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The Citizen, 2001-07-25, Page 8We Deliver Your Freedom with: • Home Oxygen • Wheelchairs • Electric Scooters II Hospital Beds • Bathroom Equipment • Electric Reclining Lift Chairs MEDICHAIR Canada's Wellness Store. MEDIchair 4P MED-E-OX HOME RESPIRATORY & MEDICAL EQUIPMENT 282 Suncoast Drive 1793 3rd Avenue W Goderich, ON N7A 4K4 Owen Sound, ON N4K 6Y2 Tel. (519) 524-2020 Tel. (519) 371-8001 Fax (519) 524-2222 Fax (519) 371-5951 Toll-Free 1-800-265-5500 • Toll-Free 1-800-997-9951 slung Ginn KOMMUNITY ERVICES P.O: Box 100 Phone: 26 Jordan Drive (519) 357-3010 Belgrave, Ontario Fax: NOG 1E0 (519) 357-3143 PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2001. Seniors Columnist sees red after reading editorial By Carol McDonnell After recently reading an editori- al in a national newspaper, I saw several shades of red. It maintained that all our future health care woes were to be blamed on the increasing population of elders. At age 51, it seems that we all check into the nearest hospital stay- ing for the next 50 years, bleeding the health system. Even though we are well beyond the child-bearing age, the editor of the above article felt that the over-50 age group seemed to be multiplying at too great a rate. And you thought that those in retirement villages just golfed and fished? More must go on in those recre- ation centres than knitting and wood- working, Perhaps the residents are cloning themselves just like in a sci- ence fiction movie. More seniors are being prOduced just to irritate the next generations. Truth? We are generally so darned healthy, active and engaged with life, that we're going to be raring around this planet for many more years to come. If retired, we have less stress away from the work world - unless we want to be involved there. We hike, ski, swim, bike, and practise Tai Chi. We so rarely see a doctor or dentist that we have to introduce ourselves each time we go. (Okay there are a very few lonely hypochondriacs). If bad news is delivered by these pro- fessionals, we explore our options and deal with it. After raising our families, we are adept at handling minor medical problems. Gargle salt for a sore throat, put a paste of water and bak- ing soda over skin irritations, pour peroxide to disinfect cuts — well, you get the picture. Personally I'm determined to sta- ple or tape myself together to last as long as possible, the Good Lord will- ing and the creek doesn't rise. Already I've lived long enough to see; my children's children be as irri- tating to their parents, occasionally. Living a long, long time brings an extended opportunity for full-blown curmudgeonry and bothering other people too. Wish there were two of me. Two of me. The next generation hasn't noticed that we have reinvented aging just as did every group before us. But we are fully aware of Dylan Thomas's "Force that through the green fuse...drives my green age. " Colour some autumn colours too, but there are still shots of green in there, definitely not black yet. Dylan also wrote to his father "Do not go gentle into that good night Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Better to go out with a bang than a whimper, in other words. Heartburn help for seniors (NC)-Approximately one third of drugs for a variety of problems, all adults experience the symptoms treatment responses, must be moni-. of heartburn and regurgitation at tored and assessed. Seniors may least once a month - with the preva- need to be more vigilant than others lence rising to 59 per cent in people when it comes to recognizing the older than 65. 'potential for drug interactions Elderly patients may not think to because seniors are often on multiple report incidences of recurring heart- medications. Last summer, a well- burn or regurgitation (which is also known treatment for heartburn was called waterbrash, or an acid taste in removed from the market due to seri- the back of the mouth) and yet these ous complications, even death, could be symptoms of far more seri- which occurred when the drug was ous gastrointestinal disorders. inadvertently mixed with certain Common in seniors is Gastroe- other medications. sophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) What to do and while the symptoms of this ill- Be sure to discuss such symptoms ness may only seem like heartburn, with your physician. There are med- if left undiagnosed and untreated, ications available for moderate- GERD can lead to complications like severe heartburn that have a low esophageal ulceration and bleeding. potential for drug interactions. Your Health ailments go hand in hand doctor is in the best position to eval- with the aging process and because uate your medical history along with the elderly commonly take multiple your daily medication intake, and (NC)-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is often referred to as "smoker's lung" and is alarming to patients and caregivers because typically, so little air is get- ting to the lungs, the sufferer is often disabled from performing the easiest daily functions. The increasing incidences of COPD are also alarming because baby boomers who have smoked most of their lives, may not know the full damage until they are 60. Right now, more than 600 million people suffer with the disease worldWide; three million of them die each year - and North American baby boomers are slowly but surely reaching 60. - The most common form of COPD is a combination of chronic bronchi- tis and emphysema and if you think you are heading that way, your best line of defence is to recognize it early: Chronic bronchitis - occurs when the airways in your lungs have become narrow and partly, clogged with mucus. You will recognize it if you have a cough with phlegm for more than three months, over two consecutive years. If there is an obstruction in the airways in addition to chronic bronchitis, COPD is indi- cated. Emphysema - occurs when some of the air sacs deep in your lungs have been damaged. If this causes the sur- rounding airways to collapse, COPD is indicated. Knowing the facts will help you watch for warning signs: • COPD results from damage to the lungs over several years. It affects both men and women. The average Canadian with the disease is 60 years, old and usually has a long history of that includes all the herbal products, dietary supplements and the non-pre- scription drugs you are taking. Your doctor can then recommend the best course of treatment for your symp- toms. Data reveals that with two differ- ent medications, there is only a 6 per cent chance the two drugs will inter- act. The risk leaps to 50 per cent however, if you are taking five dif- ferent drugs and/or supplements, and at eight medications, the risk may be as high as 100 per cent. It is impor- tant to be aware if the potential for a drug interaction exists in your body system and that can only happen if you reveal all the treatments you are taking. Ask your doctor for a med- ication with a low potential for drug interactions. - News Canada off the floor, or putting on socks. While the illness is not yet curable, still it is clear - considering the expected skyrocketing of the disease as the bulk of the population reaches 60 - more must be done soon to make the lives of those afflicted with it, easier. Current medication requires adniinistration of an inhaler four times a day - a rigorous frequency that takes a big toll on family lifestyle, as well as on the patient's ability to -comply. And even if they are dedicated to taking their medica- tion four times a day, breathing diffi- culties are not always targeted effec- tively. A world leader in respiratory drug research and products is actively working on bringing better solutions for people with COPD. More infor- mation is available at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com. - News Canada Living well Seniors may need to be more vigilant than others when it comes to recognizing the potential for drug interactions. smoking cigarettes. The disease can be diagnosed in patients as young as- 40 however. • More than 80 per cent of COPD sufferers are smokers, and yet not all heavy smokers develop it. • The disease can also result from exposure to chemical fumes, and organic dusts like grain or wood or mining dusts. • If your children have developed respiratory symptoms as a result of viral or bacterial infections, they are more susceptible to COPD in later years. • The disease does not appear to be caused by air pollution alone. For smokers however, air pollution can contribute to the development of COPD. Do something about it The main telltale sign for COPD sufferers is agonizing breathlessness when bending over for the simplest activities like picking something up Understanding smoker's lung