AGEING WELL By Fred Cicetti THE ABILITY TO TASTE food and beverages means a lot to seniors. Taste has a major impact upon physical and mental health. Your sense of taste is especially important if you have to stay on a diet. If food loses its appeal, you may eat improperly and put yourself at risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Loss of taste can lead you to overeat, undereat or add too much salt or sugar to your food. While taste is important, people recognize fla- vors largely through the sense of smell. Try holding your nose while eating; your food will be almost flavorless. Smell and taste are closely linked in the brain. It is common for people who lose their sense of smell to say that food has lost its taste. This is incorrect; the food has lost its aroma, but aste remains. Loss of taste occurs less frequently than loss of smell in older people. When an older person has a problem with taste, it is often temporary and minor. True taste A matter of taste disorders are uncommon. When a problem with taste exists, it is usually caused by medications, disease or injury. In some cases, loss of taste can accompany or signal a more serious condition, such as diabe- tes or some degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis. There are several types of taste disorders. You can have a persistent bad taste in the mouth. This is called dysgeusia. Some people have hypogeu- sia, or the reduced ability to taste. Others can’t detect taste at all, which is called ageusia. People with taste disorders experience a specific ageusia of one or more of the five taste categories: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and savory. The most common complaint is “phantom taste perception,” which is tasting something that isn’t there. If you think you have a taste disorder, see your doctor. Diagnosis of a taste disorder is important, because once the cause is found, your doctor may be able to treat it. Many types of taste disorders are reversible, but, if not, counseling and self-help techniques may help you cope. If you cannot regain your sense of taste, there are things you can do to ensure your safety. Take extra care to avoid food that may have spoiled. If you live with other people, ask them to smell and taste food to see if it is fresh. People who live alone should discard food if there is a chance it is spoiled. C Fred Cicetti is a freelance writer who specializes in health. Visit
www.healthygeezer.com, or write to
fred@healthygeezer.com.
BLEND IMAGES/JUPITER IMAGES
health for your
By Esther Gokhale Myth 1: You just have to remember to straighten up. “Just straightening up” is usually accompanied by muscle tension and distortion of the spine. It quickly leads to discomfort and fatigue, causing most people to return to slouching. Myth 2: The pelvis should be tucked to protect he back. Nearly everyone from fitness instructors and ance teachers to medical professionals makes the mistake of recommending a tucked pelvis. However, this is discordant with humans’ natural structure; anteverting (tipping) the pelvis preserves the spine’s natural shape and protects it from disc damage. Myth 3: Chin up and chest out constitutes good posture. Not only does this create tension, it exaggerates the cervical and lumbar curves, hindering circulation to these areas and potentially pinching nerve roots. Myth 4: Good posture takes mental and physical effort. The body wants to heal, and good posture feels good. As you practice new movements, they will become increasingly natural to your body. You do not need to be young, strong, flexible or physically fit o have good posture. C Esther Gokhale (
egwellness.com) is the author of
8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back (Pendo Press, 2008).
August
Psoriasis
Awareness
Month
Back myths
PSORIASIS IS a chronic autoimmune disease that affects
the life cycle of skin cells and
causes scaling and inflammation (manifested in pain,
swelling, heat and redness).
The National Institute of
Health estimates that as many
as 7. 5 million Americans suffer from psoriasis.
Skin cells normally grow
deep in the skin and slowly
rise to the surface—a process called cell turnover,
which takes about a month.
With psoriasis, it can happen
in just a few days because
the cells rise too fast and
pile up on the surface.
There are several types
of psoriasis. The most common form, plaque psoriasis,
appears as raised, red
patches or lesions covered
with a silvery white buildup
of dead skin cells, called
scale. Other psoriasis types
include nail, scalp, guttate,
inverse and pustular.
Psoriasis can occur on
any part of the body and is
hard to diagnose because it
can look like other skin diseases. It is often associated
with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes,
heart disease and depression.
If you suspect that you
may have psoriasis, see
your doctor for a complete
examination. Be sure to seek
medical advice if you experi-
ence the symptoms or if
your symptoms worsen or
don’t improve with treat-
ment. You may need a dif-
ferent medication or a
combination of treatments to
manage the psoriasis.
Walk to Cure Psoriasis
events are scheduled in 19
U.S. cities in 2010. Check for
event schedules and find
other resources on the
National Psoriasis Foundation
website,
www.psoriasis.org.
—David Wight
IMAGEZOO/JUPI TER IMAGES
AUGUST 2010 ;e Costco Connection 39
