Community News
Special Care for Senior Pets

November is Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month, and those with senior pets know that they offer unique benefits and lots of love. As pets age, they need our care even more, with regular veterinary checkups and a focus on dental health to avoid periodontal disease and other associated health problems. When you’re away from home, use only a professional pet sitter experienced in caring for senior pets. Pet owners should inquire about a potential pet sitter’s experience with senior pets and any specific training they’ve had, such as Pet First Aid & a Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting Program.

Home Remedy for Denture Pain

Sometimes dentures can cause pain or discomfort, especially if your dentures are old or ill-fitting. Did you know that cloves are an excellent remedy for oral pain? Eugenol, the main ingredient in cloves has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Thus, it works as a pain reliever and helps disinfect your mouth. Grind a few cloves to get ½ teaspoon of powder. Mix a few drops of olive oil into the ground cloves. Apply it onto your sore gum. Wait 5 minutes, and then rinse with warm water. Repeat 2 times per day until gum feels better.

Eye Care for All-Day Computer Users

Depending on the study, 50 to 90 per cent of people who are on their computers a lot experience issues with their eyes, including eye strain, red eyes, and eye twitching. Unfortunately, those of us using computers for work can’t just turn them off and walk away; we need to find ways to care for our eyes in spite of our computer use. The first step is to get an eye exam to evaluate how your eyes are doing today. After that, there are actions you can take to protect your eyes as much as possible, such as reducing ambient lighting and using floor lights rather than overhead fluorescent lights.

Vision Problems or ADD/ADHD?

Eye coordination and eye movement disorders have very similar symptoms to ADD/ADHD. When you have a child who has difficulty concentrating in school or at home, especially with reading or writing assignments, it is vital that you rule out the possibility that a vision problem may be contributing to your child’s difficulties, before you assume that it’s ADD/ADHD. Not all eye doctors test for vision problems that interfere with reading, learning, and paying attention. To find a doctor near you who provides this type of testing, visit the website for the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, www.covd.org.

Support for Dystonia

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions, which force certain parts of the body into abnormal, sometimes painful movements or postures. Approximately 50,000 people in Canada have dystonia, which is the third most common movement disorder following essential tremor and Parkinson’s. Dystonia can often be misdiagnosed for extended periods of time. The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) Canada is the only charitable organization that is dedicated to supporting dystonia patients, and their families, in Canada. The DMRF Winnipeg Support Group is here to help you: bcrow@mymts.net,

Why Get a Flu Shot?

Getting a flu shot is a great way to protect your health during flu season, so why not take advantage of free flu shots available from your healthcare provider? Flu vaccinations can help prevent many types of the influenza virus and are a safe way to keep yourself healthy in the fall and winter months. Each year, a new flu shot is provided that can help protect against that year’s most common flu viruses, so getting the flu shot annually is beneficial! Some other ways to protect yourself include washing your hands frequently and boosting your immune system.

Healthcare Aids for Daily Living

Did you know there is a wide range of healthcare aids available that can assist with daily comfort and mobility? Whether you need assistance in the bathroom or kitchen, or need help with dressing or participating in leisure activities, there’s likely something that can make your life much easier! A great example is the Urban Pole Adventure Series, a supportive walking pole that can be folded for easy transport when traveling. This new three-piece design has two locks and can be shortened to only 25.5”. It’s lightweight, strong, and comes with snow and trekking baskets perfect for travel.

Take Your Water Pills!

Your heart is a pump, or rather two pumps. One pumps fluid to the lungs, and the other to the rest of the body. When the pump fails, fluid backs up. This is first observed in the feet and legs, and later in the lungs. Water pills help reduce excess fluid and thereby relieve strain on the pump. Taking your water pills as prescribed in the earlier part of the day will help decrease nighttime bathroom trips. If you don’t take these pills as prescribed, you could experience worsening complications, such as swollen feet, difficulty breathing, and higher blood pressure.

Home Remedy for Denture Pain

Sometimes dentures can cause pain or discomfort, especially if your dentures are old or ill-fitting. Did you know that you may be able to ease your discomfort with turmeric? Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation, while preventing growth of harmful bacteria. Make a paste of ¼ tsp of turmeric powder with a few drops of water. Apply the paste on the affected area of the gum. Leave the paste for 5 mins then gently massage into the gum for a few mins and rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water. Repeat twice daily for a week.

The KETO Diet

Here are some facts about the new ketogenic diet everyone is talking about. The Keto Diet allows you to utilize fat instead of carbs by limiting them, and thus maintaining low insulin levels. You are allowed to eat healthy fats and a limited amount of proteins to maintain muscle mass. The diet also allows for a limited amount of low sugar carbs that have lots of fibre. Several diabetics have tried it and succeeded in losing weight and improving their health in several ways. Talk to KetoDietMD.com today to find out if the Keto diet is a good fit for you.

FALL for Someone Special

The leaves changing colour and the crispness in the air can only mean one thing. It’s fall! Those carefree summer days of soaking up the sun turn to days that are meant for curling up with that special someone and getting cozy indoors. It’s a great time to look for love if you’re single, as the distractions that often come with summer activities have come and gone. Instead, fall is the time to focus on finding a connection. Most people, however, are unsure where to find love. Reach out to a professional Matchmaker. With a long cold winter ahead, you will be thankful that you did.