Health - Other

We all know that smoking is terrible for our health. Some smokers, however, justify it by assuming that limited smoking as we get older will mitigate the real risks. In fact, that is not the case. In a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers looking at smokers age…

By now you know we regularly sing the praises of geriatrician Leslie Kernisan, whose website, Better Health While Aging, is a source of wisdom and practical guidance. Recently, Dr. Kernisan wrote an in-depth piece about dehydration in seniors: it’s more than just being thirsty and it’s a problem beyond the hot summer…

If you’ve ever had shingles, you won’t soon forget the frequently painful rash that erupts- sometimes leading to months, if not years, of nerve pain. Estimates are that one in three people over age 50 will develop shingles, and for those over 80, half of them will ultimately be afflicted….

Most of us can easily recognize the discomfort: burning, pain, annoyance. Let’s face it: urinary tract infections (UTIs) are no fun. If you are older, a UTI may be less easy to detect but possibly life-threatening. Millions of seniors wind up in hospitals each year due to UTIs and many…

Most of us have a basic sense of what Medicare is: health insurance for older people. But the components of Medicare, and the expanse of its coverage, are often more complicated than beginners realize.  Different parts, different enrollment options, some things covered, some things not- an array of terms that…

Who can remember all of the interactions you’ve had with the health care system over the course of your life?  For example, consider the following: What was that medication you took years ago for gastric reflux? Or when did you get that last tetanus vaccination? Sometimes it doesn’t matter if…