Top Five Health Monitoring Tools Everyone Should be Using

Despite being familiar with the old adage that knowledge is power, when it comes to their health, most people are completely in the dark about what’s going on in their bodies on a daily basis.

By monitoring various aspects of your health on a regular basis, you can proactively address issues before they turn into serious medical problems.

If you’re not interested in monitoring because you think it’s too time-consuming or difficult, you might want to consider investing in these five tools to make tracking your health easier than ever.

1. Fitness Tracker

The latest fitness tracking watches do a lot more than just count your steps (although that’s still an important feature that can help you make sure you’re moving enough throughout the day).

Many watches can also monitor your heart rate and sleep. Some even have a feature that monitors your body’s recovery and lets you know how long you should wait before your next workout!
 
2. Oral Thermometer

A simple oral thermometer isn’t just for proving to your mom that you’re too sick to go to school.

You can also gather a lot of important information about your body by taking your temperature on a daily basis. For example, a consistently low body temperature is associated with conditions like a slower metabolism or underactive thyroid.

You can also learn the following from tracking your temperature:

• Whether you’re recovering or coming down with an illness
• When you’re ovulating and most likely to conceive
• Whether your body has recovered from an intense workout (low body temperature  is a signal that you need more recovery time)

3. Digital Scale

Of course, when it comes to measuring health, weight is not the be-all end-all. But, when combined with information about your body fat percentage and muscle mass, the scale can be an important tool for measuring progress.

Digital scales that track body fat and muscle mass percentages typically are not as accurate as body scans that can be performed in a lab. But, they’re better than using nothing at all.

These scales are more affordable and accessible than a lab scan and, if used on a regular basis, they can be “consistently inconsistent.”

This means that, while they may not be totally accurate, you can still see downward or upward trends and use that information to make educated decisions about whether or not you need to modify your lifestyle.

4. Blood Pressure Monitor

If you only get your blood pressure checked once or twice a year at the doctor’s office, you’re not getting a very comprehensive picture of your health. Your blood pressure can fluctuate quite a bit throughout the day based on your activity level, your emotional state, and even the fullness of your bladder!

To truly understand your blood pressure, measuring it on a daily basis is essential.

There are lots of digital blood pressure monitors that can import data directly to your smartphone. Some can even take things a step further and send this data to your physician.

A blood pressure monitor isn’t a substitute for regular visits to your doctor, of course. But, if you’re diligent about tracking your blood pressure, you’ll have more data to present to your doctor during your visits, which will improve the quality of care they’re able to give you.

5. Medication Adherence Tools

Medication non-adherence is a serious issue, and between 25 and 50 percent of patients are guilty of it.

Whether you or a loved one is consistently forgetting to take your medication, it is important to stay on top of your prescriptions if you want to see actual improvement in your health and wellness.

Lots of pill reminder and pill tracking apps are available to download on your smartphone, tablet, or other digital device. Some of the tops ones are MediSafe, CareZone, and Pillboxie. The most common feature among these apps is an alarm that reminds patients to take their medication. Some also take things a step further by alerting a family member or caregiver if the user hasn’t taken their medication by a predetermined time.

Don’t remain in the dark when it comes to your health. Start using these tools today to gather important data about yourself before other symptoms start to appear.

This is a guest blog entry.

What You Can Eat And Do To Speed Bone Repair

Whether you fall off your bike or are injured in an Uber accident, a bone fracture or other injury not only means lots of pain in the short-term but potential issues in the long-term if you don’t properly attend to them. This starts with making sure that you get proper medical care and see a doctor shortly after your accident, but this isn’t how the situation ends. You also need to make sure that you combine following a doctor’s instructions along with other important factors.

Two of the most important things to think about are making sure you get the proper nutrients and create the proper physical stage for your body to do its work in terms of healing. This may help speed up your recovery process, not necessarily directly, but by making sure the parts of your body that actually control your healing have all the fuel they need.

A Bone-Friendly Diet

The process of repair after bone fractures isn’t necessarily that different than repairing muscle or tissue. Your body needs fuel to power the processes that lead to healing, as well as the materials to actually create what is being repaired, bone in this case.

You probably already know one example of this: the classic calcium. But there are several different other factors that you need to keep in mind when it comes to eating right for bones. For example, calcium isn’t limited to dairy foods, and if you are thinking about overall health, there may be even more foods you want to consider. Examples include:

• Sea vegetables (seaweed, etc)
• Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach)
• Salmon

In addition, if you have certain dairy sensitivities, you may want to look at unsweetened, cultured dairy products, like kefir and yogurt.

There are several other vitamin components. Some of these include nutrients that help calcium reach its maximum potential, like magnesium. Others play roles of their own. Good examples include vitamin K, lean protein, zinc, and vitamin C.         

In addition, there are some foods you may want to avoid, like alcohol, excessive salt, or caffeine.

These have their own issues, but eating too many of these foods mean it’s likely you’re not getting the nutrients your bones need.

A Bone-Friendly Lifestyle

Now, when your bone first breaks and is set by a doctor, you already know about having a cast over the next few months. However, these don’t actually help your bones heal, merely keeping it stable so your body can do its job. This means that you want to make sure that you perform proper cast maintenance to make sure that this good environment stays as a good environment. Avoid contact with water or moisture. What you might also want to do is invest in a cast protector. There are other things that can interfere with the healing process as well. These can include:

• Movement of the bone fragments or doing weight-bearing exercise too soon after recovery.
• Smoking. This interferes with recovery in general by constricting the blood vessels and decreases circulation
• Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, hormone-related problems or vascular disease
• Certain medications, such as corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants.

Some of these are within your control, some are not. Keep an open dialogue with your doctor and be prepared to be patient during recovery.

In time, we may be able to add experimental treatments and medicine to your list of possible bone support options as well. When it comes to aging, this attends to a major issue. Of the roughly 5.6 million fractures in the United States each year, between five and ten percent (up to 560,000) will heal slowly or incompletely. Aging is a major factor here, not only because the fractures take longer to heal, but also because falls are a major cause of fractures among the elderly.

“The skeleton loses the ability to repair itself as we age,” said Regis J. O’Keefe, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In one study that he worked on, studies showed that an experimental drug designed to treat levels of COX-2 in mice helped bones regenerate faster, even in older mice.

When it comes to treating your bones right, it’s important to remember that things go way beyond just drinking your milk. Your body has tremendous recovery capacity, but you need to do your part to help it along.

This is a guest blog entry.

Understanding Scoliosis

Scoliosis is defined as an abnormal curvature of the spinal column. More often than not, doctors detect the abnormality during adolescence. Scoliosis has been around since the ancient times. It was, in fact, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who discovered the condition and looked for a cure.

At least seven million Americans develop scoliosis between the ages of 10 to 15 and it's more prevalent among young girls. Nearly half a million people visit the doctor each year for problems linked to scoliosis and at least 29,000 patients per year choose to undergo surgery to correct the problem.

Despite how long this health issue has existed, doctors still cannot determine the exact reason why this abnormality develops or if it can be fully prevented.

Classifications of Scoliosis

Scoliosis is classified into two types:

• Idiopathic scoliosis develops as a childhood condition. Experts are still exploring if this might have ties to genetics.
• Degenerative scoliosis arises due to disc degeneration of the spine. Experts attribute this to aging.

Both types of scoliosis progress over the years and may become physically noticeable when the spine curves to about 30 to 40 degrees. The rounder the curve, the more health problems arise.

Symptoms of Scoliosis

Children with idiopathic scoliosis won’t normally complain of any problems. Their spine might have an unusual curve, but this won’t affect their physical activities at this point. When they get older and as the curvature becomes more obvious, the pain and discomfort can start manifesting. It’s the same case for people with degenerative scoliosis.

The most common signs and symptoms associated with scoliosis include:

•    Recurring or persistent pain in the back, neck, and shoulders as well as the buttocks near the lower back
•    Uneven length of the shoulders, hips, arms, and legs
•    Clothes might not fit snugly
•    Breathing and cardiac problems, especially for people with about 80 degrees curvature
•    Prominence of the ribs
•    Constipation when the curvature impacts the location of intestines
•    Pitch-forward posture
•    Inability to stand up straight
•    Weakening of the legs and spinal nerve irritation, in some cases

Treating and Managing Scoliosis

The treatment and management of scoliosis are usually individualized since each case is different from one patient to another. Doctors have to assess properly the spine's curvature, its location, growth, and progression.

It is essential to manage the pain and discomfort that comes with the disease as these can affect your daily life. Aside from taking pain relievers, you can apply a warm compress on your back or neck as the heat can help relax your muscles. You can also use portable pain management devices such as a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit which releases low-voltage current to relieve pain from muscle spasms.

Doctors can recommend bracing or spinal surgery. For adults with scoliosis, doctors usually aim to reduce pressure on the nerves and stop the progression of the curvature through a fusion procedure.

People with mild scoliosis, regardless of age, normally do not need treatment but might be required to visit the doctor two to three times a year for monitoring and check-up. X-rays might be necessary every five years as well.

A visit to the doctor might be needed as soon as possible if:

• The curvature is quite noticeable
• The posture is uneven and unbalanced
• There's a recommendation following a screening from the school
• The back pain won't go away

If detected early, scoliosis can be a manageable and livable condition. Children with body braces can still go about their lives normally and participate in regular activities like any other kid.

Debunking Common Scoliosis Myths 

For some patients, scoliosis does not prevent them from doing sports or dance. In fact, there's even a study that showed dance therapy had positive effects for scoliosis patients. Plenty of ballerinas and professional athletes who have scoliosis have also managed to thrive in their chosen profession despite the abnormality on their spine.

Regular exercises and physiotherapy are always recommended as these will help ease the pain and improve the flexibility of the back. It won't, however, decrease the size of the curvature or slow down its progression.

Carrying heavy bags does not cause scoliosis, even with kids who have to fill their school bags with books. It can, however, aggravate back problems in adults, so avoid this as much as possible.

Having scoliosis won't get in the way of conceiving a baby or giving birth. You might, however, want to advise the doctors, nurses, and midwives during labor so that they can help lessen your discomfort during the delivery, especially if you want to get an epidural.

There's a little chance that a spinal surgery for scoliosis will result in paralysis. Surgery, however, is only recommended if the curvature is more than 40 degrees.

This is a guest blog entry.

3 Great Ways To Improve Your Posture And Breathing

While most modern humans consider breathing and posture as an afterthought, it's also true that many people today suffer from pain and anxiety that can be traced to poor posture and breathing. People spend thousands of dollars on therapy, yoga classes and alternative treatments when the answer is often much simpler than that: stand up straight and breathe from your diaphragm.

While this idea hasn't fully caught on in the mainstream medical community, there is an immense amount of research coming out showing that by improving your breath and your posture, you can lead a much more comfortable, happier life. Indeed, working on these areas could solve complicated problems that you assumed were worlds apart from your physical habits.

"Great," you say, "I would love to improve my posture and breathing, but how?" While training yourself to stand up straight and breathe from the bottom up can be challenging, there are certain activities that promote these unconscious skills. In this post, we'll suggest three activities that promote deep breathing and good posture – otherwise, we recommend reading up online and creating your own practices.

1. Singing/ Playing Music

In the respective arts of singing and public speaking, it is of the utmost importance to breathe from the diaphragm and keep the oxygen flowing while you are doing your thing. While most of us don't have ample opportunities to practice oration, singing is a completely different matter. Getting together with musical friends to sing a bunch of your favorite songs is a great way to stimulate deep breathing; if you feel left out because you can't play an instrument, enroll in music lessons today and join in the fun! Otherwise, consider joining an adult choir – adult choirs are very hip these days, and not necessarily affiliated with any specific religion. If you are religious, however, join the choir at your church – whatever you need to do to dust off those pipes and move away from shallow breathing!

2. Walking

It may sound way too simple, but after twenty minutes of walking, your body will automatically switch to deep breathing to get all of the oxygen it needs. Some people doing in depth workout regimens will think that these elaborate exercises are relieving their stress, when really they could achieve the same results by taking a long walk – we are so accustomed to the stress that goes along with shallow breathing that we are amazed when it dissipates. So rather than driving or taking transit, put on a podcast and take the heel-toe express to your next destination, you'll feel great when you get there.

3. Tai Chi

That funny karate dancing that you see people doing in the park sometimes? The people you make fun of? They're doing Tai Chi, and Tai Chi is actually awesome. While there are certain applications of Tai Chi in the martial arts world, many alternative health practitioners in the west promote it as movement meditation, which can be especially helpful for people who are too restless for sitting meditation. The combination of breath and movement and the soft focus of attention is meant to align your breath with your body and lull you into a state of harmony. Often there are free classes offered in parks all over the city, you've got nothing to lose (except for your stress!). 

This is a guest blog entry.

Supporting a Loved one with Drug Addiction

Do you have a loved one in your life that’s struggling with drug addiction? This can be difficult for the addict and their loved ones, as you want to help but don’t know how. It is essential to be able to support this person without alienating them.

Talk without Judgement

Oftentimes, those struggling with addiction don’t want to talk about it because they are afraid of being judged. This can be frightening for an addict and it will ultimately make them feel more isolated. If you can, try to chat with this person about their issues without taking a judgemental tone.

Attempt to be a person that they can talk to about their problems openly, without fear of reprimand. This doesn’t mean you have to condone everything that they do in the course of their addiction, but don’t admonish them for actions they have taken in the past.

Encourage them to get Treatment

This can be a tricky tip to follow, as you don’t want to make the person feel like you’re making this decision for them. Only the addict themselves will be able to make the decision to get clean, but you can help them with information about the options out there. Often short term addition treatment programs can be a good place to start, as they’re not quite as frightening as a long term stay.

If the addict has tried to get clean in the past then they may be discouraged by the fact that they weren’t able to do so alone. These supportive programs can be helpful for addicts that find they can’t go it alone.

Don’t Give them Money

Although you may think that you’re helping your friend or family member, giving them money is not a good idea. They could end up using this to fuel their addiction with drugs they would not otherwise be able to afford.

If you want to help them, it is better to give them food or items which they can’t use for drugs. It is difficult to feel that you cannot trust this loved one, but it is possible they will use the money for all the wrong things.

Give them Emotional Support

Emotional support can be anything from a shoulder to cry on to a friendly chat, as you want to keep this person in your life. They may make it difficult, but if you want to be able to keep an eye on them then you have to be supportive. Remember it is the addiction and not the addict that can push you away at times.

This can manifest in a group intervention if there are a lot of people concerned about the person’s drug use. Again, in this setting you cannot be judgmental or else the person with the addiction may end up trying to escape the situation with more drugs.

Drug addiction is a tricky subject for many people to talk about, but supporting your loved one is essential. Don’t let them walk all over you, but do continue to love the person they are.

This is a guest blog entry.

Five Commons Signs of Early Dementia and How to Respond to Them

Dementia is a frightening condition that affects approximately 47 million people all over the world.

Nobody wants to think about someone they love possibly experiencing this debilitating condition. But, it’s important to know what the early signs are so that you can get your loved one the help they need as soon as possible.

Listed below are five common signs of early dementia, along with some tips for appropriately addressing them.

1. Poor Short-term Memory

One of the first signs that a person is experiencing dementia is changes in their short-term memory.

If someone’s short-term memory is failing, they won’t have much trouble recalling events that took place years ago, but they may struggle to remember things that happened recently.

For example, they might forget why they got up to go to a particular room or have a hard time remembering what they had for breakfast.

Everyone’s short-term memory fails them on occasion. However, if you notice a sudden increase in forgetfulness, it could be a cause for concern.

2. Changes in Mood

People in the early stages of dementia are also more likely to experience changes in their mood and personality.

They may suddenly go from being outgoing and cheerful to pessimistic and reserved. They might also lose interest in activities that they used to enjoy or no longer want to spend time with their friends or family.

3. Poor Sense of Direction

Another early sign of dementia is a poor sense of direction and/or spatial orientation. Examples of this include an inability to recognize landmarks that were once familiar to them or getting lost traveling somewhere they’ve frequently visited.

Some people who are experiencing dementia may also have trouble following directions when they’re trying to get somewhere or complete a task.

4. Frequent Falls

Frequent falls, slips, and stumbles also often occur when someone is struggling with dementia.

This increase in falls has to do, in part, with the visual-spatial difficulties that typically accompany dementia. People with early dementia may also fall more often because they forget about and trip over items in their home that they were once in the habit of stepping over or around.

If a loved one is falling down more often, they’re also at risk for serious injuries and fractures. This is especially true for people who suffer from progressive supranuclear palsy, a movement disorder that can affect their balance and ability to catch themselves as they fall.

5. Repetitive Behavior and Resistance to Change

People with dementia may also start repeating the same behaviors over and over again. They might forget that they already shaved first thing in the morning and end up shaving again. Or, they may continue to buy crossword puzzle books every time they go to the store, even though they have stacks of them in their living room already.

In addition to these repetitive behaviors, it’s also common for people struggling with dementia to resist changes to their routine. They might be afraid of new experiences, especially if they’ve recently gotten lost or had another scary experience related to their memory starting to fail.

How to Respond to Signs of Dementia

If you notice any of these common signs of early dementia in a parent or loved one, it’s important to respond appropriately to limit frustration and make things easy for them and yourself.

Some things to do include:

• Help them establish a daily routine
• Give them plenty of time to accomplish tasks
• Give them choices and let them be involved in their care
• Remove extension cords, loose rugs, and other potential fall hazards
• Invest in a fall mat to prevent injuries from falls
• Keep lighters and matches out of reach and make sure smoke alarms are working
• Install in an alarm system with a wearable medical alert button
• Invest a GPS tracker in case they wander away and get lost

It’s easy to feel helpless when a parent or loved one starts acting strangely. But, if you’re aware of these common signs of early dementia, you can get them the treatment they need, slow the progression of their disease, and prevent serious accidents.

This is a guest blog entry.

Aging Knees: How to Treat Them With Surgery, Therapy, and Exercise

As people age their bodies age right along with them. Parts that once worked well and held up strong now feel aches and pains often and start to lose their resilience. Just a few wrong moves can lead to painful joints, particularly in the knees. Aging knees become a serious problem for many people.

Through exercise, therapy, and surgery, they can get treated, although they’ll never be quite as strong as they once were.

Surgery

A minimally invasive knee surgery may be required for those who have done serious damage to their knees. The surgical procedure will change slightly depending on what the cause of knee damage is, such as arthritis, a damaged kneecap, damaged cartilage, or the need for removal of inflamed tissue. It’s important to find the right doctor to handle this procedure. Look for one who has performed many surgeries of the same nature in the past and is extremely knowledgeable about knees in general. They should use a minimally invasive technique that will only require a couple of short months’ recovery time.

Therapy

If minimal damage has been done to the knee and surgery is still not a viable option, then physical therapy might do the trick. The physical therapist will use various techniques and exercises to help the patient regain use of their leg while minimizing pain. The therapist will perform several evaluations and measurements that help determine the source of the problem and allow them to create a proper treatment plan. Through balance exercises, straight leg raises, short arc quads, and even some simple stretches for the lower body, patients may start to gain back some range of motion and feel less pain in their knees than they have in a long time.

Exercise

Perhaps physical therapy is not yet needed either. Those who recently started experiencing knee pain, particularly after an injury, may be able to alleviate their pain with some simple exercises at home. Quad sets are one exercise to try. Sit on the floor and place the sore leg straight in front of you. Keep the other leg bend with the foot flat on the floor. Press the knee toward the floor as much as possible and hold the thigh muscle tight for a few seconds before releasing. Laying back and raising the leg up is another way to help strengthen it.

Products That Limit Knee Pain While You Recover

While you’re waiting for a treatment option to work on improving the knees, there are some products available that may help ease some pain while you recover. If aches come and go and the knees still bend and move as necessary, some simple knee braces could be worn during activities to help provide stability and prevent further injury to the area.

Many people with knee problems experience pain at night when sleeping on their sides. The knees touching do not allow for ideal blood flow and keep the body improperly aligned. Using a knee pillow could greatly help improve the spine’s alignment, keep the knees apart for better blood flow, and lessen the pain felt. Over-the-counter pain relievers may also be necessary to reduce tenderness.

Aging knees are bound to happen to everyone. Whether arthritis sets in and causes pain or an injury occurs that leaves the knees weakened and sore, several treatment options may be required to help reduce aches and bring the knees back to at least some resemblance of their former selves. Knee pain can be debilitating, so getting it treated as soon as possible is the best bet to restore walking abilities.

This is a blog post by Nancy Evans.