SKIN CANCER FACT SHEET

* Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US

* Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers.

* 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

* Over the past 31 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.

The most important warning sign for melanoma (skin cancer) is ANY change in size, shape, or color of a mole or other skin growth, such as a birthmark. Watch for changes that occur over a period of weeks to a month. Use the ABCDE rule to evaluate skin changes, and call your health professional if you have any of the following changes.

A is for asymmetry: One half of the mole or skin growth doesn't match the other half.

B is for border irregularity: The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred.

C is for color: The pigmentation is not uniform. Shades of tan, brown, and black are present. Dashes of red, white, and blue add to the mottled appearance.

D is for diameter: The mole or skin growth is larger than 6mm or about the size of a pencil eraser. Any growth of a mole should be of concern.

E is for evolution: There is a change in the size, shape, symptoms, surface, or color of a mole.

Melanoma can develop in an existing mole or other mark on the skin, but it often develops in unmarked skin. Although melanoma can grow anywhere on the body, it often occurs on the upper back of men and women and on the legs in women. Less often, it can grow on the soles, palms, nail beds, or mucous membranes such as the mouth, rectum, and the vagina. On older people, the face is the most common place for melanoma to grow. In older men, the most common sites are the neck, scalp, and ears.

source. www.webmd.com

SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT: 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU SLEEP

Sleep apnea is an obstructive disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing when you are asleep. New research out today suggests sleep apnea may increase risk of dementia in elderly women. Though sleep apnea is often difficult to overcome, researchers have identified a few solutions that may help.

1. WEIGHT LOSS. Sleep apnea may be improved by slimming down. According to a new study, when obese men with sleep apnea were enrolled in a weight loss program and lost an overage of 25 lbs. over the course of a year, symptoms of sleep apnea improved dramatically. Ten percent of the participants were even cured of the disorder, requiring no further treatment.

2. THROAT EXERCISES. Turns out making faces and sticking out your tongue might not just be for sassy kids - it might be the key to a good night's sleep. According to new research, if you suffer from sleep apnea, treatment might just be a few tongue and jaw exercises away.

3. PLAY THE DIDGERIDOO. Yes, taking up wind instruments may help too. That's right. Music is good for the soul, and maybe even help you rest better. A trial study conducted in Germany proved playing the didgeridoo on a regular basis may help as analternative treatment for people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.

4. GET FITTED FOR A SLEEP MOUTH GUARD. If you have an overbite, small jaw, or recessed chin, the way your jawbone is naturally set might also make your airway unusually narrow. Corrective devices that encourage proper alignment of the jaw diring sleep might be beneficial.

5. LAY OFF THE BOOZE AND SMOKING. Smoking causes the upper airway to swell, and alcohol use causes the same area to unusually relax. Happily, quitting smoking and reducing drinking don't come with the price tage of a corrective device or surgery, and even better, are likely to free up some of you finances.

Finally, if you struggle with insomnia, you may want to add a glass of tart cherry juice to your bedtime routine. A study found tart cherry juice reduced the severity of insomnia by improving sleep maintenance.

source: http://www.fyiliving.com/

HEALTH TIPS: DOWN AND OUT

Once in a while, we all feel "depressed" because thngs are not going our way. But then we usually snap out of that state and move on. We let go og the anxieties that plague our minds and move on with our lives. While mos of us would think that it's not very difficult to lift our sagging spirits after a phase of unhappiness, that's not the case for everyone.

Imagine being perpetually caught in that state of mental desolation and being unable to snap out of it. This is how patients of clinical depression feels. It's not simply because of negative sentiments and feelings that overpower them momentarilly, but due to actual altered levels of chemical in the brain.

The onset of depression can actually happen at any age - even children can suffer from it. Depressed people are often fatigued, unable to get out of bed and disinterested in doing anything. They might often be overcome by crying spells or a general feeling of hopelessness, despair and gloom while younger patients might often act irritable. Their self-esteem is usually very low and they suffer from excessive self-reproach. Their sleep and appetite also suffers. If such a state persists for two weeks or more, a mental health professional needs to be paid a visit.

Usually biological aberrations and inherited traits might predispose people to depression. If a person's family members have mental health complaints, then it's likely that he or she will be more vulnerable to depression. Major life events might serve as precipitating factors such as death of someone close, unemployment, a breakup or divorce. Psychosocial events - an unhappy choldhood, being around depressed people and a weak social support system - also play a role in spurring depression.

As a nation, we generally do not openly discuss our personal problems. In addition to this reluctance to express our mental trials and tribulations, we live in a society where seeking mental help is a taboo. But seeking therapy for depression is of utmost importance. The therapist and patient need to work together to work through the problems over the course of time, which otherwise will still be there when the effect of the pill has worn off. Self-help will entail instituting habits like daily exercise, a healthy diet, sleep hygiene and a creative expression for cathartic purposes.

source: www.tribune.com

SUNDOWNING

Sundowning, or sundown syndrome, affects some people who have Alzheimer's disease and dementia. People with dementia who "sundown" experience periods of increased confusion and agitation as the sun goes down - and sometimes through the night. Sundowning may prevent people with dementia from sleeping well. It may also make them more likely to wander. Sundowning is a common cause of caregiver burnout. Sundowning is experienced by up to 20% of people who have Alzheimer's disease or other kinds of dementias. People who sundown may become more:

Forgetful

Confused

Delirious

Agitated

Anxious

Restless

People with sundowning often have trouble sleeping. They may:

Pace the floor

Wander

Yell

Become combative

Sundowning typically peaks during the middle stages of Alzheimer's. It diminishes as the disease progresses. Some studies show that sundowning is associated with:

Faster cognitive decline

More rapid disease progression

The causes of sundowning are not well understood. Some research suggests that sundowning may be related to changes to the brain's circadian pacemaker. That's a cluster of nerve cells that keeps the body on a 24-hour clock. Studies in mice suggest that neurochemical changes in the brain that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease may play a role. Researchers found that older mice make more of an enzyme that's associated with anxiety and agitation before they go to sleep than middle-aged mice do. Several things may increase the risk for sundowning. These include:

Pain

Fecal impaction(serious type of constipation)

Poor nourishment

Being on too many medications

Infection

Noisy and disruptive sleeping environment

Ways to reduce the severity of sundown syndrome include:

1. Increase Daily Activity. Being more active during the day may help Alzheimer's patients sleep better at night. Caregivers should discourage daytime naps, encourage exercise, encourage hobbies that get dementia patients up and moving.

2. Monitor Diet. Caregivers should limit caffeine and sugar to the morning hours, plan an early dinner, keep snacks light before bedtime.

3. Seek Medical Advice. A health-care provider can help look for physical problems like pain, infections, or bladder problems that may be contributing to nighttime confusion and agitation. They should also regularly review prescription medications to make sure they are still needed.

4. Light Therapy. Exposure to bright lights during the day may reduce some sundowning symptoms, especially when used in combination with exercise, like walking.

5. Change Sleeping Environment. Allow the patient to change bedrooms or to sleep in a favorite chair or couch. Keeping the room partially lit may also help to reduce confusion when a person wakes during the night into a seemingly unfamiliar environment.

6. Provide Calm Reassurance. Gently reorient the patient to where he is and what time it is. Avoid arguing and offer reassurance that the patient is alright.

source: www.webmd.com

WHY HOME CARE?

There is a growing public demand for health care services that are available to the public in their own homes. The reasons have to do with tradition, with technology, and with cost effectiveness. Home care is the oldest form of healthcare - and it is also the "newest." Modern technology has developed to the point where many services that are available in the hospital can be provided at home. There is significant evidence that it is less costly than other forms of care, and that it is the most satisfying form of health care available to the American public. It is an idea whose time has come.

So...WHY HOME CARE?

• IT IS DELIVERED AT HOME. There are such positive feelings that all of us associate with being home. When we are not feeling well, most of us ask to go home. When we are feeling well, we enjoy the sanctity of our residences and the joy of being with our loved ones.
• HOME CARE KEEPS FAMILIES TOGETHER. There is no more important social value. It is particularly important in times of illness.
• HOME CARE SERVES TO KEEP THE ELDERLY INDEPENDENT. None of us want to be totally dependent and helpless. With some assistance, seniors can continue to function as viable members of society.
• HOME CARE PREVENTS OR POSTPONES INSTITUTIONALIZATION. Few patients choose to be placed in a nursing home, unless it's the only place where they can obtain the 24-hour care that they need.
• HOME CARE PROMOTES HEALING. There is abundant evidence that patients heal more quickly at home.
• HOME CARE PROMOTES HEALING. There is abundant evidence that patients heal more quickly at home.
• HOME CARE ALLOWS MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FREEDOM FOR THE INDIVIDUAL. Hospitlas and nursing homes offer more regimented, regulated environments. Home care offers a reassuring, individualized setting.
• HOME CARE IS PERSONALIZED CARE. Home care is tailored to the needs of each individual. It is delivered on a one-to-one basis.
• HOME CARE INVOLVES THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE FAMILY IN THE CARE THAT IS DELIVERED. The patient and his family are taught to participate in their health care. They are taught how to get well, and how to stay that way.
• HOME CARE REDUCES STRESS. Unlike most forms of health care which can increase anxiety and stress, home care frequently has the opposite effect.
• HOME CARE IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORMS OF HEALTH CARE. There is very high consumer satisfaction associated with care delivered in the home.
• HOME CARE IS AN EFFICIENT FORM OF HEALTH CARE. By bringing health services home, the patient does not generate board and room expenses. The patient and/or his family supply the food and tend to the individual's other needs. Technology now has developed to the point where many services, once only available in a hospital, can be offered at home.
• HOME CARE IS GIVEN BY SPECIAL PEOPLE. By and large, employees of home care agencies look at their work, not as a job or profession, but as a calling. Home care workers are highly trained and dedicated to their work.
• HOME CARE IS, IN MANY CASES, LESS EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER FORMS OF CARE. The evidence is convincing that for many services, home care is less expensive than other forms of care. In general, home care costs only one-tenth as much as hospitalization and only one-fourth as much as nursing home placement to deal with comparable health problems.
• HOME CARE EXTENDS LIFE. A study by the U.S. General Accounting office has established that people receibinghome care tend to live longer and have a better quality of life. Home care helps to not only add years to life, but "life to years."
• HOME CARE IS THE PREFERRED FORM OF CARE, EVEN FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TERMINALLY ILL. There is a growing public acceptance and demand for hospice care,which is home care for individuals who are terminally ill.
  

TEN WAYS SENIOR CITIZENS CAN AVOID MEDICARE FRAUD

Senior citizens, due to age and medications can be at risk of fraud surrounding their use of the government's Medicare program. Here are ten ways seniors can avoid being victimized by Medicare fraud.

1. NEVER give out a Medicare number over the telephone.

2. NEVER allow anyone to convince you to ask your physician for services you don't think you need.

3. DON'T accept services claiming to be free

4. DON'T accept medical equipment or supplies from a door-to-door salesperson.

5. BE WARY of providers who say they are members of Medicare or any other branch of the federal government. Remember that neither the federal government nor Medicare endorse any products sold by providers.

6. BE WARY of providers who use scare or pressure tactics to sell you medical services without giving you the chance to get a second opinion.

7. CAREFULLY REVIEW Medicare statements to ensure it properly reflects the services you actually received.

8.ALWAYS RELY on your personal physician to recommend medical services and equipment for you rather than obnoxious TV or radio sales pitches.

9. REPORT suspicious activities or statements which do not accurately reflect received services on your Medicare summary notice.

10. LEARN more about stopping Medicare or Medicaide fraud or abuse. TheLegalCenter.org has a list of contact information for various federal and state agencies who are concerned with Medicare and Medicaid issues.

www.trinidad-times.com

NATIONAL STRESS AWARENESS DAY

Is work or school putting on the pressure? Are the kids on your nerves? Is there enough money to pay all of those bills? There are literally thousands of reasons for you to get stressed out.

RELAX!!! Today is National Stress Awareness Day. This is your opportunity ot recognize that there is plenty of stress in you life...as if you didn't already know. More importantly, today is an opportunity to learn, and to do something about the stress...before it drives you batty or worse.

source: www.holidayinsights.com