Many eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration have no early warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in their early stages. During the exam, eye drops are used to dilate the pupil to allow more light to enter the eye. This enables an eye care professional to view the back of the eyes and examine them for any signs of damage or disease. Your eye care professional is the only one who can determine if your eyes are healthy and if you are seeing your best.

Shiatsu is a Japanese hands-on therapeutic massage working the meridians and pressure points throughout the body. This non-invasive therapy addresses a wide range of body ailments such as muscle tension, stress, chronic pain and digestive issues. Shiatsu uses a firm steady pressure to release tension allowing the practitioner to probe deeper, stimulating circulation of vital nutrients. The practitioner is trained to recognize patterns of disharmony providing valuable insight and body awareness for the client.

Eating fermented foods is an excellent way to get much needed probiotics into our bodies. The microflora found in fermented foods creates a protective lining for our intestines. It not only shields us from nasty pathogens like E.coli and C.difficile but also aids in digestion and keeps the microbiome in our intestines healthy and balanced. Examples of fermented foods include, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and raw cheeses. The yogurt should be plain to ensure healthy bacteria, made from full fat (to absorb the minerals) and from grass fed animals (to ensure healthy omega 3’s CLA).

If you are a care giver of a loved one, it’s important to also take care of yourself. Signs of burn out are: withdrawal from family and friends; feeling blue, irritable and helpless; changes in sleep patterns; getting sick more often; and feelings of resentment. What can you do to support yourself? Talk to a trusted friend or co-worker; set reasonable goals; be realistic about your loved one’s disease, especially if it is a progressive disease such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Use respite care services when you need a break or while you are assessing care plan changes.

Nano Needling is an intensive, pain-free transdermal delivery of active ingredients. It is a handheld skin care enhancement device with an array of pyramid-like Nano Pins. Each pin is smaller than a single strand of human hair. When these pins gently touch the skin, they create up to 40,000 invisible Nano channels per minutes. The skin cells then re-arrange themselves to allow nutrition to pass through the skin barrier. This increases the absorption of skin care products and effectively feeds the skin and stimulates collagen production. Nano needling is gentle and safe with instant results and minimal down time.

Excessive sun exposure has been linked to skin cancer and is the number one cause of premature aging. Daily use of sunscreen is recommended. The SPF number indicates its effectiveness: higher number = higher protection. Use a minimum 30 SPF in summer months. Look for a sunscreen with UVA, UVB and high broad spectrum protection. Consider adding a UV app to your mobile device. Check it daily for the UV Index and have it remind you to reapply sunscreen. Another option for protecting your face is a mineral makeup. Glo Beauty Mineral Makeup uses pharmaceutical grade minerals and vitamins for UVA and UVB protection.

Comfort Keepers® helps clients maintain independence and quality of life with local, loving in-home care. Their caregivers travel to clients’ homes to provide care services and living assistance, allowing seniors and disabled individuals to live comfortably and independently. Providing long-term care for a loved one can be very taxing and time-consuming for family members. Comfort Keepers reduce this stress by providing a wide range of in home care services for seniors in Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanaimo and surrounding areas. In-home elder care provides family members with peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are taken care of.

Did you know that music players can produce max volumes of 100 decibels or more? At that level, hearing damage can occur within 15 minutes! A good song or a loud environment can tempt us to turn up the volume on our music players, but listening to music too loudly can cause permanent damage to our hearing over time. In fact, hearing loss is on the rise in teens and young adults due to loud noise exposure. Consider wearing over-the-ear headphones. Over the ear headphone (also known as supra-aural earphones) sit on your ear rather than in them like ear buds and canal phones. These earphones are connected with a band that stretches over your head. Supra-aural earphones don’t send sound vibrations directly into your eardrum. A consistently direct sound vibration hitting your ear drum can damage your hearing over time.