By Paula Camposano-Robinson

Do you know your own colon cancer risk? We may joke that the big 5-0 is a milestone, but according to the American Cancer Society it’s also a major risk factor for colon cancer. Ninety percent of individuals who are diagnosed with colon cancer are over the age of 50.

According to a Surveillance Study on cancer statistics and diseases of the U.S. populations, it is estimated that more than 147,000 men and women (with men at a greater risk) will be diagnosed with cancer, and of those, almost 50,000 will die due to cancer of the colon and rectum.

Based on Lifetime Risk Studies and U.S mortality research through 2006, more than 6 percent of individuals will be diagnosed with cancer of the colon or rectum sometime in their life, or 1 in 19 people. I don’t know about you but these are frightening.

In order to reduce your risks of having cancer symptoms, pain or having to endure suffering that could be caused by a delay in a diagnosis, early detection and prevention is always the best medicine.  People over the age of 50 should have a colonoscopy at least every 10 years or more, if needed.

While personally having to undergo a variety of tests prior to age 50, my  physician recommended I have a colonoscopy to rule out another condition however, I must say at the time; I was not looking forward to this examination of my colon. It was the last thing I wanted to do after the numerous CAT scans MRI’s Scans blood work and even a bone marrow biopsy, but after the fact, I was relieved that the test was negative and thus several diagnoses could be ruled out.

As an RN I have witnessed a number of of these procedures and had the opportunity to look into the colonoscope, which is a flexible viewing tube with lenses and a small TV camera with a light on the end.  Through high tech fiber-optics and a small computer chip, this remarkable instrument scans the inside of your colon while transmitting images to a video screen.

Please do not put off having this procedure for fear of discomfort. A colonoscopy is a routine, safe and effective procedure and it is not as uncomfortable as one may believe – actually it is painless as you are sedated prior to the test, which is done in a special suite or an outpatient area of a hospital.

The procedure is the best way for healthcare providers to view the entire colon to see if there are any problems. It can diagnose gastrointestinal problems, complaints of frequent abdominal pain, or change in bowel habits. It is the best screening tool to detect colon or colorectal cancer. And if you have had additional risk factors, the procedure should be repeated more frequently.

Having a colonoscopy should begin earlier than age 50 in people with a high risk of colorectal cancer due to family history, chronic inflammatory bowel disease or other hereditary symptoms including polyps. It can also be used to identify the source of rectal bleeding or to confirm if you might have areas of colitis (inflammation of the colon).

If your physician is suspicious about an area during the colonoscopy, he/she can use an attachment placed at the end of the colonoscope to take a small tissue sample (biopsy) to be examined in a laboratory. If a polyp should be found, it is possible that a wire loop attachment would be used to remove the entire polyp so it can be sent for analysis.

Most people are more concerned about the preparation prior to the procedure than the procedure itself.  To help empty your bowel so the physician can have a clear view of the intestinal wall, you will be given specific instructions about using laxatives the day before the procedure. Today there are pills that can be sued if you are not allergic to sodium phosphates.

Do something good for yourself, talk to you physician, family and friends and schedule a colonoscopy if you are 50 or over and have not had the procedure in the last ten years, because if could literally save your life!

Visit http://sanitasole.net for information and assistance with senior care available in Marco Island, Florida.

The Positive Power of Negative Thinking

The title of this article is the title of a 2002 book by Julie K. Norem, a psychology professor at Wellesley College. The idea behind it is that the Chicken Little’s of the world who are always predicting a disaster are practicing “defensive pessimism.”

But the topic came to mind as I was reviewing old articles I haven’t had space for and came across John Cloud’s provocatively titled article for Time magazine called “Yes, I Suck: Self-Help Through Negative Thinking.” Mr. Cloud began by noting the millions of hours and dollars people have spent in therapists’ offices trying to overcome their self-doubts, and then pointed out that one reason it may be taking so many visits is that it is a futile exercise. He quoted a study published in the journal Psychological Science that said trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

He wrote: “The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin with a common-sense proposition: when people hear something they don’t believe, they are not only often skeptical but adhere even more strongly to their original position.” For example, if you try to tell me that the Yankees are baseball’s best team, and I am tired of hearing it, I may argue the opposite, with more conviction than I actually have, just to be obstinate.

Mr. Cloud notes that the study showed how we do the same thing with our own thoughts. “Many of us are reluctant to revise our self-judgment, especially for the better. In 1994, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published a paper showing that when people get feedback that they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better… In one fascinating 1990s experiment demonstrating this effect – called cognitive dissonance in official terms – a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write hard-hearted essays opposing funding for the disabled. When these participants were later told they were compassionate, they felt even worse about what they had written.”

In the more recent study quoted by Mr. Cloud, students were first measured on their self-esteem and then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds during those four minutes, one randomly assigned group of the students heard a bell. When they heard it, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am a lovable person.”

“Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after those 16 bursts of self-affirmation,” noted Mr. Cloud, “In fact, their self-evaluations and moods were significantly more negative than those of the people not asked to remind themselves of their lovability.”

According to Mr. Cloud, “Wood, Lee and Perunovic conclude that unfavorable thoughts about ourselves intrude very easily, especially among those of us with low self-esteem – so easily and so persistently that even when a positive alternative is presented, it just underlines how awful we believe we are.”

But Dr. Norem’s view of negativity is more positive. In a brief article from O, Oprah Winfrey’s magazine she said, “Defensive pessimism is a strategy used in specific situations to manage anxiety, fear, and worry.” She added, “Defensive pessimists prepare for a situation by setting low expectations for themselves, then follow up with a very detailed assessment of everything that may go wrong. Once they’ve imagined the full range of bad outcomes, they start figuring out how they’ll handle them, and that gives them a sense of control.” In other words, they do their best when given the opportunity to prepare for the worst.

In the same article, Lawrence Sanna, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has also studied the phenomenon, notes, “What’s intriguing about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, and so their low opinion of the outcome isn’t realistic; they use it to motivate themselves to perform better.” For example, an executive is getting ready to pitch a project, and she thinks beforehand, “The client is going to be really difficult; he’s not going to like my proposal. I have to make sure I explain things very clearly.” “She uses defensive pessimism as a tool to work through all the possibilities so she’s prepared for everything, even failure,” Dr. Sanna says. “And if she does fail, she’s ready for it, so it’s not so catastrophic.”

And finally, also quoting from the above article, you would be wise, if you are dealing with a pessimist in your life, to stop trying to make him or her change. “Research shows that if you pressure defensive pessimists into being optimistic, or try to manipulate their mood, their performance deteriorates,” says Andrew J. Elliot, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. One of the most frequent comments Dr. Norem got after publishing The Positive Power of Negative Thinking was “Thank you. I can finally tell my mother to shut up.” Dr. Norem explains the strategic thinking of defensive pessimists on her website:

“Defensive pessimism is a strategy used by anxious people to help them manage their anxiety so they can work productively. Defensive pessimists lower their expectations to help prepare themselves for the worst. Then, they mentally play through all the bad things that might happen. Though it sounds as if it might be depressing, defensive pessimism actually helps anxious people focus away from their emotions so that they can plan and act effectively… My experimental research shows that if defensive pessimists try to raise their expectations, or avoid playing through a worst-case analysis, their anxiety increases and their performance suffers.”

Are you a defensive pessimist? Here is the Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire from Dr. Norem’s website. (To find out what your results mean, you will have to take it on the website.)

Think of a situation where you want to do your best. It may be related to work, to your social life, or to any of your goals. When you answer the following questions, please think about how you prepare for that kind of situation. Rate how true each statement is for you, according to the following scale:

Not at all true of me 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 Very true of me 1.    I often start out expecting the worst, even though I will probably do OK. 2.    I worry about how things will turn out.
Weekly News Bites – February 8, 2010 – Page 2 of 6

3.    I carefully consider all possible outcomes. 4.    I often worry that I won’t be able to carry through my intentions. 5.    I spend lots of time imagining what could go wrong. 6.    I imagine how I would feel if things went badly. 7.    I try to picture how I could fix things if something went wrong. 8.    I’m careful not to become overconfident in these situations. 9.    I spend a lot of time planning when one of these situations is coming up. 10. I imagine how I would feel if things went well.

What Do You Think?
•    Are you more naturally a pessimist or optimist? Does it depend on the situation?
•    Do you know a person who practices defensive pessimism? Does this article help you understand that person better?
•    Does understanding their thinking make it any easier to be around people who are negative in their outlook? Why or why not?
•    Do you agree that pessimists are better prepared for disaster than optimists? Why or why not?
•    Can you be too optimistic? (Think of financial speculators, for example)
•    These articles would seem to equate low self-esteem with negative thinking and therefore pessimism. Are they necessarily related? Can you be a pessimist with high self-esteem?

A Weekly News Activity February 8, 2010

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Visit the link below for the top 10 online destinations of people over the age of 65!  For help with an aging senior in the Marco Island FL area, visit http://sanitasole.net.

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Take Heart-Part 2

Get Fit and Heart Healthy

Getting fit helps your heart get healthy. A hundred years ago, only about  ten percent of adults were overweight. Today about sixty-one percent of adults are. Reaching and maintaining a healthy body weight will pay off in many ways, including lowering your risk for heart disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as increasing energy.   More than one-third of people who are overweight say they get little or no exercise. Working out just thirty to forty minutes a day can help you burn up to five hundred calories each session and your body will continue to burn up to one hundred calories the rest of the day after you stop exercising! Exercise does not have to be hard or structured to get results here are a couple of examples to get you started. Every little bit of exercise adds up. If you take fifteen minutes to walk the dog in the morning, ten minutes to walk and pick up your lunch, five minutes to walk around the office for a mid afternoon stretch, fifteen minutes to weed your garden when you get home from work and fifteen minutes after dinner playing tag with the kids your activity adds up to one hour and three extra calories burned for the day. Fifteen minutes of mowing the lawn with a push mower, washing the car, downhill skiing on the beginners slop or walking at a brisk pace burn seventy to ninety four calories. If you only have five minutes jump rope, walk the stairs, dance to a song on the radio, just keep moving, even fidgeting and tapping your toes under your desk burns calories. Finding activities that you enjoy that move your body will help you to loose weight, get fit and have fun.

Remember to talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Make Good Food Choices

Making good food choices can be hard but a healthy diet is an important part to improve heart health. Here are some tools to get you started on your way:

Choose whole grains: By choosing brown rice, whole oats, whole wheat pasta and multi- grain bread you get nutrients like folate, magnesium and vitamin E as well as fiber instead of the empty calories found in overly processed foods like white bread.

Add Beans and Legumes: Beans are a great way to get fat busting fiber. An easy way to add beans and legumes to your diet is to sprinkle a green salad with an ounce of kidney beans, or make a pot of minestrone soup with lots of vegetables and beans for a low calorie high fiber lunch.

Eat all your fruits and vegetables: The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) now recommends eating at least 7 servings of vegetables a day. Don’t be afraid, a serving is 1/2 a cup so if you have a large green leaf salad of spring greens, escarole, and radicchio with broccoli, red bell peppers, sprouts and radishes for lunch you will have gotten at least 3 servings out of the way. By adding two veggies to your dinner plate and a snack of carrots and celery all 7 will be in. It is also recommended that you have two servings of fruit a day. Try to have them as the whole fruit and not fruit juice since fruit juice often has added calories and little to no fiber.

Choose Lean Meat and Fish: Choose meat that is naturally low in fat, such as turkey breast, skinless chicken, fish or seafood. It has been recommended by the USDA for heart health that you eat three servings of fatty fish per week. Fatty fish including salmon, trout and herring, they are a god sources of heart healthy fish oils.

Avoid “Bad” Fat: Reduce the amount of “bad” fat by limiting processed foods, especially those made with hydrogenated oils like lard and margarine. Examples of foods high in “bad” fats know as trans fatty acids are French fries, fried fish or chicken, doughnuts and cakes. If you have a recipe that calls for frying try baking instead. This is an easy way to cut both fat and calories.

Add “Good” Fat: There are good fats out there and using them in your cooking will help lower bad, LDL, cholesterol. Use small amounts olive oil, canola oil or use cooking spray to coat the pan to add flavor and reduce sticking. A little fat goes a long way to make food taste better. It is a perfect example of less is more.

A word about treats: We all need treats from time to time but satisfying treats don’t have to be health zappers. A few ideas, look for mini sizes of the treats you love including single serving popcorn, cookies and snack cakes. Add dark chocolate, new research shows it has heart health benefits and use fruit as a tasty dessert, it has all of the sweet with none of the fat that weighs you down.

Sources: The American Heart Association, The Women’s Heart Foundation and Prevention’s Ultimate Guide to Women’s Health and Wellness

Nutrition through the life cycle by Judith Brown. Photos: The California Department of Aging Stay Well Campaign 2000

Visit http://sanitasole.net for information and assistance for an aging loved one in the Marco Island, FL area.

Take Heart-Part 1

Heart Disease Kills 500,000 Women Every Year

Women and Heart Disease

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease claims the lives of   500,000 women a year. More women die from heart disease and stokes than the next seven causes of death combined. One in two women will die of heart disease, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer. Cancer deserves serious attention, but it is a distant second to heart disease. And if you think heart disease only affects older women in menopause, you are mistaken. It is the leading cause of death for women aged 35 and over. Atherosclerosis, the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries, can be found in teenage girls. Heart disease can affect women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Women’s heart disease is different from men’s heart disease. Women often experience milder symptoms such as back pain, flu like symptoms, mild or no chest pain, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, nausea or unexplained fatigue.  It is important for women to educate themselves and others about the warning signs of a heart attack. The good news is that by following a healthy lifestyle you can reduce your risk for heart disease by 82 percent! And if you have already had a heart attack, positive life style changes can help you live a longer and healthier life.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

· Smoking

· Diabetes

· Overweight/ BMI of 25 or above

· Waist measurement more than 35 inches

· Diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol

· Family history (a parent, brother or sister who has had a heart attack)

· Your HDL or good cholesterol is under 45 and total cholesterol is over 240

· Lack of exercise and activity

· Mental and emotional stress

If you have a risk factor for heat disease it’s time for lifestyle changes!

Smoking is the #1 controllable risk factor of heart disease.

If you smoke, STOP.

The risk of heart disease in smokers is two to four times higher than non-smokers. Smoking is the #1 controllable risk factor for heart disease. Smoking is bad for your heart and cardiovascular system because it robs your heart of oxygen for hours after you smoke. Smoking lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels while increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, which lead to a buildup of plaque and lipids in already damaged arteries. Smoking can trigger an irregular heart rhythm or heart attack if the heart becomes completely starved of oxygen. If you smoke then quitting is the first step for your heart health. Quitting can be difficult but the benefits far outweigh the withdrawal systems. Set out a plan to deal with cravings and triggers. Your plan might include a support group, a visit to your doctor and learning new ways to relax. Once you have a plan, set a quit date. It is important to eat a diet high in antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. Smoking depletes your body of vitamin C which is very important to your immune system

Sources: The American Heart Association, The Women’s Heart Foundation and Prevention’s Ultimate Guide to Women’s Health and Wellness Nutrition through the life cycle by Judith Brown. Photos: The California Department of Aging Stay Well Campaign 2000.

Visit http://sanitasole.net for information and assistance for aging loved one in the Marco Island FL area.

Tips to manage the silent emotional and physical stress of caring for a loved one

(ARA) – More than 34 million people are caring for an aging parent in the United States today. It is estimated one in two of these caregivers are baby boomers, adults in the “sandwich generation,” caught between caring for their aging parents while raising families of their own.

Caring for a loved one puts a great deal of strain on caregivers, taking a toll on everything, including their health, relationships and finances. Balancing caregiving with managing households and busy careers has become a struggle for millions of Americans and is made worse when the loved one has incontinence.

Caring.com, a leading online destination for people caring for aging parents, and TENA, the worldwide leader in the management of bladder control issues, conducted an in-depth survey on the impact of incontinence on caregivers.

The survey revealed that 65 percent of Caring.com members are dealing with incontinence in a parent, grandparent or spouse and three out of four caregivers are tackling two to three extra loads of laundry each week as a result of incontinence. About one third of caregivers find incontinence difficult to handle and 42 percent said dealing with their loved one’s incontinence sometimes leads to depression.

“Incontinence often can be frustrating and overwhelming for a person caring for an aging parent or loved one, but there are steps caregivers can take to meet this challenge,” says Ann Cason, caregiving expert, author and founder and director of Circles of Care. “These include considering all available treatment options, discussing incontinence in a straightforward and factual way, and asking for physical or emotional support if you need it.”

Caregivers should remember they are not alone and can rely on others to help them through difficult times. Some tips to help manage their loved one’s incontinence include:

* Establish a dialogue: It’s important to be able to talk with your loved one about their incontinence. Over time, incontinence symptoms may change or get worse. If you share an open line of communication, you’ll be better equipped to manage these changes by using different products and adjusting your care management plan. Caring.com has a variety of resources with helpful information on how caregivers can talk to their loved one about difficult issues, including who should do the talking, when to have the conversation, where to have it, what to say and how to avoid emotional land mines.

* Create a routine: Having a standard routine helps make it easier for you and your loved one to predict when they may need to use the bathroom. Eating meals around the same time each day, drinking a steady amount of water and keeping a journal of bathroom visits can help in managing incontinence.

* Be prepared: Make sure your loved one has plenty of time to go to the bathroom before you leave the house. Bring a bag with extra incontinence products, wipes and a change of clothes. Being prepared not only helps in the event of an accident, it also helps your loved one to feel more confident and secure.

* Use the right tools: Not all absorbent products are created equal. Absorbent products are designed to meet a variety of different care needs and personal situations. Take the time to research what products are best for your loved one at www.tena.us. Also, www.tena.us provides caregivers with money- and time-saving product tips that help them provide high quality care without breaking the bank.

For caregivers, dealing with your loved one’s incontinence brings added strain to an already stressful situation. Here are some tips for caregivers to deal with the emotional effects of their loved one’s incontinence:

* Unwind: Taking time for yourself will help reduce stress, elevate your mood and, ultimately, help make you a better caregiver. Buy a new book, join a club or go out to dinner and give yourself some time to relax.

* Maintain a healthy lifestyle: It’s easy to fall into unhealthy habits with caregiving responsibilities keeping you busy. Incorporating a nutritious diet and exercise routine into your daily schedule will help give you extra energy and reduce stress. Try simple things like adding a healthy salad to your meal or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

* Ask for help: Caring for a loved one by yourself can be an overwhelming task. Ask family members to pitch in by picking up supplies or keeping your loved one company while you take a break. Don’t be afraid to call a friend to listen when you’ve had a bad day, or to network with other caregivers who are dealing with similar issues.

* Know your rights: The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) grants legal rights to some employed caregivers at organizations with 50 or more employees. FMLA guarantees that employees may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year to care for a seriously ill parent, spouse or child. Ask your human resources department for more information on programs to help you balance your career and caregiving.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit http://sanitasole.net for help with an aging loved one in Marco Island, Florida.

Seventy-nine million boomers will change the world – again

(ARA) – Changing the world is not an easy assignment – but baby boomers did it once and they’ll do it again.

They tackled civil rights and women’s rights and ushered the country into the digital age of communication and entertainment media. They demanded better health care and more efficient automobiles. They worked alone and worked together to influence both their neighbors and their political leaders. Their list of achievements over the past 60-plus years is undeniably remarkable.

The boomer generation has “never just migrated through stages of life,” says Ken Dychtwald, a specialist on aging. “They always transformed them as they went . . . boomers are not going to grow old like any generations we’ve ever seen.”

And now this cohort of baby boomers – this largest of all generations, born between 1946 and 1964 inclusively – is redefining what retirement means and is on the verge of changing the world again through active volunteerism. Sometimes referred to as the “Senior Tsunami,” this 79 million-member group will begin turning 65 in 2011 and while many now must work longer than expected, large numbers are still likely to commence rolling in waves out of the work force. This powerful tsunami will continue through 2029 and beyond.

Not content to sit on their laurels
Thankfully, the boomer generation is a generation with heart, a generation that is already stepping up, recognizing that they can leave the world a better place for their children and grandchildren. It’s a strong and healthy group with a passion for helping others. Demographers predict the boomers will live longer lives and remain in better physical condition than any predecessor generation.

So, for many, knitting afghans and raising roses will not suffice. Volunteering will become the pathway of choice for many boomers. It will provide a way for them to maintain a social network with people who express their values in similar ways. Some volunteer experiences will also offer an element of adventure – something many boomers desire – without being unsafe or disorganized.

Boomer-rich companies taking note
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a Fortune 500 financial services organization based in Minneapolis, Minn., has 2.6 million members of which approximately 40 percent are baby boomers. When Thrivent reached out to those members to determine what sorts of charitable activities the organization should support, the resounding reply was Habitat for Humanity. Many of these 45- to 60-something Thrivent members were already pounding nails on Habitat construction sites across the nation. They wanted Thrivent Financial to support those efforts.

Based on that information, the company formed a four-year $125 million alliance with Habitat for Humanity International, called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. The alliance supported not only the work of the popular home-building nonprofit, it also provided an enhanced means for Thrivent members to become involved or stay involved in an active and meaningful way. Members were offered opportunities to help build homes in their own communities or they could travel in teams with like-minded people to help build homes in specific U.S. locations or abroad.

Thrivent’s approach to connecting with their own boomer members through this alliance was highly successful. They were correct in anticipating that hundreds of thousands of them would be attracted to such an action-packed opportunity. The tangible result is that in just four years a combined total of more than 2,000 homes were built in the United States and in over 30 other countries.

Retiring “to,” not “from”
Along with the sheer size of the boomer generation, its vision of an active retirement is what will spur the group on to changing the world once again. In essence, boomers imagine themselves retiring to a new life, rather than retiring from an old one. They want to be part of something larger than themselves, something they can believe in. The opportunity to contribute something valuable and lasting, to engage their interests, skills and resources, to make a difference in a modicum of time and to slot in a bit of adventure will become paramount.

One of the ways they will meet all those criteria is through volunteerism. The legacy of millions of learned, talented, self-sacrificing people stepping forward to help those less fortunate is thrilling to consider. Imagine a more compassionate world where millions are volunteering and benevolence is the new norm. Those boomers just might pull it off – based on sheer numbers, if nothing else.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit http://sanitasole.net to find out about the services we offer seniors in the Marco Island FL area!

What a heart failure diagnosis really means for you

(ARA) – Hearing the words “heart failure” from your doctor is a frightening thing. If that is your diagnosis, you’re not alone – more than 5 million Americans are affected by heart failure. But while it is certainly serious, it is not quite as ominous as it sounds. The good news is that there have been tremendous strides in heart care treatment in recent years, which enables patients with the disease to live full, active, normal lives.

One key thing to remember about heart failure is what it actually means. It’s not a death sentence; it means that your heart muscle has changed. It’s either weakened or it has become stiff, which means that it has to work harder to pump blood throughout your body.

“Many people with heart failure can lead relatively normal, active lives. The key is early diagnosis and treatment,” says Dr. Stephen Gottlieb, chair, Heart Failure Society of America Education Committee. “New treatments can be very effective in slowing and stopping the progression of the disease, and in some cases can even reverse the process.”

It’s when heart failure goes undiagnosed and untreated that things go wrong, which is why it is the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65. Many people have questions about this common disease, and the more you know, the better you’ll be able deal with a heart failure diagnosis.

Question: What causes heart failure?

Answer: Heart failure develops following an injury to the heart. Heart attacks, long-term untreated high blood pressure, alcohol abuse, or an abnormality of one of the heart valves can all cause the damage that leads to heart failure. You are also at increased risk if you have a history of a heart murmur, suffer from enlargement of the heart or have a family history of enlarged hearts, or if you are diabetic. In some cases, the exact cause of heart failure is not known.

Question: What symptoms should I watch for?

Answer: Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath even when the activity you are engaging in is not strenuous; difficulty breathing in a laying down position; weight gain and fluid retention that lead to swelling in the legs and ankles; and general fatigue and weakness. Of course, many other health problems may share some of these symptoms, so it’s important to talk to your doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital.

Question: I’ve been diagnosed with heart failure. What do I do now?

Answer: Take charge. Working with your doctor, you can find a treatment plan that will help you live the healthiest life possible for you. Your treatment will include diet modifications, an exercise plan and certain medications. Limit your salt and alcohol intake. If you smoke, quit. Lose weight if your doctor advises it and exercise regularly. And be sure to weigh yourself daily and report any sudden weight gain or swelling to your doctor.

Once you’ve been diagnosed with heart failure, it’s important to take good care of yourself and to enlist the support of family and friends. To learn more about how to live well with heart failure, visit www.abouthf.org to download information or request to have complimentary materials mailed to you. All the information on this site is designed for patients and is easy to read and understand.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit us at http://sanitasole.net for help with an aging loved one in the Marco Island FL area.

Special Note: As a reminder, please see last week’s article below on National Influenza Vaccination Week, January 10 – 16, 2010. You are encouraged to get flu vaccinations. Read why.  

Is it a cold or the flu? Here’s how to tell

(ARA) – “My body aches and my head is throbbing. Do I have the flu or is it just because I’m stressed or tired? Do I need a flu shot? Do I need the H1N1 vaccine, too?”

Millions of Americans, including the elderly, will be asking themselves these and more questions this fall and winter as news reports and health care providers continue to warn about seasonal influenza and novel H1N1 influenza, otherwise known as swine flu.

The flu symptoms self-assessment tool on MayoClinic.com can help you assess whether you or your loved ones have some form of flu, or just a cold. If you possibly or likely have the flu, you’ll also learn whether antiviral medication is an option. And you can check a concise list of high-risk groups who should seek medical attention for the flu.

Flu – influenza – is caused by a virus that attacks your respiratory system. Health experts agree that if you’re generally in good health, the flu – either seasonal or H1N1 – will likely do no more than make you feel rotten for a few days. You probably won’t develop complications or need to go to the hospital. If, however, you have an already weakened immune system or are among those considered high risk – such as infants, young children, pregnant women or the elderly – the flu can be a serious and even fatal illness.

Common symptoms of both the seasonal and swine flu include:

* Sudden onset. Colds usually develop over a few days and are only a nuisance. Flu hits you quickly and hard.

* Chills, sweats, headache and body aches, especially in the back, arms and legs.

* Fever higher than 101 F in adults and up to 103 or 105 in children.

* Nasal congestion but a dry cough.

* Overall weakness and fatigue.

* No appetite in adults and children, and diarrhea and vomiting in children.

* Worsening of chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes and heart disease.

Most healthy adults will only need to treat the symptoms and let the illness run its course. Infants, young children or adults at risk of complications, however, should see the doctor right away. Antiviral drugs, taken in the first 48 hours that symptoms develop, may trim the length of the illness and help prevent the development of serious complications like pneumonia.

Ultimately, getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from contracting the flu. Talk to your health care provider about getting vaccinated. Visit www.MayoClinic.com for more information on managing your health.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Visit us at http://sanitasole.net if you need help for a senior loved one in the area.

During National Influenza Vaccination Week, January 10-16, 2010, the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be spearheading a nationwide effort to urge more Americans, including the elderly, to get vaccinated against H1N1.  

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is a national observance that was established to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as foster greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season into January and beyond. This year’s NIVW (originally scheduled for December 6-10, 2009) will be held in January.

Since the spread of 2009 H1N1 influenza is likely to continue into the new year, NIVW will be an important opportunity to promote uptake of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccination at a time when demand for vaccine usually drops significantly. While influenza is unpredictable, and while we do not know the likelihood of a future wave of H1N1 influenza, we do know that if more people are vaccinated, the disease is less likely to spread in the coming months. 

About the Flu

Flu refers to illnesses caused by a number of different influenza viruses. Flu can cause a range of symptoms and effects, from mild to lethal.

There are two strains of flu; seasonal flu and the H1N1 (Swine) flu, are currently circulating in the United States. A third, highly lethal H5N1 (Bird) flu is being closely tracked overseas.

Most healthy people recover from the flu without problems, but certain people are at high risk for serious complications.

Extensive efforts are underway to track and monitor the spread of all flu viruses. In the U.S., epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working with states to collect, compile and analyze reports of flu outbreaks. Read more on the current situation.

Flu symptoms may include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue. In H1N1 flu infection, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur.

Annual outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually occur during the late fall through early spring. Most people have natural immunity, and a seasonal flu vaccine is available. In a typical year, approximately 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the seasonal flu and approximately 36,000 flu-related deaths are reported.

This year, the H1N1 flu virus may cause a more dangerous flu season with a lot more people getting sick, being hospitalized and dying than during a regular flu season. H1N1 is a new virus first seen in the United States. It is contagious and spreads from person to person. Like seasonal flu, illness in people with H1N1 can vary from mild to severe.

Interactive Timeline on H1N1: The Year in Review
Follow the month-by-month development of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.

A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population; the virus causes serious illness and spreads easily from person-to-person worldwide. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that a global pandemic of H1N1 flu is underway.

H5N1 (Bird) flu is an influenza A virus subtype that is highly contagious among birds. Rare human infections with the H5N1 (Bird) flu virus have occurred. The majority of confirmed cases have occurred in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe and the Near East. Currently, the United States has no confirmed human H5N1 (Bird) flu infections, but H5N1 (Bird) flu remains a serious concern with the potential to cause a deadly pandemic.

See more detailed information and original story and videos at Flu.gov. http://www.flu.gov/individualfamily/about/index.html

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