Alopecia areata is an unpredictable disorder that makes hair fall out. The condition affects about 1.7% of the population, including children, men, and women of all ages. Hair loss might occur as a solitary patch, multiple patches, or as a widespread loss. While it is considered a medically harmless, non-contagious condition, alopecia areata can affect a person’s well-being and sense of self. There is no known cure for the condition, though there are various treatments that are sometimes used to help manage it. Another option is using hair fillers and lightweight handmade wigs with refined fibres that come in a variety of styles and colours to help people regain their confidence.
Community News
Happiness Requires Change
When was the last time you felt truly happy? How much are you judging yourself on a daily basis for not getting it right, doing enough, being enough, for not having the right body, the perfect relationship, the money, the great sex, the successful career and business? What if your body, your relationships, your finances, and your future are just waiting for you to offer or infuse them with new possibilities? There are tools available that can help you change your money situation, your relationships, your body, and your life. A change in your reality requires a change in you.
Preventing Dehydration in Seniors
Seniors are at risk of dehydration for a variety of reasons. As we age, our sensation of thirst starts to fade. Immobility can also be an issue, as we might not be able to get ourselves something to drink when we need to. Other causes include medication side effects, symptoms of being ill that cause fluid imbalances, increased urination, and decreased kidney function. Symptoms of dehydration range from low urine output to difficulty walking, and can result in life threatening complications. To help seniors avoid dehydration, provide easy access to liquids, serve food with a high water content, and monitor fluid intake and urine output.
Book Club: Whose Mind Is It Anyway?
Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life by Lisa Esile & Franco Esile. Most of us spend our lives trailing after our minds, allowing our brains to take us in directions that are safe and secure, controlled and conformed. Whose Mind Is It Anyway? will help you learn how to separate what you want from what your brain wants and how to do less when your mind is trying to trick you into doing more. In a colorful, funny, and nonthreatening way, it answers the difficult question of how we can take control of our self-defeating behaviors.
Community Event
Balanced Life Experience
October 13 & 14. Assiniboia Downs. Sat 10-8. Sun 10-6. Aligning Body, Mind and Spirit. Event Highlights: Top leaders, practitioners and businesses within the wellness or healthy living industry. Main stage offering free demos, talks, presentations and entertainment. Exciting workshops. Free fitness demos. Reader’s Corner – come see one of our talented intuitives/psychics. Creator’s Corner – Handmade Market. Natural Products. BalancedLifeWpg.ca.
In Your Neighbourhood
Are you 55+ and looking for fun and affordable fitness programs? Whether you’re a beginner or already physically active, Good Neighbours Active Living Centre has a fitness class for you. Examples are Beginner and Intermediate Barre Fitness, Functional Movement, Interval Training, PACE (People with Arthritis Can Exercise), Beginner and Intermediate Pilates, Tai Chi, Total Body Conditioning, a variety of Yoga classes (Beginner, Intermediate, Chair Yoga, Strength & Yoga, Relax & Restore Yin Yoga), Drums Alive, Let’s Move, Let’s Dance and more! All of our fitness instructors are certified and trained to work with older adults. For more information, call Good Neighbours at 204-669-1710 or visit our website at www.gnalc.ca.
Tips for Staying Hydrated
Even though summer is winding down, it’s still important to make sure you’re drinking enough water to avoid dehydration! Especially for older individuals, dehydration can result in: dizziness, fainting, low blood pressure, and irregular bowel movements.
Most adults should drink at least 8-12 glasses of water per day for adequate hydration. Here are a few tips to ensure you’re drinking enough:
-Drink water with your meals and keep a jug of water on the table for easy access.
-Carry a water bottle with you at school, at work, or when running errands.
-For flavour, try adding lime, cucumber slices, or lemon to your water.
Strategies for Back Health
There are a few simple strategies to avoid back pain. One is to try to get up and walk around every 30 minutes. This avoids something called “tissue creep”, which occurs with prolonged sitting. For light lifting off the ground, consider a “golfer’s lift”. It is the same technique that golfers use to pick up the golf ball from the cup. Notice how they don’t round their back while both feet are on the ground? This may be useful for picking up clothes off the floor. For heavier lifting, the hip hinge (using your hips without flexing your back) is the most proven method for lifting weight off the ground.
The Eyes and Ears Connection
As we age, we’re more susceptible to hearing loss and vision changes. According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), you’re at greater risk of social isolation and reduced community participation if you have vision loss. The same goes for hearing loss. Having both a vision and a hearing problem can affect your ability to lip-read, which is detrimental to communicating with co-workers, family, and friends. A decreased ability to socialize is linked to a greater risk of dementia. However, Statistics Canada reports that 90 percent of people with hearing loss can improve communication with a properly fitting hearing aid, counselling, or environmental changes.
Protect Your Pelvic Floor
You are at greatest risk of pelvic floor problems if you are in one or more of the following groups:
• Pregnant or postnatal women.
• Menopausal and post-menopausal women.
• Women who have had gynecological surgery.
• Men who have had surgery for prostate cancer.
• Elite athletes.
Your risk is increased if you:
• Regularly lift heavy weights (e.g., at the gym or as part of your job).
• Often have constipation.
• Have a chronic cough or sneeze.
• Are overweight.
• Have had trauma to the pelvis area (e.g., a fall, pelvic radiotherapy).
• Have a history of back pain.
Protecting your pelvic floor now will save you from problems in the future.
Returning to Work After an Injury
Motor vehicle accidents (MPI) and workplace injuries (WCB) can be stressful, especially if you end up needing time off from work. It is important not to rush back and risk further injury. Physiotherapists will provide the appropriate hands-on treatments and exercises, while offering safe return-to-work plans with graduated hours and workplace restrictions, if needed. Soft tissue typically takes 3 to 6 weeks to heal, depending on severity, and so functional testing will be done routinely throughout your treatments to ensure that increases in job demands are appropriate and will not flare up symptoms or cause re-injury.
