The At Home Physical

THE AT HOME PHYSICAL

The following information was taken from the booklet, “Health News You Can Use At Home” by Rodale Press. Hopefully, it will be of help when deciding how to deal with finding out whether you have a medical problem before going to the doctor.

Recognizing Alzheimer’s

You recently walked through your house, looking for an item you’d misplaced, and then realized that you’d forgotten what you were looking for. This happens to everyone on occasion, but as you get older, it’s easy to wonder if such lapses in memory are a sign of a future health problem, namely Alzheimer’s disease.

If you have a parent or sibling with this type of dementia, you are two to three times more likely to develop the disease.

HOME TEST

If you’re worried about Alzheimer’s, here are some questions to help you decide whether it’s time to go to the doctor.

DO YOU...

¨        frequently misplace things? It’s normal to put the car keys on the kitchen counter rather than on the key rack at the back door. But do you place the clothing iron in the freezer?

¨        have trouble with complex mental tasks? Struggling to balance a checkbook doesn’t count. Instead, ask yourself if you sometimes forget what numbers are for.

¨        dress inappropriately? Some of us dress a bit...oddly...on occasion, but rest assured that this isn’t a problem. Don’t worry until you’re consistently layering on a sweater when others are reaching for tank tops and T-shirts.

¨        give away large sums of money to unlikely recipients? There’s no reason for concern if only your niece is worried about revisions to your will. But you might be developing poor judgment which is a symptom of Alzheimer’s, if you’re forking over dough to a stranger or telemarketer.

¨        find you’ve lost your zest for life? It’s okay to feel burned out by socializing. People with Alzheimer’s, however, watch television for hours, sleep excessively, and lose interest in their usual activities.

¨        rapidly swing between emotions? One minute you’re raging, and the next you’re calm. Emotional ping-pong—rather than just occasional moodiness—is another symptom.

¨        forget entire experiences? It’s normal to forget part of an experience, only to remember the rest of the details later. It’s a symptom of Alzheimer’s if the memory doesn’t return.

¨        find it increasingly difficult to follow directions? We’ve all muddled through a set of written or spoken instructions. But, if you’re doing this frequently, it could be a cause for concern.

¨        have trouble with everyday tasks? Another symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is forgetting how to perform activities that used to be second nature such as making a phone call or cooking your favorite meal. Forgetting why you came into a room every once in a while, though, is normal.

¨        forget simple words? Searching for a word that’s on the tip of your tongue is one thing; completely forgetting the word or substituting unusual words is something else entirely. You’ve encountered a warning sign when people start telling you that it’s difficult to understand what you’re saying or writing.

¨        get lost in your own neighborhood? From time to time, everyone forgets where they’ve headed and why they started in that direction, so this action isn’t worth fretting about. If, on the other hand, you forget where you are, how you got there, and how to get home, you may have a symptom of Alzheimer’s.

¨        think people are trying to harm you? Our personalities can change a bit as we age, but extreme shifts are a cause for concern, particularly if you’re frequently confused or suspicious.

Controlling Blood Pressure

In any grocery store, you’re sure to find oodles of packages promising that the product inside will help you control your blood pressure. But, really, why is this important? We’ve all heard that high blood pressure (HBP) is bad, and you probably know that HBP greatly increases your change of having a stroke. Did you know that HBP can also contribute to kidney and heart problems? Here’s some advice to help you keep an eye on your numbers.

If you discover that you have high blood pressure, try to maintain a healthy weigh, exercise regularly, stay away from cigarettes, keep your stress levels under control, avoid sodium in your diet, and increase your intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. A visit to the doctor should also be on your list.

In any case, have your blood pressure checked by a health care professional at least every 2 years after you turn 40.

HOME TESTS

If you suspect that you’re susceptible to HBP, it might be a good idea to invest in a monitor of your own. You’ll be able to check your numbers more frequently and conveniently than on visits to your health care professional.

Here are three doctor-recommended devices

¨        Panasonic Precise Logic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor displays BP and pulse rate on a large, color-color LCD display. A flashing figure signals a low or high BP reading. The device has the capability to store 42 readings, 21 each for two people. $60 to $86

¨        LifeSource UA-787V Quick Response Blood Pressure Monitor includes an automatic inflation button, displays your readings on a large digital panel, and stores 30 BP and pulse readings in its memory. $78

¨        Omron HEM-705CPN Auto-inflate Blood Pressure Monitor prints out the blood pressure breakdown with time and date in numerical or bar graph form for easy record keeping. It features “IntelliSense technology": that takes into account normal blood pressure changes throughout the day. $76 to $100

GETTING THE BEST TEST RESULTS

While they should be valuable do-it-yourself diagnostic tools, home blood pressure monitors often produce incorrect readings. Canadian researchers have discovered that more than half of people using home blood pressure monitors have measurements that are off by 5 or more points, often reading too high. To blame:  placing the cuff on the wrong part of the arm, sitting in a way that affects the operation of the monitor, or neglecting to rest for 2 minutes before taking a measurement.

"If you report high readings, a doctor might prescribe medication you don’t really need”, says study author Thomas Wilson, M.D.

Here’s some guidance for bolstering the accuracy of your readings.

¨        Bring your blood pressure monitor to your next doctor appointment, and ask the nurse on duty to observe your form.

¨        Test yourself while seated quietly.

¨        Don’t take a reading right after you’ve exercised or eaten.

¨        Take three readings, at least 1 minute apart.

¨        Test early in the morning and in the evening.

What Do the Numbers Mean?

There are two numbers in a blood pressure reading. The systolic number, on top, gives the pressure when your heart beats to push blood into the arteries. The diastolic number, on the bottom, indicates the pressure when the heart is resting betweens beats.

Here’s what the numbers mean.

LOWER THAN 120/80   Normal blood pressure

120/80 to 139/89         Prehypertension

140/90 to 159/99         Stage 1 hypertension. Moderately high.

 Modify your diet and pick up your exercise regimen. If these

actions don’t control your blood pressure, you’ll probably

 need medication.

160/100 to 179/109     Stage 11 hypertension. Very high.

Your doctor will prescribe blood pressure medications.

180/110 or HIGHER     Danger zone. You’ve increased your

risk of having a heart attack by two times and your risk of

a stroke by four times.

***Let it be known that I do not believe that taking medications for blood pressure is the best idea. I know that many times there are other natural alternatives that don't have the side effects of medications.
                                            

Spotting Eye Trouble

The two major causes of vision loss are age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. At age 50, symptoms of AMD might start to appear. And by the time you’re 65, half the people your age will have cataracts.

AMD results when the small, central part of the retina stops working. It’s likely to affect vision in both eyes, possibly at different times. But almost everyone with AMD retains some peripheral vision, so sufferers can still be independent. You’re more vulnerable to AMD if you smoke, are a woman, eat a high-fat diet, have a family history of AMD, have light skin or eye color, or have had excessive sun exposure.

A cataract is a painless clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts develop gradually and can occur at any age, although often they are a natural consequence of getting older. Younger people can get cataracts as a result of an injury, certain medications, ongoing inflammation, or an illness such as diabetes.

It’s important to monitor your vision so you know when it’s time to visit an optometrist. Here are some signs to watch for.

HOME TEST FOR AMD

There isn’t a cure for AMD, but discovering the symptoms early in the disease will give your optometrist the opportunity to try treatments that may slow down or halt the disease. Watch for the following symptoms, most of which are common to both types of AMD (the dry form and the more severe form):

¨        Blurred or distorted central vision

¨        Difficulty distinguishing between colors

¨        Sizes and shapes appearing unusual or distorted

¨        Sensitivity to light

¨        Problems seeing fine detail

¨        Difficulty reading, recognizing faces, and writing

¨        A blank or dark spot in the center of your vision

HOME TEST FOR CATARACTS

Unlike AMD, cataracts can be treated with a simple operation that removes the cloudy lens. If you find yourself answering yes to some of these questions, it could be time to book an appointment with your optometrist.

¨        Do photos look as if they’re out of focus?

¨        Do you sometimes see double?

¨        Is your vision poor on a sunny day?

¨        Are all colors looking a bit yellow?

¨        Are you often cleaning your glasses because you think you see scratches or dirt when you look through them?

2-Second Vision Check

If you’re over 40 and get headaches or eyestrain from reading, you may have presbyopia. This is the loss of the ability to focus sharply for near vision. To determine whether you have it, open a phone book and choose some numbers. (If you normally wear glasses, keep them on.) Move the book away until you can focus on the numbers. If you bend your arms only slightly or must extend the fully to see clearly, you’re probably ready for bifocals or reading glasses. See an optometrist or ophthalmologist for a more precise test.

Detecting Hearing Loss

Friends and family will notice that your hearing has been going downhill before you do. That’s because if your ability to hear conversation is declining, you make unconscious adjustments. But when others complain that the television is too loud or that you’re constantly asking people to repeat themselves, or you find that it’s increasingly difficult to carry on a conversation when there’s background noise, it’s hard to deny that you may have a problem.

While these examples could be signs of hearing loss, you might just be stresses out or tired. So it’s time to play detective. Start with the tests in this chapter.

HOME TESTS

Here are two ways to find out whether you need to book an appointment with an audiologist.

¨        An over the phone hearing test takes 2 minutes and is free. Dial (800)222-3277 for the number of a local Dial-a-Hearing screening test.

¨        The Home Audiometer 1.91 hearing test can be downloaded onto your PC for $30. You’ll need to plug standard headphones into your computer to learn if you have a hearing problem and how severe it might be. Visit sharewareplaza.com/Home-Audiometer-downloads_35098.html for a free trial (locked to limited test functionality).

2-Second Hearing Test

In a quiet room, extend one arm straight out to the side and lightly rub your thumb and forefinger together. Slowly move the rubbing fingers toward one ear, taking note of how far away they are when the sound becomes audible. Repeat on the other side. Under age 60, a person with normal hearing should be able to make out the sound at 6 to 8 inches.