Health Information Center

Nobody enjoys going to get a flu shot, but we do expect that if we want one, getting in line for it should simply be a matter of showing up for the event. But what if that was not the case? What if you discovered that you were actually turned away from an inoculation center because you did not fit a predefined “profile” for who is eligible to receive a shot?

Ironically, in a year in which a pandemic strain is circling the globe, this is a very real possibility. Right now we know for certain that swine flu vaccines will be in short supply until sometime in 2010. That means not everyone can be vaccinated against the new pandemic virus. Continue reading ‘Will You Be Denied The Swine Flu Shot?’ »

When most people think about the prospect of a severe pandemic visiting their neck of the woods, it is the fear of becoming infected that scares them. In the case of a flu strain that kills as efficiently as the one that circled the world in 1918, the prospect is hardly a comforting one. In the case of blue collar workers it is believed that in some U.S. communities the mortality rate for those infected was as high as 10 percent. In more epidemiologically isolated communities, like the Inuit Eskimo tribes of Alaska, the mortality rate reached 90 percent and virtually wiped those communities off the map.

Less widely appreciated is that a pandemic need not even reach your door in order to be able to kill you or a family member. During a severe pandemic you could literally starve to death while never having come in close contact with the virus. This is just one of the conclusions I reached after reading which will have you rethinking just how much you really understand about your own place in the world. Because it turns out that we are a lot more delicately positioned than we like to believe. Continue reading ‘You Can Avoid Infection And A Pandemic Can Still Kill You’ »

Jane woke up one morning and was astonished to find a strange man in bed with her. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” she shouted as the man looked on with surprise and shock. Jane, aged 71 is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. The intruder in her bed is her husband of 60 years and is someone who dearly loved her and has shared the bed with her all the while they were happily married.

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia named after the German physical Alois Alzheimer (1864 to 1915). Sufferers of this disease gradually lose their memory. As one of the worst form of memory loss, those afflicted can remember events that happened 20 years ago but not what they ate for breakfast half an hour ago.

Notable dignitaries afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease include the late US President Ronald Reagan. Once the disease has progressed, sufferers don’t even recognise their closest relatives. They suffer huge interference in orientation and also severe depression. In recent years, it has been determined that this disease is hereditary. Continue reading ‘Old Age, Memory Loss And Keeping The Brain In Shape’ »

Many countries in the world are facing a potential health crisis as the population ages. In North America, millions of Baby Boomers are turning sixty every day. Aging can bring with it many benefits such as increased wisdom and experience, but aging also increases the risk of serious health problems affecting the body and the brain.

One of the most serious health problems facing people as they get older is the increased risk of dementia. Dementia is a word used to cover a variety of different types of loss of brain function. The most well known type of dementia facing older people is Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease leads to an irreversible destruction of brain cells. At the same time, the types of neurotransmitters the brain needs in order to think and remember are also destroyed. Over a period of years, the patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease progresses from a state of mild forgetfulness to a profound loss of intellect. This is accompanied by an inability to think and remember. The sense of identity is lost. Forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease are one of the main reasons why many senior citizens are unable to live independently. Continue reading ‘Keep Your Brain Healthy in Old Age – Avoid Alzheimer’s Disease’ »

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As we go through life, we all hope we can maintain good physical and mental health as long as possible. There is not much pleasure in living a long life if our final years are spent in pain and if we lose our ability to think and remember. As much as we may dread suffering physical pain and illness in old age, many of us fear even more the possibility that we might lose our mental capacities and end up completely helpless in a nursing home.

Often the first hint that our memory is starting to lose its sharpness happens around the fifth decade of life. As people enter their middle years, they start to notice more and more frequent lapses of memory, particularly their short-term memory. They may enter a room to do something, and forget what it is. They may be unable to recall the name of someone who used to live next door. And they may start to worry that their forgetfulness is more than just a harmless incident, they worry that it might be the first hint of something far more sinister–perhaps the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s is the name given to a very serious brain disease in which the brain cells are killed by microscopic plaques and tangled fibers. The parts of the brain needed to form and access recent memories are usually destroyed first. Brain cell destruction spreads to other parts of the brain, causing a loss of function, and eventually death follows. Continue reading ‘How You Can Keep a Sharp Mind as You Age’ »