Page 10 - Boca Club News - April '21

Page 10, Boca Club News

From The Professionals’ Desks

Reality Check √ – Healthy Answers on

Living & Loving Life: “Stretch for Life”

By Dale Brown, B.S., M.A., C.E.C. in collagen, the protein found in connective tissue. Collagen This can be done following a workout or after easy walking
Dale is a motivational speaker fibers in skin, muscle sheath, bone, tendons, ligaments and and arm pumping. The key is to lengthen individual muscle
who has spent many years as a cartilage begin to stick together, making them less elastic. fibers, increase circulation, remove waste products (lactic
Certified Life Coach and has written The less active you are, the more your joints stiffen up. acid), and reduce muscle soreness. If workouts are not for
numerous articles and e-books Some people jump out of bed early in the morning to you, take a hot shower to warm your muscles before you
relating to self-improvement and begin strenuous exercise with little to no warm-up. I’m not stretch.
ways to build a high-performance surprised that many suffer with back problems. I recently Stretch a minimum of every third day for 10-20 minutes
team. Her education and years of joined a few guys for lunch, after their golf game, and the to keep your muscles supple. Work up to include stretching
experience in physical fitness and topic of conversation revolved around their aches and pains. once a day. Begin with gentle stretches, especially parts of
training of elite athletes has enabled her to sharpen her One was sporting a back brace, another in need of pain the body that are particularly tight, then stretch more often
knowledge in many health-related areas. The following is medication, and yet another confessed his back locked up for longer periods of time as it becomes routine.
one in a series of columns devoted to many topics that deal and he could barely finish the last hole. The conversation Static stretching is slow, with no bouncing. Once you
with the mind/body connection and the importance of living was unbelievable, but true! have stretched as far as you can without pain, hold the
a healthy lifestyle. Dale, a Bocaire resident, can be reached For as long as I’ve known my husband, he has included position for 15 to 30 seconds. Concentrate on the part of the
at dalebrown@lovingmondays.com. stretching in his morning regimen. His practice takes only body being stretched and breathe into it. Relax and breathe
What have you been doing to keep yourself fit during about 20 minutes to complete, and he never misses a day. deeply for greatest results.
the pandemic? He claims there is no way he could swing a golf club, swim Dynamic stretching means that your body is continuously
It’s been one long year of social distancing, masking up, laps, or bike for miles without a proper warm-up. moving, even while stretching, as well as increasing your
and staying close to home. Although fitness centers have Flexibility exercises keep your body limber by stretching muscle’s temperature. It will prepare your body for different
opened their doors to members, many people still hold the muscles and tissues that hold your body’s structure in types of movement that will be needed in whatever game
back from returning to their indoor exercise routine. We place. Being more limber helps your equilibrium and gives you’re playing, such as tennis, golf, or baseball.
are fortunate to live in a state that offers opportunities to you the range of motion needed to live independently. It’s important to relax your entire body and focus on the
stay active by walking, running, bicycling, swimming, or Stretching deepens and slows your breathing down, muscles being stretched. Keep your body in alignment, and
playing golf. Whether you exercise or not, there is one thing allowing more oxygen to flow through your veins and to don’t push to the point that you feel it in your lower back
that is vitally important to your overall health: stretching! your brain. There is a peacefulness that results from slow, or neck. Take it slow and steady. Stretching should bring
When you wake in the morning, does it take you a while, static stretching that helps you to be more relaxed. you peace, both physically and mentally.
not only to open your eyes, but also to straighten up? Those The best thing about stretching is how it makes you Maintaining flexibility throughout your lifetime is
first few movements of sitting up, getting out of bed, and feel. It improves your posture and brings awareness to your probably one of the most important factors affecting the
taking a walk to the bathroom may make you feel like whole body. Throughout my life the practice of yoga has quality of life as you age. I can tell you from experience
you’ve aged 10 years during the night. Joints stiffen and it always taken priority. I can personally vouch for its health that learning the correct way to stretch with proper breathing
takes some moving to get you going again. benefits of relieving stress and anxiety, and lowering blood techniques will make the difference in how you feel, and
So often we take our physical abilities for granted until pressure and breathing rate. will improve your exercise experience as well.
something happens that reminds us that our bodies are If yoga is not your thing, you can still achieve results You might not win another game of Twister, but who
not as young as they used to be. Suddenly you realize you by adding stretching to your daily routine. Here are a few knows, you may find your toes are still within your reach.
can’t easily get up off the floor, put on your shoes, or clip a important things to keep in mind: Happy stretching!
toenail. As we age, flexibility decreases due to the change The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warm.
Medical Matters: Cataracts

By Richard Nagler, M.D., a member Smoking, excessive exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet rays,
of Broken Sound Club and retired excessive alcohol consumption, obesity and hypertension are
physician. After graduating from risk factors.
the University of Pennsylvania and The diagnosis is made by conducting a visual acuity
It’s Time To Travel Again! New York University’s School of examination using a slit lamp, which magnifies the structures
of the eye, including the cornea, iris, lens and the space
Medicine, Dr. Nagler served his
Now is the time to start planning your internship and residency at Baltimore between the lens and cornea. After dilating the pupil, the
City Hospital and Johns Hopkins. He
retina at the back of the eye and a cataract can be examined
next luxury vacation for late 2021 followed that with a Fellowship in and evaluated.
and into 2022. Whether you prefer Gastroenterology at Yale University School of Medicine, and Changing the prescription of glasses or contact lenses
cruising or taking a land vacation, we was then Chief of Gastroenterology at Fitzimmons General may be of some value initially, but when they fail surgery to
Army Hospital in Denver. He returned to the Yale Medical
remove the clouded lens and replace it with a clear artificial
will curate an itinerary that will deliver School for one year as an Assistant Professor of Medicine intralocular lens positioned permanently in the same place
unforgettable memories. before opening his own successful private practice in Internal as the patient’s lens is the only option. These lenses are
Medicine and Gastroenterology. During that time, he also corrective only for myopia (near vision) or hyperopia
Elevate Your Expectations! served for ten years as Chief of Medicine at Huntington (far vision), and patients will need reading glasses. Some
Hospital in Huntington, N.Y.
intraocular lenses correct for astigmatism, as does the newer
A cataract is defined as clouding of the lens in an eye. technique of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract removal,
It is likened to looking through a fogged-up window. The which creates small incisions to reduce astigmatism.
lens becomes less flexible, less transparent and thicker, However, there are lenses available that correct myopia,
which blocks and scatters light as it passes through the hyperopia and presbyopia (close vision). These lenses allow
lens, resulting in blurring of an image reaching the retina. a greater freedom from glasses at all distances, but these
Most cataracts develop slowly, often with one eye worse special lenses as well as those that correct astigmatism are
than the other, but with no visual disturbances. However, expensive and not covered by Medicare.
as they progress, interference with vision will occur. This Cataract surgery is done on an outpatient basis with the
is manifested by clouded blurred vision, difficulty seeing patient awake or lightly anesthetized with anesthetic drops
well at night, sensitivity to light and glare, halos around and IV agents such as propofol or fentanyl. Cataract surgery
light, fading and yellowing of colors, and double vision in a is safe with a slight risk of bleeding, infection or a retinal
single eye. Sometimes the effects can be compensated with detachment. It is done on one eye at a time, and it takes about
by providing increased bright light and using magnifying eight weeks for complete healing to take place.
Specializing Only In Luxury Travel glasses, especially when reading, to wearing sun glasses, and There are complications that may occur, such as infection,
to limit driving at night. which can be avoided by using antibiotic drops for at least
• 25 Years of World Travel Experience There are four types of cataracts. Nuclear cataracts affect a week after surgery and scrupulously avoiding touching or
• Uniquely Personalized Concierge Service the center of the lens, resulting in an increase in myopia rubbing the eye. Blurring of vision that persists may be due
to increased intraocular pressure, which can be relieved by
(nearsightedness), difficulty in distinguishing shades of color
• Bespoke Travel Experiences and turning the lens yellow or brown. Cortical cataracts affect making a tiny incision and performing a paracentesis, which
• Network of Elite Travel Partners the edges of the lens with whitish wedge-shaped opacities removes excess fluid from the chamber. There are also special
• Awarded “Signature Travel Experts” that will extend to the center of the lens and interfere with eye drops that will lower pressure. Blurring may also be due
light passing through, adversely affecting vision. Posterior to swelling of the cornea, but this usually subsides in a few
Call Today…877-493-2929 sub-capsular cataracts produce an opaque area in the back of weeks.

the lens, which produces glare, halos and difficulty reading.
Any inflammation is controlled with steroid eye drops
Boca Raton - Delray Beach - West Palm Beach Congenital cataracts are present at birth or develop during extended for several weeks, as well. Significant sensitivity
childhood, often after eye infections or other eye diseases. to light can occur and is corrected by wearing sunglasses.
Visit us at: travelwithaway.com Factors that cause cataracts include aging, injury to an eye,
prolonged use of steroids, diabetes and previous eye surgery. Medical Matters on page 11