Heart Disease: Strategies to Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure WebMD Article High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and heart failure. What Blood Pressure Is Considered Too High? A blood pressure of 140/90 or higher is considered high. This is called hypertension.    Read more...   Diabetes prevention: 5 tips for taking control Mayo Clinic Article Tweaking your lifestyle could be a big step toward diabetes prevention — and it's never too late to start. Consider these tips. When it comes to type 2 diabetes — the most common type of diabetes — prevention is a big deal.    Read more... Sleep and seniors: Insomnia isn't inevitable as you age Tips for Better Sleep After years of rising early to work at the office, you looked forward to retirement — a time when you'd toss out that annoying alarm clock and catch some quality zzz's. But now you're finding that even though you'd like to sleep late, you're still rising with the sun. And the sleep you do get overnight isn't as restful.    Read more...   Skin Care and Aging Tips for Senior Skin Care "Defy aging." "Tone and firm sagging skin." "Restore your skin's own wrinkle control." Americans spend billions of dollars each year on skin care products that promise to erase wrinkles, lighten age spots, and eliminate itching, flaking, or redness. But the simplest and cheapest way to keep your skin healthy and young looking is to stay out of the sun.    Read more... Medicines: Use Them Safely Medication Safety When Jerry, age 71, came home from the drug store with his latest medication, he placed all his pill bottles on the kitchen counter and counted them. “I take seven different medications,” he said to his wife. “We need a system. We need to know what medicines we have, what they’re for, and when we should take them.” Modern medicine has made our lives better in many ways. It has helped older adults live longer, healthier lives. But people over 65 have to be careful when taking medications, especially when they’re taking many different drugs.    Read more...   Dental and Oral Health (Seniors) Common Signs of Dental Disease and Dry Mouth Signs of Dental Disease If the older adult is not brushing or flossing, and there seems to be no physical limitation to prevent this, perhaps there is tooth decay or gum disease present. If the individual is able to cognitively understand your questions, ask if there is mouth pain. Some indications that there is tooth or gum pain can be: • Verbal complaints or visible expressions of pain • Visible tooth decay • Persistent bad breath • Stained teeth • Filmy or dull looking teeth • Bleeding gums • Swelling in the mouth • Difficulty chewing • Not eating • Dentures are not in the mouth • Dentures that don't appear to fit • Loose teeth    Read more... Walking Problems Health in Aging Article Problems with walking increase with age and are commonly associated with falls and disability in older adults. At least 20% of older adults living in the community have problems with walking. This increases to approximately 50% in adults 85 years old and older. Most of these problems are associated with underlying diseases, especially severe diseases. Common risk factors for severe problems with walking include advanced age (older than 85), multiple chronic disease conditions (eg, arthritis, dementia, etc), and diseases such as stroke, hip fracture, or cancer.    Read more...   Aging and Your Eyes Senior Eye Care Tips Are you holding the newspaper farther away from your eyes than you used to? Join the crowd -- age can bring changes that affect your eyesight. Some changes are more serious than others, but no matter what the problem, there are things you can do to protect your vision. The key is to have regular eye exams so you can find problems early.    Read more... | PagEd |