|
|
|
SAFE
Aging Newsletter |
|
| |
|
|
Volume 3, Issue 11 |
|
Self
Screening |
|
|
April 2007 |
| |
|
| |
|
In This Issue:
- Balance
- Hearing
- Vision
- Mental Health
The
Importance of Self Screening
Self
screening can detect signs and symptoms that could lead to ill
health, illness or injury. Early detection can mean early
preventive treatment.
This
issue includes quizzes about balance, hearing, vision and mental
health. If signs or symptoms are identified, print quiz results
to take to the next doctor's visit. We include terrific internet
resources to learn more information about these topics.
1. Balance
| |
Yes |
No |
Sometimes |
| Do you feel unsteady when you walk? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel like you are moving when you
really aren't? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have a sensation of floating? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel like the room is spinning? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have a "woozy" feeling? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Have you lost your balance lately? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Have you fallen lately? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel like things you are seeing are
blurry? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel disoriented? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel dizzy? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel lightheaded? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do your feelings appear or disappear over
short periods of time? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have other experiences such as any of
the following? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Faintness
- Changes in heart rate and blood pressure
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Panic
|
|
|
|
Results
If you answered "yes" or "sometimes" to the questions about
balance, let your doctor know about it. Any "yes" or "sometimes"
answers could be a symptom. The cause of the symptoms should be
determined to reduce the risk of ill health or injury. Early
identification of the cause of these symptoms can prevent or
reduce illness and injuries.
Recommendations
The best thing to do is make an appointment with the doctor.
Print the results of the quiz and take to the doctor. Determine
when, where and how symptoms happen. Try to be specific. For
instance, do the symptoms occur in the morning, afternoon, or
evening? Do they happen after a getting up from the bed or a
chair? Do they happen after taking medication, etc.?
Don't forget to include a specific list of all the medications
you take, the dosage, and the time schedule you take your
medications. These answers will help your doctor to find out the
cause of the symptoms you are experiencing.
Article Resources:
View/print this quiz in PDF
Ø
Back to Top
2. Hearing
Hearing loss can be caused by aging, noise, injury, tumors,
medicines, heart conditions, virus and other diseases. The loss
of hearing can be annoying to self and others. It can also be
life threatening if warning signs or sounds cannot be heard.
| |
Yes |
No |
Sometimes |
| Do you have trouble hearing
someone talk to you on the telephone? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you miss words or phrases
when listening to the television? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do people seem to mumble when
they speak to you? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you often ask people to
repeat themselves? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have trouble hearing
when there are background noises? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you misunderstand words when
spoken to? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do loud noises seem to cause a
ringing, roaring or hissing sound in the ears? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have to strain to hear
others speak to you? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have to strain to listen
to women or children's voices? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do people around you complain
about the volume of the television or radio? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
Results
If you answered "yes" or "sometimes" to the hearing quiz, you
may need to have your hearing checked by your doctor or
audiologist. A loss of hearing can be dangerous especially when
unable to hear warning signs such as a car horn, siren,
ambulance, warning shout, etc. Once hearing is lost, it can't be
returned. Early recognition of hearing loss can improve quality
of life and could prevent or reduce further hearing loss.
Recommendations
Print the results of the hearing quiz and take to the doctor.
Your doctor can refer you to hearing specialists such as an
audiologist or a doctor who specializes in the treatment of the
ears called an otolaryngologists.
Article resources:
View/print this quiz in PDF
Ø
Back to Top
3. Vision
| |
Yes |
No |
Sometimes |
| Have you had a sudden change in
vision? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do things look dim? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you see flashes of light? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have pain in your eye or
eyes? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you see double of things? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have any fluid coming
out of your eyes? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Are the whites of your eyes a
different color? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Is your vision blurry? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do colors seem faded? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Does glare bother you? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Have you been frequently
changing your prescription glasses? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Are you having more trouble
seeing at night? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Is there a blind spot in your
field of vision? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do straight lines appear to be
wavy? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Are you noticing details do not
seem to be as clear? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
Results
Any "yes" or "sometimes" answer is a cause for concern, as these
are symptoms that could be an indicator of disease, illness or
injury. Timely treatment is absolutely vital to prevent or
reduce vision loss.
Recommendations
If you have answered "yes' or "sometimes" to any quiz questions
above, make an immediate appointment with either an optometrist
or ophthalmologist.
If you have answered no to all the quiz questions, be sure to
have an annual preventive examination anyway. An easy way to
remember this important check up is to see the eye specialist
the same time every year, such as near your birthday or a
memorable holiday. Also, remember to wear sunglasses to protect
from UV sunlight and eat lots of colorful vegetables.
Article Resources:
View/print this quiz in PDF
New and Noteworthy -
BigKeys by Greystone Digital
BigKeys LX is a standard size keyboard with 60
one-inch-square keys, providing all essential key functions. The
large keytops and high-contrast black on white lettering make
the keys much easier to see and press.
Included on BigKeys LX:
- Choice of ABC key order or standard QWERTY key order.
- Built-in "Assist Mode" that works in conjunction with
Windows' Accessibility Features to allow complete use with one
hand, one finger, or a pointer device.
BigKeys keyboards are for all PC / Windows computers.
Compatible with all operating systems and major software
packages. No special driver or additional software is required!
For more information, visit
www.bigkeys.com
Ø
Back to Top
4. Mental Health
| |
Yes |
No |
Sometimes |
| Do you feel like you are excessively
worried? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel like you have too much tension? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel irritable or on the edge? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Are you restless? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have difficulty concentrating? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have trouble falling or staying
asleep? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have difficulty sleeping? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you sleep too much? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel rested after waking up? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you get sudden feelings of terror for no
reason? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| At the same time, do you experience |
|
|
|
Fast heartbeat
|
□ |
□ |
□ |
Chest pain
|
□ |
□ |
□ |
Breathing difficulty
|
□ |
□ |
□ |
Dizziness
|
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you persistently feel sad or "empty"
mood? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have feelings of hopelessness or
pessimism? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have feelings of guilt? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you feel "worthless" or "helpless"? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Have you lost interest or pleasure in
hobbies and activities that you once enjoyed? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have thoughts of death or suicide? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Have you made suicide attempts? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Do you have persistent physical symptoms
that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches,
digestive disorders, and chronic pain? |
□ |
□ |
□ |
Mania
| |
Yes |
No |
Sometimes |
| Abnormal or excessive elation
|
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Unusual irritability |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Decreased need for sleep |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Grandiose notions |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Increased talking |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Racing thoughts |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Increased sexual desire |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Markedly increased energy |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Poor judgment |
□ |
□ |
□ |
| Inappropriate social behavior
|
□ |
□ |
□ |
Result
If you had combinations of "yes" or "sometimes" answers to the
above symptoms list, let your doctor know about it. It is
important to determine the cause or causes. There are many
conditions that can cause symptoms listed above. Treatment to
get rid of symptoms is available, but it requires working
together with your doctor or other specialists.
Recommendation
To prevent needless suffering and pain, we recommend telling
your doctor about your personal feelings and experiences with
these symptoms. Take the completed quiz with you, to begin your
discussion. Early identification and treatment can dramatically
improve the quality of life, health and safety.
CRISIS
Sometimes depression can cause people to feel like putting
themselves in harm’s way, or killing themselves. Although the
majority of people with depression do not die by suicide, having
depression does increase suicide risk compared to people without
depression.
If you are thinking about suicide, get help immediately:
- Call your doctor’s office.
- Call 911 for emergency services.
- Go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
Where to Get Help
Listed below are the types of people and places that will make a
referral to, or provide, diagnostic and treatment services.
-
Family doctors
-
Mental health specialists, such as
psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or mental health
counselors
-
Religious leaders/counselors
-
Health maintenance organizations
-
Community mental health centers
-
Hospital psychiatry departments and
outpatient clinics
-
University or medical school
affiliated programs
-
State hospital outpatient clinics
-
Social service agencies
-
Private clinics and facilities
-
Employee assistance programs
-
Local medical and/or psychiatric
societies
Within the Federal government, the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers a “Services
Locator” for mental health and substance abuse treatment
programs and resources nationwide. Visit their Web site at
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/ or call
1-800-789-2647 (toll free).
For more information, refer to any of the Internet
articles below.
Article Resources:
View/print these quizzes
in PDF
Ø
Back to Top
|
SAFE AGING
LEARNING CENTER
This is a reminder to
take a look at the
SAFE AGING LEARNING CENTER. There is something for
everyone in our learning center. There are excellent
resources to learn about safety, health, injury prevention
and other useful resources and information. We add to this
list continually for your learning pleasure. |
Ø
Back to Top
Article Submissions
We invite interested authors to submit
theme based articles for the SAFE Aging newsletter. Please send
submissions in either .doc or .rtf format, Ariel 10pt. font, and
with a 300 word maximum. Articles should be written in an easy
to read format to meet the needs of a varied readership
including seniors, family members of seniors, caregivers and
other senior service providers.
Topics should in some way be related to
health, safety or injury prevention. Articles may not be an
advertisement for services and must be informative or helpful.
Author photo and contact information may be included.
There is no guarantee that submitted
articles will be published. Generally, articles will be held
until the appropriate monthly theme. All articles become the
property of SAFE Aging and are subject to editing.
We now have advertising opportunities
based on monthly, semi-annual or annual advertising rates.
Please contact
newsletter@safeaging.com for details.
Ø
Back to Top
|
