Posts tagged ‘adults’

Children and Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism affects children just like it affects adults. Unfortunately it is often misdiagnosed in children because it is so rare. Most doctors do not check for the disorder except when the child is a newborn.

The consequences of children having hypothyroidism is much more dire than that of adults. A child’s brain is not fully developed causing the lack of thyroid hormone to affect their physical growth as well as mental growth. The key to preventing extreme side effects in children is making sure that you recognize the symptoms and seek care for them immediately. It is also important that you be advocate for your child. If you believe that your child has hypothyroidism, ask your doctor to do a test.

The thyroid gland is controls many systems in the body, it is located in the front of throat. Some of the things it can effect are heart rate, menstrual cycle, cholesterol, vision, strength, and mental state, as well as many other functions.

In children, it is important to look out for a bulging in the throat. This would show an enlargement of the thyroid gland. It is difficult to diagnose a child under 2 years of age. Some symptoms they may present are trouble feeding, increased sleepiness and poor muscle tone.

Older children can exhibit numerous other symptoms. Those symptoms include an increased sensitivity to cold, tiredness, constipation, a hoarse voice, poor mental development, slow development of permanent teeth. Some other symptoms are a horse voice, a puffy face, loss of appetite, growth changes, depression. Pain or stiffness in joints, and frequent choking.
Most of these symptoms could indicate something else so it is important to tell your doctor if your child is considered to be at risk.

There are risk factors that help to determine if a child is more likely to have hypothyroidism. One such risk factor is if a close relative, such as a parent or grandparent has the disorder.

Diagnoses and treatment today is fairly simple. If it is suspected that a child has hypothyroidism, a simple blood test is administered. If the test comes back positive, a doctor will place the child on a synthetic thyroid tablet. The doctor may also place the child on hormone treatment if their growth is stunted. This helps the child become more like their peers.

If a child goes untreated, mental retardation would likely occur. The child’s physical growth will also be affected. It is imperative that early treatment is sought so that the horrible side effects can be kept at bay. The symptoms caused by hypothyroidism set children back mentally and physically.

It is critical that children get tested frequently, especially if they are exhibiting symptoms or if they are at risk. Without testing and proper treatment, children are likely to suffer from lifelong problems. However, if the disorder is caught early and treated consistently, most children will not have any lasting effects.

Often, the symptoms of hypothyroidism indicate to doctors that it could be something else. It is quite possible that if your child has the symptoms mentioned above, your doctor will assume it is something else entirely. It may well be something else, but isn’t it worth it to at least rule out hypothyroidism with a simple blood test?

At hypothyroidism diet you can learn more about hypothyroidism and its causes, cures, symptoms and what is the optimal thyroid diet. Also Go to: Hypothyroidism in ChildrenArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/children-and-hypothyroidism-1771825.html

San Diego Cosmetic Dentist – Getting San Diego Invisalign

If you are looking for a way to get cosmetic dentistry in or around the San Diego area, you should seek out a San Diego cosmetic dentist. There are many treatments that this type of dentist can provide for you, including San Diego invisalign. This is a method where your teeth can be straightened over a period of time using clear molds that go over the teeth and gradually pull teeth together so that you can have the smile that you want. 

 

San Diego invisalign is a method of teeth straightening that many adults and even young adults are using in place of traditional braces. This can be used for both the top and bottom teeth, although it is usually used for the top teeth. It consists of a full mold that goes over the teeth to work to pull them together in such a way that the teeth are straightened. The mold is then changed every so often, depending upon the amount of teeth straightening needed, so that by the time the procedure is over, the person has straight teeth. This type of treatment is offered by a San Diego cosmetic dentist. 

 

The method of teeth straightening has been around for many years. Traditionally, a San Diego cosmetic dentist would use metal or plastic brackets around the teeth along with wires to get the teeth to move so that they were straight. Using San Diego invisalign is the latest way to straighten teeth without the look of intrusive braces. The molds can be removed while eating or whenever the person who is wearing them so chooses. The length of time that the molds are worn depends upon the teeth themselves. Adults often seek out a San Diego cosmetic dentist for San Diego invisalign as they do not want to wear braces that are often worn by younger people in junior high and high school. 

 

San Diego invisalign is not usually covered by insurance, although you can usually find a San Diego cosmetic dentist who will take a payment plan as well as charge accounts for you to get this procedure done. It is important for anyone to have straight and even teeth, especially when it comes to the top teeth that are clearly visible when anyone smiles. The number of molds that the dentist prepares for you depends upon the amount of work that you need in order to get your teeth straight. This also coincides with the length of time that you have to wear the molds as well. 

 

If you are looking for a way to get perfectly straight teeth but do not want to wear obvious looking braces that make you look like a high school student, then you should seek out the advice from a San Diego cosmetic dentist who will be able to talk to you about San Diego invisalign. This procedure is easy to use, affordable and will give you the smile that you have always wanted to have and that others will notice without having to wear obvious looking braces. 

 

If you are looking for a way to get your teeth straight without having to resort to intrusive looking braces, you should check out San Diego invisalign. This is a procedure that is used by a San Diego cosmetic dentist that can give you straight teeth on your own time without anyone even knowing you are wearing invisalign braces. You can go to Smile DDS to find out more.

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Early to Bed and Wake up Healthy, Wealthy, Wise and Beautiful

 

The Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Depression & Self Esteem
Sleep-deprived children have longer illnesses, more severe depression, and greater fatigue than those who aren’t sleep deprived. Other studies link sleep deprivation with self esteem problems as well. Getting good sleep and curing insomnia helps with fight depression and increase self esteem.

Beauty Rest is Fiction
Alex Gardner of the British Psychological Society and emeritus professor of dermatology Ronnie Marks of the University of Wales found that sleep deprivation did not alter study participants’ physical appearance. However, the study participants who were sleep deprived felt self-conscious about their appearance and thought their skin showed their lack of rest. They were convinced their looks were affected by their lack of sleep, even though they looked the same as when they were rested. Getting good sleep makes you feel better about yourself. Sleep deprivation can lower your self esteem.

Weight Gain
If you’re losing sleep your body mass index (BMI) is likely to increase, and so is your waist circumference. Your risk of becoming obese is almost doubled, according to Professor Francesco Cappuccio of Warwick Medical School. He detected this trend in adults and kids as young as five years old. Getting good sleep can help you lose weight.
Sleep deprivation increases appetite through hormonal changes. Specifically, more of the appetite-increasing ghrelin is produced when you’re not getting good sleep; less of the appetite-suppressing leptin is produced. Sleep deprivation and insomnia naturally causes you to eat more.

Memory Loss
Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen of the Harvard Medical School found that “sleep protects memories from interference.” The more quickly you fall asleep after studying for a test or learning a new skill, the more likely you’ll remember it later. If you learn new information and then go about your daily business, you’ll have about a 44% lower chance of retaining what you’ve learned. This research could be particularly helpful when you’re learning a new job. Getting good sleep helps your memory, while sleep deprivation damages it.

Intellectual Impairment
Researchers at the University of Virginia have found that insomnia or lack of sleep can impair IQ and cognitive development in children. Lower grades and poor peer relations could also result from sleep deprivation. Getting good sleep increases cognitive ability.

Physical Impairment
According to the National Sleep Foundation, your body does show the effects when you’re not getting good sleep. Your coordination and motor functions may be impaired, and your reaction time may be delayed. You could have reduced cardiovascular performance, reduced endurance, and increased levels of fatigue because of sleep deprivation. Tremors and clumsiness can also result if you’re not getting good sleep.

So now decide to go to bed early by following the below mentioned steps everyday.
•For most of the people who go to bed late it’s mostly a problem of mentality. You look at the clock and think “02:00? Oh, no problem, I’ve still got plenty of time”. No, you don’t. When you make it a habit to go to bed way past midnight, your idea of late becomes an increasingly later hour. So, the next time you look at the clock and see it’s past 23:30 (or any time you’d consider ‘early’), abandon everything you were doing at that time and start hurrying to go to bed. The first step in starting to go to bed early is redefining your idea of ‘early’ and ‘late’.

•One good incentive is recalling a time (or several) when your lateness in getting to bed had disastrous results: you overslept, didn’t get enough sleep, became sick, etc. Also, if you’re a habitual late-nighter (e.g. college student), this will give you a chance to see that rarest of natural phenomena: a sunrise!

•Most of the time I wake-up at 7:00, but sometimes I wake-up at 6:00 to do homework” isn’t a good answer. If you planned on waking up at 6 then you would think that going to bed an hour earlier would make up for it, but you wouldn’t be tired at said bedtime, so you would lay in bed for an hour and only get 7 hours of sleep. Your wake-up time needs to be the same every day except for rare occasions. Weekends are not rare.

•Determine how long it actually takes you to fall asleep. Don’t glance at the alarm clock constantly to test this, just think whether you lay in bed for what seems for hours, or does your head barely hit the pillow? If the first one is the case you should subtract on hour from the time you have. If your head barely hits the pillow you only need about five minutes in bed before your -8 hour time. If you’re somewhere in between 30 minutes should be a safe amount of time to be in bed before you need to fall asleep.

•The computer may be calming but your brain naturally makes you sleepy when it is dark, so by staring at a screen you are keeping yourself alert and wide-awake for longer than you should. A shower is an excellent thing to do before bed. Make your activity a sort of ritual. This helps.

•The best time to go to bed is when you can’t stop yawning and feel the need to just close your eyes and lay your head down. If you force yourself to stay awake, after this stage is over, you’ll have a slight headache because of tiredness, but stop feeling that urge to go to sleep, which makes you stay awake even more.

•Force yourself to turn off the computer and TV before bed. By turning off the computer (not the monitor) you would have to wait for it to reboot and normally that is enough to persuade you to get off the computer. Throw the remote for your TV across the room or onto the floor (gently). Getting up to turn on the TV hardly seems worth it, huh?

•After you have been following a bed time for a week or so,

Read more on this article at http://sanojj.blogspot.com/2010/01/early-to-bed-and-wake-up-healthy.html

 

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How to Relieve Constipation Naturally

The term constipation is used for severe constipation that prevents passage of both stools and gas. Causes of constipation may be dietary, hormonal, anatomical, a side effect of medications or an illness or disorder. Treatments consist of changes in dietary and exercise habits, the use of laxatives, and other medical interventions depending on the underlying cause.

The fiber content is important to health in its own right; apart from its beneficial effect on conditions of the digestive system and the intestinal tract, and The American Heart Association recommend a daily intake of total fiber, soluble and insoluble, of 25 to 30 grams a day.

Constipation is a common disturbance of the digestive tract. In this condition, the bowels do not move regularly, or are not completely emptied when they move. The stools are unduly hard and unusual straining may be required to achieve defecation.
Constipation that resists all the above measures requires physical intervention. ”Manual dissipation” (the physical removal of impacted stool) is done for those patients who have lost control of their bowels secondary to spinal injuries. Manual dissipation is also used by physicians and nurses to relieve rectal impactions. Finally, manual dissipation can occasionally be done under sedation or a general anesthetic—this avoids pain and loosens the anal sphincter.

The most common symptoms of constipation are infrequency, irregularity or difficulty of elimination due to hard faucal matter. Other symptoms may be coated tongue, foul breath, loss of appetite, and constant fullness in the abdomen.

Recent controlled studies have questioned the role of physical exercise in the prevention and management of chronic constipation, while exercise is often recommended by published materials on the subject.

Natural home remedies for the treatment of constipation.

Here are some home remedies that may be used for the treatment of constipation.

Drink a glass of warm water early in the morning, walk around for a while, and then visit the toilet.

Eat a lot of raw salads and green vegetables. Drink plenty of water, but not immediately before or after a meal.

Regular exercise is also important in establishing regular bowel movements. If you are confined to a wheelchair or bed, change position frequently and perform abdominal contraction exercises and leg raises. A physical therapist can recommend exercises appropriate for your physical abilities.

Drink a glassful of warm water with a spoonful of honey every night before going to sleep. However, be aware that you might go to the bathroom often!

Children and adults should get enough fiber in their diet. Vegetables, fresh fruits, dried fruits, and whole wheat, bran, or oatmeal cereals are excellent sources of fiber. To reap the benefits of fiber, drink plenty of fluids to help pass the stool.
Have a glass of warm water with fresh lime in the morning.
Spinach cooked with green onion stalks, are very good for clearing the bowels.

You may be interested in reading Constipation Remedies and Constipation Treatment. Also visit Constipation Cure

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Chiropractor in Puyallup WA | Controlling Back Pain without Drugs

Back pain will affect 90% of adults in this country at some point during their life. It is one of the most commonly cited reasons for missed work, and is generally treatable without major intervention. Fortunately, surgery, once a common option for those with chronic back pain, has become the option of last resort. A better understanding of the causes of back injury and treatment has moved medicine away from a surgical approach to one that is more holistic in nature. Chronic versus Acute Back Pain – Most patients who deal with lower back pain have experienced the onset of pain in the past 24-48 hours. These people suffer from acute pain, typically brought on by some excessive use of their lower back. Weekend gardeners, over-enthusiastic gym attendees and folks that head out to shovel snow early in the season often fall into this category. Chronic back pain sufferers typically have months of pain that may be difficult to pinpoint. It is much more common to find people with herniated disks, stenosis and sciatica in this group. Fortunately, there are ways to treat both types of pain without the use of medication or while significantly minimizing drug usage. Exercise and Back Pain – In the past, when a patient would turn up experiencing back pain the doctor would send them straight to bed for several days or even weeks. Now we know that these periods of extended rest often make the situation worse. A day or two of taking it easy is all that is called for under most circumstances. Returning to activity is the best thing you can do for your back. Starting a physical therapy program as soon as possible is the next step. Your goal, and that of your therapist, is to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. This will help prevent additional injuries to your back. Stretches, controlled muscular activities and massage can get you out of pain and back into your normal life. Studies Indicate Yoga is Beneficial – A recent large scale study showed that Yoga is of particular help to those who suffer from low back pain chronically. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first group engaged in biweekly yoga classes of 90 minute durations. The other group received medications to control their pain. The study found that those who engaged in yoga showed lower levels of pain and depression while exhibiting greater flexibility and strength. They were also more content with their recovery. The patients in the control group treated with medications were less pleased with their results and suffered considerably higher levels of depression due to their discomfort. Improving the Outcome for Patients with Low Back Pain – For the best results when treating patients with low back pain, it is important to stress the use of exercise as a palliative option. In addition to prescribing anti-inflammatory medications at the outset, engaging in massage and chiropractic care, properly supervised exercise, such as Yoga, helps complete the picture of a back that heals quickly and stays well for the long term.

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How Can you Clear Rosacea Naturally?

Rosacea is a type of skin disease and it is quite difficult to bear this severe condition. If you are unaware of it than I will simply say that you are a lucky person because facing or experiencing such a disease is just like a nightmare! Mostly adults above 30 are affected by this skin problem and any sort of ignorance to this disease results in horrible changes to the skin. You can say that this skin ailment in initial stages is quite tricky to spot because the symptoms resemble quite a lot to pimples or sunburns. In different surveys, it has been noticed that most of the people spotted this disease in its final stages.

Well, there are as such no proper cures of Rosacea that completely heals this skin disease but few techniques have been introduced that plays a vital role to bear this persistent ailment. Except redness on cheeks, nose, mouth and forehead the germs of this disease also affects eyes and eyelids. If proper precautionary measures are not applied properly this can become an unbearable condition. There are many natural ways to control and get over this persistent disease. Few of these techniques are given below and by applying these techniques it becomes quite easy to bear the pain.

  • Proper Diet:

Once after Rosacea is being diagnosed try to control your diet because hygienic diet plays a vital role to control this ail. Experts suggest that consumption of those food items that are rich in Omega 3 is a good way to cure this skin disease. You might be thinking that, why food items rich with Omega 3 can be beneficial? The answer is quite simple because Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory and it help to calm down the flare-ups of Rosacea.

  • Proper Skin Care:

It is also recommended for the victims of this persistent skin disease that taking good care of affected parts of the skin is also a good practice to recover soon. Before using skin treatment cures do not forget to go through the ingredients of such supplies. Try to use alcohol free, non abrasive products. Do not forget to apply moisturizer on the affected areas in winter and windy days.

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Vaccines have proven to be effective beyond anyone’s imagination

A vaccine is an injection that is designed to prevent various illnesses and diseases. The process involves injecting a weak version of the live virus into the person to help them build immunity to it. As the body reacts to the vaccine, they destroy the agents in them because they are foreign. This information is stored in the mind and the body. Therefore if it is subjected to those agents again it will neutralize them before they enter the body.

Vaccines have proven to be effective beyond anyone’s imagination. They have almost completely wiped out various diseases that were once a major epidemic in the United States including polio and small pox. To get the most benefits and protection from vaccines, it is important to follow the vaccine schedule set up by your child’s doctor. Several of the vaccines can be given at the same time to cut down on the number of trips to the doctor.

Several of the vaccines require more than one injection and there has to be a specific amount of time between them. It is important that you try to keep your child on the set vaccination schedule as much as possible. Failure to do so can lead to a high risk of contracting a preventable disease. Some children do get behind on their vaccines though due to an illness or chronic medical problems.

Even though adults likely have had their vaccines as a child, it is sometimes recommended for them to get various vaccines when they are older. This is likely to be recommended if you plan to travel to another country where such diseases and illnesses are still active. Those individuals who work in the medical field are also encouraged to get vaccine boosters as an added precaution.

For the most part, getting vaccines is a process that involves the quick prick of a needle and then some mild soreness for a few days. Pain relievers can be given to children to help keep them comfortable. Some individuals experience severe reactions to vaccines and have to seek medical attention for them. However, the effects of a vaccine reaction are always much milder than dealing with the actual disease or illness they are designed to prevent. 

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Want To Lose Weight in 2010?Try These 3 Fundamentals

Everyone looks forward to the holiday season because of the time to relax, indulge, and visit. What no one looks forward to is the period directly after it, when the scales are dusted off and read. It may seem impossible to stick to your weekly workout plan or your diet plan when the whole family is over and grandma’s famous apple pie is on the table, but there are ways to do it.

It takes a little effort and planning, but the reward is great.

1. Smaller Portions

One of the main and most effective things you can do is to control what you eat and how much you eat. Again, this may seem like a large demand, but it is manageable. Try not to eat a lot just because the food is there. A good trick is to either give yourself a smaller plate to eat from, or to eat from a bowl.

This way, your hunger is satisfied in both your eyes and your mouth. Portions are key. You need not eat until you are about to burst. Eat enough to satisfy your stomach and then leave the table. Not only will you lessen your future weight gain, you will also avoid the stuffed feeling that leaves everyone tired.

2. Exercise As Part Of Your Day

Next, try to exercise whenever you get the chance. Go on a walk with your siblings, or get up and jog in the morning. Do you have family members who are young children? Play with them. Run out in the yard, toss them in the air and catch them, or spin them around. All of these activities are loved by them, and can burn carbohydrates quickly.

3.Exercise With Family Invite your family to join you in exercise.

Most people know they should be getting a few minutes of exercise in each day anyway. Having company makes it better. Invite all of the adults to the gym and have a teenaged family member watch the kids.

Make it fun by having some sort of sports tournament. There are plenty of options, and the fact that a group is going to exercise will encourage even the most difficult family members. The holidays are great for relaxation, but remember your goals for your weight and health.

What good is being immensely happy during the season only to be terribly frustrated after it? Along with planning out the holiday season schedule, plan out when you will exercise. Your health and your weight will thank you for it.

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Tricking Your Kids into Exercise

It’s a sad fact that more and more children are being categorized as overweight or obese. The numbers are so high that one in three kids in the United States is in this category. Childhood obesity is not only a precursor for adulthood obesity, but it can also lead to a slew of other medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, hypertension, as well as numerous psychological effects. If your child is considered overweight or obese, you’ll need to make an extra effort to encourage him or her to exercise. Unfortunately most gyms do not cater to young children, but there are several fun alternatives that your child will actually enjoy doing. If your child is considered overweight or obese, you’ll need to make an extra effort to encourage him or her to exercise.

Paintball

Paintball has become increasingly popular over that last few years. Children and adults alike flock to local venues with paintball guns in hand for a little friendly competition. Paintball is a great way for you to encourage exercise in a fun, engaging environment. It requires participants to exert themselves physically and to think logically.

Dog-walking

If you have a dog, encourage your son or daughter to take it on regular walks. It will facilitate a stronger relationship between your child and the dog and it will increase their level of physical activity dramatically. A brisk 30 minute walk daily can easily burn around 200 calories.

Household Chores

Make the household chore list a little longer and a little more intense. Allocate more physically demanding tasks to your son or daughter. Vacuuming, window cleaning and sweeping are all great calorie burners. Your child may not be receptive to the idea at first, but increasing their allowance may make the transition a little easier.

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What Are You Doing to Fight “Sarcopenia”?

Prolonged bedrest effects all body systems, but it especially effects the cardiorespiratory system (heart and lungs are major muscles) and the musculoskeletal system (such as decreased muscle mass and strength, and bone loss). The older an individual is, the more pronounced and serious the consequences.

‘Did you know that for every two days of bedrest, the heart rate increases one beat? ‘Did you know that in healthy men, the rate of bone loss increases 50 times with bed rest? (Although bone mineral is gradually restored after bed rest, the rate of restoration is 4 times slower than the rate of loss.) ‘Did you know that for every week of complete bedrest, muscle strength declines by 10-15%? ‘Did you know that within 8 hours of immobilization of a muscle in the shortened position, muscle fibers begin to shorten, limiting full range of motion? (Ever have a hard time getting those legs to move again, after sitting in a movie theatre for just two hours?)

So what does this have to do with ‘Sarcopenia,’ and WHAT is Sarcopenia?

What is Sarcopenia?

Sarcopenia (pronounced sarko-peen-ya) is the ‘age-related’ loss of muscle. The word comes from the Greek, for ‘flesh reduction.’ It can have the same serious musculoskeletal consequences caused from bedrest. Just like osteoporosis and arthritis, ‘sarcopenia is a serious degenerative condition that increases ones risks for falls and makes one more vulnerable to injury.’

Less obvious consequences are metabolic effects that result when muscle’the body’s most metabolically active tissue—diminishes. Metabolism is altered when there is less muscle, and many other consequences result, such as obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, and changes in the ability to regulate body temperature. In addition, since muscular contractions help keep bones strong, muscle loss can also weaken bones.

Sarcopenia generally starts to set in around age 45, when muscle mass begins to decline at a rate of about 1 percent per year. As muscle mass begins to decline, so does muscle strength. Studies have revealed that muscle strength declines by approximately 15 percent per decade in the sixties and seventies and about 30 percent thereafter. As strength goes, so does physical functioning—the ability to do chores, take walks, climb stairs, or the accomplishment of other activities. This loss of strength can create a vicious cycle. Since it takes a great deal of physical effort and discomfort to perform daily tasks, one naturally avoids it, which creates even more weakness. Even some activity, no matter how limited, can help maintain muscle mass.

Sarcopenia occurs in people of all fitness levels, however physically inactive adults will see a faster and greater loss of muscle mass than physically active adults. Women, however, face a greater risk than men, because women have less muscle than men, and those who have less muscle to begin with, generally have a greater loss.

Nutrition can also be a factor in the development of sarcopenia if one is not consuming adequate energy intake. Many older individuals may not be consuming enough calories and/or protein, thereby depleting muscle protein to sustain energy requirement.

Can Sarcopenia Be Treated and/or Prevented?

Along with proper nutrition, a powerful intervention in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia is resistance training (weight-lifting or strength training). Resistance training works to build muscle by forcing the body to heal the damage to muscle cells that occur with use. When the intensity is high enough, microscopic tears occur in the muscle, which then rebuild protein and make the muscle stronger.

Although it has been known for decades that resistance training increases muscle mass and strength in young adults, many thought that muscle loss in older people was inevitable. However, it is now known that past studies done on older people using weights, did not show a positive response because the studies were not using the correct exercise intensity. Instead, subjects were lifting weights that were too light.

More current studies, using higher intensity workouts have shown that ‘strength could be doubled in only 12 weeks of training, and that even frail nursing-home residents in their 90′s could build muscle and strength.’

But I Walk and Swim’. Isn’t that Enough to Prevent Sarcopenia?

When most people start a fitness program, they do an aerobic activity, such as walking or swimming, in order to strengthen their heart muscle. But, before one can walk, they must first be able to get out of a chair and maintain an erect posture and balance while walking, and that requires muscle power.

The American College of Sports Medicine, in its guidelines on exercise and physical activity for older adults, says that aerobic conditioning should follow strength and balance training, which is, unfortunately, the opposite of what is usually done. Aerobic exercise, while it strengthens the heart and lungs, is not sufficient by itself to prevent sarcopenia.

It’s easy to understand why older adults participate in aerobic activity for exercise rather than resistance training. Walking doesn’t require a lot of planning to incorporate it into the day, and swimming or biking are familiar activities. Resistance training, however, is less familiar and it requires one to set aside extra time. However, as little as 40 minutes a session, or an hour and a half a week, is enough to see significant results.

According to Dr. Miriam Nelson, the director of the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Tufts University, gains in muscle are probably happening immediately at the cellular level, and in four weeks, one is significantly stronger and may even see less pain with conditions, such as arthritis.

Are there other benefits of Resistance Training?

In addition to building muscle, one also builds vigor and self-esteem, which ultimately leads to one staying active and doing things they enjoy. Preserving muscle mass also impacts the ability to withstand disease. The body burns protein faster than usual, when sick, which then causes protein components to be pulled from the muscle to be delivered to the immune system, to help fight the illness. Sarcopenia reduces the amount of protein available to fight disease.

‘If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.’ That saying has never been more true than for the use of our ‘muscles.’ When we lose our ability to use our muscles, we lose independence, and quality of life diminishes. Let’s choose to not take for granted our ability to move around, and incorporate resistance training, into our exercise routine. Length of life is insignificant without quality of life!

References

1.Mahoney (1988). Immobility and falls. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine 14 (4): 699-726. 2.Stone, Wyman & Salisbury (1999). Clinical Gerontologicl Nursing: A Guide to Advanced Practice. Montreal: WB Saunders Company. 3.Easson-Bruno, S. Healthy Aging Newsletter. July 2002, Volume 1, Issue 2. 4.Tufts University Health and Nutrition Newsletter. March 2003, Volume 21, Number 1. 5.American College of Sports Medicine -=-=-=-=-=-=-= -=-=-=–=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Cheryl Winter, M.S., R.D., R.N. is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Registered Nurse and ACSM Fitness Instructor. Cheryl is owner and operator of HealthSteps Rx, Inc. at http://healthclub.tk a wellness organization that will help you Build a Better Life’One Step at a Time.

About the author: Cheryl Winter, M.S., R.D., R.N. is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Registered Nurse and ACSM Fitness Instructor. Cheryl is owner and operator of HealthSteps Rx, Inc. at http://healthclub.tk a wellness organization that will help you Build a Better Life’One Step at a Time.

Learn all about HealthSteps Rx, Inc. Weight Management Program via TeleClasses, without leaving your home or office: http://healthclub.tk

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