By Beth N. Carvin

The Centers for Disease Control reports that one in eight Americans over age 60 complain of worsening memory loss. The problem may be related to a medical condition, emotional problems, cognitive impairment or simply the indignities of aging, but it’s distressing regardless of the cause.

One way to preserve and possibly enhance memory is to proactively revisit your past. Reminiscence therapy is one technique option, with uses ranging from mental health interventions to memory care in nursing homes. But sometimes, simply committing your life experiences to paper (virtual or otherwise) can also be helpful and even therapeutic.

A variety of research studies have explored the health benefits of writing. The American Psychological Association, for instance, published a study indicating that expressive writing reduces “intrusive and avoidant thoughts about negative events,” allowing for better coping and improved working memory. Additionally, work by neurologist Judy Willis MD finds that reflective writing, when well guided, may be a source of conceptual development and stimulate the “brain’s highest cognition.”

Whether you or someone you know is impacted by a memory deficit, or you’re simply seeking a way to tell your own story for yourself and your family, here are five simple strategies for preserving and sharing your memories in writing. [Read more…]

By Martin Domingo

Parenting is as challenging as it is fulfilling, with parents needing to address a host of concerns on a day-to-day basis. In some cases, just getting your children to live a healthy lifestyle can be quite tricky. It is particularly important for parents to monitor what their children consume.

It is well documented that parents should watch how much sugar their children eat, but you should also be keeping an eye on your child’s salt intake, as high sodium consumption levels is fast becoming a health concern.

The US Food and Drug Administration stated that children and adolescents are eating too much salt, with kids 6–10 years old consuming around 2,900 mg per day, and teens aged between 14 and 18, approximately 3,700 mg daily. The recommended limits for children, however, are as follows only:

• Children under 14: less than 2,300 mg daily
• Children age 9–13: 2,200 mg per day
• Children age 4–8: 1,900 mg daily
• Children under 4: 1,500 mg per day [Read more…]

By Dr. Nina Radcliff

Understanding our vulnerability to acute and chronic pain has been the topic for the past several weeks. Everyone, at some point in life experiences the misery of pain. And facts are that when acute pain goes away, a person can generally go on with life as usual. In contrast, chronic pain is ongoing and too many times outlasts the normal time of healing, with no recognizable end-point.

The overarching goal of managing chronic pain is to draw upon the resilience and courage from within to take healthy steps forward, with viable options. And an important part of this process is developing a good support system (including physicians, clinicians, family and friends). While it may not be possible to completely eliminate pain from diseases such as osteoarthritis, there are steps we can take in order to help gain control. This can minimize suffering while improving the level of function and quality of life.

Last week, the focus was on some conservative treatment options that a chronic sufferer can discuss with their physician. This week we continue with more options (medication, surgery and minimally invasive techniques) as well as some key understandings. The therapy of chronic pain should rely on a good support team with a depth of understanding of multidisciplinary approaches which involve more than one therapeutic option.

[Read more…]

By Dr. Nina Radcliff

I recently read an estimate by health economists at John Hopkins University that puts the annual economic costs linked to chronic pain at $635 billion annually–far greater than for cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. This includes direct costs such as health care and indirect costs resulting from lost work days and daily productivity. What eclipses these staggering numbers are the very lives (and those who care for them) of the millions upon millions of people suffering with chronic pain today, which is estimated at well over 100 million Americans. The heart of the issue is that these folks are friends, family members, colleagues, associates or, perhaps, you, experiencing the anguish physically, emotionally and mentally from chronic pain.

This is Part 2 of a 3-Part series on pain management. And whether mild or excruciating, how we approach our physical suffering can change how we approach any discomfort in our lives. The goal of pain management is to minimize suffering from pain while improving the level of function and quality of life. While it may not be possible to completely eliminate pain from diseases such as osteoarthritis, there are steps we can take in order to helpgain control.

Dr. Nina’s What You Need to Know:  About Some Options for Chronic Pain  

Resilience and Courage: Both, are key attributes that are called upon when we manage pain. A recent research study in the journal Traumatology examines “how resilient” pain patients cope with chronic pain and its impact on long-term recovery. Results showed that patient resilience typically focused on some common themes: [Read more…]

By Briana and Dr. Peter Borten

For the past few decades we’ve been hearing about the importance of managing stress, but unless it’s overwhelming us, stress can seem like a pretty abstract issue. When people die, the cause of death is never listed as “stress” — although it’s quite likely to have played a big role. But stress really is a feature of virtually every form of illness. Whether it’s physical, emotional or mental stress, some element of it is present whenever we’re out of balance.

The visceral intensity of being on edge becomes deeply imprinted in our nervous system. Eventually, whether the object of our stress truly threatens us or not is almost irrelevant — a part of us believes that our survival is at stake and responds with tension and vigilance. This feeling can become so constant that many stressed people don’t even perceive that they’re stressed. The feeling of being stressed is synonymous with the feeling of being awake.

It naturally follows that people who are relaxed — physically, mentally and emotionally — tend to be healthy. There are obviously exceptions to this, but relaxation is a good benchmark of health.

[Read more…]

By Dr. Nina Radcliff

At some point in our lives we all experience the misery of physical pain. An injury or accident; pulling a muscle; bumping into an obstacle; a hard fall; touching a hot surface; a chronic condition like arthritis; pinching a nerve; a tooth or ear ache; a sore throat – the list goes on and it is l-o-o-o-o-n-g. The common denominator is an unpleasant feeling in our body that makes us want to stop and change our behavior. 

When your body is injured in some way or something else is wrong, your nerves—cells that help your body deliver and receive information—send millions of messages to your brain about what’s going on. Your brain then makes you feel pain. And while it is an unpleasant experience, the truth is that in the amazing way our bodies operate, we all need the sensation of pain to let us know when our bodies need extra care. It is a very important warning signal.

Once we sense pain, it generally helps us to pay attention to that area and supports us to take the steps to fix what hurts – while helping to prevent us from injuring our body even more. If your ear didn’t ache, you might not go to the doctor to treat the infection. Or, if it didn’t hurt to lift an object with a broken arm, you might continue using it which could cause even more damage. [Read more…]

Today, patients are taking a more active role in their health care than ever before, but there are areas that still need more emphasis. Though patients want to have a voice and be actively engaged in making decisions about their health, many struggle with the conversation being had — or in some cases, not being had — in the eye doctor’s office.

In fact, a recent online survey by Allergan, makers of Restasis Multidose, and Kelton Global, revealed more than half (53 percent) of respondents are most comfortable talking about their health with a general practitioner, while only 6 percent said the same about their eye care professional.

Many patients may not realize that good communication can be as important as the physical eye exam in identifying symptoms, determining a diagnosis and recommending customized treatment plan. So how can you get the most out of your next visit with an eye doctor? Knowing what to ask and which changes and symptoms to discuss, can guide the conversation and help your eye doctor spot signs of eye conditions — and even other health conditions that first manifest with eye symptoms. [Read more…]

New Study Underscores Concerns with Cosmetic and Personal Care Products Lack of Regulation

By Dr. Nina Radcliff

Most likely in the past 24-hours you have used a personal care or cosmetic product, right?! Did you know there is very little to no regulations of the personal care and cosmetics industry? Surprising isn’t it?! 

Even more concerns are being raised by a study just published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, reporting that complaints of adverse health events related to cosmetic and personal care products more than doubled in just one year (findings from 2015 to 2016). And while cosmetics promise to make us well-kept and in some cases healthier, this new study from Northwestern University indicates that some products could actually cause injury or, even, harm.
[Read more…]

By Erika Flint

If you have trouble losing excess weight, it’s likely that your body and mind are conspiring to keep that extra weight on you. When you’re bored or sad or upset, the brain’s natural tendency is to make the body do something to feel better, and food provides the immediate gratification.

However, bodies of research show that hypnosis works in partnership with weight-reduction therapy by revealing the subconscious motivations for keeping you trapped in unhealthy behaviors, such as eating in response to emotional distress. These hidden traps are why willpower alone is so often ineffective.

Using the mind to reprogram your response so that you’re not reaching for food all the time is an effective way to regain control of eating. The technique involved in hypnosis not only helps you understand why you want to eat when you’re not hungry, but also why you don’t feel like changing the behavior that, consciously, you know would be best for you.

Here are five ways that hypnosis addresses subconscious behaviors and leads to sustainable weight loss: [Read more…]

Mosquitoes are attracted to some people more than others, but if you fit their dinner menu, there are a couple ways to become unappetizing.

First and foremost, mosquitoes are looking for an easy, safe meal, therefore they prefer hosts who are unaware they’re being bitten so they don’t interrupt the feeding process.

“They would also prefer hosts that are not anemic and have capillaries close to the surface. Other than that, it’s simply a matter of host availability – first come – first served,” said Joseph Conlon, a technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association.

Mosquitoes are attracted to some people more than others, and it’s based upon genetic characteristics of how one metabolizes foods, in addition to how the flora and fauna on one’s skin metabolizes skin secretions.

“Mosquitoes will ultimately find you by following the plume of your CO2 exhalations, much like the way a shark locates prey by sensing blood in the water. Lights merely make it a bit easier,” Conlon said. [Read more…]