Treatment for peripheral neuropathy, Kegel muscle exercise for incontinence relief, Memory foam support orthopedic conditions in seniors, SeniorSSuperStoreS Keeping in Touch newslsetter

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This issue of Keeping in Touch deals with several matters of interest to Prime Time Surfers:

1.) Think twice before discarding that old computer

2.) Memory Foam support for orthopedic conditions in seniors

3.) Home treatment for peripheral neuropathy

4.) What did we do without Spellcheckers on our computers?

5.) The real deal on your credit file privacy - bogus email explained

6.) Kegel exercising for incontinence relief

7.) Your Subscription Details

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1.) Think Twice Before Discarding That Old Computer

(Courtesy of the Better Business Bureau's BBBOnline)

So, you've finally decided to upgrade to a new computer? Then you should be very careful how you dispose of that older, slower computer that was replaced.

Most of us would never think of giving a total stranger access to everything we have on our computers - things like checking account information, our investments, our old email, tax returns, our medical information.

All that, and probably a lot more, are residing on the hard drives of our computers. According to a recent article in PC World magazine, some very bad things can happen if you don't take special precautions when you dispose of your old computer and its hard drive.

PC World bought or salvaged ten hard drives in the Boston, Massachusetts area. When they examined the drives, nine of the ten contained sensitive personal information.

According to PC World:

"A Boston computer store sold us a hard drive previously owned by an accountant--and crammed with four years' worth of his clients' payroll and tax information and employee Social Security numbers. The accountant said that his nephew, who worked at a computer store, had removed the drive while upgrading his old computer several months earlier. The accountant said that he never thought to ask his nephew what had become of the hard drive.

Similarly, a Salvation Army store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sold us a PC that had once belonged to an attorney; it still contained bank account numbers, an active America Online account (and a stored password), and draft legal documents on its hard drive."

Even though 4 of the 9 users had tried to delete these sensitive files, they didn't succeed. Some believed that by simply "removing" the files from their computer, they had protected themselves. Although others took the extra step of reformatting their hard drive, the data can be recovered using one of several programs.

What can you do? PC World recommends using one of several commercially-available utilities that not only erase the data, but overwrite the hard drive so that the old data cannot subsequently be recovered.

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2.) Memory Foam Support for Orthopedic Conditions in Seniors

Baby boomers, seniors and the elderly seem to suffer from a variety of "aches and pains," and we are constantly looking for solutions, especially solutions that don't come out of a pill bottle!

Has your physician or chiropractor recommended you get a foam support product to provide relief for your back pain, neck pain, headaches, to improve your posture, or to help you sit or sleep more comfortably?

Do you have trouble sitting for extended periods of time, such as in front of your computer?

Is that favorite easy chair, that is soooo comfortable, actually causing you back and leg pain, but you don't know how to add the right cushioning to ease the problems?

Are you aware that one of the most common causes of sciatica (that sharp, shooting pain that runs down your leg) is the position of your back and legs while you sleep?

People who suffer from these problems have tried various foam cushioning products over the years with little success. Why? One of the most common reasons is the fact that most consumer-directed foam products are too soft and "squishy" - almost like not having any support at all. The solution has been to try to find higher quality foam support products that were both economically priced and comfortable (i.e., not too hard).

Then, along came a new consumer-product known as "memory foam" made from visco-elastic foam rubber. Several companies have been marketing these products over the years, but the price has been too prohibitive for many seniors and the elderly to afford them. Thankfully, that has begun to change recently.

What is memory foam?

Visco-elastic memory foam was originally developed by NASA and used on space shuttles to relieve pressure on astronauts caused by G-Forces during take off. It is several times denser than regular polyurethane foams, is temperature sensitive, and it always recovers to its original shape. It is also called slow-recovery foam. Due to its distinctive property in relieving pressure, memory foam has been developed into many products such as pillows, wedges, supports, etc.

What benefits does memory foam offer?

Memory foam offers the following benefits that, in combination, provide the ultimate stress and pressure-relieving support:

Memory foam has higher density and thus is more supportive and conforms to your body more.

Memory foam is temperature sensitive. In normal temperature, it is firm; but when you use it, it reacts to your body temperature and molds to your shape. This way, it minimizes the pressure points, distributes the weight more evenly and provides customized support.

High quality memory foam often has open cell structure that breathes better and helps distribute the weight evenly.

Are all memory foams the same?

No. There are huge differences in quality:

One of the key differences is density. Usually, the denser the foam, the more supportive it is and the more it conforms to your body. High density foam (e.g., 6lb/ft3) is usually made with a molding process while low density (e.g., 3.5lb/ft3) is the result of a foaming-and-cutting process.

Durability is another important quality aspect. Due to manufacturing differences, some foams lose their "slow recovery" property over a short period of time while high quality foams never lose their resiliency.

Cell structure is also important. High density, high quality foams usually have much smaller cells and thus many more cells per unit volume. This helps the foam breathe better and thus distributes weight more evenly.

How do I know which memory foam product is high quality?

Hold It: A high density memory foam product is heavier than other products of the same size.

Press It: If you use your hand to put pressure on the foam, it should recover to its original shape slowly. If the foam recovers too quickly, then the quality is probably lower.

Look at It: High quality foam usually has smaller and denser cell structure. If you see big cells, then the foam�s quality is probably lower.

Use It: If the foam loses its supportive property and feels like a regular foam after being used for a short period of time, then its quality is low. High quality foam maintains its resiliency even after a long period of time.

To learn more of the qualities of Memory Foam support products and to discover how you may buy support products made of Memory Foam, we invite you to go to Memory Foam Support for Orthopedic Conditions in Seniors and see our selection of these Memory Foam products in our .Health Products department.

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3.) Home Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy

What is peripheral neuropathy? Peripheral Neuropathy is a nerve condition that affects the arms, hands, legs, and feet. The most common form of peripheral neuropathy is due to diabetes.

People with diabetes have an abnormal elevation of their blood sugar and lack adequate insulin to metabolize the blood sugar. As a consequence, the blood glucose (sugar) abnormally enters certain nerve tissue and damages the nerve. This can occur in any type of diabetes. It does not matter if the patient is on insulin, is taking pills, or is diet controlled. The nerve damage that occurs is considered to be permanent.

As the nerve damage occurs, the protective sensations are affected. These include a person�s ability to determine the difference between sharp and dull, hot and cold, pressure differences, and vibration. These senses become dulled and/or altered. The process begins as a burning sensation in the toes and progresses up the foot in a "stocking distribution". As the condition progresses, the feet become more and more numb. Some people will feel as though a pair of socks on their feet, when in fact they do not. Other patients will describe the feeling of walking on cotton, or a water-filled cushion. Some patients complain of their feet burn at night, making it difficult to sleep. The feet may also feel like they are cold, however, to the touch, they have normal skin temperature. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is not reversible. The progression of the condition can be slowed or halted by maintaining normal blood glucose levels.

As patients develop diabetic neuropathy, they have a greater risk of developing skin ulcerations and infections. Areas of corns and calluses on the feet represent areas of excessive friction or pressure. These areas, if not properly cared for by a foot specialist, will often break down and cause ulcerations. Ulcerations and infection can form under the calloused area. These calloused areas may not be painful. As a result, they can progress to ulceration without being noticed. Ingrown toenails can progress to severe infections in people with neuropathy. Simple things like trimming the toenails present a risk to these patients because they may accidentally cut the skin and not feel it. People with neuropathy must be very cautious and inspect their feet daily.

Final progression leads to amputations. What is needed for treatment is a way to stimulate the venus muscle pump, cause the nerves to regenerate, reduce pain and numbness and regain normal sensation.

Learn more about peripheral neuropathy (and the many products we offer to both relieve the pain and enable you to live more confortably with the condition) by going to our Peripheral Neuropathy department.

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4.) What Did We Do Without Spellcheckers On Our Computers?

This is funny but hard to read unless you pronounce the words outloud or in your mind.

Eye halve a spelling chequer.
It came with my pea sea.
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write.
It shows me straight a weigh.

As soon as a must ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite.
Its rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it.
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh;
My chequer tolled me sew.

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5.) The Real Deal on Your Credit File Privacy - Bogus Email Explained

(Courtesy of the Better Business Bureau's BBBOnline)

The Federal Trade Commission has again alerted consumers about an anonymous email containing false and misleading information about the use of personal information. The information continues to show up in email in-boxes across the country, leaving many consumers concerned and confused.

Here's what the bogus email says:

"Just wanted to let everyone know who hasn't already heard, the four major credit bureaus in the U.S. will be allowed, starting July 1, to release your credit info, mailing addresses, phone numbers... to anyone who requests it. If you would like to "opt out" of this release of info, you can call 1-888-567-8688. It only takes a couple of minutes to do."

Here's the real deal from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency that enforces the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA):

The July 1 deadline relates to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB), which set July 1, 2001 as the deadline for financial institutions to give you notice of their privacy policies and a way for you to opt-out of some of their information-sharing practices. You may recall getting mailings or statement inserts recently from your financial institutions, creditors, insurance companies and brokerage firms about this. The July 1 date is not a deadline for consumers to do anything. In fact, consumers can contact their financial institutions anytime to opt-out under GLB.

Credit bureaus can release your credit information only to people with a legitimate business need, as recognized by the FCRA. For example, a company is allowed to get your report if you apply for credit, insurance, employment, or to rent an apartment.

In addition to the uses described above, lenders and insurers may use information in your credit file as a basis for sending you unsolicited offers of credit or insurance. This is known as "prescreening." However, you have a right to opt out of these offers. The toll-free number - 1-888-567-8688 - is the "opt-out" line for the major credit bureaus for "prescreened" offers only.

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6.) Kegel Muscle Exercise for Incontinence Relief

Over 190 million adults are afflicted with incontinence, and 85% are women, most of them seniors. Urinary incontinence affects 3 out of 4 senior women and causes grim physical as well as psychological consequences. The most common form of the disorder is urinary incontinence, which leads to uncontrollable leakage of urine while laughing, coughing, sneezing or lifting - to severe cases where the disorder causes total loss of control of urinary function. Severe or not, the condition deserves critical attention.

Incontinence is caused by laxity of the PC muscle. During urination, muscles located along the walls of the bladder contract forcing urine out of the bladder and into the urethra. Laxity in the PC muscle leads to improper release and hold functions necessary in the control of urination.

Incontinence often occurs after childbirth. During labor, the PC muscles are stretched out of shape or damaged. Without the proper rehabilitation exercises, these muscles lose their ability to properly control excretory function - especially as women age. In addition, many senior women experience sexual dysfunction as well as a loss in sensitivity and enjoyment during sexual activity. Social anxiety as well as depression often set in, as the sufferer feels inadequate in the control of her bodily functions.

Due to the embarrassing nature of the dysfunction, many women do not seek proper treatment. Left untreated, incontinence causes rashes and skin infections, along with other psychological and social disorders. Others who do seek treatment often turn to invasive and costly surgery to cure the problem. Over 100,000 women are hospitalized each year as a result. Many of these surgeries could be avoided through proper exercise of the PC muscle.

In 1948, gynecologist Dr. Arnold Kegel discovered the pelvic floor, or PC muscle and developed an exercise designed to cure the disorder. Dr. Kegel realized that the simple exercise of contracting and relaxing the PC muscle resulted in the muscle becoming tighter and stronger. The exercise later named "kegels" was found to increase muscle volume and resulted in stronger reflex contractions. Dr. Kegel went on to develop variations on the exercise targeted towards women with damaged PC muscles due to childbirth or naturally occurring incontinence. However, because of the difficulty of targeting the muscle, more than half of all women who try the exercise target the wrong muscle and, as a result, do not see any improvement in their condition.

We have a series of articles on the subject of Kegel exercises in the Women's Health section of our Free Health Resources in our Community Room. The article titles are "Kegel Exercising for More Pleasureable Sex", "Kegel Exercising for Incontinence Relief" and "Childbirth and Incontinence - Exercising the Kegel Muscles." We cover quite a bit of subject matter on this subject - - simply too much to cover in this brief newsletter. And, you can purchase the product that is designed to help you strenghten your Kegel muscle in our Women's Health department.

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7.) Your Subscription Details

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