Health & Wellness

Linda Gardner of Aurora wears a hat in the sun, even in the pool. Unless, it’s midnight swimming, she says with a laugh.

That’s because 15 years ago, her husband Mark noticed an odd spot on her back. On a hunch, she got it checked. Her dermatologist removed it and sent it to the laboratory. It came back precancerous.

“I’m sure it was from those first 20 summers of not using enough sunscreen,” says the fair-skinned redhead who is in her 50s. She now gets regular skin screenings to prevent cancer.

RETIREMENT YEARS AND SUN EXPOSURE

Linda is right, according to her doctor. “Ninety percent of sun exposure starts in first 20 years of your life,” says Dr. Monique Cohn, dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology in Twinsburg. “That’s when you feel no limit on the sun. Then, you get a job and you’re not outside as much.”

Sun exposure may increase during retirement years when activities such as fishing, gardening, boating and motorcycling get folks outdoors for longer hours. Ditching Northeast Ohio for sunnier climates also can expand the exposure.

“Even for adults, it’s worthwhile to be protected. It can still prevent cancers,” Dr. Cohn says. “Especially for men who are now balding and have their whole scalp now exposed, the head is an area we see a lot of pre-cancers developing. They should wear a cap or sunscreen.”

MAKE TIME FOR A CHECKUP

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, affecting one in five Americans, reports The American Academy of Dermatology. In 2016, an estimated 10,130 deaths in the United States will be attributed to the more aggressive melanoma cancer, while another 7,130 will be attributed to other forms of skin cancer. Those numbers have more than doubled since 1982.

Tanning beds are considered part of the problem. They have stronger skin damaging rays and should be avoided, Dr.

QUESTION: “The pain in my shoulder keeps me awake at night. What causes this, and what can I do?”

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ANSWER: One of the most common complaints I hear in my office is that a patient cannot sleep due to shoulder pain. It may seem that no matter what side you try to sleep on, it still hurts. Your shoulder might feel stiff, or a dull pain might become worse when you raise your arm or shift from side to side. You also might feel a muscle spasm or numbness and tingling in your fingers.

The shoulder is one of the most agile joints of the body, allowing movement in all directions. Because of this, it can be more susceptible to injury. Painful conditions also might arise from overuse because of a specific activity or shoulder motion that you make repetitively. Racquet and ball-throwing sports are some of the main culprits, but any repetitive shoulder motion can cause an overuse injury.

Typically, shoulder pain that gets worse at night might be caused by bursitis, tendinopathy or an injury to the rotator cuff.

Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa, which is a fluid-filled pad that provides a cushion to the bones of the joint. When injured, fluid in the bursa increases, and this swelling can be painful.

Biceps tendinopathy is usually the result of long-term overuse and deterioration of the biceps tendon that connects muscles and bones in the shoulder joint. Tendons may also get less flexible as we age and are more prone to injury. Tendinopathy is often part of the aging process. Biceps tendinopathy can give sharp pains in the arm with certain motions like reaching behind you.

Rotator cuff injuries usually involve a tear in these tendons. The rotator cuff includes four muscles that come together as tendons and connect your humerus bone to the shoulder blade.

If somnolence (also known as sleepiness) is what eludes you, then it’s time to start taking the problem more seriously.

Sleep issues often can be underdiagnosed because people think it’s just part of getting older, and they don’t raise their concerns with a doctor. That’s the word from a local sleep expert who’s made a career out of helping people fall — and stay asleep.

THE AGE FACTOR

“Don’t give up hope,” says Dr. Dennis Auckley, Director of MetroHealth’s Center for Sleep Medicine and associate professor of sleep medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

He cautions those suffering from sleep challenges to distinguish between the many causes of disruption, some of which are natural.

“Sleep architecture changes with age,” he says. “A person may sleep the same amount as in the past but they’re in a lighter stage when they aren’t dreaming and can be awakened easily, leading to the perception that they are not sleeping as well. It’s just normal physiology.”

Sleeping is an activity that consumes one third of our lives. It’s hard to ignore the role it plays, so disruption to it requires serious consideration.

SLEEPLESSNESS CAUSES

Two common causes of sleep disruption include apnea and menopause symptoms of hot flashes and hormone imbalance. Up to 18 percent of people 55 -70 suffer from apnea, and among those, three to five percent require therapy.

Snoring, a byproduct of apnea or its own issue, eventually becomes widespread as people get older. By age 50, 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women snore. By age 60, 55 percent of people snore, Dr. Kingman Strohl, Director of Sleep Medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and a professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University says.

The most common treatments for both apnea and snoring include weight loss, oral appliances, a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device, increasing fitness levels and positional therapy such as sleeping on your side.

As a second grader, Joy Keatley and her parents didn’t know she had a severe hearing loss in her left ear until she took the school hearing screening. With no diagnosis as to the cause or her age when the hearing loss may have occurred, Joy simply learned to live with it.

“At the time, hearing aids that could benefit my particular condition had yet to be invented,” says Keatley, now 55.

She made adjustments to accommodate the hearing loss. She remained involved in all the typical activities of an active child and young woman such as playing with friends, dating, socializing, going to school and eventually marrying and having children.

“My family and friends knew I needed some compromises and would try to meet my needs such as speaking toward my right side, seating me at the table a certain way, etc.,” she says. “Sometimes my hearing loss was an annoyance – such as riding in a car and having a hard time hearing conversations in the back seat – but it never kept me from doing what I wanted to do.”

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

Although Joy did not let her hearing loss slow her down or affect the quality of her work, she did notice that some of the compromises she had to make for it were taking it’s toll.

Her job as a senior clinical office manager at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center requires her to talk on the phone, and she has to awkwardly hold the phone between her neck and shoulder to be hands-free for typing.

Keatley says she was unable to wear a phone headset because she needed to be able to have her right ear (her “hearing ear”) available to listen to the person who was standing at her desk. Over time, this put strain on her back.

Snow removal might seem like a dreaded wintry task in Northeast Ohio, but don’t let it take you down.

Shoveling and even snowblowing can cause serious injuries to limbs, joints and the spine. The exertion can stress your heart, too.

Nationwide, more than 11,000 adults and children are hospitalized due to shoveling injuries each year, according to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine (AJEM). The most common injuries include sprains and strains, particularly in the back and shoulders, as well as lacerations, broken bones and heart attacks.

“Know your limits,” says Mike Mager, licensed physical therapy assistant with Portage Physical Therapists in Ravenna. “Listen to your body. Take frequent rest breaks. Don’t overdo. If you have a chronic condition, hire someone else to do snow removal at your home.”

HEART CARE

Lifting heavy snow, especially in the early morning hours when the heart is most susceptible to coronary events, can be deadly.

The AJEM study found that cardiac-related injuries during snow removal accounted for 100 percent of the more than 1,600 snow removal fatalities that occurred in the U.S. over a 16-year period. Snow shoveling can raise heart rates above recommended limits after only two minutes of digging.

No one who has a cardiac stent or a history of cardiovascular disease should shovel snow. People who don’t exercise regularly should pace themselves and take breaks. If you get tired or if you experience any chest pain or shortness of breath, stop, rest or contact a doctor.

Age affects risk. Adults over 55 are 4.25 times more likely than younger people to have heart-related symptoms while shoveling. The National Safety Council warns that those over 40 years old and relatively inactive should be careful while shoveling snow. Stretch before starting, take it slow and only pick up a small amount of snow at a time to avoid injury, the organization advises.