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Laterlife Healthwise - 12
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Helen has specialised in writing about health and ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and Choice. Helen has also written several books including Getting Older Slowly –Your Guide to Successful Ageing and Bone Boosters co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame. For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'more healthwise' Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate talkback page too. |
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Please note we retain back copies of Healthwise online. If you entered this page directly via a search engine please check the Healthwise Index for the latest edition of Healthwise. |
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There's been much news coverage on the hazards of long-haul flying since this subject was last aired in laterlife. 'One in ten older flyers at risk from blood clots' was one scary headline. Well, I'm off to India for a couple of weeks very soon, so I know what precautions the well-prepared flyer should be taking.
An aspirin before the flight and another during the flight…. aspirin thins the blood so reduces risk of clotting. Don't take it if you have an ulcer. Aspirin can irritate the lining of the stomach in some people.
Keeping moving, pointing and flexing toes every half hour or so… this helps to pump blood back to the heart. Don't sit with crossed legs. Do get up and take a walk down the aisle every one or two hours.
Drink lots of water…. don't drink lots of alcohol. You can get dehydrated on long flights, a condition that increases risk of clotting. Alcohol dehydrates too.
with you on holiday, but the Pocket Gym Fitness System is a surprisingly clever little gadget no bigger than a mini umbrella, that offers 30 different exercises (20 of them sitting down).
Use it on a plane, train or long
car journeys, say the makers excitedly. No,
you don't
Here comes the hayfever season Don't wait till you're overcome by sneezes and wheezes and streaming eyes. If you suffer from hayfever get your defences going now before the season starts. The British Allergy Foundation suggests you should discuss the topic with your GP if last year's protection was not too satisfactory.
Consider whether the treatment was effective, did it fit with your lifestyle, did it make you feel sleepy? A discussion could lead to a change of medication that you might like better.
The Foundation also issues some other timely reminders: sleep with the window closed; try not to go out in the early evening; shower and wash hair as soon as possible after being out of doors; wear dark glasses to prevent pollen from getting into eyes; if exercising outside, smear some vaseline around the inside of the nose.
If you think some of those
precautions are a tad impractical, how about this one suggested once by a hayfever
specialist: go to sea in a boat and stay there for the duration, well away from offending
grasses and seeds.
Look Good, Feel Great with Diana Moran Diana Moran demonstrates how to keep fit using a series of simple routines
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When peeing isn't easy
Over 50% of men suffer from an enlarged prostate, a condition that blocks flow of urine, may cause pain and creates the urge for frequent urination.
The prostate lies below the base of the bladder and surrounds the urethra which is why the symptoms occur. You'd think there'd be something simple in the way of orthodox medicine to deal with this, but there's not. A drug (finasteride) has a poor record, as have cholesterol-lowering agents and alpha blockers which are sometimes offered.
There seems to be some success with
alternative treatments, depending on the degree of obstruction. This is where it gets technical, but if your
'residual urine level' is high, in the region of 150mL, the results are not so good. Check your level with your GP, and if it's under
100mL, then consider one of the herbal remedies.
The best-known is saw palmetto which has shown encouraging results after four to six weeks of treatment. One brand, Permixon, compared favourably with finasteride in a study of over 1000 patients.
Other alternatives are the bark of Pygeum africanum, an African evergreen, and an extract of stinging nettles, urtica dioica, or even a combination.
Saw palmetto is widely available from chemists and health food stores, but if you are considering the wilder shores of African evergreen or stinging nettles, it would be best to consult an alternative practitioner. Why don't you exercise? Excuse no. 12 'I hate the way people try to bully you into exercising' Who exactly are these bullies and why do you hate them? Of course, being lectured is irritating and you can tell the lecturers where to get off. But separate that from the main issue, which is to make a decision about maintaining good health in laterlife. When you have made your choice (even if it is a negative one) don't feel guilty about it and don't make irrelevant excuses like blaming bullies. Just make sure you've chosen purposefully and not simply to annoy someone else. PS This will be the last in the series, so no more gentle persuasion from laterlife. If in any doubt about any of the information covered in healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult your GP.
Previous articles in the healthwise series Edition 11 Just nuts - Nut eaters appear to maintain healthier cholesterol levels and have a higher fibre and magnesium intake
Have a slice of menopause cake - Yes, really, they do exist.
Need your eyes tested? - Everyone over sixty can have free eye tests
Got a spare hearing aid? - Send it to the charity Help the Aged
Cut sugar craving - Free sample of a new natural sweetener
Healing powers - evidence that healing and prayer can have a positive effect on patients and their recovery
Plus excuse number 11 for not exercising Index to all previous Healthwise editions 
Living
Well : Taking Care of Your Health in the Middle and Later Years
Tapping into high levels of energy through what you eat, think, feel, how you move and relate to your life
For books on Health visit the Amazon Family and Health Section. Don't forget if you buy books or videos from Amazon by linking from laterlife, you generate money for Charity. |
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steps to energyVisit our Product section too: Health and Beauty in laterlife where we have selected a small range of Health stores where you can buy products online. Between them they cover the spectrum of traditional and alternative health products and therapies that you might be interested in. For more information on Health and Health related matters visit our Health section
Make someones life easier.
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