Warning Signs You’re in Danger of Dementia-
Michael Martin
Dementia is a serious disorder with one unavoidable risk factor: Simply getting older. According to the World Health Organization, cases of dementia are expected to triple by the year 2050, simply because so many of us are aging. These are the warning signs you’re in danger of dementia.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/warning-signs-you-re-in-danger-of-dementia/ss-AAPq7TN?ocid=msnews
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 5 million adults living with dementia—and that number grows every year. Dementia itself isn’t a specific disease, but a general term that describes a declining ability to “remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with doing everyday activities.”
Leah Groth
Sometimes, the signs of diabetes come in different versions, and the following are clear signs that you need to look for if you think you may have uncontrolled diabetes. These signals are the top ten, and you need to be careful if you are experiencing them. You are always advised to seek medical attention immediately.
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If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you know that you need to stay on top of it in order to decrease your risk of developing stroke, heart failure, kidney disease and vision loss.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is typically the result of lifestyle factors (eating too much sugar, being obese and smoking), though some people may have a genetic predisposition to it.
According to the CDC, roughly 75 million America adults have high blood pressure. That’s one in three people living with the disease. Only about half of people with hypertension have their condition under control. And sadly, millions of Americans are unaware they are living with high blood pressure in the first place.
The truth is, high blood pressure is a condition that does not come with any distinct symptoms in itself, which is why it is usually called ‘the silent killer’. But there are quite a few associated signs that illustrate your body is dealing with the stress of high blood pressure.
If you or someone you know is dealing with any of the following, please make an appointment with your doctor to get checked out. Remember, if left unchecked, high blood pressure can significantly increase your chance of developing vision problems, stroke, and both heart and kidney disease.
1. Headache
It’s normal for most people to get a tension headache every once in a while. But what’s not normal is to get regular headaches. This is often one of the biggest signs there may be an issue going on.
Headaches due to high blood pressure can be a dull throbbing pain or can feel like a debilitating migraine. The pain is linked to the blood vessels in the brain, which swell from the high volume of blood and the greater pumping force. While an over-the-counter pain reliever will generally alleviate the pain (except for in the case of a very bad migraine), no one should rely on these meds for the long-term.
2. Vision Problems
The pressure in the brain I just mentioned due to swelling blood vessels? Well, this can begin to mess with your vision as the blood vessels in the back of the eye retina also swell. People with a sudden sensitivity to light, seeing auras or blurry vision should get checked out. In the most severe cases, high blood pressure can cause a related eye disease called hypertensive retinopathy.
3. Irregular Heartbeat
One of the most alarming signs of high blood pressure is experiencing an irregular heartbeat. Also called hypertensive heart disease, the condition is caused by the heart working under increased pressure and eventual weakening of the heart muscle. If left unchecked, the condition can lead to heart failure and other conditions that can potentially lead to death.
4. Chest Pain
High blood pressure often leads to chest pains, but these pains can be caused from something going on with the heart itself or with the respiratory system. As the pressure increases in the large arteries from the heart to the lungs, the arteries eventually harden and narrow, forcing your body to work harder. This leads to increased pressure in your circulatory system AND a lack of oxygen that reaches your heart and lungs, resulting in pain.
5. Confusion
As your arteries harden and tighten, constricting the flow of blood, the result is a lack of oxygen to the brain. This can lead to dizziness as well as general confusion and fatigue. If you or a loved one are starting to experience some real cognitive difficulties, it’s definitely time to make an appointment with your doctor.
6. Trouble Breathing
When your heart and circulatory system have a hard tome pumping blood, it means the oxygen can’t get to all of the tissues that require this oxygen to live. This most certainly includes the lungs. When this happens, a signal is sent to the brain that you are not getting enough oxygen into your lungs, and so the lungs are kicked into overdrive, which usually leads to hyperventilation, more shortness of breath and dizziness.
7. Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds can occur when the small blood vessels in the nose burst from added pressure, leaking blood. Not every nosebleed is a result of high blood pressure. Sometimes they are caused by allergies, sinusitis, dry air or blowing your nose too frequently.
Again, it is vitally important to not ignore any of these warning signs. The sooner you know if you have high blood pressure, the sooner you can do something to get those numbers down.
And speaking of getting your hypertension under control, you essentially have two options:
OPTION 1: Take a prescribed medication that comes with nasty side effects (Many hypertension medications on the market have been recalled because of known carcinogens) or…
OPTION 2: Take care of the lifestyle factors that most likely caused your numbers to go up in the first place.
So many modern diseases develop as a result of the choices we make on a daily basis – our choice to not eat right, not exercise, not get enough sleep, smoke, drink too much, etc.
Why take a prescription medication that could actually make you ill, when making some basic lifestyle changes can help you to get your numbers under control for good?
Do you want to take control of your own health (and not need to rely on an expensive medication that may cause cancer or other serious injury) but could use a little help getting started?
With the help of Dr. Marlene, who has assisted many of her patients in completely reversing their chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes through common sense lifestyle changes, we have created The Blood Pressure Solution. This guide will take you by the hand and tell you exactly what you need to do to get your numbers down once and for all.
by Katherine Tolford
While your beloved senior dog can’t really forget where he put his car keys, it turns out that he is capable of experiencing “senior moments.” If your dog forgets the route on your daily walk or if he’s not enjoying the things he once did, like chasing after his favorite toy or greeting you at the door, he could be suffering from canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD), or the doggy version of Alzheimer’s.
Canine cognitive dysfunction can occur for a number of reasons, like an accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain. This creates a build-up of plaque, which eventually damages nerves and results in the loss of brain function, which can affect your dog’s memory, motor functions and learned behaviors.
Most dogs, regardless of breed, experience some form of CCD as they age. In a study conducted by the Behavior Clinic at the University of California at Davis, researchers found that 28 percent of dogs aged 11-12 years, and 68 percent of dogs aged 15-16 years, showed one or more signs of cognitive impairment.
Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, says a lot of dog owners aren’t aware that their dogs can suffer from CCD until they take them to the vet for what they think are physical or behavioral problems.
“The first thing you should do is to talk to your vet to make sure that it’s cognitive dysfunction and not something else. It comes on gradually and owners don’t always notice things,” says Dr. Beaver.
“What did your dog stop doing that he used to do? Is he not chasing his ball because he has arthritis? Or is it that he doesn’t care anymore? It’s important to differentiate between physical and mental causes.”
Some symptoms of CCD can overlap with other age related conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and kidney issues, as well as hearing and sight loss. Depending on your dog’s symptoms your vet may propose x-rays, blood tests, urinalysis, or other diagnostic tests.
Dr. Denise Petryk, a former emergency room vet who now works with Trupanion pet insurance, says the widely accepted DISHA acronym can help dog owners characterize the most distinct signs and changes associated with CCD.
The term DISHA refers to the symptoms Disorientation, [altered] Interactions with their family members or other pets, Sleep-wake cycle changes, House soiling, and Activity level changes.
“It gives us the ability to check against a list of things to show that something else isn’t going on. If your dog has one of the symptoms or some combination then we’re more likely to call it cognitive dysfunction.”
Dr. Beaver says to keep in mind that there isn’t necessarily a progression to the symptoms your dog may be experiencing.
“The more signs and frequency we see, the greater significance of the problem. Each sign or symptom doesn’t really signify a particular phase,” she says.
Here’s the DISHA list of possible symptoms that may demonstrate cognitive dysfunction in dogs:
One of the most common things pet parents may notice is that their senior dog gets disoriented even when he’s in his normal or familiar environment.
“This often happens when the dog is out in the backyard and he goes to the wrong door or the wrong side of the door to get back in. The part of the brain that is involved with orientation has been affected.” Beaver says.
Your dog may also experience difficulty with spatial awareness. He may wander behind the couch and then realize he doesn’t know where he is or how to get out.
At bedtime you may find your dog in a different part of the house staring at the wall instead of curled up in his dog bed. Petryk says dogs have a good sense of timing, so this is a sign that something is wrong.
“The first thing you should do is to take your dog in for a check-up. It might not be a cognitive issue, so your vet may want to rule out some other possible medical causes which could involve a brain tumor or diabetes.”
Canine cognitive dysfunction can affect your dog’s interactions with people and other animals. Your once sociable dog who used to be the most popular pooch on the block now acts cranky and irritable, or even growls at other animals or children. He may lash out and bite his once favorite playmates. Petryk cautions that this behavior could be the result of something serious.
“He may be acting this way because he’s in pain. He could have arthritis or some other ailment that hurts when he moves or is touched. Your vet may want to do x-rays to rule out a painful condition.”
Some dogs withdraw from their family and their favorite activities. They may fail to notice when the doorbell rings and seem disinterested in greeting visitors, or they may stop barking at the mailman. Your dog may not even respond when you get his leash out to go for a walk.
“I’ve had patients whose dogs don’t recognize that their favorite cookies are treats for them, “ says Petryk. “The owner’s first instinct is to buy other cookies. They don’t realize something else could be going on.”
A change in sleep patterns or a disruption in circadian rhythms is one of the more specific symptoms related to cognitive dysfunction. Dogs that used to sleep soundly may now pace all night. Many dogs reverse their normal schedules, so their daytime activities become their nighttime activities. This “up all night” routine can be frustrating and tiring to pet owners.
“If your dog is active at night and you want to get him to sleep, a nightlight or white noise may help him,” Beaver says.
If this doesn’t provide relief, consult your vet for medications that may ease your dog’s anxiety and reestablish normal sleep cycles.
Urinating or defecating in the house is one of the most common ways cognitive dysfunction is detected in dogs, especially if the dog was previously housetrained.
Petryk says that when this happens it’s important for owners to consider that their dog may have lost its ability to voluntarily control elimination or even let them know that he needs to go outside.
“After we run tests and rule out a bladder infection, kidney problems, or diabetes, then there’s usually been a cognitive change. If your dog is staring out at the sliding glass door and then poops in the house anyway and it’s not because of bowel trouble, then he’s lost the understanding that he should poop outside,” Petryk explains.
Dogs with cognitive dysfunction may show a decreased desire to explore and a decreased response to things, people, and sounds in their environments. They may not greet you or they may no longer respond on cue to fetch their favorite toy. They may also be less focused and show an altered response to stimuli. Some dogs have trouble eating or drinking or finding their food bowls.
“They may drop something when they’re eating and they can’t find it,” says Petryk. “If they don’t have sight or hearing issues, this can be a true indication that they are experiencing cognitive dysfunction.”
Although older dogs experience a normal decline in activity levels, they may also experience restless or repetitive locomotion.
“They may exhibit repetitive motion; things like head bobbing, leg shaking, or pacing in circles. This kind of action is more related to cognitive dysfunction or a degeneration of the brain. It’s less likely to be mistaken for anything else,” Petryk says.
Owners should also be aware if their typically quiet dog now barks excessively or if he barks at times when nothing is going on.
Watching your dog lose his cognitive abilities can be a difficult and disturbing process, but there are things you can do to help ease his discomfort.
“You can’t stop the process but it’s possible to slow it down so they don’t go from one problem to three problems,” Beaver says.
Certain dog foods are formulated to help slow down cognitive dysfunction and include anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids to promote and strengthen cell health.
Beaver says combining an enhanced diet with efforts to enrich your dog’s environment provides the greatest chance for cognitive improvement.
“Introducing things like food puzzles encourages mental stimulation,” she explains. “Any type of food dispenser toy where they have to roll it around to get the food out helps keep them mentally active.”
Regular scheduled play sessions can also stimulate your dog’s brain and improve his learning and memory abilities.
“If your dog doesn’t have physical restrictions, grab his leash and take him to the dog park where he can socialize with other dogs,” says Petryk. “It’s possible to slow deterioration by keeping him physically and mentally active, just like it is for us.”
Psychoactive drugs and dietary supplements can also help slow your dog’s decline, but Beaver recommends visiting your vet for specific recommendations that can be tailored to your dog’s health and medical history.
“If, for instance, your dog also has a heart problem, the medications he takes for that is going to factor into any medications prescribed for cognitive decline,” says Beaver. “Vets and owners need to work together to establish a plan.”
“As your dog gets older he should be having twice yearly check-ups. That way they can help differentiate between normal aging and what’s pathological or wrong,” says Petryk.
She suggests going into the vet with a list of questions and observations—things that you notice when you’re at home. If changes happen gradually, it’s easy to overlook them, says Petryk.
“People can be blind to the changes in their pets because they’ve happened slowly,” she says. “They may not notice things and it may be too late to fix them.”
Pancreatic cancer is so difficult to treat in large part because it often isn’t discovered until the disease has spread to other parts of the body. That’s because in many cases there are no signs or symptoms until the cancer has reached an advanced stage. Even when there are early signs and symptoms, they are often vague, so patients tend to ignore them or doctors attribute them to another disease. For these reasons, pancreatic cancer is often known as a silent killer.
“There is not a single (symptom) that lets you home in specifically on pancreatic cancer,” says Dr. Brian Wolpin, director of the Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “They tend to occur later in the disease course, so for most people a small tumor will not be symptomatic. Symptoms develop later, when the tumor is larger or has spread.”
Even when symptoms do develop, “they are not a very good way to find the disease,” he says, because they may be confusing to patients and doctors. The symptoms also vary depending on where the tumor is located in the pancreas, which consists of a head, body and tail.
According to the Lustgarten Foundation, the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer that need to be taken seriously include:
Jaundice causes a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Jaundice may also cause signs and symptoms such as itching (which may be severe), dark urine and light or clay-colored stool. Pancreatic cancer can lead to jaundice when a tumor blocks the bile duct. Bile, produced in the liver to aid digestion, contains a dark yellow substance called bilirubin. If the bile is blocked, it accumulates in the blood, skin and other tissues, causing jaundice.
“The main symptom is abdominal discomfort,” Wolpin says. “That sometimes radiates into the back because the pancreas is in the back of the abdomen.” The pain may be constant or occasional and can worsen after eating or when lying down. Of course, many conditions other than pancreatic cancer can also cause abdominal or back pain, which makes this a challenging symptom to attribute to pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer may cause digestive problems and weight loss. When pancreatic enzymes cannot be released into the intestine, digesting food, especially high-fat foods, may be difficult. Over time, significant weight loss and malnutrition may result. If the tumor blocks the upper part of the small intestine, that can lead to nausea and vomiting.
Pancreatitis, which is an inflammation of the pancreas, can be a sign of pancreatic cancer if the condition is chronic or when it appears for the first time and is not related to either drinking alcohol or gallstones.
Developing diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar), especially after the age of 50, can be a sign of pancreatic cancer, Wolpin says. “The cancer seems to cause diabetes in some cases, so a new onset of diabetes, particularly later in life and with weight loss, is a sign. That being said, most people with diabetes do not get pancreatic cancer.”
Pancreatic cancer can cause blood to clot more easily. The clots can block blood flow in the legs, lungs or other organs such as the pancreas itself or liver.
While many other illnesses can cause these signs and symptoms, it is important to take them seriously and see your doctor as soon as possible.
With so few advanced warnings, how can people stay vigilant about the potential for pancreatic cancer?
“Knowledge of the disease is the key,” says Dr. Victoria Manax, chief medical officer of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. She recommends knowing the risk factors associated with the disease, including smoking, obesity and a history of chronic pancreatitis. “There are also hereditary factors that may come into play. If you have a relative or relatives that have been diagnosed with the disease, you may be at an increased risk,” Manax says. “Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being aware of your own risk factors is important.”
You should always see a doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you or are persistent, Manax says. The doctor can perform tests and procedures to help investigate what may be the cause. “If you have certain risk factors, you may also want to see a pancreatic specialist early on,” she says. “You are your own best advocate.”
