(NAPSI) — “Zombie Hands.” That’s what can happen to an estimated 5 to 10 percent of the population when temperatures start to fall.

In a typical case of Raynaud’s phenomenon, also known as Raynaud’s disease or syndrome, sufferers experience numbness and pain in their fingers, toes and other extremities. Fingers turn white, blue or red as the small blood vessels go into spasm within minutes of exposure to cold or stress, and they appear to be “dead” as blood flow is constricted.

Named for the French physician Maurice Raynaud, who first recognized the condition in 1862, it causes an interruption of blood flow to the fingers, toes, nose or ears. There may be associated tingling, swelling or painful throbbing. The attacks may last from minutes to hours. In severe cases, the area may develop ulcerations and infections, which can lead to gangrene.

Raynaud’s can occur as a “primary” disease—that is, with no associated disorder—or as a “secondary” condition related to other diseases, such as scleroderma, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Ninety percent of Raynaud’s sufferers don’t seek treatment and too many physicians pay short shrift to those who do,” says Lynn Wunderman, founder and chair of the Raynaud’s Association. “Treatment is important because some sufferers may have an underlying condition such as systemic scleroderma or lupus. Awareness of such a problem may allow for earlier medical intervention.” Simple blood tests can rule out the presence of antibodies associated with diseases that have Raynaud’s as a component.

What’s Being Done

To help, the Raynaud’s Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health organization, launched a new and assertive campaign,”Don’t Turn a Cold Shoulder to Painful Fingers,” to urge those with the disorder—and their doctors—not to dismiss the pain that Raynaud’s sufferers endure, or the lifestyle adjustments they make to minimize exposure to cold or stress.

Although there is no known cure as yet, treatment options such as calcium channel blocker drugs have been clinically proven to alleviate symptoms by opening up the blood vessels so blood circulates more freely.

How To Lend A Warm Helping Hand

You can support the Raynaud’s Association with a tax-deductible donation. Contributions help fund member mailings, the website, awareness-building efforts, and thousands of educational materials distributed each year to sufferers.

Learn More

For more facts, visit www.raynauds.org.

(NAPSI)—Chances are, at some point you will be a caregiver to a friend or family member. Providing care and support can be challenging in any circumstance, but caring for a loved one who lives far away presents a unique set of challenges.

When providing care for loved ones who do not live nearby, keep the following three tips in mind.

Plan ahead. Learn your loved one’s medical wishes, contact information for doctors as well as important financial and insurance information.

Research community options. Many older adults need a little help to stay healthy and independent. Area Agencies on Aging and other community-based organizations can connect caregivers to programs that help with transportation, personal care services, nutrition, home modification and repairs, legal services, falls prevention programs and more.

Care for yourself. The Eldercare Locator can connect caregivers to local resources that can help, including caregiver support programs that can provide training, and support groups and other resources that help caregivers better support their loved ones—and themselves.

The Eldercare Locator can help both care recipients and their long-distance caregivers. Through its website, www.eldercare.acl.gov, and national Call Center at (800) 677-1116, the Eldercare Locator connects long-distance caregivers to resources that can provide assistance where it is needed most—in the care recipient’s own community. The Eldercare Locator is funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living and is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

(NAPSI)—The Stanford Center on Longevity’s 2018 “Sightlines Report” found that baby boomers have accumulated less household wealth and carry more debt in comparison to previous generations of American retirees.

The report found that overall household asset balances—and retirement savings in particular—are lower for boomers than for the elderly Americans born before them. In addition, baby boomers are carrying more debt compared to older generations, with one in three holding a debt burden exceeding 50 percent of their total wealth.

With approximately 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, the news that baby boomers are less ready to retire than those generations who have come before them is disconcerting by itself, but it is especially worrisome in light of rising retirement expenses they will face.

“Given that boomers will likely live longer and rack up higher lifetime medical costs than prior generations, the inevitable conclusion is that boomers will face some tough challenges during their retirement years,” according to CBS MoneyWatch.

Financial planning experts offer a few possible retirement readiness fixes to help baby boomers address a shortfall in available cash:

• Pay down debt—For those boomers in the pre-retirement or early-retirement stage, do what you can to reduce your debt load. Every penny not going to debt is a penny going toward funding your retirement lifestyle.
• Consider returning to the workforce—If you are physically able, think about options for working a little later in your life or perhaps returning to the workforce in a part-time job. A few years of additional income can make a huge difference down the line.
• Adjust your standard of living—Be prepared to make some modifications to your lifestyle in order to reduce your monthly expense budget. You may be surprised how much minor purchases, such as a daily gourmet coffee, can add up to on an annual basis.
• Be smart about your available resources—Can you afford to defer Social Security for a bit longer in order to maximize the cash benefit? Do you own a home that has equity you can put to work for you with a reverse mortgage? Are there other financial resources you can draw down, such as an old savings account or a life insurance policy you may have socked away?

“Many seniors are surprised to learn that one potential asset for generating immediate cash is a life insurance policy,” said Darwin M. Bayston, CFA, president and chief executive officer of the Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA), a nonprofit organization that educates seniors about alternatives to lapsing or surrendering a life insurance policy. “A life insurance policy is considered your personal property and—as such—you have the right to sell that policy anytime you like.”

When a consumer sells a policy in a “life settlement” transaction, the policy owner receives a cash payment and the purchaser of the policy assumes all future premium payments—then receives the death benefit upon the death of the insured. Candidates for life settlements are typically aged 70 years or older, with a life insurance policy that has a death benefit of at least $100,000.

To learn more about life settlements and whether you could be eligible for a free review of your life insurance policy, visit www.LISA.org or call the LISA office at 888-902-6639.

(NAPSI)—Nearly double the number of Americans in rural areas versus nonrural areas reported having an insufficient number of cancer doctors near where they live. This is one of the many findings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)’s second annual National Cancer Opinion Survey, which was conducted online by The Harris Poll.

According to the survey, rural Americans are the most concerned about the availability of cancer care near where they live:

• Four in 10 rural Americans who have or had cancer say there aren’t enough doctors specializing in cancer care near their home, compared to 22 percent of urban and suburban patients.
• Rural patients spend an average of 50 minutes traveling one way to see their cancer doctor, versus 30 minutes for nonrural patients.
• Thirty-six percent of patients in rural areas say they had to travel too far to see the doctor managing their cancer care versus 19 percent of nonrural patients.

“The unfortunate reality is that rural Americans routinely have to travel long distances for cancer care, which can lead to dangerous delays in their diagnosis and treatment,” said ASCO President Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., FACS, FASCO. “As a result, rural counties have higher death rates from many common cancers than urban areas. Our health care system needs to address these disparities so that every patient, no matter where he or she lives, can access high-quality cancer care.”

The survey also found that Americans from all parts of the country are worried about the cost of cancer care. If faced with a cancer diagnosis, 57 percent of Americans say they would be most concerned about the financial impact on their families or about paying for treatment, compared to 54 percent, each, who say they would be most concerned about dying or about cancer-related pain and suffering.

Even more than patients, family caregivers bear the brunt of the high cost of cancer treatment:

• Among caregivers responsible for paying for cancer care, nearly three in four (74 percent) say they’re concerned about affording it.
• More than six in 10 caregivers (61 percent) say they or another relative has taken an extreme step to help pay for their loved one’s care, including working extra hours (23 percent), postponing retirement (14 percent), taking on an additional job (13 percent) or selling family heirlooms (9 percent).

“Patients are right to be concerned about the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis on their families,” said ASCO Chief Medical Officer Richard L. Schilsky, M.D., FACP, FASCO. “It’s clear that high treatment costs are taking a serious toll not only on patients, but also on the people who care for them. If a family member has been diagnosed with cancer, the sole focus should be on helping him or her get well. Instead, Americans are worrying about affording treatment, and in many cases, they’re making serious personal sacrifices to help pay for their loved ones’ care.”

Despite challenges accessing cancer care due to cost and travel time, the overwhelming majority of Americans are happy with the cancer care they have received: Nearly nine in 10 people with cancer believe they have gotten high-quality care and are satisfied with the quality of the doctors who specialize in cancer care near where they live (88−89 percent).

The national survey, commissioned by ASCO, was conducted online by The Harris Poll from July 10−August 10, 2017 among 4,887 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Of these adults, 1,001 have or had cancer.

More information is available at www.asco.org; use search term “National Cancer Opinion Survey.”

(NAPSI) — If you’re like 64 percent of Americans, you drink a cup of coffee every day.

While many coffee drinkers still prefer their coffee black in its most natural form, coffee tastes have evolved over the years. Today, the market offers many caffeinated beverages formulated with sugar and fat that add calories and can offset the inherent benefits of caffeine, such as alertness and a feeling of increased energy.

Health-conscious consumers, however, are making dramatic changes to their diet and choosing food and beverages that not only taste good but offer nutritional benefits as well. There is an almost endless number of new drink products that provide more than great taste—they help people reduce calorie intake and fuel their day. Recently, the coffee category has started growing with novel alternatives to sugary coffeehouse beverages with healthy ways to start the day or provide an afternoon pick-me-up.

While people drink coffee throughout the day, they are, increasingly, seeking something more than a caffeine pick-me-up. Alternatives are available that are great tasting, low fat, packed with protein and deliver a feeling of energy all in one. Coffee drinkers who want alternatives to sugary drinks, as well as something that offers nutritional benefits, are turning to Herbalife Nutrition High Protein Iced Coffee. It contains two grams of sugar and no artificial flavors or added colors. The 100-calorie drink mix is big on taste and provides 15 grams of protein and 80 mg of caffeine per serving.

“Everyone loves the refreshing taste of iced coffee but not the calories and sugar that come with many coffeehouse options,” said Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND, Senior Director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife Nutrition. “Our high-protein iced coffee is the perfect healthy snack and is a great alternative that can be enjoyed at home or on the go.”

Bowerman offered some additional delicious and nutritious beverage suggestions:

Digestive Health

Gut health is a hot topic as people try to find new ways to keep the body in balance by consuming foods and beverages that support a healthy digestive system. Kombucha, vinegar and probiotic-enhanced drinks continue to garner a lot of interest to support a healthy gut. However, many probiotic drinks are filled with sugar to counter the taste of yogurt. A healthy, old-fashioned option to aid digestion is to keep hydrated by drinking a lot of water. Drinking too little water slows down the digestive system. Perhaps best of all—water has zero calories.

Sugar Reduction

Obesity rates in the U.S. continue to soar. Fortunately, it can be easy to cut sugary drinks out of the diet and swap with lower-calorie options. Instead of hitting the juice bar, consider replacing juice with fruit.

Learn More

For more facts and tips, go to www.herbalife.com.