AGE MATTERS
Page 2
THINKING ABILITIES
- Your brain reaches its maximum size in your early 20s & then it starts to shrink slowly.
- Blood flow also decreases over time.
- But some types of memory can improve throughout life, like your ability to recall concepts
& facts. - Talk to your doctor if you have memory lapses that interfere with your day-to-day life.
- Losing your keys once in a while is normal but forgetting what they’re for is not.
SEEING CLOSE UP
- After age 40, most of us have a hard time seeing things less than 2 feet away.
- You may first notice it while trying to read a menu.
- Almost all adults get a vision problem called presbyopia, which means you have trouble
seeing close up. - It often starts in your early 40s.
- Non-prescription reading glasses usually help.
- Their lenses magnify things & you can find an inexpensive pair at your local drugstore.
- If you already wear glasses or contacts for distance, consider getting bifocals or “no-line” progressive lenses.
HEARING
- Over time, the hair cells inside your ear that send sound waves to the brain become less sensitive.
- That makes it hard, for example, to distinguish “P” from “T.”
- The condition, called presbycusis, is sometimes passed down in families, but it can also be caused by loud noise, smoking, or illness.
GETTING BIGGER
- The cartilage in ears keeps growing & that may make them get a little longer.
- Your nose may only seem larger as tissues around it weaken & it starts to droop.
GETTING SHORTER
-
Between ages 30 & 70, men can lose an inch of height & women sometimes lose as
much as 2 inches. - .After age 80, both groups might shrink even more since the cartilage between your
joints wears out & pushes your spine together. - Your muscles get weaker & you don't hold you up as well.
- Thinning bones are often a culprit, too.
- Getting shorter too quickly can be a warning sign that you're at a greater risk for hip &
spine fractures, so talk to your doctor if you notice a big or sudden change.
UNWANTED HAIR
- Women:
1. After menopause, you may lose some hair on your head & grow it on your chin
or upper lip.
2. This happens in part because you have less estrogen to counter the effects
of testosterone.
3. It's just part of the aging process. - Men
1. Aging may change your hair, too.
2. You might lose it on your head & gain some in your ears & nose.
WRINKLES
- Skin begins to age when you hit your 20s.
- Your body doesn’t make as much collagen & elastin, proteins that help your flesh stay
plump & firm. - Your skin becomes thinner & doesn’t spring back into place as well after you smile,
frown or squint. - Doing exercises to strengthen facial muscles can make things worse.
- Instead, reach for the sunscreen before you go outside & if you smoke, quit.
YOUR BLADDER
- Bladder problems become more common with age but they don't happen to everyone.
- If you do have a bladder problem, there are many ways to treat them.
1. Drink less caffeine
2. Medicine
3. Surgery
ACHY JOINTS
- Not everyone will have stiff, sore joints, but your chance of getting arthritis does go up
as you age. - Half of people 65 and older have it & most of them have osteoarthritis.
- It happens when the tissue that protects bones in your joints starts to wear away.
- When there’s none left, the bones rub against each other.
- You’re most likely to have pain or stiffness in your hands, neck, back, knees or hips.
CONSTIPATION
- Anyone can have trouble going to the bathroom, but it’s a pretty common problem
as you age. - Lack of exercise, changes in diet, medicines & health problems all play a role.
- If you use laxatives too often, your body can forget how to go on its own.
- To keep regular:
1. Keep active
2. Eat more fruits, veggies & whole grains.
3. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day.
MORE ANTACID AS YOU GET OLDER
- This fiery feeling that starts in your upper chest & moves up into your throat could come
on more often as you age. - Heartburn is more common in older people & pregnant women.
- Over-the-counter antacids can usually help for mild symptoms.
- But tell your doctor if heartburn keeps coming back, you have it more than twice
a week or it’s severe.
SLEEP
- Your sleep needs stay the same throughout adulthood.
- Even so, older folks take longer to fall asleep, spend more time in lighter stages of sleep
& wake up more often in the night. - Some of these issues relate to other health problems or medications.
- Also, the body’s internal clock, which controls when you sleep & wake, has many
seniors going to bed early & getting up extra early.
HAPPINESS
- Many senior citizens look on the sunny side of life.
- The seniors generally get less negative & remember events more positively than younger people do.
- Thinking about the past can help many of them to be in a good mood.
♦♦♦♦♦
♦♦♦♦♦
Health Directory Page 1 | Health Directory Page 2
♦♦♦♦♦
Copyright © 2012 - 2017 KosherWoman.com
All rights reserved