Tips and tools for coping with vision loss
Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good resources for people with vision loss? My husband was recently diagnosed with macular degeneration, which has deteriorated his central vision, and he’s become very discouraged. —Worried Wife Dear Worried, I’m very sorry to hear about your husband’s eye condition. Unfortunately, there are about 20 million Americans living with... READ MORE
Causes for taste loss, male osteoporosis
Q: Everything I eat tastes bland. Could my loss of taste be related to one of my blood pressure pills? A: Our ability to fully enjoy food requires stimulation of many nerve endings in the mouth and nose. Taste is the mouth’s ability to identify what is salty, sweet, sour or bitter. There’s also a fifth type of taste called umami, from the Japanese word for delicious. It’s triggered ... READ MORE
Diagnosing and treating lower back pain
Dear Mayo Clinic: It seems like everyone I know has some type of back pain. My husband and I both suffer from back pain, but mine is a dull ache at the end of the day, while he seems to have shooting pain. Why are our backs so susceptible to pain, and how do I know when we should talk with our doctor? A: Back pain is extremely common, so you and your husband are not alone. About 80%... READ MORE
Heart and kidney disease are connected
While people may think about heart disease and kidney disease as two different health problems, there are many links between them. Having chronic kidney disease (CKD) means that you’re more likely to get heart disease. The reverse is also true: Heart disease can cause CKD. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death among people on dialysis, which is a life-saving treatment... READ MORE
How to successfully maintain weight loss
In today’s calorie-rich, ultra-processed, movement-sparing, chronic stress-inducing environment, losing weight is hard work. And implementing a healthy and sustainable approach that keeps the weight off is even harder. Most of us can successfully achieve weight loss in the short term. But those who hop from one fad diet to the next often experience the metabolic roller coaster known as ... READ MORE
Can a multivitamin keep your brain healthy?
Millions of people take a multivitamin each day. Some believe it’s a sort of insurance in case their diet is missing some essential nutrient. Others believe it will ward off disease by boosting immunity, improving brain health or regulating metabolism. It’s easy to see where these ideas come from: Ads tout wide-ranging health benefits, even though most offer little or no evidence to... READ MORE
Health Shorts — July 2023
Low-dose aspirin may raise risk of anemia in older adults Recent follow-up analysis of data from an international, National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial suggests daily low-dose aspirin increases the risk of anemia in people age 65 years and older by approximately 20%. Given these findings, older adults on low-dose aspirin and their care providers may want to consider... READ MORE
Mayo Q&A: Keeping your bones strong
Dear Mayo Clinic: My mother had osteoporosis and suffered a devastating fall in her early 60s that she never recovered from. I am 42, and I want to be proactive about my bone health. What screening do I need, and what, if any, supplements are necessary? A: Osteoporosis is a condition that causes the bones to thin and lose their strength. When bones become weaker, sudden fractures can ... READ MORE
What to know about ticks, Lyme disease
After a mild winter in the U.S., will there be an uptick in ticks this year? Researchers say it is hard to predict how the tick season will play out. This year’s mild winter and early snow melt could mean more ticks earlier than usual, and a wider spread of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, scientists said. In Connecticut, ticks are showing up in greater numbers this year, ... READ MORE
Benefits of short- and long-term home care
Whether Dad needs help around the house for a few weeks after he’s discharged from the hospital or Mom requires around-the-clock dementia care, in-home care can meet these needs and everything in between. Best of all, home care enables aging loved ones to live as safely and independently as possible in their own homes. In-home care services are flexible One of the biggest advantages... READ MORE
