The treatment of elderly patients with depression can be difficult, for example due to side effects of antidepressants in those people who often have physical complaints anyway. A study shows that cognitive behavior therapy can help older patients with depression.

Cognitive behavior therapy works better than talk therapy
Elderly patients with depression respond well to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to, and treatment helps better than talking to someone who is warm and share listens sympathetically. This is the result of a study in the December 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry published.

Marc Antony Serfaty from University College London and his colleagues examined in the study 204 people aged 65 years or older. Of these, 79.4 per cent women who had a diagnosis of depression. The patients who continued to receive all of their standard treatment were divided randomly into three groups. One group was additionally treated with CBT and a second talk therapy. The third group received no additional treatment.

The researchers evaluated the mental and emotional state of patients for psychological tests from the beginning of the study and after four and ten months of therapy. The results showed that only had to average just over seven therapy sessions, patients in the CBT group improved values for depression more than patients in the talk therapy group.

“Although one can see symptoms of depression as a normal consequence of aging, our results represent the myth of older people questioned who is lonely and just society and an open ear needs,” the authors write. “As previous studies have already shown you can win for the elderly to actively participate in talking therapies. You can be open and benefit from a specific form of treatment such as cognitive behavior therapy for psychological support.”

Tinnitus patients can sleep through a difficult or even tiredness, poor concentration and irritability may be the result. If the subjective tinnitus is permanent, tinnitus can even lead to depression. But where the whistle is actually in the ear and – more importantly – what are the treatment options?

The ear noise on the track
The causes can be different: hearing loss, chronic hearing loss, presbycusis may be responsible, as well as cardiovascular diseases or muscular problems can be the cause. “Tinnitus,” the experts of the Thieme information portal tinnitus, “means not an illness but a symptom. The sound works like a perceived warning sign in the ear. The tinnitus indicates that on the physical or psychological level, something out of balance.”

Treatment of chronic tinnitus
In the treatment of tinnitus patients, two stages can be distinguished, the first step in both cases, the discussion with the ENT specialist. In an acute treatment is the development of chronic tinnitus can be prevented, the doctor uses this so-called counseling of (intensive counseling and care of the patient). In addition, medications such as cortisone or other vasodilating agents offered.

If the ear noise over several months there, sets the stage treatment of chronic tinnitus. This is mainly treated by physical therapy or relaxation techniques. Also, a targeted self-help through the combination of exercise, stress reduction and healthy diet can help.

Individual all-round monitoring for patients
If you want to do on your own in search of relief comes, sometimes, of the limitations. Because the research on the Internet is very much information, but concrete solution or service approaches remain. For this reason, the mid-2010 Thieme Tinnitus Solution Center was founded. Patients not only sound scientific information, but are also completely supported and supplied with individually prepared treatment proposals.

If athletes take other food than the “average consumer ” and this also applies to the competition schedule? Dr. Thomas Kurscheid gives tips for balanced and functional sports-nutrition.

In principle, based nutrition for athletes at the full-mixed diet. What an athlete needs more of certain substances is supplied sufficiently by the higher total food intake. This full mixed diet for athletes should have the following characteristics: adequate fluid intake, a high nutrient density with high-quality protein, and fat carbohydrate stresses controlled. The necessity of taking dietary supplements is not well in competitive sports. Also of diets athletes should be discouraged.

Before competition
Before the competition is the Glycogen saturation (filling the carbohydrate storage) recommended, that is, 4 days before the competition, the supply of carbohydrates and reduces the intensity of training. 3 hours before the race should be no fat or fiber-rich meals are eaten, as they remain in the stomach and delay the arrival of fed during the competition would quickly absorbable carbohydrates.

For endurance of more than an hour it comes to empty the Glycogen depots, so that shortly before and during exercise, the supply of rapidly absorbable carbohydrates such as maltodextrin, in combination with various sugars such as glucose and fructose, is recommended.

And after that?
Following exposure, the fastest Glycogen depots be filled by rapidly absorbable carbohydrates such as sugar, followed by complex carbohydrates such as spaghetti, rice, potatoes and bread.

The protein requirement for amateur athletes is 15% of the total daily amount of energy, ie 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. During intense exercise, the demand to 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight in both endurance and power in sports. When strength training, the timely inclusion of protein seems to favor during and shortly after training to increase muscle mass.

When fat athletes should pay attention to the adequate intake of essential, easy-and polyunsaturated fatty acids, ie fish, canola and olive oil preference.

The fluid intake during physical exertion should be given special attention, especially when it is hot. At the beginning of the load should be balanced hydration. One should, until two hours before the stress, therefore, again be drinking a pint in small portions. As the load it may be necessary to comply with drinking to 1 liter per hour. Especially for longer loads on a sodium intake (salt) of 1 g per liter to respect water. During, and after exercise but the supply of diluted fruit and vegetable juices is recommended, also because of natural potassium content.