Your Lifestyle and Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease affects a significant population of our elderly. The disease is associated with memory loss and affects the relationship they have with their family members. A lot of researches has gone into finding a cure for this degenerative disease. But recent studies has concluded that you lifestyle could affect your risk of contracting such diseases. Simple changes that does not significantly alter the way we are used to do things everyday are very simple.

Studies have found that alcoholic drinks, when taken in moderation like a drink or two a day have an almost 50% chance of lower risk of cognitive decline compared to people who have claimed to drink nothing at all. Eating certain foods, fruits and vegetable can lower the risk of contracting the disease. Apples have a high concentration of Quercetin, an antioxidant that may fight the damage done by free radicals to the brain. Eating broccoli will help making more folate available to the blood which helps preventing the decline in verbal fluency. Folate are also found in green leafy vegetables. Oily fish contains omega-3 and reduces by 70% the build up of blood plaques.

Going on a diet will also prevent the onset of the disease. It is generally considered that overweight people are at a greater risk of contracting the disease. Eating less to loose weight will reduce the level of blood plaque in the system. Exercising will also reduce the risk of the disease. and the good news is that it does not take much exercise, an average of walking 3 km a day will already have their risk of dementia halved.

Taking care of your heart by going on a checkup regularly will also help reduce the risk. High LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes are all risk factors in having a heart disease. But these factors also raised the risk for dementia for as high as 50% Disease are actually more related to each other than we think so it really best to live a healthy lifestyle to prevent the onset of the disease rather than spending a fortune finding ways to cure it. And its really a marvel how simple lifestyle changes can affect our overall health.

Special Dental Needs Of Seniors

Senior citizens are the fastest growing portion of many populations are keeping their teeth longer than prior generations and have special dental needs. As the population ages, dental needs of individuals over 65 becomes increasingly specialized. Each individual has different medical problems and takes different prescriptions which can adversely interact with drugs dentists may have to use to care for dental health including dental anesthetics. Dental patients, especially the elderly need to keep their dentist informed of any changes or updates in their medical history to help prevent potentially harmful drug interactions or teeth conditions.

Many medications can cause a decrease in the saliva flow which suppresses the normal buffering action of the saliva. The resulting dry mouth condition can lead to decay and tooth loss. Special mouth rinses can be prescribed to increase saliva flow and reduce plaque build up. Adult tooth loss is often a result of oral disease and not the aging process and most oral diseases can be prevented and largely reversed through careful oral hygiene and regular dental visits.

Regular dental visits are essential for senior citizens, even for the 44 percent of elderly adults who no longer have their teeth. To avoid diseases and maintain their natural teeth, seniors who do not have a regular dentist should select a dentist and schedule a consultation visit. Seniors planning to enter a nursing home should inquire about the dental consultant and their personal care giver. Family members should play an active role in encouraging the oral health of homebound seniors or in nursing homes by helping them schedule regular dental visits.