Healthy aging and longevity Archive

Belching is a natural bodily reaction that serves as a protective mechanism against the stomach getting overinflated from swallowing too much air. Eating and drinking too fast and consuming carbonated beverages can cause excess air intake, so addressing these issues can help reduce excessive belching. Seek medical care if belching becomes frequent and causes discomfort, as it could be a sign of a digestive disorder.

Ice baths typically happen in water that's between 50° and 60° F. Studies about their health benefits are inconclusive, but ice baths can be risky. People should never take an ice bath without someone nearby, and stay in for a maximum of 15 minutes.

A sleep study is performed to detect sleep apnea or other sleep disorders. It often takes place in a special lab. The person is hooked up to equipment that records the brain's activity and monitors snoring, blood oxygen levels, and other variables.

Certain strategies can help people avoid trips to the emergency room during the winter. For example, to avoid slipping and breaking a bone, spread salt on sidewalks and driveways; to avoid hypothermia, wear a coat and layers of athletic clothing that wicks away moisture; to avoid a heart attack from overexertion, use caution when starting a new exercise routine or shoveling snow. It's also important to build an emergency kit that includes several days' worth of food and drinking water, and two weeks of medication.

A 2024 study found that older women with urinary incontinence experienced significant improvements in symptoms after engaging in low-impact yoga or stretching and strengthening exercises three times a week for three months.

A small randomized trial in 2024 found that both self-adjustment and in-situ audiometry were effective strategies to match self-fitting hearing aids to personal hearing needs. However, self-adjustment devices had the best satisfaction rates and consistent use.

A 2024 study of more than 200,000 adults, combined with findings from 19 other studies (for a total of 1.25 million people), tied eating ultra-processed foods-particularly sugary drinks and processed meats-to an increased risk for heart disease.

Keeping hands clean is a simple way to protect against from colds and flu. Proper handwashing involves using plenty of soap, lukewarm water and taking at least 20 seconds to clean the back of hands, between the fingers, and around the nails.

Sometimes asking certain questions at the doctor's office can be embarrassing, especially if the question involves gut problems or sexual dysfunction. To cope, it might help to speak with a doctor privately in person; to communicate with the doctor on the phone or via a patient portal; to see a specialist; to write down questions and hand them to the doctor; or to describe a problem in a professional, matter-of-fact way, using medical terms (such as "stool" or "bowel movement" instead of "poop").

Almost anyone who's bothered by the function or appearance of falling upper eyelids is a candidate for a surgery called upper blepharoplasty. It takes place in an outpatient surgery center. During the procedure, a surgeon makes incisions along the upper eyelid's natural folds, removes excess skin (and sometimes underlying fat) from the upper eyelids, and then closes the incisions with stitches. Recovery lasts two to four weeks. The procedure might be covered by insurance if sagging eyelids interfere with vision.