Older women and men are susceptible to urinary tract infections. Symptoms include painful and frequent urination, a sense of urgency to urinate, and pain in the area of the bladder. In older people, symptoms may take the form of behavioral changes only.
Many MRI scans ordered for people with lower back pain are not medically necessary.
A bulging abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can be deadly, but only certain men should be checked for one with ultrasound. Men age 65 to 75 who have ever smoked are at high enough risk to make the test worth having.
Sweetened sodas, sports drinks, and fruit drinks may be the cause of 25,000 deaths per year in the United States.
Atrial fibrillation, a common heart -rhythm disorder, may increase the risk of memory loss, a decline in thinking skills, or dementia.
Before going on vacation, people with heart disease should make sure it’s safe to fly and pack pertinent medical information and more than enough medications. Buying air ambulance or repatriation insurance before leaving home may also be wise.
To reduce concerns about mercury in fish, limit consumption of higher-mercury fish to two times a week, but eat lower-mercury species more freely.
Aspirin may lower women’s risk for melanoma. The longer women take aspirin, the lower their risk appears to be. However, because aspirin can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, women need to use it with caution.