Hemroid Treatment

What are the kinds of bladder control problems?

You can incur bladder control problems for several reasons:

· Stress --You can lose urine when you exercise, laugh, cough, sneeze or lift heavy objects.

· Overactive Bladder/Urge --This happens when you can't hold urine for very long. You don't reach the toilet in time. ·

· Overflow--Your bladder is always full. Small amounts of urine leak from it.

· Mixed--Some people have more than one type of bladder control problem.

What could cause me to lose bladder control?

· Aging does not cause this problem but some kinds of sickness can cause problems with the bladder.

· Infections in the urinary tract or the vagina can make you lose bladder control.

· Some drugs can also cause bladder problems.

· You can even lose bladder control if you get constipated.

· Tumors in the brain, spinal cord, or bladder can make you lose bladder control.

· Bladder muscles might be weak or overactive.

· Nerves that control the bladder might be damaged.

Are there any other problems caused by loss of bladder control?

Bladder problems can go on for a long time before a person asks for help. It can lead to other problems, like:

· Rashes, skin infections, and sores

· Urinary tract infections

· Sleeping problems

· Less social and sexual activity

· Loss of self-esteem

· Depression

What will my doctor or nurse do if I have loss of bladder control?

· The doctor or nurse will ask about your health history.

· He or she will do a physical exam.

· Your doctor or nurse could order some tests. These might be urine or blood tests. Another test checks how well you can empty your bladder.

· You may need to keep a daily journal and write down when you urinate and when you leak urine.

What will the treatment be?

The treatment depends on what kind of bladder problem you have. It also depends on the cause. Here are some treatments you could get:

· Bladder control training

· Exercises that make the pelvic floor stronger (Kegel exercises)

· Drugs

· Surgery

· Devices such as a patch, plug, implant

· Special underpants that can hold a lot of urine

Commodes provide an option for toileting for senior citizens with limited mobility and for those who have difficulty reaching the bathroom. Most commodes feature removable pails that are used in place of the toilet, allowing the commode to remain close to the resident's bed when necessary. Also, many commodes can be placed over a toilet for use as a raised toilet seat or toilet safety frame for those who have difficulty getting on and off the toilet…read full article

What Are The Symptoms? 

Also known as BPH (Benign prostatic hypertrophy [hyperplasia]), this is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, causing problems with urination. 

It does not increase your chances of contracting prostate cancer.An enlarged prostate means the gland has grown bigger. Prostate enlargement happens to almost all men over 50 as they get older. As the gland grows, it expands and causes urination and bladder problems.

·         Frequent urination, day and night

·         Delay in starting to urinate, especially at night and if your bladder is full

·         A weak urine flow

·         A feeling that your bladder is not completely empty

These symptoms could be worse if the weather is cold or if you consume large amounts of fluids.

What Is The Treatment? 

Your treatment options vary depending on your age, current state of your health and the amount of enlargement of the prostate. 

If your symptoms are mild, the solution can be as simple as reducing fluid consumption at night to avoid the worst of the symptoms.  However, if your symptoms persist, drugs such as antiandrogens and alpha blockers will be your doctor’s next recommendation.  But if the symptoms are severe, your doctor could recommend surgery where a part of the prostate that is obstructing urine flow is removed (a procedure known as a partial prostatectomy)

What is High Cholesterol? 

Your blood cholesterol level has a lot to do with your chances of getting heart disease. High blood cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. A risk factor is a condition that increases your chance of getting a disease.  

In fact, the higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the United States. Each year, more than a million Americans have heart attacks, and about a half million people die from heart disease

How Does Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease? 

When there is too much cholesterol (a fat-like substance) in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup causes "hardening of the arteries" so that arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart, you may suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack.

High blood cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high. It is important to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens the risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of a heart attack or dying of heart disease, even if you already have it. Cholesterol lowering is important for everyone--younger, middle age, and older adults; women and men; and people with or without heart disease.

What Do Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean?

Everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every 5 years. It is best to have a blood test called a "lipoprotein profile" to find out your cholesterol numbers. This blood test is done after a 9- to 12-hour fast and gives information about your:  

·         Total cholesterol

·         LDL (bad) cholesterol--the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries

·         HDL (good) cholesterol--helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries

·         Triglycerides--another form of fat in your blood

If it is not possible to get a lipoprotein profile done, knowing your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol can give you a general idea about your cholesterol levels. If your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL* or more or if your HDL is less than 40 mg/dL, you will need to have a lipoprotein profile done. See how your cholesterol numbers compare to the tables below. …read full article

What Affects Cholesterol Levels?

A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels. These are things you can do something about:

·         Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main culprit, but cholesterol in foods also matters. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.

·         Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your HDL and lower your triglyceride levels.

·         Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.

Things you cannot do anything about also can affect cholesterol levels. These include:

·         Age and Gender. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL levels tend to rise.

·         Heredity. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.

What Is Your Risk of Developing Heart Disease or Having a Heart Attack?

In general, the higher your LDL level and the more risk factors you have (other than LDL), the greater your chances of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. Some people are at high risk for a heart attack because they already have heart disease. Other people are at high risk for developing heart disease because they have diabetes (which is a strong risk factor) or a combination of risk factors for heart disease.  

Major Risk Factors That Affect Your LDL Goal:

·         Cigarette smoking

·         High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher or on blood pressure medication)

·         Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL)*

·         Family history of early heart disease (heart disease in father or brother before age 55; heart disease in mother or sister before age 65)

·         Age (men over 45, women over 55)

Treating High Cholesterol 

The main goal of cholesterol-lowering treatment is to lower your LDL level enough to reduce your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be. To find your LDL goal, see the boxes below for your risk category….read full article

Lowering Cholesterol With Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)

TLC is a set of things you can do to help lower your LDL cholesterol. The main parts of TLC are:

The TLC Diet. This is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan that calls for less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat and less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. The TLC diet recommends only enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and avoid weight gain. If your LDL is not lowered enough by reducing your saturated fat and cholesterol intakes, the amount of soluble fiber in your diet can be increased. Certain food products that contain plant stanols or plant sterols (for example, cholesterol-lowering margarines) can also be added to the TLC diet to boost its LDL-lowering power.

Weight Management. Losing weight if you are overweight can help lower LDL and is especially important for those with a cluster of risk factors that includes high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels and being overweight with a large waist measurement (more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women).

Physical Activity. Regular physical activity (30 minutes on most, if not all, days) is recommended for everyone. It can help raise HDL and lower LDL and is especially important for those with high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels who are overweight with a large waist measurement.

Drug Treatment

Even if you begin drug treatment to lower your cholesterol, you will need to continue your treatment with lifestyle changes. This will keep the dose of medicine as low as possible, and lower your risk in other ways as well. There are several types of drugs available for cholesterol lowering including statins, bile acid sequestrants, nicotinic acid, fibric acids, and cholesterol absorption inhibitors. Your doctor can help decide which type of drug is best for you.

The statin drugs are very effective in lowering LDL levels and are safe for most people. Bile acid sequestrants also lower LDL and can be used alone or in combination with statin drugs. Nicotinic acid lowers LDL and triglycerides and raises HDL. Fibric acids lower LDL somewhat but are used mainly to treat high triglyceride and low HDL levels. Cholesterol absorption inhibitorrs lower LDL and can be used alone or in combination with statin drugs.

Once your LDL goal has been reached, your doctor may prescribe treatment for high triglycerides and/or a low HDL level, if present. The treatment includes losing weight if needed, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and possibly taking a drug.

Changes From Age 50 To Age 70 

As you age, your body changes with time.  We have listed below some of the changes you will see in your body from age 50 to age 70:

Bones, Muscles and Joints

Bones become weaker, particularly in postmenopausal women.

Muscle strength and build continues to decrease.

Digestive Organs

The volume of digestive fluids decrease and the intestines work less efficiently, leading to harder feces that may require strain to expel.

Brain and Nerves

Short-term memory and ability to concentrate may become less efficient.

Physical reactions may be lower.

Eyes and Ears

At age 50, people may find it harder to see in low light or to see moving objects.

By 70, people may find it difficult to hear faint or high pitched sounds.

Heart and Blood Vessels

Heart muscle becomes less elastic; the heart pumps harder but is less able to respond to increased effort.

Lungs and Airways

By age 65, lung efficiency has decreased to about 60% of optimal level.

Reproductive Organs

In men, the prostate gland usually starts to enlarge after age 50; it may constrict the bladder outlet, making urination difficult

Urinary Organs

In women, falling estrogen levels also reduce pelvic muscle strength and tone. This may cause further difficulty in controlling urination.

Skin, Hair and Teeth

Surface of the skin becomes drier

Hay may become considerably thinner, especially in men

Teeth may begin to fall out

Changes After The Age Of 70

As you age, your body changes with time.  We have listed below some of the changes you will see in your body after the age of 70:

Bones, Muscles and Joints

Wear and tear on joints leads to increased stiffness and pain

Muscle strength at age 85 is about half the strength at age 25

Digestive Organs

Sense of taste becomes less acute as fewer than half of the taste buds remain active.  Chewing and swallowing may be more difficult due to tooth loss and gum disease.

Brain and Nerves

By age 90, the brain has lost up to 10% of its tissue, making it less effective and leading to some loss of intellectual ability and physical coordination.

Eyes and Ears

Ability to distinguish fine visual detail continues to decline

Deterioration in hearing may made hearing aids necessary

Heart and Blood Vessels

By age 85, the heart is unable to support long periods of strenuous activity.  As stamina decreases, elderly people become fatigued more easily.

Lungs and Airways

By age 80, the lungs function only half as efficiently as the lungs of a young adult, and moderate exertion may cause a shortness of breath.

Reproductive Organs

A decreasing level of testosterone in men reduces sexual desire.  Fewer viable sperm are produced.

Urinary Organs

After age 75-80, kidneys become less effective, and it takes longer for them to clear toxic chemicals from the blood.

Skin, Hair and Teeth

Skin becomes less able to regulate body temperature by retaining or losing heat, making people more susceptible to the effects of hot or cold weather.

Skin Care For Seniors 

The health and strength of your skin, in particular against damaging UV rays from the sun, will plays an important role in the overall health for senior citizens.  As your first line of defense against disease, it is vital that you take the steps necessary to protect your skin.

Here is the some of the basic information you need to be aware of, so that you are in a position to properly protect your skin:

·         The easiest and simplest preventative step you can take is to shield yourself from the sun.  When you are out in direct sunlight, make sure to use sunglasses, a hat or parasol to protect your head, and to cover any skin that is already sensitive with light-colored, loose fitting clothing.

·         On a daily basis, make sure to use a moisturizer.  But if your skin is especially sensitive, consult with a dermatologist regarding an Aloe Vera gel that is especially soothing and can help with sunburns.

·         As you age, your skin ages as well.  And drying skin is the largest skin problem that senior citizens face.  As a result, use gentle cleansing with soap and detergent-free cleansers that do not need to be rinsed.

·         Avoid any antibacterial soaps that may have a high pH, which can further dry aging skin.

·         Be careful to avoid bumps and bruises that tear the skin.  Immobile senior citizens who must use adult diapers or have problems of incontinence should have special care taken to keep them clean.

Wrinkles

While your skin does age all over your body, this process is accelerated by exposure to the sun.  Damage caused by the sun to your skin could include dryness, cracking, sagginess, skin growths like liver spots, and wrinkles. Most wrinkles appear on the parts of the body where your exposure to the sun is greatest.   This is especially true of the face, neck, the top of your forearms and the back of your hands.

The basic treatment for wrinkles involves the use of over-the-counter medications and creams to moisturize the skin and reduce or even eliminate your wrinkles.  Deeper creases may require more aggressive techniques, such injection of fillers or plastic surgery.