Health – Smart Senior

Milk..is not just milk these days

Milk is not just milk

We recommend choosing a milk that is good for you-a milk like milk used to and should be. A milk that tastes like milk. Have you ever had a real glass of milk?

Most supermarket milk is pasteurised, ultra pasteurised and/or homogenised and is produced from cows who are completely confined and live only to produce milk, making them sickly, weak, disease prone Moos. These are not healthy, happy cows making nutritious milk. These cows produce 4 times what a normal cow would and must be pumped full of antibiotics and growth hormones to sustain this output.

More milk=cheaper milk right? Right. But where do all those growth hormones and antibiotics go? Into your cheap milk along with the pus that the antibiotics don’t clear. Not to worry….the reason these milks are ultra pasteurised is to ensure they are safe for human consumption and do not fret there is a maximum limit on how much pus is allowed into our milk…..!?!?!?

Exercises For Those With Reduced Mobility

If you ever see or hear the phrase, “fitness is for all”, you might question it, especially if you, or someone you care about, finds exercising difficult. This could be down to a physical disability, an injury that has temporarily restricted one’s movement, or something which we will all have to face at some point in our lives, and that is our senior years when our bodies are not as mobile or nimble as they were in years long since passed.

However, with only a few exceptions, everyone, including those in the groups we have just mentioned, should be able to take part in some form of exercise. Ok, we might not be talking here about extreme sports or workouts that require extraordinary strength or lightning fast speeds, but nevertheless, several exercise and fitness workouts exist that are suitable for those with reduced mobility. Here are some of them.

Why Speech Pathologists Treating The Elderly Is Becoming Increasingly Common

It is well known that the vast majority of the patients that a speech pathologist will treat are children, many of whom are under 5 years of age. However, it is also true that adults suffer from speech and language problems too, and one group where it is specifically prevalent is older people, which is why an increasing percentage of those aged 65 and over are seeking speech therapy.

This occurs, not because older people are suddenly reporting communication problems, but due to ever-increasing shifts in the age demographics of the population. For example, in the 30 years from 1990 to 2020, the average age of the Australian population increased by almost 6 years, and from 2000 to 2020 the percentage aged 65 and over rose by 4%.

Those numbers are certain to increase further with predictions showing that by the year 2050, Australia will have 1.8 million residents aged over 85, which works out at around 5%. So, it is clear that medical professionals, including speech pathologists, have increasing numbers of patients who are classed as elderly, not just because the elderly are more prone to ailments and illness, but also because there are many more individuals within that age group than ever before.

How Your Age Can Influence Your Laser Eye Surgery Options

It is the case that many medical treatments and surgical procedures come with caveats and limits based on a patient’s age and that most certainly applies to LASIK eye surgery. This means that when a laser eye surgery consultant is assessing your suitability for laser eye surgery, your age is going to be one of the factors they take into account, although not as much as they will consider the health of your eyes as a factor.

When people become aware of that fact, especially those who are older, they assume that means that there is an upper age limit for laser eye surgery. They are usually pleasantly surprised to learn that contrary to there being an upper age limit, there is instead, a lower age limit. For details on that and other advice relating to age and laser eye surgery, please continue reading.

Lower Age Limit for Eye Surgery

When a person turns 18 it means they can legally buy alcohol, gamble, obtain a mortgage, and vote in elections. It is also the age that they become eligible for laser eye surgery, although there are several caveats, so being 18 does not automatically make you a candidate for laser eye surgery.

5 Health Problems to Make You Consider Retirement

Retirement planning is on many people’s horizons, with those reaching retirement age often seeking help from financial planners to maximise their entitlements and learn about superannuation access.

However, not everyone retires simply because they reach an age that entitles them to pension payments. Some people quit work because they experience health conditions, such as these below.

Depressive Symptoms

The prevalence of depressive symptoms in older adults living in Australia is well-known, with around eight percent of healthy community-dwelling Australians over the age of 60 experiencing depressive symptoms in recent studies. They were also more frequently experienced by women, current smokers, ethnic minorities, and those living alone or in residential care.

Depressive symptoms can involve your mood, behaviour, sleep, body, cognition, and weight. You may consider retirement if you feel general discontent, loss of interest, sadness, fatigue, or other common signs of clinical depression.

Most Common Types of Laser Eye Surgery to Help You Decide

Many people decide to get laser eye surgery when they are tired of wearing contact lenses and glasses. They don’t have to worry about making allowances under helmets or experiencing discomfort when swimming and partaking in adventure sports.

However, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when you start looking at your laser eye surgery options. There are so many different laser surgery types available, and not all will suit your needs.

Fortunately, your eye care specialist can walk you through the best options. Still, we’ve included the most common surgery types available in today’s market.

Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK)

Out of all laser eye surgery options, LASIK or laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis would have to be one of the most popular. It’s fast, offers the quickest recovery times, and is also one of the most comfortable options for patients.

This type of eye surgery involves two lasers to reshape the cornea rather than blades. It’s also one of the most preferred options for conditions like presbyopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, and myopia.

When your appointment time rolls around, you will experience laser treatment for just a few seconds on each eye, and you will be able to drive and do most daily activities within 24 hours. It may offer you much-needed peace of mind to know that LASIK is FDA-approved.

How to Maintain Strong Bones As You Age

You may not know it, but we are constantly building bone mass until we blow out the candles on our 30^th birthday. From that point onwards, we’re breaking down more bone than we’re rebuilding.

As a result, it becomes crucial for our bone health to factor activities and changes into our lives that combat bone loss rather than contributing to it. Here are a few things you can do to keep your bones healthy as you age.

Ensure You Get Plenty of Vitamins and Minerals

Talk to your doctor about the vitamins and minerals you should consume plenty of to assist with bone health. Calcium and Vitamin D can be the two standout options in this respect.

Best Low Impact Exercises For Seniors

Even though physical fitness is recommended for both young and old, many older adults can find it challenging to keep up. Bone and joint pain, along with connective tissue issues, can make most standard exercise types uncomfortable and even painful.

However, that’s not to say you can’t exercise at all, especially since it’s so crucial for our health and wellbeing. If pain and discomfort are slowing you down, consider any of the following low-impact exercise types.

Walking

Walking is something that requires minimal effort, no money, and no extra equipment. It’s also something you can do in the comfort of your home with equipment if you have no intentions of venturing out.

How to Maintain Your Mental Health As You Age

When you’re so focused on keeping your physical health in check as you age, it can be easy to forget about your mental health. Psychologists will tell you that the two are closely linked. It’s worth keeping that in mind when you carry out daily activities designed to keep you fit and healthy.

Fortunately, it can be just as straightforward to take care of your mental health as it is your physical health. Consider filling your days with some of these things below.

Have a Plan For Your Retirement Years

It can be a challenging transition to move from full-time or part-time work to full retirement. You go from having a daily routine to being left to your own devices.

Friends and family might attempt to fill your days by loading you up with DIY tasks and grandchild babysitting, but it’s essential to consider what you want to do. You might have a hobby you’d like to focus on or a club to join. You might even look at volunteering opportunities.

Focus on making a plan for your retirement years before you retire. That way, there might be less chance of you falling into a rut that affects your mental health.

Most Common Signs You Have Cataracts

Vision is one of our most important senses and one we rely on to help us with everyday life. However, in many situations, it’s not always going to be at its best, with conditions like cataracts seeing the need for cataract surgery.

Cataracts affect over 700,000 Australians, and it’s the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Given its prevalence in most populations, it’s essential to look out for signs of this condition commonly associated with the natural aging process.

What Are Cataracts?

Cataracts are defined as being cloudiness of your eyes’ usually clear lenses. They tend to develop slowly over time and require diagnosis by a medical professional. Cataracts can be treated, but early diagnosis is crucial to a successful outcome. Therefore, it can be essential to look out for some of the following signs of cataracts.

Clouded or Blurred Vision

Blurred vision can be caused by many things, such as migraines, refractive errors, and cornea abrasions. However, one of the most common causes of blurred or clouded vision as you age is cataracts.