In my last post I wrote about a few cosmetic procedures that are taken care of in the hospital. In this post I’m writing about procedures that take place in your doctor’s office.

What is interesting is that the facelift is not as popular as it once was. Many people are focusing on what is called lunchtime lifts which focus on the mid-face and cheek or mini lifts which deal with the jaw line and neck. People don’t want to go through the pain and a long recovery of a facelift.

Both the lunchtime lifts and mini-lifts are performed in-office under local anesthetic or mild sedation, and take about an hour. Recovery is about one week and costs are $4,500 – $5000 for each.

Others are opting for fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm which help eliminate deep and fine lines. Then there are the Botox injections, a muscle relaxant that works on your crow’s feet and other creases such as the one between your eyes. Lots of people like these because they are not surgery and they are affordable. Fillers can run from $450 to $700 an injection and you usually need to repeat them over a period of time.

From my conversations with plastic surgeons, people need to be more realistic about recovery time and the fact that there might be pain. What ever you do it won’t be an overnight miracle. You may not need recovery time, for example, but you may feel uncomfortable for several weeks and there may be bruises.

My advice if you are thinking about any of these procedures is to make an appointment and then consult with the physician.  Take someone along with you to ask the questions you forget.  Make sure you and the doctor have the same idea and philosophy you do.  And ask to talk with some of the doctor’s patients who had the procedure.  After all, it’s your face!  Make the most of it.

To your healthy aging success.

Ruthan brodsky

One of the gals I play bridge with decided to have a few facial proceduresbecause her grandchildren kept asking her if she were angry.

“I would tell them I’m not angry, this is just the way I look. The last time they asked this I thought I had better take care of this.”

Carolyn is 63 and works part time as a conference organizer for large organizations. This fall she had three facial procedures: blepharoplasty (an eyelid lift), full-face laser resurfacing, and fat injections.

“Now my grandchildren say I look happy all the time.”

Carolyn is among the growing trend across the county of patients 55 and older who now make up one-quarter of the more than 12 million cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, ASPS). Despite the poor economy that number is up slightly from last year and patients ages 40 to 54 accounted for 47 percent of all procedures done.

Obviously today’s seniors are more health conscious and like many of us, they look in the mirror and even though they feel younger, they still look older. When senior men and women feel good physically it makes sense that they focus cosmetic procedures on their face. Look at these figures for 2008: those 55 and older had 48% of all blepharoplasties, 43% of all laser skin resurfacing, and 66% of all facelifts performed in the U.S. last year.

The eyelift removes excess skin and fatty tissue and reduces bags and wrinkles. The CO2 laser skin resurfacing, using a computer generated laser to vaporize skin layers and cause thermal damage is the next most popular procedure. The laser process results in tighter skin and has a positive effect on lines and wrinkles and pigmentation.  Both treatments are performed in a hospital under general anesthetic and recovery takes a couple of weeks. The eye lift costs around $6000 and the laser procedure close to $7000 including hospital costs.

I haven’t seen the results yet because she is now babysitting her grandchildren in another state. But I did talk to her and she sounds so very happy.

Do you have any plans for any facial procedures? Will you share your reason why you made that choice? I think we all need to be better informed and not make such hasty judgments.

To your success at healthy aging,

Ruthan Brodsky

Sometimes, no matter what you do, a season doesn’t pass without you getting a least one blister. It may be the new pair of shoes you bought for an Alaskan cruise. Or maybe the cause was the cushioned socks that bunched up in your
running or tennis shoes. Whatever the reason, and so often it happens because we get lazy or to busy to take a minute and check the problem,  so that now we have a full blown blister.

If you have a red, sore area where you think a blister might be developing, cover it with a bandage immediately and keep the bandage on as you wear shoes over the next several days. If you develop an actual blister, treat it as soon as you can before a fluid builds up inside. The good news is that you can treat the blister yourself with a few simple steps. (If, however, you are diabetic or have circulation problems, it is always a good idea to see your physician first. )

Take these steps to treat your blister.
1.    Wash your hands well.
2.    Clean the blister are with iodine or alcohol.
3.    Puncture the blister with a needle that you have sterilized by soaking it in alcohol.
4.    Leave the top on the blister. Do not pull off that layer because that will open the raw area to infection.
5.    Apply a topical antiseptic to the blister and the surrounding skin.
6.    Cover the blister with a bandage or piece of sterile gauze taped into place and keep it covered for several days.
7.    If your blister does not heal or is painful make an appointment with a doctor.

To prevent blisters keep your feet dry and powdered and consider inserting a pad in your shoe where the rub took place or giving your shoes away.

If you have any tricks for preventing blisters when you travel, please share them with us. On trips outside the US I always take a package of moleskin. It came in very handy on one trip when my husband’s new walking shoes rubbed the back of his feet raw!

To your success at healthy aging,

Ruthan Brodsky

Yesterday I woke up in a funk. Usually I can change my outlook just by staying in bed for 10 minutes and reorganizing my thinking. That did not work yesterday.  It took longer to change from negative to positive but I did it.

It has always been important to me to be positive. In my early teens I read Norman Vincent Peale’s book, The Power of Positive Thinking.  At the time I couldn’t figure out why it took an entire book to say that to think positively you needed to work at doing just that – it doesn’t often just take place. Well the book must have made an impression because I’ve been working at thinking positively my entire life.

One of the things I do, and I’m hoping this will help you when you have your blue days, is to organize my day – on paper. This helps me to establish priorities and when you write down what you absolutely must do, the list isn’t as big as you think. This is particularly helpful for me when I feel overwhelmed about what I should be doing. The problem is I sometimes confuse what I should or could be doing or want to be doing with what I need to be doing.  Once I detail what I need, which usually resembles my personal and business goals, that murky unsettled feeling drifts away. And when that happens I usually, almost always, acknowledge my gratitude for what I already have and what I’ve achieved.

It’s the organization of the day that starts the move toward being positive.

I know the challenges will become even more frequent as my husband and friends and I add up the years.

Do let me know if you find this helpful. And I would love to know what you do to get up from being down in the dumps.

To your healthy aging,

Ruthan Brodsky

I am always thinking about ways in which I can lead a healthier lifestyle in the most natural way possible. Although having a positive attitude about life in general was always important to me, and I worked at it, as I get older it is even more important.  So many bad things can happen to good people who get older!
I am delighted to report that I may be able to achieve my goals far more efficiently this year. It could be as simple as knowing what foods to eat and when to eat them. Read the rest of this entry

My dad use to say that you have to be a warrior to make it to old age. Just writing about all the changes that take place with your feet and how you must accommodate and protect your feet make his words ring loud and clear.

One of the most common, and painful, causes of painful arches is plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a band of fibrous connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and helps secure the arch.  Athletes who run and jump and do marathons often develop this condition.

As you get older you can also get it from being too overweight, by wearing shoes that are too narrow, or even by standing on a ladder or step stool for a long time. The inflammation may be aggravated by shoes that lack the right support, especially for the arches. The point is when you keep stretching that fibrous tissue it starts tearing at different points all the way to the heel bone.

If you don’t pay attention to what’s happening, it gets worse. Then you develop bone spurs, which are calcium deposits that are visible on x-rays. They can measure up to half an inch long and they form on the heel when the small muscles associated with fascia begin tugging hard on the heel bone.

The good news is that these spurs don’t have nerve endings, so they’re not painful by themselves. However, if they stress the plantar fascia, they can worsen the pain. What makes this really bad is the plantar fasciitis places more stress on your Achilles tendon. In other words now you are more at risk for developing Achilles tendinitis.

I do want to recommend that you consider reading this book that will help you treat your condition without surgery. I do receive a commission if you should purchase the book, but I bought it and as you know I only recommend items that are worth while. To find out more about this book and receive a special report on how to find the right shoe, click on Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Guide.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

One of the more obvious changes that take place with your feet as you get older is that the fat pads under the balls and heels of your feet tend to then out. On some people they disappear completely.  The result is increased pressure on the ball of the foot and on the heel bone.

This increased pressure often leads to inflammation, pain, a greater risk for blisters and sores, and a burning sensation when you walk. The problem is that fat helps reduce friction, and the less fat you have under the balls of your feet, the hotter your feet get with each step.  The pain from this can become intense because the nerve endings on the bottoms of your feet are close to the surface of the skin. Making matters worse are when you stand or walk for a long time, particularly on hard surfaces, and if you are over weight,

Once the fat at the bottom of the foot pad goes away it does not come back. You can relieve the pain with aspirin or ibuprofen or find spongy insoles and flexible plastic cups that fit around the heels.  If that doesn’t work, a foot care specialist may prescribe orthotics.

Actually, some foot care specialists do try to restore the fat by injecting the area with collagen. The problem is that the collagen usually breaks down in a year so it must be injected regularly. It does get costly but it does work for some people.

If you have problems with your heel pads, what kinds of remedies have you tried? Share your story and tell us what to look for and what not to buy.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan

Together with all the common foot problems you may have, such as corns and calluses or bunions or toenail infections, as you get older you also have a number of special foot problems. Conditions that you may not pay much attention to when you were a teen or in your twenties become more serious as you get older.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), 4 out of 5 people over age 50 suffer from at least one significant foot problem and require medical treatment for these problems by the time they reach 65.

Many of these problems are due to the physical, the physiological process of aging. Just like the rest of the body, the feet go through the normal wear and tear of age. You change, literally from head to toe and that includes your feet. For instance, as you get older your skin becomes more sensitive and more vulnerable to irritations and inflammations. You’re more likely to develop problems such as plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. This most often happens to men.

Other foot problems are the result of years of abuse and neglect. If you’re one of those women who wore high-heeled shoes during your working life, you may be having problems with bunions.  Still other problems arise because so many of us, even though we’re suppose to get wiser as we get older, wear shoes that don’t fit properly or don’t give us adequate support. And finally there are all those other medical conditions, such as diabetes and arthritis and poor foot circulation.

Do you have any foot problems? Did they start when you were young? Share your story and if you found a way to treat the condition.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

I can already tell that this latest study and other reports on food and mood will be an import factor in my quest for living a healthy lifestyle and reducing my risk of disease and cognitive decline, I’m hoping you’ll be able to link up with this information and join me on my journey.

In my last post, I wrote about the Sanchez-Villegas Spanish study relating to how food affects mood. Even though the study was not designed to look at particular fats, there was enough evidence to support that monounsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, help bridge the gap or synapse between nerve cells so that they can communicate with each other.

We already know that serotonin regulates mood, anger, aggression, appetite and even some cognitive functions. When serotonin is converted to the hormone melatonin, it helps you sleep.  For instance, Prozac and Zoloft are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors which block the reabsorption of serotonin leaving more work in the synapses.

Since the membranes of our neurons are made of fat, the quality of fat that we eat has an influence on the quality of our neuron membranes. Vitamin B6 and folate, found in vegetables, fruits and nuts and legumes, are all part of the Mediterranean diet and all important to healthy serotonin.

The study also reports that the effects of B vitamins and folic acid may reduce depression because it impacts the metabolism of two amino acids, homocysteine and methionine. In other words, this kind of diet can improve blood vessel function, fight inflammation and repair oxygen related cell damage all of which reduces the changes of developing depression.

Practical tip: For the most beneficial effect of either carbohydrate or protein, eat them separately. For instance, the energy boosting effect of protein will be offset if you start out a lunch of fish with a roll which is mostly carbohydrate. Make the protein the first food that you eat, and then go lightly on the carbohydrate if you are looking for mental alertness.

If you have questions, ask away. I will be posting about this topic throughout the year.

To your success at healthy aging.
Ruthan Brodsky

If you take action without delay when a stroke happens, you can decrease chances of having permanent impairment.

What would you do when you’re getting coffee one morning and you drop your cup because your hand suddenly became weak? Or you’re having lunch with a friend and he stops making sense or seems confused by what you’re saying? If you’re not sure what to do, you’re not along.

The American Stroke Association advices dialing 911 to someone experiencing any of the following:
·    Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
·    Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
·    Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance and coordination.
·    Sudden severe headache.
·    Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

The medical advice is to not to try to sort out what any of these  symptoms mean, even if they only last a few minutes and go away, but to get help quickly. It’s also suggested not to try to get to the hospital on your own because the paramedics can often begin the needed evaluation. Besides, patients who arrive by ambulance are usually triaged for care more quickly than walk ins.

Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. but most stroke victims survive. The problem is that many survivors don’t fully recover making stroke a leading cause of long-term disability. The degree of disability varies widely depending upon general health and rehab therapies.

I know of one woman who had a stroke about 4 years ago in her early sixties. She still goes to speech therapy to deal with her aphasia. I know of two men who had a stroke a year or so ago and I don’t see any symptoms in either of them. Both these men said they received help very quickly. I would never have known they suffered a stroke. Do you have stories about people you know who had a stroke that you could share with us?

To your success at healthy aging.
Ruthan Brodsky