HEALTH & WELLNESS S P E C I A L S E C T I O N
focus, reasoning and judgment, and
visual perception. At least two of the
aforementioned symptoms must be
severely impaired to indicate signs
of dementia. Usually the signs and
symptoms are progressive and get worse
over time. If caught early by a health care
professional, some symptoms can be
treated. One of the most common types
of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s accounts for 60 to 80
percent of all dementia cases. It causes
severe problems with daily tasks that
involve memory, thinking and behavior.
It is not a normal part of aging, but the
greatest known risk factor is increasing
age since the disease is progressive. While
it is most common in people over the age
of 65, younger-onset Alzheimer’s is found
in five percent of people as young as their
40s.
According to the Alzheimer’s
Association, evidence shows that
incorporating the following habits will
keep you fit both physically and mentally:
• Heart Health – Obesity, high blood
pressure and diabetes—all risk factors
for cardiovascular disease—negatively
impact your cognitive health.
Cardiovascular activity increases blood
flow to the brain and body, reducing
the risk of cognitive decline.
• Helmet Up! – Brain injury is one of
the leading causes of dementia and
cognitive decline. Play it smart and
always wear a helmet to protect from
brain injury.
• Sleep Tight – Have you ever stayed up
late, only to find you’re forgetful and
mentally lethargic the next day? Not
getting enough sleep can result in lower
brain function, affecting memory and
thinking.
• Be a Social Butterfly – Staying active
with friends and loved ones may
support brain health as well. A recent
study from the Women’s Healthy
Aging Project found that babysitting
grandchildren could lower the risk of
Alzheimer’s.
• Challenge Yourself – Enjoy crossword
puzzles or painting? Keep your brain
challenged by doing something new
each day, whether it is learning a new
language, doing a jigsaw puzzle or
reading a book!
Eye and Ear Health
Hearing and vision are two essential
parts of our everyday lives. Yet there are
many individuals who let ear and eye
problems go unattended. Ear and eye
health is equally as important as taking
care of the rest of the body and should be
well maintained to ensure many years of
seeing and hearing the things you love.
Eye Health
It is important to visit your eye
care professional once a year for a
comprehensive eye exam. Although you
may think you are seeing fine, issues may
be lurking without any warning signs.
During a yearly visit, your pupils will be
dilated, or widened, so that your eye care
professional can examine the back of the
eye for damage or disease. It is important
to know your family’s eye health history
as well, since some conditions are
hereditary. Some of the most common
eye diseases include diabetic retinopathy,
glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related
macular degeneration (AMD).
• Diabetic Retinopathy: This type
1 or type 2 diabetes complication is
caused by damage to blood vessels
in the retina, the light-sensitive
tissues in the back of the eye. If left
untreated, diabetic retinopathy could
cause blindness. Early stages of this
condition may go unnoticed if an eye
care professional is not visited yearly.
As the condition progresses, symptoms
may include blurred vision, impaired
color vision, floaters, and/or dark areas
in your vision. Symptoms may occur if
there is too much sugar in your blood,
which can cause a blockage in the
blood vessels that lead to the retina.
Proper management of diabetes is the
best way to prevent vision loss.
• Glaucoma: The second leading cause
of blindness, glaucoma is a group of
diseases that damage the eye’s optic
nerve. The risk of developing glaucoma
increases with age and if parents or
siblings have the disease. During an
eye exam, glaucoma can be detected by
measuring eye pressure, inspecting the
drainage angle of the eye, evaluating the
health of the optic nerve and testing
the visual field of each eye. Depending
on the type and severity of the disease,
glaucoma can be treated through eye
drops, medication or surgery.
• Cataracts: A cataract affects vision by
clouding the lens of the eye. Chances of
cataracts increase greatly with age, with
more than half of all Americans either
having a cataract or having had cataract
surgery by the age of 80. People in
their 40s and 50s can have cataracts,
but they are typically small and do not
affect vision. Cataracts are detected by
blurred vision, faded colors, glare from
headlights or lamps, poor night vision,
double vision, or frequent prescription
changes in eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Early detection can improve cataracts
through new eyeglasses, anti-glare
sunglasses or brighter lighting. Surgery
can also be done to remove the cloudy
lens and replace it with an artificial lens
• Age-Related Macular Degeneration
(AMD): One of the common but
lesser known eye conditions is AMD.
A leading cause of vision loss among
people 50 years of age and older, AMD
affects the macula, the millions of light-
sensing cells that provide your eye with
sharp, central vision. Age is a major risk
factor for developing AMD, with most
cases occurring after the age of 60.
Genetics, race, and smoking can also
affect risk for AMD. A comprehensive
eye exam can detect it through dilation
and testing. Your eye care professional
will look for yellow deposits beneath
the retina to determine whether you
have AMD. Intermediate and late
AMD can be treated with daily intake
MONROEVILLE
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