Vacationtime has health benefits

Last Sunday I shared a few pictures from our Ireland/Scotland tour vacation.  You might ask why I talked about vacation when I usually talk about health topics.  Simple.  Taking vacations contribute positives to our health.  Check out this article at health.com http://news.health.com/2013/07/11/5-healthy-reasons-to-plan-your-vacation-right-now/
Now you have justification for planning and taking that vacation you have been wanting to take. 

So whether your dream vacation is playing golf at the Home of Golf (St Andrews Golf course in Scotland)

or visiting a  beautiful Caribbean island or sitting on the fishing dock at a local lake, I encourage you to take vacation days and relax.  Your body will thank you.

 

Touring Scotland and Ireland

We took a wonderful vacation through Scotland and Ireland with Globus tours last month.  This two week trip with our travel buddies RJ and JL took us through 5 countries (Scotland, a little of England and Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland).  We did not know if we would like a land tour (moving to a different city almost every day and different hotels (different beds—for us who like our creature comforts).  But it was a great trip.  We saw many sights; fell in love with the Irish and Scottish people.  They were very warm and friendly.  Our tour guide Helen and driver Paul were true professionals; they took excellent care of us and showed us so many interesting places.  We would recommend a land tour with Globus.  If you want to check out our itinerary, see http://www.globusjourneys.com/Product.aspx?trip=4GD

What do you think of when you hear of Ireland and Scotland?  Castles.  We saw several. We toured Balmoral (The Scottish home of the British royal family).

 

We saw Edinburgh castle/fort on the tallest hill of Edinburgh. This huge castle was used as a city/fort and still has cannons in place. 

We walked on St. Andrew’s Golf Course.  St Andrews may be the world’s most famous golf course and is known as the “home of golf”.  We weren’t able to get tee times to play but we had lunch at the club house. 

We also saw beautiful rolling hills and sea shore sights such as the Cliffs of Moher (shown here). 

  We saw sheep (even pink sheep as one farmer had died his sheep pink for a local festival).  Our tour director said that’s the first time she ever saw pink sheep (a first for us also).    

During our two week tour, I took over 680 pictures.  I cannot begin to share all our pictures but am sharing these few.  Our Globus tour exceeded our expectations; we enjoyed our trip and would recommend it highly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All about cataracts

As we age, people notice their vision changing. There are multiple reasons that our vision can change and I always recommend seeing an eye doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.  During this blog post, I talk about cataracts.   

What are cataracts?  As we age, our eyes age also.  The lens inside our eyes (compare it to a lens on your camera) becomes opaque (cloudy). Instead of the light going straight through the lens to the retina where our brain and retinas (one in each eye) give us sight, the light is distorted by the opaque areas of the lens.   This normal aging occurrence called Cataracts affects most people.

Symptoms of cataracts include hazy, blurry vision which may start as a small area of blurriness and worsens.  You may notice that lights (especially at night) glare and cause a halo of light around whatever you are looking at. You may notice colors aren’t as bright as they have been in the past.

What causes cataracts?  Cataracts are considered a normal part of aging.  However, researchers recognize these risk factors as contributing to cataract development:  UV lights, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure, obesity, some drugs such as corticosteroids, statin medicines, and hormone replacement drugs, previous eye injury and surgery and a family history of cataracts. 

Can cataracts be prevented?  The experts aren’t sure but they suspect that protecting your eyes from UV rays and eating a healthy diet which includes vitamin E, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent cataracts.

Treatment for cataracts ultimately involves surgery. You may be able to delay surgery for a while with a new pair of glasses.  Eventually surgery is the answer.  However, over the past 40 years the improvements in cataract surgery has been amazing to watch.  According to allaboutvision.com, cataract surgery is the surgery most often performed in the US.  With the improvements in surgery, a replacement plastic lens called an IOL (intraocular lens) will be implanted.  Most people get excellent results and their after surgery vision is within the 20/20 to 20/40 range. 

Information from the American Academy of Opthalmology about cataracts can be found at

http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/cataracts/index.cfm

For more Tips for Eye Health in People 40-60, check out this website

http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/living/midlife-adults-eye-health-tips.cfm

Tips for Eye Health in People over 60 can be found at

http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/living/seniors-eye-health-tips.cfm

 

Preventing blood clots while we travel

Do you ever travel?  While we may not all travel to Ireland or Aruba, most of us travel in our cars.  If you travel by car, train, bus or airplane for a timeframe of four hours of more, you face a risk of blood clots.  Much of what we know about travel and blood clot dangers has been learned from air travel but it applies equally to any long trip.  

Blood clots or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can affect anyone who travels four hours or more. 

DVTs can affect anyone who sits still for a long time.  When we sit still, we do not utilize the muscles in our feet and legs which help push the blood back up the venous system to our hearts.  When the blood just sits in the deep veins of the legs, it can develop into a clot. 

 While anyone can suffer from a DVT, there are risk factors which increase this danger: 

·       people over 40,

·       anyone with a body mass index over 30 (obesity),

·       varicose veins,

·       recent surgery or injury within 3 months,

·       women who are pregnant and up to 6 weeks after childbirth,

·       women who are on hormone replacement therapy or who are on birth control pills containing estrogen

·       Cancer treatment or active cancer

·       A history of blood clot personally or within your family

·       Having a medical catheter in a large vein

·       Having limited mobility (a cast or other immobilizer)

Signs and symptoms of DVT:

“About half of people with DVT have no symptoms at all.” Symptoms include:

·       unexplained swelling and pain in your arm or leg

·       skin is warm to touch

·       skin appeared reddened

http://www.cdc.gov/features/TravelDVT/  According to the CDC, contact your doctor as soon as possible for any of these symptoms. 

While signs and symptoms of a DVT can be serious, the life-threatening danger of a DVT occurs if the blood clot breaks loose and travels to your lungs (called a pulmonary embolus or PE).  Signs and symptoms of a PE include

·       “difficulty breathing

·       Faster than normal or irregular heartbeat

·       Chest pain or discomfort, which usually worsens with a deep breath or coughing

·       Anxiety

·       Coughing up blood

·       Lightheadedness or fainting. If you have any of these symptoms, seek medical help right away.”  http://www.cdc.gov/features/TravelDVT

How do we protect ourselves from the dangers of blood clots.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) gives these suggestions:

·       Be aware of the dangers of DVT and what signs and symptoms may occur.

·       Move your legs often.  “If you’ve been sitting for a long time, get up and stretch your legs.  Extend your legs straight out and flex your ankles (pulling your toes toward you.)  Some airlines suggest pulling your knee up toward the chest and holding it there with your hands on your lower leg for 15 seconds, and then repeat up to 10 times.  These types of activities help to improve the flow of blood in your legs.

·       Talk to your doctor about your risks of DVT and any planned long (more than 4 hr) trips.  Discuss your risks and whether there is anything you should be doing to help prevent DVT.  Would compression stockings (TED hose) help protect you?  Would it be a safe and wise behavior for you to take an aspirin to help protect you from a blood clot?  Talk to your doctor and make a plan for your travel. 

·       Do you take blood thinners?  If so, continue taking as your doctor instructed.  

      More information about DVT and how we can protect ourselves can be found at

http://www.cdc.gov/features/TravelDVT

 

It's time for a change.

I am changing the format and timing of my blog.  My new plan involves a weekly post (usually scheduled for Sunday) and I will post a complete topic.  For example, my first June post will discuss deep vein thrombosis (DVP) and how to protect yourself while traveling.  This blog post will be a complete discussion of the topic (not small snippets of information.)  Some of the “In the News” posts will be shorter.   I hope you enjoy the new blog formatting.

We recently spent 13 days in Ireland and Scotland.  We had a great vacation and I plan to share some pictures and information from our trip.  If you aren’t signed up to receive my blog posts by email, you can sign up easily (top right corner) and it’s free.  Thank you to my long-term readers for your loyalty.  I hope you enjoy the new format. 

Sharon

In the News--Declining diabetes complications for US adults

All you readers who have been working to care for your diabetes, I applaud you and say keep up the good work.  And work it is—eating healthy foods and keeping your blood sugar levels under control, trying to add exercise to your busy days and being vigilant to check your feet for sore spots.  If you aren’t doing these things, now is a good time to start working with your doctor to better care for your diabetes.

Five of the major complications caused by diabetes include lower limb amputation, end-stage kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and deaths due to high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) all declined.  The complication rates of all five have decreased over the last 20 years.
·       Lower limb amputations and strokes decreased by approximately 50%.
·       Kidney failure decreased by 30%
·       Heart attacks and deaths due to high blood sugar decreased by 60%

Good news for many people who are dealing with their type-2 diabetes.  This article can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0416-diabetes-complications.html

 

 

 

 

Birding--healthy activity

 

 

 

Bird watching is healthy for us

Do you go “birding?”  Have you considered that birdwatching is a healthy activity?
Researchers reported that birding promotes several healthy behaviors, such as

·       Birding gets us moving.  Whether it’s going for a hike to identify new birds or feeding the birds you see in your backyard, you move more and use more energy.  If you have many hummingbird feeders, you may find yourself mixing lots of food to keep the little guys happy.

·       As you become more interested in birding, you will find yourself reaching for your bird book to identify new birds you see.  Experts at the Alzheimer’s Association believe that we can help keep our brains healthy by learning new things.  What new bird have you seen that you need to identify?  Pull out your resource book (or do a google search).

·       Birding can become a social activity if you join a group or find yourself meeting people who like to birdwatch.  Social times with friends help keep us healthy and engaged in life.

·       Spending time outdoors can be healthy and invigorating.  My husband enjoys sitting in the sun, watching birds and listening to them sing.  (Remember your sun screen and bug spray to ward off problems.)

More information about the healthy aspects of birding can be found at

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/birding-basics/birding-health/