Dealing with chronic pain, part III: How to control actual pain

Mayo Clinic’s Health Letter from February explains that “Memories of past painful experiences can influence your current experiences.”

For example, a strong remembrance of past pain at your dentist office does not help any new pain threshold about to be realized there. Mayo continues, “And pain itself can predispose you to more pain.”

Dealing with chronic pain, part 2: Why and how it hurts

Chronic pain, contrary to the acute form, is pain that, despite some fluctuation in intensity, doesn’t go away with time. Mayo Clinic Health Letter explains, “It (chronic pain) can affect a specific area, such as with back pain, headaches or facial pain, or it can be more widespread, such as with fibromyalgia — a disorder that causes pain throughout the body.”

Dealing with chronic pain, part 1: Some scary statistics

Federal Data issued in the Health-Care Section of February 7 The Wall Street Journal Newspaper informs us that, “More than 50 million adults in the U.S. are living with chronic pain at an estimated annual cost of $560 billion in medical care, lost productivity and disability programs.”

This number is estimated, however, to be much higher according to Mayo Clinic.

Is aspirin good for you?

Did you know that some 40% of American citizens over the age of 50 still use aspirins for their primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease? These older seniors began this aspirin regimen in the 1980s with the strong emergence, at that time, of potential heart benefits for the medicine’s use.

Spreading Love in 2019, part 2

Are you searching for several ways to make the world a happier place to live in, not just on the calendar day of April 30th: “Pay It Forward Day”?

You’ve come to the right place for info.

Spreading Love in 2019

Wall Street Journal’s 2016 article “Nice People Really Do Have More Fun” explores the topic that even though “Selfish nastiness is all the rage (these days)…research shows that pleasant behavior leads to more success and happiness in life.” This was especially proven by two British scientists in 2010 when they looked into the effects of engaging in small daily acts of kindness.

Microbe-fighting myths

With the continuation of the holiday season and its multiple ensuing social interaction occurrences, here is some health info for now and into our new year. Two food science and food microbiologists have exploded myths about what is and isn’t safe in the controlling of harmful bacteria, especially in our use of food items.

Paul Dawson and Brian Sheldon, in their Wall Street Journal article, explain, “It turns out that many of the things we do to keep ourselves safe from harmful bacteria just make the problem worse.”

Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, explains: “Being 75 isn’t what it used to be because people are more active and live longer than previous generations.” He continues, “We want to get away from the idea of taking away mom and dad’s keys and focus on other alternatives to keep them mobile … if they could be driving safely.”

When to take away the car keys, part 2

By 2030, more than 60 million seniors are predicted to be driving on our country’s roads. Already having looked forward to the future of Illinois traffic, a 1990 law was passed by our state legislature on the subject of tighter state driver restrictions for those above the age of 75. In attempting to lower the amount of accidents involving the elderly, Illinois still ranks as one of the U.S. toughest states. Let’s look at its testing rules.

How’s my Driving?

Did you know that the number of Americans, age 65 and older, has grown from 35 million in 2000 to 49.2 million in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau? With the average senior living longer today, a tremendous increase in older drivers has occurred on our country’s highways.

Becoming motivated to fitness walk

I have oft informed my Sun City readers of the outstanding rewards of a fitness walk. As we approach the fall season of the year and its more modified, cooler temperatures, it’s time to reconsider this easy-to-do and “just about anywhere” sport.

The ongoing opioid crisis and understanding pain

There is an opioid crisis in this country when prescription opioid deaths have more than quadrupled since 1999. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, “1 in 4 people who receive prescriptions for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggle with addiction.” What began this epidemic? In the 1990s, drug companies were lobbying government agencies and physician groups to consider as a vital sign of a patient’s health assessment “pain levels” as low as ”4 out of 10” to require necessary medication.

Alzheimer’s drug shows positive mid-stage results

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia or memory loss involving other cognitive abilities that interfere with daily life. It is not a normal part of aging, though the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older.

Nevertheless, there are approximately 200,000 American citizens who are under the age of 65 with what is commonly known as Early-Onset Alzheimer’s. It is a progressively worsening disease with mild memory loss found in its early stages. Alzheimer’s changes typically begin in the part of the brain affecting learning.