What You Need to Know About Oral Health

Date: September 9, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
What You Need to Know About Oral Health

It’s easy to miss brushing your teeth every once in a while. Sometimes you might be too tired to put in the effort, but oral health is important to your overall health. Especially as you get older. There’s a lot you need to know about how your oral health affects your overall health.

What You Need to Know About Oral Health

What You Need to Know About Oral Health

 

There is a lot to break down with dental/oral health. It’s easy to overlook how much your mouth exposes the rest of your body to. Harmful bacteria and inflammation in your mouth are connected to heart disease, premature birth, and low birth weight.

Some Quick Dental Health Facts

  • Almost 100% of adults have at least one dental cavity
  • Around 15 to 20% of adults between 35 to 44 have severe gum disease
  • Around 30% of people aged 65 to 74 don’t have any natural teeth left
  • In most countries, for every 100,000 people, there are 1 to 10 cases of oral cancer

Why You Develop Dental/Oral Problems

Your mouth collects bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Having a little of it is normal and can even help you sometimes. When you get too much, that’s when problems start to surface. Acid-producing bacteria is what you have to be most afraid of. It can dissolve tooth enamel and cause cavities.

Bacteria around your gum line is called plaque, and it builds up, hardens, and goes down the length of your teeth. If you don’t get rid of it by brushing and flossing it can inflame your gums and create gingivitis. Inflammed gums tend to pull away from your teeth, creating pockets where bad bacteria can build and turn into periodontitis. It will make your teeth looser.

Symptoms of Poor Oral Health

  • Ulcers, sores, or tender areas in your mouth that won’t heal after a week or two
  • Bleeding or swollen gums after brushing or flossing
  • Always having bad breath
  • Teeth sensitivity to hot and cold
  • Pain or toothache
  • Loose teeth
  • Receding gums
  • Pain when chewing or biting
  • Swelling of the face and cheek
  • Your jaw clicking
  • Cracked or broken teeth
  • Always having a dry mouth

How to Keep Your Teeth Clean and Healthy

  • Brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day
  • Floss your teeth at once a day
  • Don’t eat a lot of sugar
  • Eat lots of fruits and veggies
  • Avoid tobacco products
  • Keeping up with professional dental care
  • Getting Fluoride treatments

Learn more here.

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress in Seniors

Date: September 2, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress in Seniors

Growing older can bring about different types of stress. The older you get, the more life changes. People move away, people pass away, you may have to move to a new home, and your health could change. Keeping a positive mentality keeps you healthy and is essential to living well. Seniors especially need help maintaining a positive attitude. Here are ten easy ways to reduce stress in the senior in your life.

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress in Seniors

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress in Seniors

 

By being aware of your mental health, you can make sure that you stay healthy. Your brain affects your body and vice versa.

1. Learn to Cope with Change

Change can be hard. Good or bad, everything becomes different in a flash. As mentioned before, a lot of changes come as you get older. Try to be flexible and find healthy ways of facing these changes. It will make you appreciate the good times and prep you for the bad.

Some people find it soothing to write in a journal, talk to a professional, or try to anticipate and prepare for changes. Find what works for you.

2. Being Grateful

It can be hard to feel grateful when it feels like you are losing important things in your life. It’s okay to be upset about it. You are only human. If you can, try to move past those feelings of loss and find small things to be thankful for.

For instance, if your kids move away, be grateful you can talk to them on the phone. If your health is declining, focus on what is still going strong in your body.

3. Don’t Bury Emotions

Emotions are tough. They can bring you from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. It’s natural that you may want to keep your feelings to yourself, especially when they may be negative, but that’s not healthy. It’s important to express your thoughts and emotions.

If you hide them all the time, you get anxiety, possible sleep problems, and even depression.

Once again, you can try writing in a journal or talking to a professional if you don’t feel comfortable talking to loved ones.

4. Travel

There is nothing worse than staying inside all day. Even if you are retired, you can still explore the town. Visit friends that live far away. Go to your bucket list places. Try new things every weekend.

5. Learn From Mistakes

No one likes to make mistakes, but they happen. Instead of dwelling on the mistake, learn from it. Think about how to use your error to avoid getting into the same situation.

6. Savor Life

When you’re younger, life happens so fast that it’s hard to appreciate positive moments. Now that you’re older enjoy the good moments. Be completely in the moment. Take that time to imprint that happiness into your mind.

7. Go Back to that Hobby

Life gets busy, and fun hobbies are forgotten. Now that you’re older, you have more time to do things you enjoy. Go back to that hobby that fell by the wayside, or take the time to learn whatever you’ve wanted to know more about.

8. Accept the Things You Cannot Change

We can’t control life, as much as we want to think we can. Instead of stressing over it, try to figure out how to get out of bad situations. What is your best way to cope?

9. Keep Up Your Social Circle

You would be surprised at how quickly you can end up alone. People pass away or move away. It’s important to keep up your social circle and create new additions to it.

10. Be Active

We’ve talked about this a lot—exercise is important. It keeps you healthy and makes you happy. Just don’t do it in a way that causes you pain.

Read more about easy ways to reduce stress here.

There Isn’t Enough Help for Seniors

Date: September 2, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
There Isn't Enough Help for Seniors

We all know that the senior care field needs some serious help. With the Silver Tsunami heading our way, it’s only going to get worse. At this moment, around 25 million Americans depend on assistance from other people or devices for basic daily living. But there just isn’t enough help for seniors.

There Isn't Enough Help for Seniors

Study from Johns Hopkins University

 

Researchers from the university looked at how seniors respond to changes in physical function, which isn’t studied often or understood well. They showed that around 1/3 of adults who live in the area that they focused on have substantial needs for assisted living. The community has almost 13 million seniors that need help with bathing, eating, getting dressed, using the toilet, and more.

Around 1/ 3 only need help with one or two things, and another third do pretty well on their own. It’s that final third that is worrying.

There Isn’t Enough Human Help for Seniors

 

Nearly 60% of seniors with compromised mobility say they stay in their homes instead of going out. 25% say they stay in bed. 20% of seniors who can’t dress themselves go without changing because they don’t have help. 27.9% of those who need help with toileting issues have accidents.

In a different John Hopkins study in 2017, they found that 42% of people with probable dementia or people who have a hard time doing daily tasks, didn’t get help from family, friends, or paid caregivers. 21% of seniors that had at least three chronic conditions and high need didn’t have any help.

Help from Devices Isn’t Enough

 

Until this study, it was unknown how many people use an assistive device and how often they use them. Assistive devices can include canes, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, shower seats, tub seats, grab bars, reachers, and specially designed clothes.

60% of seniors surveyed used at least one device, usually for bathing, toileting, and moving around. 20% used 2 or more tools, and 13% received personal assistance. 5% had issues with daily tasks but didn’t have help or made any adjustments. Only 1% got help.

Why Aren’t Seniors Getting Help?

 

The biggest problems that experts noted is that Medicare doesn’t pay for most of these nonmedical services. As a result, seniors who have little to no money go without assistance despite having Medicaid.

A little more than 10% of seniors with high needs had at least one type of hardship, like not being able to pay expenses (5.9%), utilities (4.8%), rent (3.4%), or skipping meals (1.8%). Some people had more than one of these difficulties at once.

This kind of stress puts seniors’ health at risk.

Researchers believe that Medicare needs to rethink how to support their beneficiaries.

Things have started to change like with the CHRONIC Care Act passing. The act lets Medicare Advantage plans offer supplemental benefits like wheelchair ramps, bathroom grab bars, transportation, and personal care to chronically ill member.

Though it’s not known how far these benefits will go. Plus, 39 million people enrolled in traditional Medicare are left out.

Read more here.

Ikea and the Queen of Sweden Team Up to Build Affordable Elderly Homes

Date: August 25, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Ikea and the Queen of Sweden Team Up to Build Affordable Elderly Homes

Affordable and safe housing has been a long-running problem for seniors all over the world. In Sweden, IKEA and the Queen of Sweden are working together to build affordable elderly homes. The houses will also be adapted for the needs of those for dementia.

Ikea and the Queen of Sweden Team Up to Build Affordable Elderly Homes

Ikea and the Queen of Sweden Team Up to Build Affordable Elderly Homes

 

The project is named SilviaBo and IKEA, Skanska, and Silviahemmet are working together. Silviahemmet is a dementia care foundation created by Queen of Sweden, Silvia.

They are using the modular BoKlok housing as a base. They will add shared social facilities and changed interiors with a more “dementia-friendly layouts,” allowing seniors to live independently longer.

Similar to BoKlok, SilviaBo apartments will be made from wooden components that are premade and put together on site. The apartments will range from two to four floors with a mix of one and two-person bedrooms. It will feature wide entrances, and flat walkways perfect for wheelchairs. There will also be low thresholds for elevators and stairs, along with automatic door openers and extra lighting.

For those with dementia, there will be clear and enlarged signs that will direct them where to go. There will also be low shower-walls for assisted bathing, heat sensors for stoves, and calming interior finishes for all rooms.

Not only will their living spaces be made safe, but seniors will get the social interaction that they need. The apartments will have gardens with flowers and vegetables and even a clubhouse to spend time in.

The idea is that not only will seniors be able to live independently longer, but it will also save the Swedish government money that would have been spent on eldercare.

The first six SilviaBo apartments are being finished outside of Stockholm. IKEA is working on getting more land to build future projects.

Read more here.

Giant Weight Changes Can Increase Dementia Risk in Seniors

Date: August 25, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Giant Weight Changes Can Increase Dementia Risk in Seniors

Sometimes seniors struggle with their weight. Whether it’s that they’ve gained weight from lack of moving or lost a lot of weight due to lack of appetite, it can be dangerous for them. A study in South Korea found that huge weight changes can increase dementia risk in seniors.

Giant Weight Changes Can Increase Dementia Risk in Seniors

Giant Weight Changes Can Increase Dementia Risk in Seniors

 

A team of researchers from the Republic of Korea studied BMI and dementia changes over two years. They looked at 67,219 people aged between 60 and 79. They noted the participants BMI changes in 2002-2003 and 2004-2005. The difference between these two years represented the BMI changes.

Other factors that were measured included socioeconomic status and cardiometabolic risk factors.

After two years, the researchers monitored the participants’ dementia incidents for five years. After five years, 4,887 men and 6,685 women showed signs of dementia. This proved that late in life changes to BMI can affect both sexes. Massive changes equal a two percent increase or decrease in BMI.

It’s shown that those with stable BMI had a lower risk of dementia than those with fluctuating BMI.

Read more here.

Want to Learn How to Live Until 90?

Date: August 19, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress in Seniors

We may now have the key to live a long and healthy life. Physical activity, weight, and even your height can affect your chance to live a long time. It can even be influenced by whether you are a male or female. So, do you want to learn how to live until 90?

Want to Learn How to Live Until 90?

How to Live Until 90?

 

A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health shared what they found about how to live a long life.

Researchers found that for women, around an hour of exercise was connected to having the best chance to live a longer life. Exercising over that had no extra value.

Men have it a little better. The more exercise they did a day, the better chance they have to live a long time.

Body size influenced reaching age 90 more for women than it did for men.

More About the Study

 

The researchers of the study used the Netherlands Cohort Study, which began in 1986. They looked at the data from people between the ages of 68 and 70 who had given their height and weight at age 20 and their current weight.

The participants listed their current level of physical activity like walking, biking, or gardening. They also took note of their alcohol use and smoking habits.

They were watched until they reached age 90 or had died.

Out of all the 7,807 participants, 433 men and 994 women lived to 90. Women over 5 feet 9 inches tall were 31% more likely to live to 90 than women who were less than 5 feet 3 inches.

They also weighed less at the start of the study and had less weight when they were 20.

Men who were active for more than 90 minutes a day were 39% more likely to reach 90 than those less active. Every additional 30 minutes of exercise was connected with a  5% increase in the chance of hitting 90.

Women were 21% more likely to reach 90 with 30 to 60 minutes of activity a day than those who did less.

Want to Live to 90?

 

What all this boils down to is that exercise it important. Even though it can be hard at first and no fun, you need to do it if you want to live a long life.

You don’t have to go full throttle right away, take things at your own pace.

We’ve written many different articles that can help you start — articles like 10 Ways to Make Exercise Part of Your Everyday Life, 7 Exercises People Over 50 Shouldn’t Do, and 9 Easy Tests to See if You’re Fit.

Read more here.

Gum Disease is Connected to Alzheimer’s

Date: August 19, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Gum Disease is Connected to Alzheimer's

We all know how important our oral health is to our overall health, but now some studies are suggesting that gum disease is connected to Alzheimer’s. More and more evidence is appearing that shows that gum (periodontal) disease is a risk factor, and some research suggests it can double your risk if you have gum disease for ten years or more.

Gum Disease is Connected to Alzheimer's

Breaking Down Gum Disease

 

The beginning of gum disease is called gingivitis. Your gums are inflamed because bacterial plaque builds up on the surface of your teeth. Gingivitis happens to around half of the adults, but is generally harmless, if it’s treated. If left untreated, it creates pockets between your teeth and gums. The pockets are bad because it will fill up with bacteria.

The pockets are a sign that it’s turned into periodontitis. Periodontitis is almost impossible to get rid of but treatments can help control it.

People who smoke, have medications, have certain genetics, food choices, puberty and pregnancy can all contribute to developing gum disease. Plus, if you don’t care of your teeth, then that’s the biggest risk factor of them all.

Gum Disease is Connected to Alzheimer’s

 

The bacteria called Porphyromonas gingivalis or P. gingivalis, has been found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. It appears to have spread from the mouth to the brain and destroyed nerve cells. The studies were done in mice and human trials will be happening soon.

The University of Central Lancashire was the first to notice the mouth and brain connection. P. gingivalis can recreate all the characteristic features of Alzheimer’s disease.

Of course, this isn’t the only thing that can contribute to Alzheimer’s, but it’s one way to lower your risk.

Read more here.

Small Companies Keeping Alzheimer’s Research Alive

Date: August 11, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Small Companies Keeping Alzheimer's Research Alive

Alzheimer’s research is expensive and doesn’t always produce a result. Alzheimer’s is complicated, and because of that, many companies are pulling back on research. Doing this is detrimental to everyone because it’s such a prevalent disease. Luckily, there are a lot of small companies taking up the mantle, and even trying a new angle by focusing on the immune system.

Small Companies Keeping Alzheimer's Research Alive

Small Companies Keeping Alzheimer’s Research Alive

 

Back in the 90s, a health-care startup called Partner Therapeutics made a leukemia drug called Luekine. Doctors barely prescribed it, and it faded away into obscurity until a group of researchers in Colorado brought it back. The Rocky Mountain Alzheimer’s Disease Center wanted to see if it can regulate the immune system as a way to battle Alzheimer’s.

Forty participants with Alzheimer’s will be part of the trail. In mice with this disease, the same protein in Luekine cleared amyloid debris from the brain while reversing memory loss. Though, the difference between humans and mice is vast, so we have to wait to know if it will do any good.

Many researchers and companies are looking at different ways to tackle the problem of Alzheimer’s since the usual research has come up with nothing.

Larger pharmaceutical companies have been backing out due to Alzheimer’s research failure. Biogen stopped a clinical trial in March after their latest experimental amyloid plaque drug fell flat. Stopping the test caused their stock to fall twenty-nine percent. Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Eli Lilly, and AstraZeneca have also had failures.

Last year there were more than 70 Alzheimer’s trials in different stages, plus 22 amyloid-targeting drugs were being tested. Compare that to the 1,100 drugs in development for cancer, 445 for other brain diseases, and 200 for heart disease and stroke.

Not all is lost, though. Drugs going after a different protein in the brain called tau protein tangles, anti-inflammation medications, immune modulators, gene therapy, insulin, and cannabis compounds are being looked into.

Immunity and Alzheimer’s

 

The immune system’s connection to Alzheimer’s has been an area of interest for a long time. Now, thanks to advances in human genome mapping, it’s possible to target the roles of specific genes. Three companies in California: Denali Therapeutics, Alector, and INmuneBio, are following this avenue. Too much inflammation, which is the immune system’s reaction to sickness, can cause damage to neurons and mess with the brain.

People at Alector think that researchers have spent too much time on getting rid of amyloid plaque, even though there is a lot of evidence saying it wasn’t working. They want to focus on drugs that help microglia do their job.

Denali is also looking into immunotherapy. They have created experimental molecules that can pass through a membrane called the blood-brain barrier. Doing this will let them affect the brain.

A Canadian company, IntelGenx, is doing a trial of an anti-inflammatory asthma drug called Montelukast. They changed its formula so that it can be taken as a dissolvable strip, making it easier for seniors and have the company stand out at the same time.

There are even more studies happening all over the world that are trying to tackle this problem from all different angles. So, while familiar names are backing away from this challenge, newer and younger names are stepping up.

Read more here.

Most Seniors Who End Up in the ER Can’t Afford Medicine

Date: August 11, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Most Seniors Who End Up in the ER Can't Afford Medicine

A new study published in the American Journal Emergency Medicine shows that seniors who end up in the emergency room can’t afford medicine. Even with insurance, medication can be expensive, and depending on the insurance, may not even be covered.

Most Seniors Who End Up in the ER Can't Afford Medicine

Most Seniors Who End Up in the ER Can’t Afford Medicine

 

Lisa Ambrose, the study’s co-author, and her colleagues looked at survey responses from 2017 and 2018 from 281 patients. The patients were 65 and older who visited both city and rural ERs. Even though ninety-nine percent had health insurance, fourteen percent of city patients and twenty-six percent of rural patients said they couldn’t follow doctor’s orders because they couldn’t afford it.

Seniors, in particular, are struggling due to limited income and insurance being stricter with them.

Patients who take many different medications tend to be the people who can’t afford them and had been hospitalized recently. They can also have trouble doing everyday tasks, have depression or dementia, and/or no social support circle.

What do people do to afford medications? Well, there are pharmacy and medication brand discount programs. Most of the time people sacrifice basic needs like food and heat, they borrow money, skip dosages to stretch out medication, create credit card debt, or asks for someone else to buy it for them.

Read more here.

7 Types of Dental and Oral Diseases and Treatments

Date: August 4, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Oral Health is Left Behind for Most Seniors

We have been talking about oral health and the importance of keeping up with it. While having a general knowledge is good, knowing specifics is even better. Time to break down the types of dental and oral diseases you can have and how to treat it.

7 Types of Dental and Oral Diseases and Treatments

7 Types of Dental and Oral Diseases and Treatments

 

With how often we use our mouths, it’s not a surprise that they get worn down. Remember that oral health is connected to overall health.

1. Cavities

Cavities are tooth decay. It’s when parts of your tooth are damaged to the point of having holes in them. They are super common.

Cavities happen when bacteria, food, and acid cover your teeth and create plaque. The acid starts to destroy the enamel and underlying dentin.

If these aren’t taken care of, it can lead to permanent damage to your teeth.

2. Gum Disease (Gingivitis)

Gingivitis is a fancy word for gum disease, which is the inflammation of your gums. Plaque builds up because of bad brushing and flossing habits.

It makes your gums swell and even bleed when you brush or floss. If you don’t take care of it, it can lead to periodontitis.

3. Periodontitis

The harsher version of gum disease and can spread to your jaw and bones. It can cause inflammation throughout your whole body.

4. Cracked or Broken Teeth

Teeth can crack or break, despite how tough they seem. It can happen because of an injury to the mouth, chewing hard foods, and grinding your teeth. They can be very painful, and you need to see a professional asap.

5. Sensitivity

You have sensitive teeth if you get pain when having hot or cold food items. It’ also referred to as dentin hypersensitivity.

It is a temporary side effect after having a root canal or filling. It can be a sign of more permanent issues like gum disease, receding gums, a cracked tooth, or old fillings and crowns.

It could be happening to you because you have less enamel on your teeth. Luckily, there are treatments like using toothpaste branded for sensitive teeth.

6. Oral Cancer

There are different types of cancer you can develop, and those include gums, tongue, lips, cheek, the floor of your mouth, and the hard and soft palate.

Dentists are usually the first person to notice signs of oral cancer. Tobacco use is the most significant way to develop oral cancer.

7. Surgeries

Hopefully, it won’t get to this point, but surgeries are another option for treatment.

Flap surgery is when a surgeon cuts a small part in the gum to lift a section of tissue. They remove tartar and bacteria from underneath the gums. The flap is then stitched back into place.

Bone grafting is needed when gum disease has gone too far. The dentist uses either part of your bone, a synthetic bone, or a donated bone to replace your damaged one.

Soft tissue grafts are similar to bone grafts and are a treatment for receding gums.

Tooth extraction happens when a tooth can’t be saved and needs to be removed. It’s also used to get rid of wisdom teeth that are impacted.

Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth due to a disease or accident. Once an implant is put in, your bone will grow around it.

7 Ways to Treat Oral and Dental Diseases

 

The best way to keep your teeth healthy is to keep up with professional appointments.

1. Cleanings

A professional cleaning destroys any plaque you may have missed when you brush or floss. Cleanings will also get rid of tartar, and once in a while, a dentist will use a high-powered toothbrush to brush your teeth.

Deep cleaning can be called a scaling and rooting planning as well.

2. Flouride Treatments

Flouride treatments fight off cavities. It’s a natural mineral and can help strengthen the enamel of your teeth and make them stronger.

3. Antibiotics

If you have any infections or a tooth abscess that has spread to other teeth or jaw, you’ll probably get antibiotics. It can be a mouth rinse, gel, pill, or a capsule. Topical antibiotic gel can be applied to teeth or gums during surgeries.

4. Fillings, Crown, and Sealants

A filling is used to repair a cavity, crack, or a hole in your teeth. A dentist will use a drill to remove the bad area of the tooth and then fill it. They usually use a material like amalgam or composite.

Crowns are used if a large part of your tooth needs to be removed or broken off. There are two kinds. An implant crown fits over an implant, and a regular crown fits over a natural tooth.

Sealants are thin, protective coatings that are put on the back teeth to prevent cavities. Though these are usually used more with kids.

5. Root Canal

You may need a root canal if your teeth get bad enough that the damage reaches down to your nerves. During the procedure, the nerve is removed and replaced with a filling.

6. Probiotics

Probiotics can help prevent plaque and treat bad breath. Some may even help avoid oral cancers and reduces inflammation.

7. Keeping Good Habits

Finally, just keep good habits. Watch what you eat, brush and floss daily, and be aware of your teeth.

Read more here.