Living Well IDEAS
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Living Well IDEASWant to live long, live well, and live happy? We got IDEAS for you!
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Age with grace, even if coping with hearing or vision loss
No one looks forward to growing older, but it still happens even to the best of us. While it can seem frightening, it’s just a part of living a long, wonderful life. With age comes some challenges, such as hearing and vision loss. However, you can prepare yourself to deal with these issues. By preparing ahead of time, you can age while maintaining the lifestyle you love.
Regular Checkups Regular checkups with your doctor are critical to ensuring good health. You always want to find problems before they happen; prevention is always easier than trying to cure. Additionally, if your physician does find a health issue, you have more treatment options and a better chance for successful treatment. By checking in regularly with your primary care physician, he or she can also provide helpful hints on staying fit overall. They’ll likely recommend a nutritious diet and moderate exercise, if your health allows it. Get Aids Early Between the ages of 41 and 60, many people begin to experience trouble with their vision and hearing. Often, it’s a good idea to begin wearing glasses or hearing aids at the first sign of a problem. It may sound silly, but your eyes need an adjustment period to get back into their groove. Glasses are key to ensuring your eyes continue to work properly. You’ll have to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor who can appropriately prescribe you the right strength in your glasses. If you vision trouble is limited to when you’re reading, you may be able to wear reading glasses. Hearing aids may also be necessary. Since hearing concerns are common among seniors, you should give your ears their own adjustment period. Depending on the kind of hearing aid, you might need more time to adjust to it. Always check with your doctor to make sure you’re using the correct type. Embrace It People often fear getting older. The reason it seems so scary is that it’s charting into unknown territory. You don’t have to be scared! You should approach an older age as a triumph. After all, you’ve made it this far, so you can celebrate your accomplishment. Aging comes with its own perks, such as retirement, grandchildren, and the freedom to do what you want. If you’ve got dreams, achieve them. Go travel with your spouse. Plant that garden you’ve always wanted. This is your time; there’s a reason these years are called your “golden years.” Also, it’s never too late to begin your health journey. You’ve got to put yourself first sometimes, and there's no better time than now. Don’t dread your golden years. By practicing good health, seeing your doctor regularly and preparing yourself for the changes to come, aging is just another milestone in your life. Read more from the Senior Living IDEA: Getting the care you need: Find your health care 'quarterback'
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 What do neckties, yoga poses and vegetables have to do with my eyes? Most of us know lifestyle changes can improve our overall health. Exercising more, eating more vegetables and not smoking all have an effect on blood flow in the body, which can affect our overall health. These can impact the health of your eyes as well.(BPT) - Most of us know lifestyle changes can improve our overall health. Exercising more, eating more vegetables and not smoking all have an effect on blood flow in the body, which can affect our overall health. What many don’t realize is that when blood flow is blocked or slows down, the health of our eyes can also be affected. That means that wearing neckties too tight or doing certain yoga poses, such as the downward dog, can increase pressure in the eyes, which can lead to an eye disease called glaucoma. Glaucoma has few warning signs, and is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 60. Being overweight or having high blood pressure can increase a person’s risk for another common eye disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older. Vision loss — or even worse, blindness — can negatively impact the quality of life, independence and the ability to do daily things such as driving, reading or seeing grandchildren. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that individuals 65 and older get an annual medical eye exam with an ophthalmologist, which is a medical doctor who specializes in medical and surgical eye care. Through comprehensive eye exams, ophthalmologists can check a person’s eyes for hidden signs of eye disease, which may have no noticeable symptoms in the early stages. Once diagnosed, ophthalmologists can provide treatments to help prevent vision loss. For those concerned about the cost of an exam, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s EyeCare America program may be able to help. More than 5,500 dedicated volunteer ophthalmologists provide eye exams and care, often at no out-of-pocket cost to eligible patients. Since 1985, the program has helped nearly 2 million people in need. EyeCare America serves U.S. citizens or legal residents who do not belong to an HMO. To be eligible for the EyeCare America seniors program, an individual: * Must be age 65 or older, and * Have not had an eye exam by an ophthalmologist in three or more years. To be eligible for the EyeCare America glaucoma program, an individual: * Must not have had an eye exam within the last year, and must be at an increased glaucoma risk due to age, race and/or family history. Many sight-stealing conditions can be prevented or slowed down with proper care and making simple lifestyle adjustments such as: 1. Avoid inverted postures in yoga. Studies show head-down positions can increase eye pressure and are not recommended for glaucoma patients. There are plenty of yoga exercises that don’t have this effect. 2. Avoid tight neckties. Researchers say that a too-tight necktie may increase the risk of glaucoma by increasing blood pressure inside the eyes. 3. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, especially green, leafy ones. One study showed that people who ate more leafy vegetables have a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of developing glaucoma. Why? Nitrates in green vegetables can be converted to nitric oxide, which can improve blood flow and help regulate pressure inside the eye. 4. Exercise regularly. According to the National Eye Institute, eating a healthy diet and getting exercise have been shown in earlier studies to protect against AMD. A recent study showed that people who engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity appear to have a 73 percent lower risk of developing glaucoma. This is because blood flow and pressure inside the eye may change with exercise. For more information about EyeCare America or to see if you or others are eligible to be matched with one of its volunteer ophthalmologists, visit www.aao.org/eyecareamerica. EyeCare America is cosponsored by the Knights Templar Eye Foundation Inc., with additional support from Alcon and Regeneron. KEYWORDS
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