Parkinson’s Disease, Part 1

Parkinson’s disease results from the degeneration of cells in the part of the brain that produces dopamine, a substance nerves need to function properly.

Symptoms include:

• Slow or stiff movement
• Stooped posture
• Shuffling or dragging the feet
• Monotone voice
• Blinking less frequently than normal
• Lack of sponeity in facial expression
• Difficulty in adjusting positions
• Dementia (in advanced stages) 

Experts still don’t know the cause of the cells’ degeneration, but it could be genes or environtmental triggers (exposure to certain toxins).

(To be continued next week. - J.P.)

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Alzheimer’s Disease, Part 2

(continued from last week)

It’s especially helpful to put structure in the life of someone who’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Some suggestions include: 

• Maintain daily routines.
 Post reminders on an oversized and prominently displayed calendar.
• Make “to do” lists of daily tasks for the person with Alzheimer’s to complete, and ask him or her to check them off as they’re completed.
• Put things in their proper places after use, to help the person with Alzheimer’s find things when he or she needs them.
• Post safety reminders (like “turn off the stove”) at appropriate places throughout the house.

Also, see that the person with Alzheimer’s eats well-balanced meals, goes for walks with family members, and otherwise continues to be as active as possible. 

Alzheimer’s victims should also wear medical identification tags.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Alzheimer’s Disease, Part 1

Mysterious and frustrating, Alzheimer’s afflicts nearly four million Americans, about 10 percent of the over-65 population, and 45 percent of those 85 years or older. (In rare instances, it strikes earlier than 65.)

Sympoms of Alzheimer’s include:

• Brief attention span
• Decreased bowel or bladder control (rarely)
• Depression

• Disorientation

• Forgetfulness (especially about recent events)
• Inability to handle minor tasks, or to speak clearly
• Irritability, hostile behavior, or paranoia

• Lack of spontaneity

• Mental deterioration

• Neglecting to perform routine tasks

If someone you care about shows signs of Alzheimer’s disease, see that they get medical attention to confirm (or rule out) the diagnosis. Not everything that looks like Alzheimer’s is Alzheimer’s. Brain tumors, blood clots in the brain, severe vitamin B12 deficiency, hypothyroidism, and some drug side effects can mimic Alzheimer’s disease. (Unlike Alzheimer’s, these problems can be treated.)

(to be continued next week -J.P.)

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com

Beating Bronchitis

Bronchitis can be either acute or chronic, depending on how long it lasts and how serious the damage.

Acute bronchitis is generally caused by an infectious agent (like a virus or bacteria)  or an environmental pollutant (like tobacco smoke) that attacks the mucous membranes within the windpipe or air passages in your respiratory tract, leaving them red and inflamed.  

Bronchitis often develops in the wake of sinus infection, cold, or other respiratory infection, and can last anywhere form three days to three weeks.  Coughing is often the first sign of bronchitis, and it may be accompanied by chills, low-grade fever, sore throat, and muscle aches.

Treatment includes:

• Breathing air from a steam vaporizer
• Bronchodilators (prescription drugs that open up the bronchial passages)
• Antibiotics
• Aspirin or acetaminophen (for fever and aches)
• Expectorants (to thin mucus and promote a more productive cough)
• Bed rest
• Drinking plenty of liquids
• Not smoking

Full recovery from acute bronchitis can take up to four weeks. If acute symptoms last longer than a week or get worse, see a doctor. You may be developing pneumonia.

In chronic bronchitis, the airways produce too much mucus, enough to cause a daily cough that brings up the mucus, for as long as three months or more, for more than two years in a row. Many people – most of them men – develop emphysema (destruction of the air sacs) along with chronic bronchitis.  

Because chronic bronchitis results in abnormal air exchange in the lung and causes permanent damage to the respiratory tract, it’s much more serious than acute bronchitis.

Used with permission from A Year of Health Hints by Don R Powell, PHD and the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, copyright 2010. www.healthylife.com