Aging and Oral Health

Aging is a complex phenomenon that, partially due to the occurrence of chronic diseases, can result in frailty, limited mobility, and other aspects of physical and cognitive decline. Major concerns for older people are poor general health and poor nutrition.

The association between nutritional status and oral health in older people seems evident. Poor oral health can cause oral pain, chewing problems, periodontal disease, and tooth loss, which have a negative impact on nutritional intake, leading to poor nutritional status and risk of malnutrition. Inadequate intake of micronutrients and macronutrients can, in turn, lead to an increased risk of oral health problems such as gum disease, caries, and hyposalivation. There are evidence indicating a negative association between malnutrition and oral health. Prevention of malnutrition and optimizing oral health conditions in older people can result in better overall health, increased self-dependency, and higher quality of life.

As the years go by, teeth and gum require an increasing amount of care. Dental pain and sensitivity, tooth decay, crowns and root canals; may eventually needing dentures or implant. Oral health problems can become very serious quickly.

Older adults are at an increased risk of malnutrition and poor oral health. Older Americans face many challenges, a very important but often overlooked, is the ability to maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy diet. Generally, dentists recommend having at least 20 teeth that have occlusion with one another to chew properly. This includes at least 4 pairs of molars that can help you chew on difficult food items, and the rest are anterior teeth to help you grip and tear on food. Correct issues with poorly fitting dentures and missing tooth will enable older adults for healthy dietary selections, eat better, enjoy food and enhance appetite.

To learn dos and don’ts in good oral care practice, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-april-aging-and-oral-health.html

Other factors related to oral health including Cognitive impairment, Vitamin D deficiency, Dietary choices, Cost concerns, and Motivation.

Keeping motivated for best oral self-care, remind yourself that: 

• Food is the fuel for lifeline and nutrition start from oral intake. Dental and masticatory function is essential for survival. Aging is not a reason to compromise oral health. • You are accountable for your oral hygiene, more importantly when aging as it requires better care. Wellbeing is priceless. • Dining experiences are enjoyable when you can eat without dental pain or limitations. • Good taste of food is rewarding. • Oral health enhances self-confidence and quality of life.

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Age-Related Hearing Loss

 

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition reported by elderly people. The estimated prevalence of significant hearing impairment among people over the age of 65 is approximately 40 to 45 percent and among people over the age of 70 exceeds 83 percent. Hearing sensitivity declines gradually and progressively with aging. It may not be noticeable until lost ability to hear in advanced stage. It seems to run in families and may occur because of changes in the inner ear and auditory nerve. Age-related hearing loss, or Presbycusis, usually occurs in both ears, affecting them equally and permanently.

In general, the average hearing thresholds of men are typically poorer than those of women in the high frequencies, with men exhibiting a sharply sloping hearing loss in the moderately severe range in the high frequencies, and the women exhibiting a more gradual sloping hearing loss in the moderate range in the high frequencies. Perhaps the most important consequence of the decline in hearing sensitivity with aging is difficulty understanding speech. Multiple sources are thought to contribute to the communication deficits of elderly people, including hearing loss, cognitive decline, and slowed temporal processing. Processing brief changes in stimulus duration and presentation rate for signals embedded in sequences are notably difficult for elderly people, which suggests that auditory temporal processing deficits may relate to the observed problems in understanding rapid speech and accented English.

To learn about signs of hearing loss, hearing loss and dementia, hearing loss and physical function, and What to do about Age-Related Hearing Loss, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-mar-age-related-hearing-loss.html . Follow QualityLifeForum.net for more topics on healthy aging and health coaching support.

Aging Eye Facts

 

Vision changes occur as you get older, but these changes don't have to affect your lifestyle. Knowing what to expect and when to seek professional care can help you safeguard your vision. As you reach your 60s and beyond, you need to be aware of the warning signs of age-related eye health problems that could cause vision loss.

Many eye diseases have no early symptoms. They may develop painlessly, and you may not notice the changes to your vision until the condition is quite advanced. Healthy lifestyle choices, regular eye exams and early detection of disease can significantly improve your chances of maintaining good eye health and vision as you age.

If you are 60 or older, driving may be more challenging. Age-related vision changes and eye conditions may increase driving risks, as you may not even aware of any symptoms.

To learn more about age-related vision changes, driving safety after 60, and age-related eye diseases may result in vision loss, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-feb-aging-eye-facts.html

Eye fatigue and dryness are common age-related problems as well. To learn how toreduce aging eye fatigue, follow the link.

Regular comprehensive eye exam is essential. A comprehensive eye exam is recommended at least annually for age 65 and older by the AOA. It is more than a visual acuity check for glasses purpose.

• A comprehensive adult eye examination includes:
• Patient and family health history.
• Visual acuity measurement.
• Preliminary tests of visual function and eye health, including depth perception, color vision, peripheral (side) vision and the response of the pupils to light.
• Assessment of refractive status to determine the presence of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.
• Evaluation of eye focusing, eye teaming and eye movement abilities.
• Eye health examination.
• Additional tests as needed.

Having a complete eye exam with an eye doctor is important because most eye diseases can be treated if they are found early. The doctor will also test your eyesight and check for glaucoma. Pupil dilation will enable your eye doctor to get a clear view of the optic nerve and check for early signs of eye disease.

Choosing an eye doctor (Ophthalmologist vs. optometrist): in short, Ophthalmologist and optometrist both can prescribe medications and treat eye diseases. Optometrists can handle nearly all the medical aspects of ophthalmology. But they do not perform surgery. Ophthalmologists are surgeons and can treat your medical needs as well. If you have a serious condition, such as severe macular degeneration or cataract, you’ll typically see a specialist (ophthalmologist). If you don’t have any serious eye problems, the choice is really up to you.

Eyesight is the most precious gift of life. Make eye health a priority and take actions for proactive eye care. Everyone faces aging challenges. Contact Qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for help and support of your health needs.

Health: the Cornerstone for Quality of Life

 

Quality of life (QoL) is a broad concept, which can be measured in terms of living conditions, physical health, mental health, social relationships, level of independence, economic security, safety, or basic human rights.

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) focuses on the impact of health on a person’s ability to live a fulfilling life. HRQL has a focus on the effects of illness and is connected to an individual’s wellness status, which is the cornerstone of QoL. HRQL measures are multidimensional, profile instruments focusing on several aspects of daily functioning. Typically, HRQL measures evaluate four core domains: (1) disease state and physical symptoms, (2) functional status (e.g., performing daily activities), (3) psychological and emotional functioning, and (4) social functioning.

Life expectancy measures how long a person can expect to live, which has its significance in HRQL. At personal level, in fact, most people would agree it is more important to stay healthy than just alive. The secret to a happy life appears to be not measured by years lived, but by the quality of those years.

How do we live longer but maintain an active, healthy lifestyle free of chronic illness? Evidence-based studies indicate that longevity is based on two major factors, genetics and lifestyle choices. While genetics we can’t change, lifestyle is our choice. There were common themes that kept repeating across all research. For more details and learn habits linked to a long life. 

While everyone gets older, not everyone feels their age. For aging perception, feeling young and free of pain and physical limitations are associated with a wide variety of benefits for health and well-being. In many ways, life improves with age, even after came through the youthful years.

Making your health for top priority and taking actions for health improvements in the new year. Maximize your total health from health coaching of Quality Life Forum - go to QLF health coaching programs. Feel free to reach out for QualityLifeForum@outlook.com and stay connected with QualityLifeForum.weebly.com  on your wellness journey.

Gratitude Power for Wellbeing

 

Season’s greetings! A warm happy holiday wishes to all! As the holidays are approaching; what makes us happy for the holidays? Building gratitude into daily life and share appreciations will increase our happiness scores. There are a lot to be grateful, more so now. Let’s celebrate this holiday season with joy and gratitude.

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Gratitude is also a survival skill can help getting through hard times in life.

There is growing evidence that being grateful may not only bring good feelings. It could lead to better health. Gratitude relies on the brain networks associated with social bonding and stress relief; this may explain in part how grateful feelings lead to health benefits over time. Feeling grateful and recognizing help from others creates a more relaxed body state and allows the subsequent benefits of lowered stress to wash over us. Feeling positive emotion can improve body functions and strengthening immune system. To learn more, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/gratitude-power-for-wellbeing.html

Gratitude is a common thread through many religions and philosophies. Gratitude encourages us to focus on what we have rather than missing, to carefully value and thankful for where we are.  Gratitude is a critical part of thriving and a cornerstone of the holiday tradition. You might get a warm glow from expressing gratitude at Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas gift sharing, and New Year’s cheers. To truly derive long-lasting benefits, make it a routine in your daily life.

Aging can be challenging for many. Quality Life Forum health coaching is your trusted resource and ally. When you need personalized support, feel free to reach out mailto:qualitylifeforum@outlook.com or go to QLF coaching programs. An individualized coaching program can help you achieving your personal health goals.

Navigation for Healthcare Needs

 

Healthcare is the most complex system to understand and navigate. Think of healthcare navigation as the map to guide your healthcare journey. Healthcare navigation helps your specific health needs, whether it is to find a doctor, about a treatment, cost of a procedure, using health insurance network and patient portals, plus much more.

For many people, getting proper health care may feel like maneuvering through a maze and are not well-versed in the process, even with health insurance coverage. It becomes much harder for those without it.  The healthcare system can be intimidating, especially for lay people with no background in the medical field. Too often, people get lost - do not know where to go, how to proceed, or what to expect when experiencing a healthcare issue; to the worse, mistakes happen.  These decisions are too important – may even be life or death.

Navigation is a powerful tool for healthcare. There are different types of navigations for healthcare provider, consumer, employer, and insurance.  Focusing on healthcare consumer needs, self-navigation, independent navigation, and case specific navigation are instrumental in patient-centered care.

To learn more, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/navigation-for-healthcare-needs.html

QLF navigation program focus on what matters most for healthcare consumers:

·        Meet personalized needs and expectations from health providers

·        Cost-effectiveness and quality care choices

·        Convenience driven access and care delivery

·        Digital connections and interactions

Feel free reaching out to Qualitylifeform@outlook.com for your health needs today; your wellbeing takes the top priority.

Muscle Memory and Cognition

 

What is Muscle Memory? 

Muscle memory is the act of committing a specific motor task into memory through repetition. Actually, “muscle memory” as we tend to think of it, i.e., having little brains in muscles, isn’t actually true. The truth is that the information retained about repeated activities is stored in the brain, not the muscles. While muscles themselves can’t actually remember anything, they are full of neurons attached to the nervous system that play a role in motor learning. Any movement requires brain activity, and repeating a movement, even complicated ones, enough times triggers recognizable patterns in human brain regions responsible for motor skills. Thus, leading to a learned motion will require less brainpower in the future.

Muscle memory is a form of procedural memory that involves consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition, which has been used synonymously with motor learning. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed with little to no conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems. Muscle memory is found in many everyday activities that become automatic and improve with practice.

Why is muscle memory important for healthy aging?

Can we teach old dog new tricks? The truth is that anyone can develop new muscle memory. Once-difficult skills can become second nature to us, as long as we focus on our own learning and repetition. This is true even as we age. It can take a little longer to reprogram our minds to retain memory of new activities, especially when we have decades of other muscle memory lingering in our neural pathways—but it’s definitely possible to build instinctive motor coordination as we grow older.

To learn more about how exercise and practice impacts brain function as we age, types of muscle memories, the benefit of regular physical training/exercise, practical takeaways for musical practice, how to develop and improve muscle memory, go to https://www.qualitylifeforum.net/muscle-memory-and-cognition.html

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