Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older Americans, but new treatments have dramatically changed the course of this disease over the last 10 years, making AMD more manageable than ever before.

How can you participate in AMD Awareness Month? 

• Learn more about AMD
• Get regular eye exams
• Maintain healthy habits, such as eating a vitamin-rich diet, reducing alcohol consumption, and staying active
• Wear an AMD Awareness pin
• Share AMD awareness content on social media
• Host a fundraiser

As you add more candles to your birthday cakes, you may notice that your organs don’t work as efficiently as they once did. Your balance might not be as good, and your response time may not be as quick. Perhaps you have more aches and pains than you did last year.

Just like your body inevitably changes with age, your drinking habits most likely need adjustments, too. That’s because with increasing age, “our bodies become more sensitive to the effects of alcohol,” says Kenneth Koncilja, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic. Plus, accumulating research finds that drinking alcohol comes with some serious health risks, particularly for older adults.

Here are seven reasons why doctors and public health experts say age and alcohol don’t mix.

1. It takes less to get drunk

2. Drinking can increase your risk of disease and death

3. Alcohol can worsen other chronic diseases

4. Booze is bad for your bones

5. Alcohol can make you more susceptible to pain

6. Drinking can disrupt your sleep

7. Alcohol can mess with your meds

Here’s why older adults will benefit from nasal spray even though it’s only available to people under 50.

There’s a new way for people to protect themselves from the flu, and it’s one that doesn’t require a trip to the doctor’s office — or even a needle.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a nasal spray flu vaccine, called FluMist, for people ages 2 to 49 that can be ordered from an online pharmacy and administered at home. Doctors and public health experts are hopeful the at-home option, which should be available for the 2025–26 flu season, will help boost declining vaccination rates and protect more Americans from the common but sometimes deadly illness.

Evidence suggests that older adults benefit from dementia care activities. Nearly 40% of Americans older than 65 have mild cognitive impairment. Each year, a portion of these older adults' diagnoses will progress to a more severe condition, such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia. While research into the effects of dementia care activities is ongoing, experts believe they can help older adults manage their emotions, maintain some of their cognition and find satisfaction in their day-to-day lives.

Key Takeaways:

• You can tailor activities to your loved one's cognitive abilities, background and interests to foster meaningful experiences in their older age.
• At-home dementia care activities, such as listening to familiar music or making memory books, are a simple way to engage your loved one in the comfort of their home.
• Outdoor activities can help provide brain stimulation and promote relaxation, while social support groups can help relieve feelings of isolation and boredom.
•  While they may not remember activities later on, engaging in thoughtful activities can help older adults with dementia express themselves, manage emotions and maintain cognitive function.

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