Living Well: Taking Care of Your Health in the Middle and Later Years

by Fries, James F.

• ISBN13: 9780738204246
• ISBN10: 0738204242
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

Medical care allows us to live longer, but to enjoy life we need to stay healthy. Living Well presents a thorough but unstressful program for keeping in good mental and physical shape as we grow older, with advice on everything from choosing a doctor to having a happy sex life. Here you will find up-to-date information about how many diseases associated with aging, such as osteoarthritis, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, can be avoided or put off, along with clear advice on financial planning, medications, and keeping your mind active.This edition of Living Well has been improved with forty-five easy-to-use decision charts and large easy-to-read print. Always mindful of helping readers make and preserve choices in medical care, Drs. Vickery and Fries have designed each chart-on hip pain to incontinence to diet and exercise-to provide valuable advice on solving a specific problem of later life.

Author Biography

James F. Fries, M.D., is Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.

Table of Contents

To the Reader	xiii
Preface	xiv
How to Use This Book	xvi
Acknowledgments	xvii
PART I Vitality and Aging	1	(76)
Aging Versus Vitality	2	(19)
The Bad News: You Can't Live Forever	4	(4)
Better News: You Will Probably Live Longer Than You Think	8	(2)
The Best News: You Can Stay Vital	10	(8)
Principal Principles	18	(3)
Avoiding Fatal Illnesses	21	(16)
Prevention of Specific Diseases	24	(1)
Atherosclerosis	25	(3)
Cancer	28	(3)
Emphysema	31	(1)
Cirrhosis	32	(1)
Diabetes	32	(1)
Trauma	33	(2)
The Limits of Prevention	35	(2)
Avoiding Nonfatal Diseases	37	(11)
Osteoarthritis	38	(1)
Back Problems	39	(1)
Hernias	40	(1)
Hemorrhoids	41	(1)
Varicose Veins	42	(1)
Thrombophlebitis	43	(1)
Gallbladder Disease	43	(1)
Ulcers	44	(1)
Bladder Infections	45	(1)
Dental Problems	45	(1)
Prevention of Surgery	46	(2)
Avoiding Some of the Problems of Aging	48	(10)
Osteoporosis	50	(1)
Falls and Fractures	51	(1)
Medication Side Effects	52	(1)
Cataracts	53	(1)
Corneal Opacification	54	(1)
Hearing Loss	54	(1)
Memory Loss	55	(1)
Dependence	56	(1)
Using Your Master Plan for a Better Life	57	(1)
Reject the Stereotype	58	(7)
Facing the Stereotype	60	(1)
Creating a New Image	61	(4)
The Psychology of Healthy Aging: Choices, Coping, Optimization, and Growth	65	(12)
Avoid Learned Helplessness	67	(2)
Develop Self-efficacy	69	(1)
Choose the Right Coping Strategies	70	(1)
Optimize Selectively and Compensate	71	(2)
Use the Life Cycle to Your Advantage	73	(2)
Growth	75	(2)
PART II The Basic Strategy for Living Well	77	(138)
Five Keys to a Healthy Senior Lifestyle	78	(28)
Exercise	79	(10)
Diet and Nutrition	89	(8)
Smoking	97	(3)
Alcohol	100	(1)
Obesity	101	(3)
Other Health Habits	104	(2)
The Doctor	106	(13)
Choosing the Right Doctor	106	(5)
Negotiating a Plan	111	(4)
The Checkup	115	(4)
Medications	119	(12)
Your Defense Mechanisms	119	(3)
The Declining Dose Requirement---A Central Principle	122	(2)
Multiple Problems and Multiple Medications	124	(2)
Cutting Back	126	(1)
Vitamins and Minerals	127	(2)
A Word on Water	129	(1)
The Bottom Line	129	(2)
The Healthy Head	131	(12)
Jogging the Memory	132	(6)
Exercising the Mind	138	(2)
Fighting Depression	140	(1)
Wisdom	141	(2)
Senior Sexuality	143	(6)
Changes with Age	143	(1)
The Woman	144	(1)
The Man	145	(2)
The Situation	147	(2)
The Healthy Home	149	(8)
Ease and Routine: The Yearly Inventory	149	(3)
Protection Against Injury: The Safety Inventory	152	(5)
Retirement	157	(20)
Options	158	(6)
Finances	164	(13)
Completing the Plan: Advance Directives	177	(15)
The Living Will	183	(1)
The Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care	184	(2)
The Durable Power of Attorney for Financial/Asset Management	186	(1)
The Last Will and Testament	187	(3)
The Easy Way Out	190	(1)
Completing the Plan	191	(1)
Surviving Chronic Illness with Style: Secondary Prevention	192	(23)
Coping and Compensation	194	(1)
Arthritis	195	(5)
Osteoporosis	200	(3)
High Blood Pressure	203	(6)
Diabetes	209	(2)
Alzheimer's Disease	211	(3)
Chronic Conclusions	214	(1)
PART III Solutions	215	(147)
For Pain
Muscle and Joint Pain	220	(4)
Low Back Pain	224	(4)
Neck Pain	228	(4)
Finger Pain	232	(3)
Wrist Pain	235	(3)
Elbow Pain	238	(3)
Shoulder Pain	241	(4)
Hip Pain	245	(4)
Knee Pain	249	(4)
Ankle Pain	253	(3)
Heel Pain	256	(3)
Pain in the Ball of the Foot	259	(3)
Pain at Night	262	(3)
Pain after Exercise	265	(3)
Problems with Fatigue	268	(4)
Morning Stiffness	272	(3)
For the Skin
Spots, Wrinkles, and Baldness	275	(3)
Lumps and Bumps	278	(4)
For the Heart
Chest Pain	282	(4)
Shortness of Breath	286	(3)
Irregular Heart Rhythm or Palpitations	289	(3)
Leg Swelling	292	(3)
For the Lungs
Wheezing	295	(3)
Emphysema	298	(3)
For the Bowels
Heartburn	301	(3)
Nausea	304	(3)
Vomiting	307	(3)
Diarrhea	310	(3)
Constipation	313	(3)
Abdominal Pain	316	(3)
Rectal Pain	319	(3)
For the Urinary Tract
Incontinence	322	(3)
Difficult Urination in Males	325	(3)
Difficult Urination in Females	328	(3)
For Women Only
Breast Examination and Mammography	331	(3)
The Gynecological Examination and the Pap Smear	334	(3)
For Problems with Daily Activities
Getting Dressed	337	(3)
Using the Toilet	340	(3)
Washing	343	(3)
Gripping Handles	346	(2)
Opening Jars	348	(2)
Eating	350	(3)
Climbing Stairs	353	(3)
Walking	356	(3)
Sleeping	359	(3)
Index	362