Dr. Yamamoto, a pediatric rheumatologist for over 20 years, has become a leader in her field. She cares for the majority of children diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis (JA) in the state, who come from all eight islands. JA affects over 1,200 kids and their families in Hawai‘i.
Through her leadership, financial support and volunteer work, major partnerships and funding have been established, including Camp Mana’olana, a summer camp for kids with JA.
This May, Dr. Yamamoto was awarded the 2016 Earl Brewer Award for Physician Leadership. This national award is presented each year to a physician who has fostered a reputation for excellence in his or her field. She was also honored at the 2016 JA Conference in Phoenix and Philadelphia.
Dr. Yamamoto’s support and leadership of local JA programs has brought awareness to families with arthritis and has tapped into media opportunities, including the development of a video focussing on kids with JA that ultimately raised over $250,000 in the fall of 2014.
“Many seniors serve as the primary caregivers for grandchildren with JA,” said Dr. Yamamoto. “They should be supported for their critical role in helping these children access care, control their condition and stay healthy.”
ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION HAWAII
2752 Woodlawn Drive, Ste. 5-204B, Honolulu HI 96822
Lara Yamada, Executive Director
| 808-596-2900 | lhazenfield@arthritis.org
www.arthritis.org/hawaii
According to doctors and research groups from Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Centers for Disease Control and the University of Michigan Medical School, signs of aging and chronic disease have one thing in common—inflammation. A recent Time Magazine article also points to inflammation as the root cause of “old-age” aches, pains, fatigue and aging skin.
Broad symptoms like arthritic joints and sore muscles are easy to relate to, but inflammation can occurs in the cells of the heart, arteries, nerves, kidneys, pancreas, stomach, lungs and liver if stressed or attacked by disease.
All cells are bathed in some kind of fluid: lymph, blood plasma, saliva, urine or spinal fluid. Our bodies are 60 percent water. Heart and brain tissue are 73 percent water; lungs, 83; blood and lymph, over 90. Now, researchers are looking at how pathways of enzymes, and interacting proteins and gases move in and out of our cells, flowing from one fluid system to another. Maintaining normal amounts of water in your body allows complex pathways of intercellular reactions to function normally.
While scientists are finding cures for chronic diseases that all seniors face, the least we can do is to stay well hydrated. Drinking 2 to 3 liters (1 liter=1.06 quarts) of water every day takes some discipline; before starting, ask your doctor if you can tolerate increased fluid intake. If you can, you may find that some of your aches and pains were just a result of being “a quart or two low.”
Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) is a leading cause of pain, disability and loss of independence in older adults. This chronic, age-related degenerative narrowing of the spinal canal commonly leads to compression of the nerves in the lower back. DLSS is often diagnosed incorrectly because even though it originates in the spine, symptoms may not include back pain. Patients can experience numbness or tingling, cramps and weakness in the lower limbs with or without pain. Symptoms worsen while upright, inhibiting the ability to walk and stand; sitting and bending forward alleviate symptoms.
According to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, people 60 – 69 years old take nearly 14 prescriptions per year, and those 80 – 84 take an average of 18. While medications do help improve the quality of life for seniors, so do pharmacists. A pharmacist can help you understand when and how to take your medicines, what side effects you might expect and what interactions may occur between drugs. A pharmacist can answer your questions privately in the pharmacy or over the telephone:
Many confuse rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with osteoarthritis (OA), which stems from different causes and demands a separate therapeutic program. Unlike OA, RA is an autoimmune disorder that affects any age. Onset and loss of mobility may appear almost overnight.
Hearing loss is so gradual that many are not aware their hearing has deteriorated, due to medical conditions, ear infections, ear infections, illness, traumatic injury or prolonged exposure to noise. Hearing loss is not like listening with the volume turned down. Instead, you may notice that certain spoken sounds, like “sh,” “th,” and “f” are more difficult to hear. That’s why people often say they can hear, but can’t understand what is being said.
Every health food store has products containing Noni, also called Indian mulberry. It grows throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Hawaiians used noni to heal a variety of health problems, like wrapping noni leaves around sore joints to relieve pain. The ancestors took it by mouth for colic, and urinary problems, digestive problems and also high blood pressure.