C R Y D E R P O I N T AUGUST 12 Healthy Summer Skin: As people show more skin with the summer season, it is important to get into a skincare routine that fi ts your lifestyle. Extended time in the sun can result in unwanted wrinkles, blemishes and sagging skin, not to mention more serious consequences - melanomas, scarring and skin cancer. To maintain a healthy exterior this season, board-certifi ed dermatologist Dr. Stanferd L. Kusch provides the following tips for strong, glowing skin at any age: If you’re in your 20s Though you may not be worrying about wrinkles yet, your skin may start to show warning signs of damage. Now is the time to focus on prevention. • Stay hydrated: Drinking water helps delay the appearance of wrinkles. • Quit smoking: Smoking strips your skin of elastin and collagen, leaving you at the risk of severely premature facial wrinkling. • Eat smart: Foods that are high in vitamin C and antioxidants help prevent wrinkles by refl ecting UV radiation from the sun. If you’re in your 30s This decade is the fi rst time many see distinct signs of aging and skin damage, and it becomes necessary to build a more aggressive damage control and prevention regimen. • Assess the damage: Take advantage of free health screenings at your local pharmacies or retailers. • Maintain reduced stress levels. Ask your pharmacist or clinician about the effects of cortisol and stress on your skin and weight. • Get acquainted with retinoids: Retinoid creams contain compounds found in vitamin A and are used to treat wrinkles, sun damage and acne. Retinoid creams are available in both prescription and over-the-counter treatments. • Make sunscreen a habit: Use (and reapply) sunscreen throughout the day whenever you go outside. TIPS FOR EVERY AGE If you’re in your 40s Years of sun exposure can leave your skin with noticeable lines, blotchiness or dryness. • Limit exposure: Decreasing sun exposure is the best way to prevent skin cancer. • Moisturize regularly: While moisturizers won’t slow down the aging process, they can help soothe increasingly raw or irritated skin and can help strengthen collagen. • Add a little pep: Skin creams with peptides (small chains of protein molecules) can stimulate collagen and plump sagging skin. If you’re 50-plus For people age 50 and older, it’s critical to be aware of changes in your skin that may refl ect the status of its health. • Self check: Monitor changes in your skin and look out for persistent pink, scaly patches and red or black pearly spots or bumps - these can sometimes be indicators of skin cancer. • See a dermatologist: By age 50, everyone should have a total body skin check to screen for skin cancer. • Continue good habits: Sunscreen is still an absolute must for this age range, and moisturizers and hydration are even more important than ever. No matter what your age, everyone feels most confi dent when their skin is its healthiest. Visit your doctor or take advantage of free counsel from pharmacists and local health screenings. This season, take action to prevent and minimize skin damage, so your skin is nourished, protected and healthy for many summers to come. 6 Steps To Control Your Blood Pressure 12 CRYDER POINT COURIER | AUGUST 2015 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM Courtesy BPT A routine doctor’s appointment often involves a health professional checking your blood pressure. The screening is not painful or stressful and typically takes less than a minute to measure. However, the results of this simple test may identify a condition that, when managed, could help reduce your chances for stroke or heart attack. High blood pressure, often referred to as the “silent killer,” does not have any symptoms, but can cause serious damage to arteries, leading to heart disease and stroke. Nearly one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure, and because there are no symptoms, many remain unaware of the condition for years, according to the American Medical Group Foundation (AMGF). A blood pressure screening in a doctor’s offi ce can determine if you have healthy or high blood pressure. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals can help patients understand the risk factors for high blood pressure and its health problems, and recommend lifestyle modifi cations and/or medicines to control the disease. The Measure Up/Pressure Down national high blood pressure campaign is an initiative of AMGF to encourage adults to get in control by using lifestyle changes, including: 1. Know your numbers - Understanding what blood pressure is and what your numbers are is an important fi rst step. At its simplest, blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. Work with your health care team to determine your individual blood pressure goals and treatment plan if your numbers are too high. 2. Eat right - A diet with excessive sodium (salt) may cause a person to retain fl uid, which can lead to higher blood pressure. Potassium can help the body balance this sodium. Foods high in potassium include bananas, plain baked potatoes, avocados and cooked white beans. 3. Stay active - On average, people who are more active tend to have lower heart rates, which means the heart does less work each time it contracts, reducing the pressure on arteries. Adults should be active at least 30 minutes each day. 4. Reduce stress - Many Americans respond to stressful situations by eating more, getting less exercise, drinking or smoking. Plus, a stressful situation can also increase blood pressure for a short period of time. Try to reduce the occurrence of these situations and look for healthy ways - like meditation or walking - to help you deal with stress. 5. Set alcohol limits and eliminate tobacco - Over time, consuming a high amount of alcohol can damage the heart. Recommendations are for women to limit themselves to one drink a day and for men to two drinks to avoid seeing an increase in blood pressure. Tobacco use and secondhand smoke can immediately raise blood pressure levels and cause damage to the lining of arteries. If you’re interested in quitting your tobacco use, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. 6. Take medication - Your doctor may recommend taking a blood pressure medication to keep levels steady. Be sure to follow the directions provided for taking the medications to ensure you’re getting the most benefi t from them. With Measure Up/Pressure Down, Americans are encouraged to measure, monitor and maintain their blood pressure levels to stay in control of this health condition. If you don’t know your blood pressure levels and want more information to determine if you might be at risk for high blood pressure, visit MeasureUpPressureDown.com. Or learn more about blood pressure at www.facebook. com/measureuppressuredown or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MUPDcampaign.
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