Carol DerSarkissian

May 28, 2024 | webmd.com | Regina Boyle Wheeler |Carol DerSarkissian

Addiction can be hard to beat even when you have good insurance for treatments. But what if you’re uninsured and have no means to pay? Financial difficulty doesn’t have to keep you from getting help. Free or low-cost services are out there. Some digging and a few phone calls can help clear your path to recovery. Find out what type of treatment you need. You may need medically supervised detox if you’ve been addicted to a substance, or more than one, for a long time.

Apr 27, 2024 | webmd.com | Carol DerSarkissian |Stephanie Booth

People who start to lose their hearing know it can have a big impact on life, but they may be surprised by the way it can affect their emotions. They might feel helpless or depressed, and get angry or frustrated. All are normal reactions. But you can face those feelings and get through this tricky transition. “Hearing loss is a loss like any other in our lives,” says Angela Nelson, AuD, a hearing doctor in Burbank, CA.

Apr 27, 2024 | webmd.com | Carol DerSarkissian |Kimberly Goad

Not long after Debbie McClure was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an immune system disorder that causes dry mouth, she sat down to a roast beef dinner. She was still adjusting to her condition. So she didn’t fully realize how not having enough saliva, which helps move food from the mouth and down the throat, would make it hard to swallow, especially with dry foods -- like her overcooked roast beef.

Apr 27, 2024 | webmd.com | Carol DerSarkissian

Does it seem like you get sick more than you did when you were younger. When you are under the weather, does it take you longer to feel good again? Immunity -- your body’s defense system -- tends to get weaker with age. “Just as you probably can’t run as fast as you used to in your 20s, your immune system doesn’t work as well as it used to,” says Aaron E. Glatt, MD, chairman of the department of medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospitals. But fear not -- at least not much.

Apr 27, 2024 | webmd.com | Carol DerSarkissian |Peter Jaret

Getting adequate nutrition can be a challenge as you get older. With age, the number of calories you need begins to decline. Every calorie you consume must be packed with nutrition in order to hit the mark. Even then, you may fall short. "As we get older, the body becomes less efficient at absorbing some key nutrients," says Katherine Tucker, RD, PhD, chair of the department of health sciences at Northeastern University in Boston. In addition, the ability to taste food declines, blunting appetite.