Arthritis--a real pain in the neck

Dear Linda:
       
On occasion, my wife has called me a pain in the neck. Well, I just turned 50 and know now how irritating that condition can be. I wake up stiff and sore almost every morning. Surely, I’m too young for arthritis?

Hurting in DeSoto

Dear Hurting:

Arthritis is a chronic disease (with no cure yet) that affects joints, skin and various internal organs in many people over 50. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis afflicts or severely disables over 70 million Americans.
      
Though there are more than 100 types of arthritis, the most common form is osteoarthritis, affecting the joints. They can become inflamed, swollen and stiff. Visit your doctor, who will diagnosis after blood tests and x-rays and prescribe the best treatment in your case.
      
To alleviate symptoms, reach optimum weight with low-impact, aerobic exercise like walking, biking and swimming, and lift weights to build denser bones and to strengthen muscles that protect joints. Research shows that losing as little as 11 pounds cuts risk of osteoarthritis by 50%. Stretch every thirty minutes and do range of motion exercises throughout the day to get re-energized and stay flexible. Wear braces to reduce joint stress.
      
Make better life-style choices. Turn off the TV. It slows your metabolism, encourages overeating and keeps you sedentary. Quit smoking. It causes brittle bones and reduces their mass. Throw out those three-inch heels that stress knees and your foot seven times more than a one-inch heel.
     
To avoid neck strain, use hands-free telephone headsets, position documents on computer monitors at eye level, keep your chin tucked-in and your back straight and well supported. Use a wrist rest at your computer, and avoid lifting heavy objects.
     
Arthritis can be well managed with medication, weight reduction, exercise, good nutrition and surgery. For more information, contact the Arthritis Foundation at 800-283-7800. Subscribe to their magazine Arthritis Today or order Tips for Good Living with Arthritis ($9.95), a publication filled with hundreds of tips for a more pain free and mobile life.

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Critical Information about Water and Aspirin

Dear Readers: If you have not yet read this important information, please do so and pass it on. It may save yours or another person's life.

People are adverse to drinking water before going to bed for the obvious reason, but it is a mistake, and a cardiac specialist explains why both water and aspirin are important to take at bedtime.

 

Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright. When you lie down, the lower body is level with the kidneys; it is then that the kidneys flush the water that is filled with the toxins accumulated during the day from your body. You don't want to limit that process by taking in less water. Additionally, drinking water before bed helps to prevent leg and foot cramps caused by dehydration.

Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
 

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack 

Dr. Virend Somers is a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic and is the lead author of the report in the July 29, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 

Most heart attacks occur in the day, generally between 6 a.m. and noon. Having one during the night, when the heart should be most at rest, means that something unusual happened.

1.  If you take an aspirin or a baby aspirin once a day, take it at night with a glass of water.
 

The reason: aspirin has a 24-hour "half-life"; therefore, if most heart attacks happen in the wee hours of the morning, the aspirin would be strongest in your system.

2.  Aspirin lasts for years in your medicine chest. When it gets old, it smells like vinegar.

3.  There are other symptoms of a heart attack besides the pain on the left arm or in the chest. One must also be aware of an intense pain on the chin, as well as nausea and lots of sweating; however, these symptoms may occur less frequently.

 

4.  About 60% of those who do have a heart attack in their sleep, do not wake up. If the pain does wake you up, immediately dissolve two aspirins in your mouth and swallow them with a bit of water.

 

Afterwards: Call 911 and phone a neighbor or a family member who lives very close by. Say "heart attack and that you have taken 2 aspirins". Unlock the front door and take a seat on a chair or sofa nearby. DO NOT LIE DOWN!

Raising Losers

I have been teaching for 20 years and sadly (and now terrifyingly) what I have recognized is that each year the students are more ill-mannered, illiterate and ill-equipped. We baby boomers are trusting our futures to young people who will not be prepared to handle their own adulthood much less make wise and well-informed decisions for us when we're in the retirement home.

Now, there are exceptions and I have the privilege to teach a good number of them, but they are becoming the minority. The group of teens who are respectful, motivated to do well, and highly responsible is shrinking in size, and we are losing entirely the middle-class group--the strong B-C students who are hardworkers but not necessarily destined for college and much better suited for skilled work in the various trades. Today, we have a much smaller group of great kids and all the rest, who are out of control, driven by a sense of entitlement rather than earned success, and out of touch with any sort of moral compass.

The sad fact though is that it is not just the losers who cheat. Even "top" students are involved in taking the easy way out. They rationalize their behavior with suggesting the competition is better and the pressure is greater.  I have had many students tell me (and most with pride or levity) that they have cheated their way through school from as early as elementary school. They have convinced themselves that it is so critical to be on top (or even just to pass) that playing fair and following rules is just not important, in fact, has no value. The legacy of that, of course, is even the "good" kids believe the ends justify any means.

Character drives us all. Good character results in moral choices, and corrupted character ends in lying, cheating and stealing, and yet we see those very behaviors lauded on the TV, in the movies and in songs, and they played out in our society where the hard work of the melting pot generation who built America is not the respected goal. The goal is how much can I fleece from others--government, tax payers and investors. How much can I get without working? How much can I take before getting caught?

What has happened to the Americans who felt an obligation to this great country for its opportunities and a debt for the freedoms we enjoy; the Americans who knew that working hard created great modeling for their children; that working hard resulted in pride in a job well done, and that working hard created a great neighborhood, community and nation. 

Instead of raising great Americans, who are the thinkers and doers who will propel us upward, we are raising lazy losers--brats, thugs and prima donnas.

Spicing Up Your Life

Dear Linda,

       I keep hearing about the health benefits of cooking spices. It seems they cure everything from the deadliest cancers to an ailing sex life. Should I be spicing it up?
Dull in the Kitchen

Dear Dull:

       For centuries, our ancestors considered spices and herbs to be the answer to many medical problems. Over time, spices became more respected for their culinary enhancements than for their medicinal value, but researchers are promoting them again for their healing properties.

       Experts don’t suggest substituting spices (plant bark, root, bud or berry) or herbs (herbaceous plant leaves) for a healthy, well-balanced diet, and warn that consuming too much of any food additive can be risky, but advocate the use of spices for diet diversification and boosting the health value of a meal.

       Use fresh instead of processed spices and herbs. They contain higher levels of antioxidants. Buy spices whole and grind them just before use, crush dried leaves or herbs, and use whole sprigs in long-cooking dishes for maximum benefit. Add sprigs of oregano or rosemary to vegetable, rice and pasta cooking water. Herbal teas (sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, peppermint, spearmint) retain antioxidant properties even after a 30-minute boiling time.

       For many, peppermint treats gastric and digestive disorders, tension and insomnia. Mustard relieves respiratory problems. Cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce can increase metabolism and fat-burning ability up to 25%. Ginger inhibits nausea and vomiting often caused by morning or motion sickness. Allspice relieves indigestion and gas, and cinnamon combats diarrhea, boosts glucose metabolism, and kills bacteria and other micro-organisms. Turmeric neutralizes free radicals, protects against cancer, and is a natural anti-inflammatory. Cumin is a protective agent against carcinogenesis. Garlic can decrease blood pressure, is a natural antibiotic and beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. Oregano has 3-20 times higher antioxidant activity than other herbs.

       Consult your physician before making any dietary changes and don’t substitute spices or herbal supplements for prescribed medication. Read Spices of Life by Nina Simonds (Alfred A. Knopf) to learn recipes for a healthy lifestyle.

The Red Hat Society

Dear Linda:

       I’ve noticed senior women decked-out in colorful garb (red hats and purple clothes) clearly having a great time! What organization do they belong to and how do I join?

Looking for a Fun Club


Dear Looking for a Fun Club:

       The women you refer to are members of the Red Hat Society, a national organization for women devoted to “sisterhood and silliness”. Intent on welcoming middle-age with enthusiasm, the members gather together for teas and luncheons, dinner and dancing, movie nights and theater, conventions and speakers, spa days and even sleepovers.

       The Red Hat Society was founded to give senior women a chance to share life experiences, maximize opportunities to enjoy life. Proudly referred to as a “disorganization”, the requirements are few. You must be over 50 and attend functions in “full regalia” - red hats and purple outfits. Accessories can be as lavish as feather boas, fancy gloves, and purple pumps and pantyhose.

       For those who just can’t wait to join, junior postulates (ladies-in-waiting called Pink Hatters) are allowed conditional membership, if they agree to wear pink hats and lavender clothing until the crucial milestone—50 years and what they call Reduation!

       Organized into chapters around the world (100 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area), meetings are generally held once a month by approximately 20 women (only because bigger groups have more trouble with reservations). If a chapter near you is full, you can begin your own. The $35 registration fee includes a Purple Perks card (automatic for the “Chapter Queens”) entitling members full access to the website, participation in official events, and discounts on Red Hat merchandise, Southern Lady Magazine, Amtrak fees to name a few.

       For more information or to join in the hilarity, visit www.redhatsociety.com or call their “Hatquarters” at 714-738-0001. Read Red Hat Society’s Laugh Lines by founder and “Exalted Queen Mother”, Sue Ellen Cooper, for funny anecdotes and inspirational stories that “reshape the way women in this age group are viewed and for a refreshing and liberating attitude toward aging.”