HEALTH & WELLNESS S P E C I A L S E C T I O N
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
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