Caregiving Archive

Humans' relationship with music is complex and individual, and there are times when music can have a clear and immediate impact on our well-being. Music therapy uses music as a therapeutic tool to address certain health care goals.

The bacteria C. diff is responsible for half a million infections each year in the US. Many infections happen when people are hospitalized, but a recent report indicated that people can be infected without ever being hospitalized.

A side effect of many psychiatric medications is weight gain. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-anxiety and sleep medications, and mood stabilizers can all affect metabolism in ways that lead to increased weight, so it's important to know what you can do to lessen this unwanted effect.

A mask-free, implanted device for sleep apnea that works by stimulating the tongue was approved by the FDA in 2014 as a second-choice treatment for people who are unable to tolerate a positive airway pressure machine.

A 2022 study found that people who have depression after a heart attack are nearly 50% more likely to suffer a stroke compared with heart attack survivors who don't develop depression.

Paddle sports, like canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding, tone muscles in the back, shoulders, arms, and core to help make everyday movement easier and safer. Plus, water activities get people to interact with nature, which can boost their mental and emotional health. Begin by signing up for individual or group paddling lessons where all equipment is provided. The experience teaches you the basics, like how to paddle and safely get in and out of the boat, and other rules and etiquette.

Healthy feet are the foundation of an active lifestyle, but many people don't give their feet proper attention. Regular foot maintenance can help prevent pain and injuries and protect against infections. Helpful steps include maintaining basic foot hygiene, performing regular foot exercises, and wearing properly fitting shoes.

The average person wakes up around four times every night. But as people age, the number of awakenings can rise as they spend more time in the earlier, lighter sleep stages and less time in the later deeper stages. This sleeping pattern makes them more sensitive to stimuli that awakens them. Older adults can avoid common stimulus by wearing earplugs and sleep masks to block noise and light, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol to avoid bathroom trips, and doing stretches before bedtime to reduce nighttime cramping.

Limiting meals to a certain window of time each day, an approach called time-restricted eating, didn't appear to help people lose any more weight compared with ordinary calorie restriction in a small randomized trial published in 2022.

In 2022, Pfizer voluntarily recalled some blood pressure medications, including Accuretic (quinapril hydrochloride plus hydrochlorothiazide), Accupril (quinapril hydrochloride), and two related generic formulations.