Sharing the Health!

Joy H. of EFFORTS (Emphysema Foun- dation for Our Right To Survive – www. emphysema.net) believes keeping your mind sharp is important for overall health. She shares a listing of free courses available to take online at www.openculture.com/ freeonlinecourses You may also check your local colleges which may have classes open to seniors at no cost.

When you want to make a statement! Respro® Pollution Masks have been man- ufactured and distributed from the United Kingdom for over 20 years to many coun- tries with shipping included in the price of the masks. Visit www.respro.com to see the different models including the Techno model used by many people who have had lung transplants to avoid infections.

I found water aerobics to be a very enjoyable activity in my life! My local YMCA has a session six days a week. It gets me up and out of the house, I have met new friends and best of all, I feel stronger and more confident, especially with my balance. It is exercise that I can do that is both aerobic and resistance training. I highly recommend it for both men and women!

Ursula P., Daytona Beach, FL

My son put my front-loading washer and dryer on platforms to make it easier for me to do laundry. I don’t have to bend over and use a long-handled reacher to help pull clothes out of the machines. When I have to iron, I use a swivel bar stool. This permits me to lean slightly forward and saves me a lot of tiring time on my feet.

S.H., Philadelphia, PA

Clinical Trial Opportunities

If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov

You should know they are carried out in three phases.

Phase I is usually done with a small num- ber of healthy volunteers. The researchers are trying to determine how much of the medication can safely be given.

Phase II will monitor the effects of the medication on the participants.

Phase III involves many more test subjects. The investigators want to compare how their new medication compares to medication cur- rently on the market. They are also looking for any side effects that may appear when taking the drug.

When you enroll in the study, there is no guarantee that you will be given the new medication or treatment. You may be randomly chosen to receive a placebo, a harmless substance that will have no effect on your lung disease.

Be prepared to return to the clinical center for follow up examinations after the trial has ended. Important long-term information can be gathered from these visits. There are also Phase IV clinical trials which are conducted to identify and evaluate the long-term effects of new drugs and treatments over a lengthy period for a greater number of patients. Phase IV research takes place after the FDA approves the marketing of a new drug.

Buyer Always Beware!

Take our word for it, oxygen water or oxygen pills or Vitamin O will not cure lung disease and just because it is on the Internet does not mean it is true! Taking a liquid or pill “containing oxygen” will not increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. Oxy- gen enters your bloodstream through your lungs.

as a quick and effective cure-all. Don’t be fooled when the promoter uses words like “scientific breakthrough,” “miraculous cure” or “secret ingredient” and has cre- dentials that no one knows what they stand for. Sometimes they claim the government, medical profession or research scientists have conspired to suppress the product or warn not to trust doctors. The advertise- ments often include case histories claiming amazing results with testimonials that are not documented. And surprise, you can only get the cure-all from their company!

Also know there are no stem cell treat- ments currently available to people with lung disease.

A recent study in BMC Pulmonary Medicine showed the use of supervised pulmonary rehabilitation is effective in reducing mortality following hospital- ization for an acute exacerbation (wors- ening) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease if started within four weeks of discharge.

Unfortunately, pulmonary reha- bilitation programs are not always available where you live or may be difficult to get to. Dr. Noah Green- span has the solution with his on- line program at https://pulmonary wellnessonline.com Designed for those with Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, Pulmonary Fibrosis and Pulmonary Hypertension, the program offers online exercise and education sessions, daily thoughts and motivations, interactive group seminars and live question and answer sessions. The Pulmonary Boot Camp is six weeks (42 days) long to get you started on the right track. One-on-one personal consultations are also available. The team at Ultimate Pulmonary Wellness consists of health professionals including cardiopulmo- nary physical therapists, respiratory and therapists, exercise physiologists, registered dietitians, and others. Cost is $25/month to join with a discount of $50 if you pay for the year. The Pulmo- nary Wellness & Rehabilitation Center is located in New York, NY. Their tele- phone number is 212-921-0214.

Dr. Greenspan has also made his book Ultimate Pulmonary Wellness available for free download at: www.pulmonarywellness.com/book

Flu activity this year in October includes a middle-aged woman in Kentucky, who succumbed to a flu-related illness. In Florida, the flu death was reported of a child not yet vaccinated who was previously healthy with no known health conditions prior to con- tracting the Influenza B virus. Both of these recent deaths are stark and tragic reminders early in this year’s flu season that the virus is potentially lethal, and although common, should not be ignored or dismissed The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month reported that nearly 80,000 Americans died due to con- sequences of the infection last year during one of the worst flu seasons in nearly four decades. The 2018-2019 flu vaccine com- position includes changes updating the vac- cine’s defense against the H3N2 virus that caused much of last year’s worst flu cases in the United States, as well as compositions related to the Influenza B virus have also been updated. The number of adults who got a flu shot during the 2017-2018 flu season declined by over 6 percent, hitting a seven-year low.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Flu Pandemic, the deadliest disease outbreak in recorded history with an estimated 500 million people – one-third of the world’s population at the time – becom- ing infected with the virus. The more people who get the flu shot, the less chance the virus

can spread while pro- tecting more people.

Please get your flu vaccination

When you are physically or emotionally disconnected from family, friends or com- munity, it can make you feel isolated and lonely. The AARP Foundation wants to address this problem, as prolonged isola- tion is recognized as a contributor to poor health. Visit their web site at www.connect2 affect.org

Just because a 72-year-old woman lives by herself doesn’t mean she is lonely. Many ladies are very active with activities and clubs and volunteering. And just because an 80-year-old man lives with his relatives, doesn’t mean he is not lonely.

Make the effort to get connected with social groups like the local senior citizens center or at church. Be as active as possible!

Voice-activated technology as Amazon’s Alexa has helped ease isolation. If you have wireless Internet at your home, you can ask Alexa to play your favorite music, get the weather forecast, set timers, play trivia games, get the news, and ask her to tell you jokes. Newer models include video screens that let you call people and see them in person.

See www.amazon.com for details and the funniest video about senior citizens using Alexa that appeared on Satur- day Night Live at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YvT_gqs5ETk

Sharing the Health!-November-2018

Sharing the Health!