Tag: Ritabelle Fernandes MD

  • Shingles

    Shingles also known as Herpes Zoster causes a painful rash that usually is located on one side of the body. Shingles is caused by the varicellazoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus can enter the nervous system and lie dormant for years. Eventually it may reactivate…

  • Heart Failure

    Approximately 5.8 million people in the United States have heart failure. Heart failure is a very common condition in seniors and is also known as congestive health failure. This is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. In some cases, the heart can’t fill with enough blood…

  • Your Mind & Body: Seniors Raising Grandchildren

    According to the U.S. 2010 Census, there were more than 2.7 million households with grandparents raising their grandchildren … and growing. As grandparents age, raising children can sometimes be challenging. Grandparents need to take care of themselves mentally, physically and spiritually, as it is vital to overall health and to live prosperous lives raising healthy grandchildren. Grandparents…

  • Your Mind & Body: Disease of the Kings

    An estimated 6 million people in the United States have experienced gout at some point in their lives. Known as “the disease of kings and the king of diseases,” gout has been studied by physicians and has caused suffering in many people for centuries. Gout is a type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid…

  • Serious Consequences for Elderly Falls

    Falls are the leading cause of injuries among seniors in Hawai‘i. The risk and frequency of falling increase with age. Every 5 hours a senior in Hawai‘i suffers a fall that results in the senior being hospitalized. One in three adults 65 years or older in the US suffers a fall each year. Falls can…

  • The Flu & You

    The flu shot is a vaccine that helps to prevent the flu, an illness caused by infection with the influenza virus. Viruses are very small germs that cause illnesses. Flu is a contagious disease, with symptoms such as fever, cough, headaches, body aches, sore throat and fatigue. For older people, especially those who have chronic…

  • Your Mind & Body

    Signs of Stroke Each year in the United States, there are more than 700,000 strokes. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the country. A stroke is a medical emergency. It occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is reduced or interrupted. Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people…

  • Can You Hold It?

    What is urinary incontinence? Urinary incontinence is loss of bladder control that is often seen in the elderly. It affects more than 25 million Americans. Urinary incontinence is not a part of the normal aging process. This can be a very embarrassing problem for seniors often leading to social isolation. The good news 
is that…