Recent Blog Articles

How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals

Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease

What? Another medical form to fill out?

How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do

Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline

Concussion in children: What to know and do

What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?

Your amazing parathyroid glands

When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?

Eye Health Archive

Mind & Mood

Could cataract surgery bring brain benefits?

Published April 1, 2022

A 2021 study found that people who underwent cataract surgery (a procedure replace the lens of the eye) appeared to have a lower risk of developing dementia than those who had cataracts but did not undergo surgery.

Staying Healthy

Cataract removal tied to lower dementia risk

Published March 1, 2022

An observational study published online Dec. 6, 2021, by JAMA Internal Medicine found that the risk of developing dementia was 29% lower in people who underwent cataract removal, compared with people who didn’t have cataracts removed.

Diseases & Conditions

Is there help for my dry eyes?

Published March 1, 2022

A reduction in tear production can lead to a condition called dry eye syndrome. It causes the eyes to become dry and irritated and may be prompted by aging, medication, or hormone shifts. Eye drops and ointments can help relieve symptoms.

Staying Healthy

Could cataract surgery protect against dementia?

Published February 23, 2022

Having surgery to remove cataracts restores blurred or distorted vision, helping to improve quality of life for older adults. Now, a new study makes a strong case that removing cataracts may reduce a person's risk of developing dementia.

Staying Healthy

Difficulty seeing at night? Try these tips to cope

Published February 1, 2022

Age-related eye changes can make it harder to see at night. These changes include the loss of light-sensitive eye cells called rods, which are essential for seeing at night; smaller pupils that let less light into the eyes; slowed reactions to changes in light, such as when walking into a dark room from a bright room; clouding of the lenses inside the eyes, which may cause glare around streetlights or headlights; and worsening vision that makes it harder to discern fine detail.

Mind & Mood

Eye diseases linked to a higher risk of dementia

Published January 1, 2022

People who get age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and diabetes-related eye disease may have a higher risk for dementia. Having more than one eye condition may further increase the risk.

Staying Healthy

Watch out for these balance busters

Published January 1, 2022

Many factors can impair balance and lead to falls, such as vision, hearing, or joint problems; medication side effects; and environmental hazards. To improve balance and reduce the risk for falls, one can remove fall hazards from the home, treat underlying conditions that increase fall risk, consider adjusting medications that affect balance, get physical therapy, use an assistive walking device, wear supportive shoes that hold the feet in place, and frequently challenge balance with balance exercises.

Exercise & Fitness

Exercising safely with hearing or vision impairment

Published December 1, 2021

Certain adjustments can help someone with vision or hearing problems to exercise safely. For example, it may help to take a buddy on a walk, someone who can act as an extra set of eyes and ears. Stand in the front of an exercise class for a better view and a better chance to hear instructions. And it may help to get additional equipment, such as prescription sports glasses or a remote microphone for a hearing aid.

Heart Health

In your eyes: Clues to heart disease risk?

Published September 1, 2021

The eyes may provide clues to the presence of cardiovascular disease. Ocular (eye) strokes can foreshadow a more serious stroke, and early damage to tiny eye blood vessels can be a harbinger of heart problems. Diabetes and high blood pressure (both common risk factors for heart disease) can damage vessels that supply the retina. Some middle-aged and older adults develop soft, yellowish, cholesterol-filled bumps on or around their eyelids. Called xanthelasmas, they can be a sign of high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, or other fats in the blood, which also raises heart disease risk.

Staying Healthy

Back to the doctor

Published September 1, 2021

People who’ve skipped medical check-ups for a while should visit their primary care doctor, dental hygienist, and eye doctor. A primary care doctor will consider a person’s blood pressure, medications, weight, alcohol intake, gait, balance, memory, hearing, mood, and levels of physical activity and socialization. To prepare for the visit, one should write down questions for the doctor and bring a list of all medications. At the appointment, one should take notes and ask any questions needed to understand the doctor’s instructions.

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Recent Blog Articles

How — and why — to fit more fiber and fermented food into your meals

Tick season is expanding: Protect yourself against Lyme disease

What? Another medical form to fill out?

How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?

A muscle-building obsession in boys: What to know and do

Harvard Health Ad Watch: New drug, old song, clever tagline

Concussion in children: What to know and do

What color is your tongue? What's healthy, what's not?

Your amazing parathyroid glands

When — and how — should you be screened for colon cancer?

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