HANDY EXERCISES FOR ARTHRITIC HANDS I continually come across articles relating to arthritis. Not surprising, since so many of us seniors are afflicted with it. Of course, you can take medications to lessen the pain, but I also favor exercises to help control it. On September 5, 2017, I posted a blog on Arthritis Exercise Programs, which gives general range of motion suggestions. Yet, I especially feel arthritis in my hands; typing on a keyboard, tying my shoes, even holding a toothbrush can be painful. You may also have arthritic hands since it’s estimated that 40% of us will eventually...
ORDERING PHARMACY DRUGS ONLINE IS RISKY BUSINESS I regularly shop at my local CVS for both prescriptions and vitamins. However, during COVID I would often order online—especially at Amazon. If you’re on Medicare, you likely have a prescription plan with a formulary list of covered drugs at reduced prices that you can fill at a network dispensary —including several internet pharmacies. The main benefit of ordering drugs online is the convenience of having them delivered to your home, but you can also sometimes obtain cheaper prices. Still, I had no idea that ordering drugs through online pharmacies is ultra chancy...
INTERNATIONAL INDIGESTION (TURISTA) Most of us are traveling again this summer with the pandemic in our rearview mirror. And faraway lands are once more popular destinations. Along with international travel comes the real chance of developing traveler’s diarrhea. When I was younger and more carefree in where and what I ate, I developed turista several times in developing countries: in Egypt where I ate a falafel from a street vendor; in Mexico where I drank an iced cocktail; and in India where I ate at a restaurant our guide had told us to avoid. But, even without foolish moves such...
DON’T LET A FALL SPOIL YOUR HIKE We—JoAnne, Charlie the dog, and I—spent the 4th of July weekend at Big Bear Lake, California. As part of the fun in the San Bernardino Mountains, we took daily hikes. We had magnificent views of the lake, saw faraway glaciers, and walked through vast stretches of pines and even a few redwoods. However, not paying enough attention to the condition of the trail on one of our descents, I took a fall. This resulted in several scrapes, lots of blood, but nothing life-threatening. JoAnne patched me up when we got back to our...
REDUCING OUR ALZHEIMER’S RISK Every few months I post on Alzheimer’s disease because of its considerable risk to us older adults: One in three seniors die with Alzheimer’s or another dementia; it kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. The recent issue of the Harvard Health Watch nicely summarizes ways to reduce our risk to this killer disease. Here are excerpts from the July 1, 2023 article by Mathew Salon, Executive Editor, Protecting Yourself from Alzheimer’s There is no cure, but there may be ways to reduce your risk Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia:...
SCUBA DIVING REWARDS & RISKS You probably followed the tragedy that befell the OceanGate Expeditions Titan submersible; while attempting to visit the sunken Titanic at a depth of more than 12,000 feet it catastrophically imploded and all five persons on board were lost. Four of the five occupants spent $250,000 each to get close to the wreck of the Titanic. Most of us would never consider taking part in such a dive—if for no other reason than the extreme expense. And now you may not want to attempt any sort of underwater dive, even scuba diving. Although scuba has some...
CAN YOUR DOC BE REPLACED BY AI? Artificial Intelligence—the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines (especially computers)—is the topic of the year. We see articles on how artificial intelligence (AI) may replace people in various occupations: programmers, data entry personnel, writers, and legal and finance professionals are the most often mentioned. After reading a post in the Harvard Health Letter, it looks like your physician isn’t in danger of losing his or her job. Here are excerpts from the June 1, 2023 article by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Will artificial intelligence replace doctors? Not in my...
GOT CHOLINE? You may never have heard of choline. I hadn’t. But now I see articles on it popping up and found that choline is an essential nutrient—which means it’s a vital ingredient for human health. (Similar to B vitamins.) Choline is made in small amounts in the liver and found in such foods as meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, broccoli and eggs. New research, led by scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) suggests that lack of adequate choline is linked with profound changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Here are excerpts from the January 17, 2023 ASU...
IT’S SUMMER—TIME TO STAY SAFE IN THE SUN It’s June, it’s the Good Old Summertime; time to spend more fun hours outdoors—at the beach, on picnics, hiking, or camping. And, as I’m sure you know, it’s also time to apply copious amounts of sunscreen. However, we often don’t pay enough attention to the kind of clothing we should pull on to further protect us from sunburn and possible skin cancer. I searched for info that would give us details on what we should wear outside during this special time of the year. I found it in my go-to source, Harvard...
SURPRISE: RUNNING PROBABLY DOESN’T BRING ON ARTHRITIS I regularly run (actually jog). And I have arthritis. But I don’t have it in my hips or knees where I think I’d have a long-term effect from pounding streets and sidewalks over many years. However, I do have arthritis in my hands—which, of course, isn’t caused by running—and to a lesser extent in my feet and lower back. And yes, I wonder how long I can maintain jogging into the future before I do develop arthritis in my hip and knee joints. Thus, a recent post in Harvard Health caught my eye...
