As America’s population continues to age, with thousands more people living longer lives, the number of people with dementia continues to increase. Not only are more seniors developing dementia, health professionals are identifying more types of dementia. Among the list are Alzheimer’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, frontotemporal, Huntington’s, Lewy body, mixed, normal pressure hydrocephalus, Parkinson’s and vascular. By
Have you ever heard of Blue Zones? According to their website: Dan Buettner, Blue Zones founder, is a National Geographic Fellow and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has discovered five places in the world – dubbed blue zones – where people live the longest, and are healthiest: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria,
You are all familiar with the novel written by Mary Shelley and turned into dozens of movies about a mad doctor who robbed graveyards and then used the body parts to create a new creature that, with the help of lightning bolts, was brought back to life. The story of Frankenstein is well known, but
One of the sad ravages of age is a weaker immune system. The many years we have experienced have left us more susceptible to catching many of the seasonal illnesses that make their rounds. From colds to the various respiratory and gastrointestinal bugs that make the circuit. Not only do we become more susceptible to
When I was younger, smoking and other uses of tobacco products was very popular. Early television, magazines and newspapers were filled with advertisements for various brands of cigarettes. Among the most popular commercials were the Marlboro Man, Camel and Winston. Over time, newer brands of cigarettes with filters, mint or menthol or lower tar became
Do you know when false eyelashes were invented or who invented them? In 1916, film director D.W. Griffith was filming one of his early epic films – Intolerance. His female lead was actress Seena Owen. Reportedly, Griffith wanted Owen to have eyelashes that graced her cheeks in order to make her eyes appear larger on
The older we get the greater our risk of developing some form of cancer. Most doctors will instantly begin a treatment regime. For many the treatment includes surgery and/or radiation and/or chemotherapy. However, is this the right approach, especially for seniors who often have other health conditions? Consider the story of the 86-year-old father of
In 1962, researchers discovered a new drug designed to help with anesthesia. The drug was named ketamine. Two years later, it was first tested on humans and was later approved for use on people here in the US in 1970. It proved to be a valuable tool for military medics during the Vietnam War. Ketamine
It’s flu season once again. Flu outbreaks are being reported in many areas of the nation and the reports are growing in number every day. Consequently, everywhere one turns they are being bombarded with warnings to everyone, young and old, to get a flu shot. Last year, it was reported that the flu vaccine wasn’t
Migraine is the third most prevalent illness in the world and causes suffering for tens of millions of people. In fact, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. household includes someone with migraines. Migraine is not just a headache but also includes a collection of associated symptoms that can be debilitating. These include nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity
