ElderThink

Medications Can Cause Low Energy in Seniors

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:57:13 -0700

Some true stories about how medications have caused people to think their parents have some very serious disease.

Some Over-The-Counter Medications Can Harm Old People

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 10:00:51 -0700

Older people account for more than 40% of all non-prescription drug use. Often their doctors don't even know these drugs are being used because they are available without prescription. Sometimes prescribed medications contain some of the same ingredients as over-the-counter drugs so it's possible to overdose without even realizing. Don't hesitate to ask your pharmicist if you can take an OTC drug in combination with your prescriptions.

The Beers List: Medications That Are Wrong For Elderly

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:57:07 -0700

As we grow older, our bodies and metabolisms change. Some medications are not right for us and a list has been put together by a panel of experts. See the list here.

The Galland List: Drugs With Memory Loss As Side Effect

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:54:42 -0700

Dr. Leo Galland has made a list of drugs that cause memory loss by interfering with a neurotranmitter in the brain.

Medication That Causes Memory Loss

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:36:23 -0700

In the last few months, a surprising number of medications have been found to cause memory loss. Lots of information, lists and links.

Loneliness Can Cause Memory Loss

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:49:17 -0700

Everyone knows how it feels to be lonely, but ongoing loneliness heralds a sense of despair and memories are lost in the darkness.

Elderly Are Quiet Alcoholics

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 14:44:10 -0700

It's being called an "invisible epidemic" by health care experts -- the growing number of senior citizens with out-of-control drinking problems.

Testing for Memory Loss

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:37:53 -0700

Dr. Balaji Nettimi is President of the California Mind Institute, and is a psychologist at Rancho Mirage Psychological Services in California. He specializes in diagnosing memory Dr. Balaji Nettimiloss and Alzheimer's Disease. Usually, physicians refer their patients to him though sometimes worried people find him by themselves.

Heart Disease Causes Memory Loss

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:33:23 -0700

Though Alzheimer's Disease is the best-known cause of dementia, another cause is Vascular Dementia. "Vascular" means the vessels, or arteries, that carry blood through your body.

Fat, cholesterol and other materials can build up in the arteries creating a plaque. Over time, this plaque continues to build just like the plaque on your teeth builds. Eventually, it narrows the arteries and slows the blood flow and clots can form as a result.

The Calcified Heart

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:32:01 -0700

A heart valve disorder means that the four heart chambers are not beating in an organized manner. The most common symptoms are fatigue and shortness of breath, but often there are no symptoms.

Unusual Heart Beats

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:30:24 -0700

It's called a "disorder" but that doesn't necessarily mean you're in trouble.

Abnormal heart rhythms are caused by problems with the electrical system that regulates the steady rhythmic beat of the heart. The heartbeat may be too slow or too fast or it may become chaotic. Some are dangerous but others are simply bothersome and are not life threatening.

Aging Aids Arteriosclerosis

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:26:29 -0700

In our article on senior hypertension, we wrote about older arteries and the house that Jack built. High blood pressure can cause minute tears in arterial walls. Then fats, cholesterol, calcium and other substances are deposited in those tears and build up plaque in the artery walls. As a result of the plaque, the arteries clog more and more so the diameter shrinks and the blood flow decreases. Sometimes the artery becomes blocked all together. This is called Arteriosclerosis.

The older we are, the more it builds up. There are drugs that can slow or even reverse the deposits, and there are lifestyle changes including diet and huff and puff exercise that can make a big difference.

High Blood Pressure in Elders

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:25:08 -0700

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is especially common in the elderly. It can damage the heart and other organs and increase the risk of stroke and heart attack.

Until recently, the medical community believed that a certain degree of high blood pressure is normal to the aging process. Now we know differently. High blood pressure in anyone is dangerous.

The Aging Heart

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:23:05 -0700

Only a few years ago, the medical community believed that the aging heart became smaller and less able after age 65. This was thought to be a natural part of the aging process. Now we know this is not true for a healthy heart.

Researchers have learned that regular exercise and a healthy diet can keep the heart strong for many more years than we ever believed possible.

Certainly the heart ages along with the rest of our bodies but it is capable of adapting itself to age-related changes if we take care.

Memory Loss and Depression

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:21:14 -0700

There are three major causes of loss among older persons. Loss of health because of the onset of a chronic disease or condition that changes lifestyle; loss of familiar surroundings because assisted living is required; and loss of a loved one.

Self-help for Depressed Seniors

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:18:51 -0700

If you are depressed you will probably have to fight with yourself. Most likely you don't want to go anywhere or see anyone but that is exactly what you should do to feel better. Go to the park, get a haircut, or have lunch with friend. You need to limit the time you are alone. If you can't get out, invite someone to visit you. Why not? What's to lose?

Mistaking Depression for Alzheimer's

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:17:29 -0700

Sometimes depressed persons experience an emotional flatness. Nothing seems important and no experience seems to bring back depressed womanthat familiar sparkle in the eye. It's as though they have gone numb from the inside out.

Often this form of depression is accompanied by forgetfulness and memory loss. It seems like the person might have Alzheimer's Disease.

You Can Help Stubborn Old People

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:09:27 -0700

It's astonishing to discover the changes depression makes in your older parent or loved one. The person you have known for so old dadlong, who loved you and was so vital and interesting, is now irritable, difficult, and turned inward. This is a painful change and many of us just want to stay away.

Causes of Depression in Seniors

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:08:15 -0700

Let's take a look at basic human needs to see what might be missing that could cause depression. Then the path to helping stubborn ladyyour sad older person will be more clear.

Depression In Old People

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:06:27 -0700

Depression in older persons leads to suicide more frequently than in any other age group. People over 65 account for more than 25% of all suicides and among white men over 85, the suicide rate is six time more than the general population. Last year, the majority of suicides among the elderly shot themselves to death.

Smoking can cause Alzheimer's

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:26:20 -0700

Heavy smokers in their 50's are doubling the risk of developing Alzheimer's after the age of 70. Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland tracked 21,123 people beginning in 1978. By 2008, more than 25% were diagnosed with dementia and though some had vascular dementia, most had developed Alzheimer's.
But in the same study, the researchers learned that former smokers or people who smoked less than half a pack a day did not have an increased risk for Alzheimer's.

Insulin as an Alzheimer's treatment

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:24:37 -0700

In July, 2010, researchers from the University of Washington reported that insulin given by spray through the nose could help with memory and functioning in Alzheimer's patients. Using nasal pathways allows the insulin to reach effected brain areas. To be effective, the treatment needs to be administered twice a day. It has been recognized for some time that patients with Alzheimer's Disease have reduced brain-insulin signaling as well as lower levels of insulin in the spinal fluid.

Does inflammation cause Alzheimer's?

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:22:56 -0700

Alzheimer's actually causes inflammation. Researchers have long known that the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain stimulate an inflammatory response. Some of this news is good and some of it is bad. There is a delicate balance. I'll explain.

Progress toward an Alzheimer's Vaccine

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:21:20 -0700

Immunotherapy is a medical treatment designed to produce immunity to a disease or to enhance resistance by the immune system. In other words, it coaxes our bodies to fight off a disease. Examples would be polio or chicken box vaccine. In response to immunotherapy, we develop immunity by producing antibodies that guard against invading organisms. An immunotherapy program for Alzheimer's is highly desirable. Imagine a vaccine for Alzheimer's.

Is Alzheimer's related to Heart Disease?

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:21:52 -0700

A clear discussion of chemical changes within our bodies that cause Alzheimer's and how we can control those changes.

Aerobics might help Alzheimer's patients

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:17:22 -0700

Regular exercise that makes us huff and puff definitely slows down the aging process in general. The increased blood flow and charge of exygen does wonders for our skin and all our other organs. Best of all, it "clears the mind" by recharging the brain. Some researchers think regular aerobic exercise slows the progression of Alzheimer's.

Do food choices cause Alzheimer's?

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:17:48 -0700

Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center studied the dietary patterns 2,148 older adults and assessed them for the development of Alzheimer's. One pattern stood out and the conclusion is that combinations of foods reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease: large amounts of nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, salad dressing, fruits and cruciferous and dark green leafy vegetables; and small amounts of dairy, red meat, organ meat and butter.

Is Cholesterol related to Alzheimer's?

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:18:03 -0700

Over the past decade, there have been several studies that suggest a correlation between high cholesterol in middle age and Alzheimer's. In 2009, researchers reported on a 40-year long study of nearly ten thousand people in northern California. That's a very long study with a lot of subjects considering that medication trials take three to seven years and involve a few hundred people as subjects.

New in Alzheimer's Research

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:11:23 -0700

Researchers in the U.S. and around the globe are searching for ways to prevent and cure Alzheimer's Disease. Many believe that understanding the cause of Alzheimer's will provide valuable clues to prevention and treatment.
Some research directions have resulted in dead ends. Others have introduced more questions than answers. Overall, there is slow steady progression in the research communities with a few breakthroughs.

Treatments for Alzheimer's

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:09:49 -0700

A discussion of drugs used today to treat Alzheimer's symtoms.
Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease are broken into two categories described as cognitive and behavioral. Cognitive symptoms involve memory, language, paying attention, and judgment. Behavioral symptoms include emotional expressions like temper outbursts, suspiciousness, or withdrawal.

Alzheimer's Inheritance

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:38:39 -0700

There are genes that carry Alzheimer's. Plain talk in ordinary language about tests for the Alzheimer's gene. People with the gene sometimes do not develop Alzheimer's and people without the gene do. Why is that?

If You Have Alzheimer's

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:29:46 -0700

My best friend has Alzheimer's Disease and this is what he told me, word for word:
"I admit, at first I thought it was a mistake. I was often annoyed with the darling person who shares my life. I was irritable with her because she was pointing out my problems. I used wrong words. I couldn't finish sentences. Of course she thought I just wasn't paying attention to her.

Forgetting That Is Not Normal

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:20:27 -0700

We all forget things, our grocery list, people's names at the moment of introduction, or why we walked into a room. Of course we remember later and slap our heads. This type of Alzheimer's is probably due to just plain having too many other things to think about. This is normal forgetting. It's not Alzheimer's. Here are ten tell-tale signs.

Alzheimer's Nation

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:09:15 -0700

One out of eight of those over 65 in the U.S. will die from Alzheimer's within ten years. Some sooner as they are further down the progression-trail of the disease. Most of them are cared for by their adult children who are struggling to manage jobs, households, and their own family activities. Information about diagnosis, treatment and research in terms the ordinary person can understand.