Aging: Leading Towards a Less Efficient Digestive Tract

As we age the digestive system is another part of the body that is affected.  Aging causes the body to decline in different ways, triggering the need for different medications.  With the mix of pills along with the changes in ones habits and lifestyle, due to getting older, can affect your digestive tract, creating discomforts.  
With age the digestive tract like other bodily systems slows down.  The muscles become stiffer, weaker, and less efficient.  
As a result some of the digestive tract problems that can occur are: heartburn, peptic ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, gas, stomach pain, and inflammation in the colon. 
Fortunately, there are ways to decrease these discomforts by, staying hydrated, limiting fats, consuming fiber, and exercising on a regular basis.  


http://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/dealing-with-a-sensitive-gut.aspx    

Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism, the sudden blockage of a major blood vessel in the lungs.  This blockage is usually caused by a blood clot.  In most cases the blood clots are small and not deadly, however they can cause damage to the lungs.  Quick treatment of the blood clots can reduce the risk of future problems or save your life.  When the blood clots become larger and stops the blood flow to the lungs, it can become deadly. 
So how do you know if your body is effected by a pulmonary embolism?  The most common symptoms are: sudden shortness of breath, sharp chest pains that becomes worse when you cough or take a deep breath, and a cough that brings up pink foamy mucus can all be signs of a pulmonary embolism.  General symptoms can also occur, such as: feeling anxious, sweating, feeling lightheaded, increasing of heart rate, or fainting.
In order to decrease your risk of pulmoary embolism, staying active can be benefical.  Recent surgery that involved the legs, hips, belly, or brain, pregnancy, childbirth, taking birth control pills or other hormone drugs, smoking, and diseases such as: cancer, stroke, or servere infections can increase your risk of pulmonary embolism. 

http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/pulmonary-embolism-topic-overview

DEMENTIA: is it becoming more common?

Dementia is an age related disease, a disease that we try to hide behind us knowing that one of our love ones will most likely be affected by it.  Dementia is the loss of mental functions; thinking, memory, reasoning are all affected, which will interfere with daily life activities and hobbies. 
If you ever walk into an assisted living or nursing home you are bound to run into an individual that has some sort of dementia.  This leads us to the question, how common is dementia? 
Dementia that is caused by a nervous system disease, most common, Alzheimer's disease is greatly increasing.  Researchers have suspected that half of the people over eighty  develops Alzheimer's disease.  Around 8% of people over the age of 65 has some form of dementia, which may seem low, but just think, 65 these days is the new 50.  Unfortunately that 8% doubles every five years above that age.  
Yes, there are some forms of dementia that are treatable, but trying to run away from this age related dysfunction may be impossible.  So, the best advice may be to just enjoy the time you have now with your love ones and your own independence. 


Alzheimer's Disease and Other Forms of Dementia
http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-dementia

Behind the Scenes of the CNS

I never knew that the central nervous system was made up of so many different cells.  From last semesters biology class I understood that neurons, the inter-neurons are located within the central nervous system.  Surprisingly these neurons only make up about half of the volume within the CNS, so what makes up the other half? Glial cells, are the infamous cells that fill up the other half of the CNS. Everything in life needs support and protection, and that is what the glial cells provide the neurons within the CNS with.  The three types of the central nervous system supporting cells are: Astrocytes, Oligodendrocytes, and Microglial cells. These glial cells have four main functions within the CNS: to hold neurons in place by surrounding them,  supply oxygen and nutrients to the neurons so they can survive and perform their job, isolate one neuron from another, and destroy and remove dead neurons.  As you can see if the CNS did not have these supporting cells, the neurons would not be able to perform their job; therefore, our nervous system would be encumbered.

http://blustein.tripod.com/