Blog Post

Tips to Improve Senior Health Care

  • By Kyle Knight
  • •
  • 18 Mar, 2019
  • •

Tips for Better Sleep to Improve Senior Health Care

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Tips for Better Sleep to Improve Senior Health Care

Numerous studies have shown that to be at your optimum health you need 7-9 hours of sleep per-night. In America, 35% of adults sleep less than 7 hours a day. There are many reasons people don’t sleep well and seniors get less quality sleep than most other adults. Most seniors get less sleep because of sleep disorders and other medical problems which wake them up during the night. This can lead to sleep deprivation.

 

Sleep better for improved senior health care Plantation, Florida

 

The effects of sleep deprivation cause stress on your body and mind, making any task seem that much harder. When you are tired like this, day after day, you are more likely to lose balance and fall, possibly causing a serious injury. Getting enough sleep improves our immune system, which can improve your overall life. Here are some actions you can take right now for a better night’s sleep.

 

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Here are some actions you can take during the day, to improve your sleep at night: 


Plan Your Sleep

Plan your sleep ahead of time, like you would plan a meeting. You should aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep. If you don’t have a full 7 to 9 hours straight, try to break it into naps instead. Also, try to go to bed at the same time every night, practice will help your body get into a better sleep routine.

 

Limit Caffeine

Caffeine is a known stimulant, which increases our energy and make it harder to fall asleep quickly. Try limiting your caffeine to the morning for a better night’s sleep, or 6-8 hours before bed.

 

Stop Alcohol and Nicotine

Both alcohol and nicotine disrupt your sleep cycle. Smokers spend more time lightly sleeping and less time in deep sleep, than non-smokers. Drinking too much alcohol also disrupts the body’s natural sleep pattern, causing you to wake up early, and have trouble falling back to sleep once you are awake. Check out this other article about some of the health benefits of reducing your alcohol consumption.

 

Purchase a New Bed

If your bed sags, is too firm, or too soft, it can cause pain and stiffness in your joints and muscles. These problems can escalate over time, causing more serious problems. Some beds may make you hot or cold, which may also wake you up at night. Getting a mattress that fits your needs, may make all the difference for a better night’s sleep.

 

Diet

Your diet affects everything from energy to sleep. If your body is digesting food, you may not be able to go to sleep right away. Try eating no less than 2 to 3 hours before going to bed.

 

Exercise

Exercising for 30 minutes every day will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. For those who find it difficult to exercise, talk with your doctor and see what options are available for you.

 

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The hours leading up to bed-time are the most important for sleep. Here are some actions you can take to start preparing for bed a couple hours before you go to sleep.

 

Take a Warm Bath

Try taking a warm bath 60 to 90 minutes before bed. The temperature change naturally signals rest and relaxes you. This will insure your temperature has time to drop enough to sleep comfortably.

 

Drink Less Fluids Before Bed

Getting up every couple of hours to run to the bathroom is aggravating and counterproductive. Reduce your fluid intake before you go to bed to reduce the chances of this happening.

 

Meditate

Many studies indicate that medication is great for the body and the mind. “Clearing” your head can help you fall asleep faster and help you stay asleep longer. Try to achieve 30 minutes of meditation a day. If it is hard at first to sit for long periods of time, break your meditation sessions into three 10-minute sessions a day. Don’t feel bad if you can’t do it at first, there is no right way to meditate. Keep practicing or get help from an expert.

 

Limit Screen Time

Bright light makes us alert and inhibits the secretion of melatonin (the hormone that lets your body know it’s time to sleep). Try to read a book–a traditional book created from paper, not one on your tablet, phone or eReader–in the last hour before bed.

 

Need Help Getting to Sleep at Night?

If you or a loved one find yourself waking up frequently at night or have trouble with falling asleep, contact Primary Care Offices. They can help you identify the problem and get the help you need.

 

Also keep in mind that at Primary Care Offices, we have doctors who accept Medicare and Medicaid on staff, as well as others who are on the list of Humana healthcare providers.

 

Contact Primary Care Offices for a same day doctor’s appointment at one of our conveniently located offices all over South Florida. Give us a call at 954-450-9595, chat online, or visit our patient portal on our home page to get a comprehensive health exam.

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Best supplements for high blood pressure 

By MATT ATHERTON • 20 Mar, 2019

SUPPLEMENTS could be used to prevent high blood pressure symptoms and signs. You could lower your risk of hypertension by regularly adding these cheap capsules to your daily diet. Could you be at risk of high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is a common condition that affects more than 25 per cent of all adults in the US. The condition, which is also known as hypertension, could be caused by eating an unhealthy diet, or by not doing enough exercise. Diagnosing the condition early is vital, as it raises the risk of some deadly complications, including heart attacks and strokes. But you could lower your chances of high blood pressure by regularly taking magnesium supplements, it’s been claimed.

Magnesium helps to regulate your blood pressure bye relaxing blood vessels, revealed Harvard Medical School.

Not getting enough magnesium in your diet could lead to constricted blood vessels, and therefore high blood pressure.

For the best anti-hypertensive effects, choose a magnesium l-threonate supplement to top up on magnesium, added Dr Joseph Mercola.

“Along with an active lifestyle and healthy dietary habits, supplements may help reduce your high blood pressure levels safely and naturally,” said the physician.

“Magnesium deficiency due to insulin resistance is one of the causes behind constricted blood vessels, which in turn leads to hypertension.

To help your blood vessels relax and dilate, you should maintain optimum magnesium levels.

“If you're planning to take a magnesium supplement, go for magnesium l-threonate, since it's formulated for maximum absorption and it doesn't have laxative properties.

“Before you take any supplements, make sure that you consult your physician first to determine the proper dosage for your needs, or to check if these supplements are suitable for your condition in the first place.”

But you should be able to top up on magnesium from your diet, without needing a supplement, said Harvard Medical School.

The best sources of magnesium include dark leafy vegetables, unrefined grains, and legumes.

Taking too much magnesium from a supplement could lead to diarrhea, but there aren’t any known side effects of eating too much magnesium.

You could also lower your blood pressure by making sure you eat a healthy, balanced diet, and by doing regular exercise.

Everyone should aim to do at least  150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

High blood pressure is often known as ‘the silent killer’, because you may not even know you have it.

Hypertension symptoms only tend to reveal themselves if you have extremely high blood pressure.

Common high blood pressure symptoms include severe headaches, having a pounding in the chest, and finding blood in your urine.

Need Advice on Hypertension and High Blood Pressure?

Are you experiencing high blood pressure? You should talk with your doctor about how you can improve you health, and Primary Care Offices have the knowledge to help. Contact Primary Care Offices for a same day doctor’s appointment at one of our conveniently located offices all over South Florida. Give us a call at 954-450-9595 , chat online , or visit our patient portal on our homepage to get you feeling better in no time.

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Diabetes and Nut intake

By Kyle Knight • 15 Mar, 2019
Diabetes: Nuts could reduce cardiovascular risk

New evidence supports the current recommendation for people with type 2 diabetes to eat nuts to prevent cardiovascular issues and premature death.
Woman happily eating nuts
People with diabetes may benefit from eating nuts.
Nuts are packed full of essential nutrients that could benefit overall health.
They contain high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, vitamin E, folate, and minerals, including potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
The latest research has shown that nut consumption may help reduce the risk of chronic disease.

A recent study, which featured in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, identified an association between eating nuts and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Type 2 diabetes and nut consumption

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way in which the body metabolizes glucose, which is its primary source of fuel. Possible complications include kidney damage and cardiovascular disease.

According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2015, more than 30 million people in the United States had diabetes.

In the same year, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., with over 250,000 death certificates listing it as an underlying or contributing cause of death.
Every year, doctors diagnose 1.5 million cases of diabetes in the U.S.

Over the years, several studies have linked nut consumption to the prevention of coronary heart disease. In 2010, researchers noted that the results of these studies justified exploring the use of nuts in managing the symptoms and complications of diabetes.
A new study, which the American Heart Association journal Circulation Research has published, found additional evidence that supports the recommendation of incorporating nuts into a balanced diet to reduce the risk of heart disease in people with diabetes.

Boosting nut intake

In this latest study, researchers used self-reported diet questionnaires about nut consumption. Close to 16,000 adults participated, and they filled out the questionnaires before and after they received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that all types of nut offered health benefits, especially tree nuts.
As the name suggests, tree nuts, which include almonds and walnuts, grow on trees, while groundnuts, such as peanuts, grow underground. Tree nuts may offer more benefits because they contain higher amounts of nutrients in comparison with groundnuts.
Their analysis showed that people with type 2 diabetes who ate five servings of nuts per week had a 17-percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and a 34-percent lower risk of death relating to this condition.

Those who consumed more nuts after their diabetes diagnosis had an 11-percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 25-percent reduced risk of death related to heart disease compared with people who did not increase their intake of nuts.
"Our findings provide new evidence that supports the recommendation of including nuts in [healthful] dietary patterns for the prevention of cardiovascular disease complications and premature deaths among individuals with diabetes," said Dr. Gang Liu, Ph.D., lead study author and nutritional sciences researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA.

Even small increases might help

The team of researchers found that eating even a small number of nuts made a significant difference. Each additional serving per week of nuts led to a 3-percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and a 6-percent lower risk of death due to heart disease.

Although the specific effects of nuts on heart health are not clear, findings suggest that the nutrients in nuts may improve blood pressure, blood sugar control, and inflammation as well as enhancing the metabolism of fats and promoting blood vessel wall function.
"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and a major cause of heart attacks, strokes, and disability for people living with type 2 diabetes," says Dr. Prakash Deedwania, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine in Fresno and a member of the Know Diabetes by Heart science advisory committee. He continues:

"Efforts to understand the link between the two conditions are important to prevent cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes and help people make informed choices about their health."

Dr. Deedwania added that these findings add to the growing evidence that a healthful lifestyle, regular exercise, and a balanced diet can all have a significant favorable effect on the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes.

Get Treatment at Primary Care Offices

Primary Care Offices, we have doctors who accept all insurances, as well as others who are on the list of Humana healthcare providers.

Set up a same-day doctor appointment by calling 954-450-9595 or chat with us online on our website www.primarycareoffices.com  contact form to get started now.

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