The Senior Health Issue

By Bob Jones

 

The best way to approach any article on health and aging is to face the obvious fact that no one gets out alive. Believer or non-believer, the consensus is that from the moment of conception the creator knew when his experiment would come to end. That said, it is only logical to conclude that this belief does not negate practicing preventative health measures to forestall the inevitable to the best of our ability.

 

There is a Florida physician who asks his patients, especially women, to provide him with a complete medical history of their immediate family before evaluating their condition. Why? Because he knows heredity is the passing of genes from one generation to the next. It determines what you are today. While heredity plays an important role, he also feels the present environment influences one’s ability and interests.
This physician, following extensive tests, is then provided with a workable patient profile that enables him to deal with health problems on a preventative, not reactionary, level.

 

No less an authority than the Mayo Clinic  offers its views on what women can expect as they grow older beyond wrinkles and gray hair, and facts on what exactly is going on in their bodies.

 

The Cardiovascular System:
Over time our heart muscles become less efficient, working harder to pump blood through our bodies. Blood vessels lose their elasticity, hardened fatty deposits form on the inner walls of the arteries making the arteries stiffer thus causing the heart to work harder.

 

Bones, muscles and joints:
Women’s bones reach their maximum mass between the ages of 25 and 35 and shrink in size and density. This gradual loss weakens bones making them more susceptible to fracture.

 

Digestive System:
With age, digesting food through the intestines slows down.

 

Kidneys, bladder and urinary tract:
Become less efficient in removing waste from the blood stream. One in ten women age 65 and older lose bladder control. Women who’ve been through menopause might experience stress incontinence as the muscles around the opening of the bladder lose strength and bladder reflexes change.

 

Brain and nervous system:
The number of cells in the brain decreases with age and memory becomes less efficient.
Eyes: With age, eyes are less able to produce tears, retinas thin, and lenses turn yellow and become less clear.

 

Ears:
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting women who are middle-aged or older. About half of older women experience a partial or whole loss of hearing. Noises can damage the sensory hair cells of their inner ears.

 

Sleep:
As you age, you’ll find you sleep less soundly and need to spend more time in bed to get the same amount of sleep.

 

Sexuality:
With age, sexual needs, patterns, and performance may change.

 

The bright side –

The Mayo Clinic says healthy changes can improve quality of life as both women and men age.

 

• Stop smoking
• Eat a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• Exercise 30 minutes a day to reduce stress
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get enough sleep to feel rested
• Follow your doctor’s guidance for checkups and health screenings
• And, above all, maintain a positive attitude about all aspects of your life. Don’t be a burned out firecracker. Be a roman candle and light up not only your life, but the lives of everyone around you.