, researchers had 13 adults over the age of 60 wear headphones during sleep. As the study participants slept, the researchers would play short bursts of pink noise when the participants entered deep sleep. The researchers measured the participants’ brain patterns and had participants take a memory test when they woke up. The researchers also performed a baseline test without pink noise to compare their results against. Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer

The results of the study showed that during the night when participants listened to pink noise, they experienced higher-quality deep sleep. Even more impressively, participants scored three times as well on memory tests after a night of pink noise-induced deep sleep. Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer

Despite these encouraging results, the team behind the study cautions that more research will need to be performed before pink noise becomes a recommended treatment for sleep-deprived seniors. Because of the small sample size of the study — only 13 participants, and just a single a night of sleep — the findings will need to be replicated at a larger scale, with more participants across a longer period of time.

If these further tests prove successful, the researchers behind the pink noise study hope to develop an affordable device that seniors can use in the comfort of home. In explaining the impact of such a device, Dr. Phyllis Zee, who headed the study, explains, “This is a potential tool for enhancing memory in older populations and attenuating normal age-related memory decline.”

In the meantime, seniors suffering from sleep disorders can try using pink noise on their own, but are advised to continue using other strategies for managing elderly sleeping problems.

If you have an older loved one who is coping with a sleeping disorder and other age-related difficulties, you may wish to consider in-home care. A professional caregiver can help your loved one cope with these difficulties and make day-to-day life more manageable and comfortable. To find out more about in-home care in your area, contact your local Visiting Angels office.

Sources:
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00109/full
http://time.com/4694555/pink-noise-deep-sleep-improve-memory/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317152.php

Losing Sleep? “Pink Noise” Might Be the Answer

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Getting Good Sleep fights Alzheimers
Conditions & TreatmentsHealth

Getting Good Sleep fights Alzheimers

by Silverado
written by Silverado

Recent studies have shown that getting plenty of quality sleep can help prevent or slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s. It is a well-known fact that sleeping is necessary for proper brain health as it gives the organ an opportunity to rest and recharge. But did you know that while you are sleeping, the brain also processes memories and thoughts from the day? And because Alzheimer’s is a memory loss disease, one can see how the lack of quality sleep might affect your brain negatively. Getting Good Sleep fights Alzheimers

What links sleep and Alzheimer’s disease is a formation of protein fragments referred to as A-beta plaques. Researches have observed that a high amounts of the A-beta plaque yielded a greater risk of the development of Alzheimer’s in the subject. Those who did not get enough sleep or slept poorly had an increased amount of the plaque in their brains. In fact, a study in 2017 showed that poor sleepers had an approximately 68% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s in comparison to those who were well rested.

Sleep is a way for the brain to clean out all the “waste” that accumulates throughout the day, which includes A-beta plaques. Some neurologists believe that Alzheimer’s is an issue that stems from the waste not being cleaned up properly. Less sleep means that the brain doesn’t get enough time to clean up all the A-beta plaques, leading to it accumulating between the brain cells. Eventually, too much plaque results in inflammation and buildup of the tau protein, which can destroy neurons and thus lead to the development of Alzheimer’s.

Taking sleep more seriously can be incredibly beneficial for improved brain health and preventing Alzheimer’s. And it is not only the amount of sleep one gets that is important, but the quality of sleep as well. Sleep that is interrupted throughout the night can be just as harmful for the brain as not getting enough sleep. All the more reason to take that afternoon nap or sleep in for a couple extra hours!

For more simple brain fitness tips, visit this page.

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Senior woman preparing food in kitchen indoors, following food vlogger
Diet & Nutrition

How To Keep Your Immune System Strong

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

During these tough times of the Coronavirus, please stay healthy and your immune system strong. In a recent newsletter from eDoc Health, which offers good information on keeping our immune system healthy and fit, I want to share with readers. A physician wrote the newsletter and gave beneficial tips to help us fight the flu and other viruses.

Lifestyle factors that Impact the Immune Function

  • Exercise – Depending on your level of exercise, it can be good or bad for your immune function. Maintaining a regular exercise routine, which consists of at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, has been shown to improve your immune response and lead to significantly fewer respiratory infections.
  • Avoid the high-intensity workouts. It’s been shown that exercising for more than 90 minutes at a time on a regular basis, could increase respiratory infections.
  • Stress – Your immune system works better at fighting illness when your body is not under stress. In one series of studies from Carnegie Mellon University, people were given nose drops containing a cold virus. The people who reported less stress in their lives were significantly less likely to develop cold symptoms even though they were exposed to the same amount of cold virus. Worrying about the coronavirus, or the stock market doesn’t help your stress level! Learn techniques to manage stress.
  • Sleep – Improving your sleep habits is a good way to strengthen your immune system. You should try to sleep 7-8 hours per night. Try to get into a regular routine, with your bedtime and wake time not varying more than about 30-45 minutes each day. Avoid excessive lighting in the evening, especially screen time late in the evening. You need the dim light to trigger your natural melatonin release to help you get a better night’s sleep.
  • Dietary factors – Vitamin D – There is promising research to suggest that maintaining a normal vitamin D level could help your body fight off respiratory infections. You might talk with your doctor about checking your vitamin D level, and taking vitamin D supplements if it is low.
  • Studies link excessive alcohol consumption to a lowered functioning immune system. Research indicates that people who drink alcohol in excess are more susceptible to respiratory infections and that they recover from infections and wounds more slowly.
  • A healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, with low levels of simple sugars, can improve the health of the microbiome of your gut. You may be surprised to know that your gut microbiome has a huge effect on your immune function.

 

Despite many claims to the contrary, there is no single food or natural remedy that has been proven to improve immune function. You can read various claims about the immune-boosting properties of a number of foods, spices, and supplements, including ginger, turmeric, oregano oil, bone broth, zinc, and more.

Written by Dr. Anita Bennett MD for eDoc Health Newsletter.

 

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Calm facial expression of sleeping senior marriage
Diet & Nutrition

Sleep Your Way to Better Bones

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Did you know that most bone-building happens while you’re sleeping?

That’s right! Good quality sleep during the night is crucial for building strong, healthy bones — and avoiding osteoporosis.

How can that be? Well, it all starts with your circadian rhythm… which is basically your 24-hour internal clock.

You have circadian rhythms that regulate all kinds of things inside your body, like your eating habits, hormone releases, body temperature fluctuations, and others. One of the most important is your sleep-wake cycle (the time you spend sleeping vs. being awake).

All of these different circadian rhythms are kept in sync by a master clock in your suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) — a cluster of about 20,000 nerve cells located in the part of your brain called the hypothalamus.

Think of your SCN as a conductor of an orchestra who keeps all of your individual clocks running to a uniform beat.

You also have clock genes that are part of your circadian rhythm — and just about every cell in your body has them, including osteoclasts (cells that break down bone) and osteoblasts (cells that form new bone). The clock genes involved in your sleep-wake cycle work closely with a hormone you’ve probably heard of, and that’s melatonin. It makes you feel sleepy, but it also does something else, and that’s helping your body with bone formation and healthy bone metabolism.

Let’s take a quick trip inside your body to see how it all works…

At night when it gets dark, your eyes signal your SCN that it’s time to start feeling drowsy. Then your SCN signals for the production of melatonin, and you climb into bed and drift off to sleep. This is where your bone-building action comes alive… Communicating with your clock genes, melatonin helps suppress the development of osteoclasts, and helps form osteoblasts. What’s more, it increases the activity of bone turnover markers (the essential enzymes and proteins associated with bone-building).

When you stop and think about how much is happening inside your bones while you’re sleeping, it’s easy to see how harmful sleep disorders can be. A large-scale Norwegian study evaluated 24,715 people and discovered that those with insomnia had a 52% increased risk for osteoporosis!

Night shift workers also commonly suffer from poor bone health, and it’s easy to see why. Their natural sleep-wake circadian rhythm is flipped completely upside down! Research shows that working at night and sleeping during the day disrupts the delicate balance of nighttime bone repair and formation and leads to lower bone density. And napping? Daytime napping can also increase your risk of fracturing a bone by shifting your circadian rhythm and interfering with your 24-hour sleep-wake cycle.

So now that you’ve seen how sleep disorders and imbalances can impair your bone health, how can you make sure you’re getting enough uninterrupted quality sleep to protect your bones?

There are few things you can do… Keep the same bedtime and waking times. Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark. Consider a natural sleeping aid to help you get the recommended amount of sleep you need: the sweet spot is about 7–9 hours. And nix the nap. That way, your 24-hour sleep-wake cycle will run smoothly — just like clockwork. And your bones will thank you!

By Dean Neuls

Dean Neuls is the Co-Founder and CEO of AlgaeCal. He is a natural health author and student of bone health science who is passionate about helping people & bettering lives.

 

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Diet & Nutrition

How Much Daily Water Does the Body Need?

by Carol Marak
written by Carol Marak

A book that caught my eye, or should say, a book’s title that caught my eye, Your Bodies Many Cries for Water: You’re not sick, You’re Thirsty, by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. The title got my attention.

It’s based on a pioneering physician’s twenty years of clinical and scientific research into the role of water in the body and explains a breakthrough discovery that Unintentional Chronic Dehydration produces stress, chronic pains and many painful degenerative diseases.

The physician author says, “Dry Mouth is not the only sign of dehydration; and waiting to get thirsty is wrong. And simply adjusting your water intake can help you live a healthier pain-free life.”

The pains of dehydration

  • Irritability,
  • indigestion,
  • heart pain on walking,
  • low back pain,
  • leg pain on walking,
  • migraines,
  • and constipation.

 

And should be treated by drinking 2.5 quarts of water each day. That’s about 10 glasses of water.

Disclaimer: Talk with you doctor if you’re feeling any of these pains – don’t assume it’s dehydration.Plus, if you have kidney disease or congestive heart failure, you should not use water cures unless you are under medical supervision and the doctor says to practice this protocol.

Did you know? In a normal day, we lose about 10 to 15 cups of water?

I began adding more water two weeks ago by increasing to 10 or 11 glasses depending on how long I walk outside in the heat. The first thing I noticed is more energy and lessened fatigue. Second, I don’t get as hungry.

The book suggests both water and salt are essential for optimal health. Salt being the unprocessed kind. Unprocessed salt has sodium, chloride and up to 82 other trace minerals.

Based on the work of Dr. B and the current research, as a goal, try to eat at least 1/8th tsp of salt with each 10 to 16 ounces of water to start. Adjust it up or down based on your needs as you discover how it works to help you get optimal performance. Those who are sick may need to start at a higher amount, say 1/8th tsp for every 8 to 10 ounces depending on what they are dealing with. Some who are salt sensitive may need less salt.

Other benefits:

  • Sleep better
  • Stop leg cramps now and forever
  • Normalize blood pressure
  • Eliminate headaches
  • End your depression
  • Cancel terminal cancer and exceed your expiration date
  • Help manage over 76 diseases or conditions.
  • Skin problems
  • Stomach ulcers

 

Dr. B claims that people do not drink enough water, they do not drink the right kind of water and they are not taking in enough of the proper electrolytes with their water to help the water get into their cells.

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Older lady trying to sleep

What do Anxiety Dreams Mean?

by Kendall VanBlarcom
written by Kendall VanBlarcom

If you are having anxiety dreams on a regular basis, chances are there are real life stresses in your life that are in need of attention.

Why do we have stress dreams? Because, when you are sleeping, your mind is still active. When you are stressed and anxious, your mind is processing your emotions throughout your life, regardless if it is day or night. This is why personal worries and fears can appear in your dreams.

Everyone Experiences Stress

Stress is something we all have in our lives, but for some people it becomes an all encompassing issue. To live your best life, you need to learn ways to control your stress so that it isn’t controlling you.

Sometimes there are life events that add to your personal stress. Some examples of this include job loss, losing a family member, or moving to a new city. Talking through changes in life with a personal consultant can help you to diffuse building stress associate with life changes.

Stress Can Cause Anxiety Dreams

When we are upset, it can lead to sleep issues. For some, that means having trouble falling asleep and for others it means having poor sleep and upsetting dreams once sleep is achieved. When there is an unbalanced amount of rest to wakefulness within a night’s sleep, more dreaming can occur.

If you are worried and having trouble sleeping, or if you are experiencing anxiety dreams, know that there are solutions. With practice, you can learn to control stress in your life.

And maintaining a healthy sleep schedule is vital because there is a strong relationship between sleep and mental health. Sleep is an essential component to keeping your mind and body healthy. Studies have shown there is a link to not sleeping and episodes of depression. You owe it to yourself to learn how to relax and sleep well.

Ways to Relax Before Bed

Recognizing you need help relaxing is a first step. Once you acknowledge there is problem, you can begin to start using relaxation strategies to improve your sleep. Some find relief through breathing and relaxation techniques. Others can improve their rest by not allowing stressors into the bedroom. This means keeping bedrooms free of devices and technology. Your bedroom is a place to relax, so instead of watching the news before bed opt to read an enjoyable book or listen to music that brings you joy.

If you are already implementing relaxation techniques and you still find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, know that it happens to everyone now and again. We all have anxiety dreams and we all worry in the middle of the night sometimes. Be kind to yourself. Try to relax. If you simply can’t go back to sleep, get out of bed. Spending time in bed reprimanding yourself for being awake is not helpful. Instead, get up for a bit, clear your mind, then return back to bed and try to sleep again.

Anxiety dreams are often connected to stresses in your day-to-day life. Take control of your stress and your sleep will improve.

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Conditions & Treatments

Surprised by Symptoms: Parkinson’s Disease is More than Movement

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

For the nearly 1 million Americans who live with Parkinson’s disease, experiencing and learning to adapt to lifestyle changes is a major aspect of coping with the disease. While they and their care partners may anticipate difficulties with movement, including symptoms such as tremors and stiffness, many are unprepared for non-motor symptoms that may also accompany a Parkinson’s diagnosis.

To learn more about how these non-motor symptoms affect the lives of those living with and caring for a person with Parkinson’s, a non-profit organization called the Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance (PMDAlliance) surveyed more than 650 people with Parkinson’s and their care partners.

Here are some findings and insights from the survey:

Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s impact most people with the disease.

Of those surveyed, more than 90% reported having experienced non-motor symptoms. These symptoms come in a number of forms, including:

  • Sleep problems or excessive tiredness (84%)
  • Cognitive challenges (75%)
  • Anxiety (65%)
  • Depression (55%)
  • Hallucinations (41%)
  • Delusions (24%)
  • Other, including constipation, apathy, nightmares, anger, and mood swings (14%)

 

Of those who experienced, or reported that their loved one experienced, non-movement symptoms,

84 percent felt that these symptoms had a negative impact on quality of life, with about half rating them as either more or much more challenging to live with than movement symptoms.

In response to a question about their Parkinson’s experience, one care partner said, “I wish [other people] knew that Parkinson’s looks different in different people. My spouse’s motor symptoms are fairly well controlled, but his REM sleep disorder and dementia have made our lives incredibly challenging and exhausting.”

When it comes to Parkinson’s, daily living is impacted by hard-to-see symptoms.

Parkinson’s disease changes how patients and their care partners think about the future and cope with day-to-day living. When asked how non-movement symptoms impacted their daily life, those surveyed reported at least some negative impact on the ability to:

  • Sleep (84%)
  • Plan for future events (76%)
  • Socialize with friends and family (71%)
  • Make plans with family or friends (70%)
  • Be intimate with their partner (68%)
  • Complete household chores such as cooking/cleaning (68%)
  • Run errands (67%)

 

When people with Parkinson’s experience non-movement symptoms, care partners are impacted, too. In fact, psychosis symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s are a strong predictor of increased care partner burden, and those with hallucinations have a 2.5-fold greater risk for nursing home admission.

Reporting symptoms is crucial in navigating life with Parkinson’s disease.

Even though non-movement symptoms are common, they are rarely reported. While approximately half of patients may experience hallucinations or delusions associated with Parkinson’s over the course of their disease, only 10-20 percent of patients and care partners spontaneously report these symptoms to their doctors.

It’s important to report all symptoms to a doctor (usually a neurologist or a movement disorder specialist), to determine the right treatment plan for both motor and non-movement symptoms of Parkinson’s.

“Those with Parkinson’s and their families are not alone. Talking to your doctor is just the start of getting support and treatment,” says Sarah Jones, CEO of PMDAlliance. “We urge the entire Parkinson’s community to continue initiating conversations about symptoms, especially the non-movement ones that greatly impact day-to-day living.”

This survey was sponsored by ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. To learn more about the onset and impact of Parkinson’s disease psychosis, a non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s, or to receive a tool to assist you in talking with your physician and loved ones, visit PMDAlliance.org and MoretoParkinsons.com.

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Conditions & Treatments

Improve Your Heart Health at Home and Work

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

How many people do you think suffer from heart issues? A couple of million, maybe? That, unfortunately, would be vastly underestimating the total number. In fact, 92.1 million Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. Maybe they are recovering from a heart attack, for example. Or maybe they have a different form of heart disease.

For these people, heart health is a primary concern. But it should be a concern for all of us, and we should be concerned about it every minute of the day—including when we are at work. At work or at home, what we eat—too much salt and sugar and fat, for example—matters to our heart health. When you snack at your desk, those snacks impact your heart health, too.
How much you move at work can deal your heart a bad health blow. So what can you do to make a positive impact? This graphic explains it. I

mprove Your Heart Health at Home and Work

https://zerocater.com

Improve Your Heart Health at Home and Work

Improve Your Heart Health at Home and Work Improve Your Heart Health at Home and Work Improve Your Heart Health at Home and Work Improve Your Heart Health at Home and Work

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