How does age affect your driving?
Everyone ages differently so there is no hard and fast cut off as to when someone should stop driving.  As we age, things like decreased vision, impaired hearing, slowed motor reflexes, and worsening health conditions can become a problem.  Aging also tends to result in a reduction of strength, coordination and flexibility which can impact your ability to safely control a motor vehicle.  For example:

• Neck pain or stiffness can make it harder to look over your shoulder
• Leg pain can make it difficult to move your foot from the gas to the brake pedal
• Reduced arm strength can make it hard to turn the steering wheel quickly
• Reaction times can slow down with age

 
Check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/temagamifamilyhealthteam for exercises and stretches that are important to the daily activities of living and maintaining independence.
 
Safety tips for older drivers:
Getting older does not automatically mean a total loss of driving ability.  There are many things you can do to continue driving safely, including staying on top of your health.
 
Regular check-ups are critical to keeping you in the best possible driving shape.

• Get your eyes checked every year
• Have your hearing checked every year
• Talk with your primary care provider about how certain conditions and/or medications may affect your driving ability.  For example, if you have glaucoma, tinted eyeglasses can help to reduce glare.
• Get plenty of sleep. 

 
Know your limitations:
If a driving situation makes you uncomfortable, don’t do it.  Many of us voluntarily begin to make changes in our driving practices as we get older by:

• Only driving during daylight hours if seeing well at night is a problem
• Staying off busy highways to avoid fast-moving traffic
• Not driving in bad weather

 
If you are a patient of the Temagami Family Health Team and would like to speak to your primary care provider about driving concerns, please call (705) 569-3244 to schedule an appointment. 
 
Committed to keeping you as healthy as possible!
 

What is the Pneumonia Vaccine (Pneumovax)?
Pneumococcal Disease (PD) is an infection caused by a type of bacteria (streptococcus pneumonia).  When this bug invades the body, it can lead to serious illness, such as pneumonia.  But the bacteria can also cause blood poisoning and meningitis, which is inflammation of the tissues around the brain and spinal cord. 
 
PD bacteria can travel through the air and spread by close contact, through sneezing, coughing or kissing.  It can also be picked up from surfaces and objects.  The most common signs and symptoms are fever, chills, sweat, aches and pains, and headaches.
 
Who Should Get the Vaccine?
People 65 and older and those with conditions that affect the immune system, such as:

• Cancer
• Chronic heart, liver or kidney disease
• Chronic lung disease
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Alcoholism
• Diabetes
• HIV infection and AIDS
• No spleen or a spleen that does not work properly
• Sickle cell disease
• Now also recommended for asthma

 
About eight out of 10 cases occur in these high-risk groups.  The vaccine protects against 65% of people.  Vaccination also makes the disease milder for those who may catch it. 
 
Five Tips for Reducing Your Risk of contracting PD:
1.            If you are 65 or older or in the risk group noted above, see your primary care provider about getting the vaccine.
2.            Wash your hands
3.            Be active
4.            Get enough sleep, as this can help to keep your immune system strong
5.            Have regular follow up visits with your primary care provider.
 
If you are a patient of the Temagami Family Health Team and would like to have the pneumonia vaccine, please call the office to schedule an appointment.
 
Committed to keeping you as healthy as possible!

Experts estimate that up to 20% of people aged 50 and older may be low in vitamin B12, with this deficiency becoming more common as people get older. 
 
The Most Common Problems Related to Low Vitamin B12 levels include:

• Memory problems
• Heart disease
• Unhealthy blood cells
• Loss of feeling in the hands or feet

 
As a result, Vitamin B12 deficiency can impact the quality of life of older adults. 
 
Where Do We Get Our Vitamin B12?
We get it from eating meats, eggs, and dairy products.  Health Canada recommends that anyone over the age of 14 get 2.4 micrograms per day – a tiny but important amount.  Studies show that older adults are generally eating enough B12, yet about 1 in 4 have a vitamin B12 deficiency.  This could be because as we age, our bodies are less able to absorb the vitamin B12 we eat.  This is especially true when certain medications are taken, such as antacids and Metformin (used for diabetes). 
 
Why Vitamin B12 Deficiency is Often Missed in Seniors
Because the symptoms – fatigue, anemia, neuropathy, memory problems, and walking difficulties – are quite common in older adults and can easily be caused by something else.  Also, Vitamin B12 deficiency tends to come on very slowly, so people often go through a long period of being mildly deficient.
 
Vitamin B12 deficiency is quite treatable – you just need to make sure it’s detected and then make sure the treatment plan raises the Vitamin B12 levels and keeps them steady.
 
How Can we Make Sure we are Getting Enough B12?
The good news is that it is generally thought that you can’t eat too much Vitamin B12.  It’s safe to eat much more than the recommended daily allowance.  Besides meat, eggs and dairy products, Vitamin B12 fortified foods are also good sources – for example, cold breakfast cereals, soy milk or other non-dairy milks.  Vitamin B12 supplements are also available in drug stores – your health care provider or pharmacist can help you decide on the right dose for you.
 
If you have any of the problems noted above and you’re concerned you might not be getting enough Vitamin B12, ask your health care provider for a blood test to check your B12 level. 
 
Committed to keeping you as healthy as possible!

We know that Vitamin D builds stronger bones by helping our bodies absorb calcium.  But recent research suggests it may have other benefits too, such as protecting against colds and fighting depression.  Research is also suggesting that it may lower our risk of breast, prostate, colorectal and pancreatic cancer.
 
Three Ways to Get Your Vitamin D

• Sunshine
• Diet
• Supplements

 
The sun is less likely to provide your daily needs at higher latitudes, in the winter, or if you're older or dark skinned (skin pigment blocks light and the process is less efficient with age).  
 
During the winter months, when natural sunlight is reduced, light therapy has been proven to improve mood from the ‘winter blues’ and boost Vitamin D.
 
Getting Vitamin D Through Food and Supplements
Food sources of vitamin D include fortified foods such as cow’s milk, some orange juices, and soy or rice beverages.  Margarine and fish, such as salmon and tuna, are also good sources of vitamin D.
 
It’s very hard to get enough vitamin D simply from what we eat.  With supplements, you ensure that you get what you need without short-changing your other nutritional requirements or exceeding your caloric intake.  Adults can safely take between 1,000 and 2,000 IUs a day (from food and supplements combined). 
 
If you are a patient of the Temagami Family Health Team, call us at (705) 569-3244 to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or with our registered dietitian to see if you could benefit from a daily vitamin D supplement.  We also have a light therapy box that our patients are welcome to come in and use free of charge (call the office to reserve your time).
 
Committed to keeping you as healthy as possible!