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 fi ve percent of
people as young as their 40s.
According to the Alzheimer’s
Association, evidence shows that
incorporating the following habits
will keep you fi t 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 fl ow 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 fi nd you’re forgetful
and mentally lethargic the next day?
Not gett ing enough sleep can result
in lower brain function, aff ecting
memory and thinking.
• Be a Social Butt erfl y – 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
babysitt ing 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 unatt ended. 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 fi ne, 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: Th is 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,
fl oaters, 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: Th e second leading cause
of blindness, glaucoma is a group of
diseases that damage the eye’s optic
nerve. Th e 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 fi eld 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 aff ects 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
aff ect 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 artifi cial
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
aff ects 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 aft er the age of 60.
Genetics, race, and smoking can also
aff ect 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
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