Caregiving Archive

Healthy aging and longevity

What is the best way to remove earwax?

Published August 1, 2021

Earwax traps dust and tiny particles and helps prevent objects from reaching the eardrum. As earwax dries, it moves out of the canal naturally, but sometimes it builds up. Commercial ear drops, hydrogen peroxide, baby oil, and mineral oil can help soften hardened wax for easy removal.

Healthy aging and longevity

What are eye floaters?

Published August 1, 2021

Eye floaters occur when the thick, jelly-like substance that fills the center of the eye form blobs that block incoming light. They might resemble spots, cobwebs, or strings. The sudden appearance of new floaters should prompt a call to your doctor, but most often they become less bothersome over time.

Healthy aging and longevity

Top causes of blood clots in the legs and how to avoid them

Published August 1, 2021

Blood clots in the legs (deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT) can break loose and travel through the veins to the heart and then to the lungs, causing a dangerous pulmonary embolism. Common triggers for blood clots include being bedridden for long periods; sitting for long periods in a car, plane, or train; or getting too little activity and sitting too much. To avoid blood clots in the legs, it helps to hydrate, get up from sitting every hour or two and stretch the legs, move the legs while lying down, or wear compression stockings.

Mind & Mood

The benefits of volunteering, without leaving home

Published August 1, 2021

Volunteering has many benefits, enabling people to gain a sense of purpose, connect with others, and get a break from their own problems. Those benefits are associated with better health, including greater levels of physical activity, better sleep quality, a healthier diet, reduced rates of cardiovascular disease, and even longevity. A person may be able to reap many of those benefits by volunteering from home, such as doing work for a nonprofit group via computer or phone.

Healthy aging and longevity

A vaccine that can prevent shingles

Published August 1, 2021

The best way to avoid shingles and long-lasting pain that may result from it is to get the shingles vaccine (Shingrix), given in two doses. The vaccine contains a protein from a dead varicella-zoster virus. The shot is 90% effective and is recommended for adults ages 50 or older, even those who have had shingles before, received an older shingles vaccine called Zostavax, or don’t recall having had chickenpox. People should avoid the vaccine if they currently have shingles, are allergic to components of the vaccine, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Healthy aging and longevity

Can a daily scoop of collagen powder really improve your skin?

Published August 1, 2021

Manufacturers tout collagen supplements as a way to improve signs of skin aging and skin quality. There is some research that shows they may bring skin benefits, reducing wrinkles, speeding wound healing, and improving skin hydration and elasticity. But because supplements aren’t regulated, quality may be highly variable. While collagen supplements are believed to be safe, there aren’t any long-term safety studies to date.

Healthy aging and longevity

CDC initiative aims to prevent injuries in older adults

Published August 1, 2021

The CDC’s Still Going Strong initiative aims to raise awareness about accidents that lead to injury in adults over age 65 and strategies to prevent them.

Healthy aging and longevity

Look inside your heart

Published August 1, 2021

The traditional measures to gauge heart disease risk don’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes more medical information is needed. An increasingly used test to predict a person’s risk for heart attack or stroke is a coronary artery calcium scan. It measures the amount of calcified plaque in the heart’s arteries, high levels of which suggest higher overall plaque buildup. The number can determine if people should begin statin therapy and make additional lifestyle changes.

Healthy aging and longevity

Green leafy vegetables offer a leg up on muscle strength

Published August 1, 2021

Eating high amounts of nitrate-rich green leafy vegetables may improve leg muscle strength and increase walking speed and reduce fatigue.

Healthy aging and longevity

Battle of the bulges

Published August 1, 2021

A majority of people over 60 have diverticulosis, a condition in which tiny bulges (called diverticula) appear in weak areas of your colon’s inner wall. The bulges themselves don’t cause symptoms, but they can lead to bleeding or diverticulitis, which occurs when a diverticulum becomes inflamed or infected. People can reduce their risk by eating more fiber and staying physically active.

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Caregiving Archive

Articles

What is the best way to remove earwax?

What are eye floaters?

Top causes of blood clots in the legs and how to avoid them

The benefits of volunteering, without leaving home

A vaccine that can prevent shingles

Can a daily scoop of collagen powder really improve your skin?

CDC initiative aims to prevent injuries in older adults

Look inside your heart

Green leafy vegetables offer a leg up on muscle strength

Battle of the bulges

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