Jul 16

Walking sticks have always been used by the blind and the elderly for mobility assistance. Nowadays, due to the development of modern technologies, many different types of equipment, such as rollators, have been available to assist the blind and the elderly. Nevertheless, walking sticks remain to be the simplest, cheapest, and easiest mobility tool to use.

Unlike crutches, canes are only intended for balance, not as a support to the user’s full weight. Use discretion and common sense in the use of canes, which are very thin, or have a dual use or feature. For instance, for a sore ankle, use a support cane, not a sword cane. To get the most out of your walking stick or cane, you need to use one, which is the appropriate size for you.

There are two simple ways to determine the right walking stick size.

The first one is to measure the user. When having someone measure your cane size for you, put on your walking shoes. Note that different heel heights of varying shoes may change your size. Stand naturally upright. Let your arms fall to the sides in a relaxed manner. You will need the measurement between your wrist down to the floor.

Another way is to divide your height by two, and convert it to inches. However, measuring the distance between your wrist and the floor is much more accurate.

For a wide range of superb walking sticks, visit DoAbility UK today.

Jul 10

Although aging puts people at greater risk for serious eye disease and other eye problems, loss of sight need not coincide with growing older. Practical, preventive measures can help protect against a disastrous impairment. An estimated 40 to 50 percent of all blindness can be avoided or treated, mainly through regular visits to an eye specialist.

Regular eye exams are the key elements of visual health as people age. People who have a family history of eye disease or other risk factors should have more frequent exams. Do not wait until your vision degenerates to have an eye exam. One eye can often compensate for the other while an eye condition progresses. Usually, only an exam can detect eye disease in its earliest stages.

You can also take other steps on your own.

First, if you smoke, stop. Smoking increases the risk of several eye disorders, including age-related macular degeneration.

Maintaining a nutritious diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables and minimal saturated fats and hydrogenated oils, promotes good health and may increase your resistance to eye disease. Carrots, which contain vitamin A, are one of several vegetables that are good for the eyes. However, fresh fruits and dark green leafy vegetables, which contain more antioxidant vitamins such as C and E, are even better. Antioxidant vitamins may help protect the eyes against cataract and age-related macular degeneration. Nevertheless, eating any vegetables or supplements containing these vitamins or substances will not prevent or correct basic vision problems such as nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Wearing sunglasses and hats is important for individuals at any age. If you need glasses for distance or reading, use them. Attempting to read without reading glasses will simply strain your eyes and tire them out. Using your glasses will not worsen your vision or lead to any eye disease. Taking the time to learn about the aging eye and recognizing risks and symptoms can alert you to the warning signs of eye problems.

Eye exercises will not improve or preserve vision or reduce the need for glasses. Your vision depends on many factors, including the shape of your eye and the health of the eye tissues, none of which can be significantly altered with eye exercises.

Although eyestrain, spending many hours in front of the television or computer screen, or working in poor light do not cause harmful medical conditions, they can tire the eyes and, eventually, their owner. Dim lighting will not adversely affect your eyesight, however, it will tire your eyes out more quickly. The best way to position a reading light is to have it shine directly onto the page, not over your shoulder. A desk lamp with an opaque shade pointing directly at the reading material is the best possible arrangement. A light that shines over your shoulder will cause a glare, making it more difficult to see the reading material. In addition, when you are working on a computer or doing other close work such as sewing by hand, it is a good idea to rest your eyes briefly every hour or so to lessen eye fatigue.

Finally, people who stare at a computer screen for long periods tend not to blink as often as usual, which can cause the eyes to feel dry and uncomfortable. Make a conscious effort to blink regularly so that the eyes stay well lubricated and do not dry out.

The eyes are priceless and deserve to be treated with care and respect, whether you are 80 or 18.

Jul 10

Rollators are a kind of wheeled walker with brakes, which is designed to hold upper-body weight and assist people with walking limitations to enjoy greater mobility and shun fatigue.

Different from traditional medical walkers, which need to be raised with each step, a rollator glides easily across flat indoor and outdoor surfaces, and may be customized with a multitude of options, which allow for ease and convenience.

If you are thinking of buying one, speak with your therapist first and ask for some advice on models and components that best accommodate your lifestyle, needs, and size.

The following are some factors you need to consider when purchasing a rollator:

Brake System
Your brakes need to be easy to reach and aptly responsive for safety.

Cable brakes are like the ones used on bicycles. The user squeezes the breaks with both hands and the wheels instantly stop. There are also one-handed cable brake systems for people who only have strengh in one hand.

Slow down brakes can be useful when the user finds that the walker is rolling too fast for them to control it.

Park brakes are essential when the rollator has a seat and you need to sit down.  It will stop the rollator or walker from moving and reduce the incidence of falls.

Frame Type
There are frames built with either steel or aluminium. Steel frames are stronger and heavier than aluminium, and is designed to sustain greater body weight. However, aluminium frames are lighter and easier to push for those weighing less than 100 kgs or 15 stones.

Handle Adjustment
Opt for a model that allows you to adjust the handles to a suitable height for your size. A number of designs permit a greater range of adjustment than others allow, so be sure to test it before buying to make sure that you feel the comfort and the proper fit.

Number and Size of Wheels
A rollator can be either three-wheeled or four-wheeled. Three-wheeled models are easier to maneuver around corners and in tight spaces. Nevertheless, four wheels are more stable.

Wheel size is one more concern. If you are inclined to spend a lot of time outdoors and on uneven surfaces, decide on a model with larger wheels. Small wheels are designed for indoor use and flat surfaces.

In addition to a variety of fashionable designs and colors, you can setup your wheeled walker with other accessories including baskets, a soft seat, cane holder, cup holder, basket bags, oxygen tank holder, back rests, and other features.

DoAbility UK offers the widest range of the latest and most affordable rollators that will suit your every need.

Jul 4

You need ten thousand steps a day to meet the guidelines for physical activity to improve health. However, if you are like most people, who find walking painful or you fear your joints might buckle beneath you, each step might as well be a mile.

Your knees and hips are your largest joints. They support your body’s weight and they must work in close coordination to provide the mobility most people take for granted until injury, arthritis, or other problems interfere.

Depending on the cause of your pain, the solution might be a set of exercises designed to strengthen and stretch the muscles that support the joint, taking some of the stress off the joint itself. Minor surgery may also help.

For many people, knee and hip problems become so intractable that the best solution is to replace a worn-out knee or hip with a mechanical joint. In 2003, there were about 902,000 knee replacement and 728,000 hip replacement procedures performed worldwide. The average age at which a person has such surgery is 65 to 70.

Physically, your knees and hips are closely interdependent, located as they are at either end of the thighbone. This proximity means the angle of your hip affects the pressure on your knee. A hip disorder may cause knee pain, and knee disorders can aggravate hip problems.

People live longer than they used to, so joints need to stay strong and healthy through those additional years. Nevertheless, both knees and hips are subject to wear and tear as you age, and you can traumatize them further if you increase your physical activity suddenly.

Medical care has changed in recent years. Doctors used to follow surgery by immobilizing the joint with a plaster cast. Weeks of immobility caused the muscles to weaken and shorten, resulting in long-lasting stiffness and poor function. Today, you can wake up from surgery with your knee already being gently bent and straightened by a machine. In addition, knee and hip replacements have freed thousands of patients from life in a wheelchair or on crutches.

Surgical techniques have also advanced. More surgery is performed through tiny incisions using an arthroscope, often on an outpatient basis. Pain relief has moved away from mind-clouding narcotics toward pain relievers that tackle the twin problems of pain and inflammation.

And finally, prevention has moved to center stage, alongside surgical repair and rehabilitation. More strength training added to your daily exercise routine helps support the joints and protect them from injury.

Water exercises support your weight, reducing stress on your joints. One in five people over age 60 has experienced significant knee pain, and one in seven people over age 60 reports significant hip pain.

Jul 4

Pain is a symptom common to many foot conditions, and pain medications are a good solution for most types of foot pain. You can also try other approaches before resorting to pain relievers. For example, you can try an ice pack or a warm foot soak before reaching for the pain pills.

In general, if your skin feels warm to the touch, apply ice. Do not apply warmth to an inflamed area because it will only increase the blood flow and make the inflammation worse.

If your feet are tired and sore and your skin feels normal or cool to the touch, try soaking your feet in a warm bath to relax and soothe them. Pharmacies sell gel packs that you can either freeze or heat in the microwave, and apply to your feet. You can also try foot massage. Gently rubbing sore muscles and joints can often provide needed relief. However, do not massage a foot that is inflamed or injured.

When it comes to pharmaceutical treatment, there are a number of different options. Some medications are topical, which is applied on the skin. Others are systemic; these are usually taken in pill form.

Analgesics
This class of medications encompasses pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), which relieve pain without relieving inflammation. People who drink regularly are discouraged to take acetaminophen because alcohol can combine with this drug and cause liver damage.

Topical analgesics
Topical pain medications are available in lotion, cream, or gel form. They are spread on the skin and penetrate inward to relieve some forms of mild foot pain. Some topical preparations, such as those containing menthol, eucalyptus oil, or turpentine oil, reduce pain by distracting the nerves with a different type of sensation.

Another group delivers salicylates (the same ingredient as in aspirin) through the skin.

A third group counters a chemical known as substance P, which is a neurotransmitter that appears to transmit pain signals to the brain. These creams contain a derivative of a natural ingredient found in cayenne pepper. For that reason, they may burn or sting when first used.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
NSAIDs are available both with and without a prescription. Popular over-the-counter NSAIDs include aspirin (Bayer, Bufferin), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). If you are taking an NSAID solely to relieve pain, take a low dosage for a limited amount of time, usually until the pain is gone. If you have a condition that involves inflammation as well as pain, such as Achilles’ tendinitis or a sprain, your doctor may advise you to take an NSAID at a higher dose and for a longer period, sometimes as much as several weeks. This is because you can feel the pain-relieving effects of NSAIDs almost immediately, but you do not experience the full anti-inflammatory effects until a sufficient amount of the medication builds up in your bloodstream. Be aware that NSAID medications have a variety of side effects, so it is important to discuss your personal health risks with your doctor when considering regular use.