| Just For Women |
|
Healthy Diet, Exercise, and Supplements
A healthy diet is necessary for proper body and brain functions. What is a healthy diet? How much exercise do we have to have? Do
I need supplements?
The FDA's food guide pyramid suggests percentages of each food group (below) that constitute not only a healthy, but
recommended daily diet. Or do they? What about vegetarians and vegans? In 1992 that pyramid was replaced with a newer
version. Read more...
A healthy diet is necessary for proper body and brain functions. What is a healthy diet? How much exercise do we have to have? Do
I need supplements?
The FDA's food guide pyramid suggests percentages of each food group (below) that constitute not only a healthy, but
recommended daily diet. Or do they? What about vegetarians and vegans? In 1992 that pyramid was replaced with a newer
version. Read more...
Just Exactly What Can You Expect As You Age?
Aging doesn't have to mean bifocals and canes, or wrinkles and
arthritis pain. Society today imposes negative stereotypes and
attitudes on the aging and the elderly. While we all age differently,
here is some statistics and information that may interest you and may
help you avoid those negative stereotypes and attitudes:
The field of aging is defined as social gerontology or gerontology.
While many of you think, "Who cares?", the fact is that the major
proportion of our population will soon be over the age of 50, Baby
Boomers, and they do care and so should you. They are the largest
generation, some 75 million people born between 1946 and 1964.
They are the generation that brought most of you, the Eco Boomers
at 72 million, into the world today.
Some of the Baby Boomers have been fortunate enough to retire
early, but the rest will be retiring in a few years, increasing jobs in a
vast majority of fields. By the year 2030, one out of every five
Americans will be over the age of 65.
Leading Causes of Death In the U.S. for people over the age of 65
(census 1977)
What effects aging and life expectancy? Several factors effect
aging and life expectancy including:
Life expectancy: Married people vs. divorced or single people live
longer. Women tend to live longer than men, about 6 years longer.
Economics play a factor in life expectancy as well. Those who have
even their basic needs taken care of live longer, while those in
impoverished conditions die sooner. People with higher educations
have a tendency to live longer than those with a high school
education or below. This may have a lot to do with income levels of
those with higher education. People who are able to stay in their own
homes, those who do not have to be moved to a long-term care
facility fare better and live longer. Having close family and friends, ties
to the community, etc., will also prolong both health and life. The
disabled generally decline more rapidly than healthier individuals,
decreasing their life expectancy as well. Actively engaged (up and
moving around) simply means the longer you stay active, the longer
you will live.
How do other countries fare compared to the U.S.? The chart shows
the active life expectancy of men and women for:
Today, in America, the average woman lives to 80.1 years and the
average man to 74.8 years. While statistics may vary, the gap
between men and women has gradually narrowed.
In 1820, the median age of Americans was 16.7 years, in 1900, it
increased to 22.9. By 1995, the median age was 34.3 years old. What
that means is that the death rate vs birth rate has improved because
of advances in economic prosperity, science, medicine, and general
living conditions.
What are the Effects on the Human Body as we Age?
Aging and Exterior Body
No matter where you go in this world, you will always see someone
with wrinkles and/or sagging skin. Wrinkles and sagging skin
appear for other reasons other than aging and the time they appear
varies from person to person between the ages of 35 to 60. The skin
is the largest organ in the human body. It protects us against water
loss, allows us to feel pleasure or pain, heat or cold and protects our
organs within. Aging skin, wrinkles, is the first sign of aging. We see it
as crow's feet around the corners of the eyes, lines on the forehead,
and around the lips and chin. While it is a natural process, cosmetics
and plastic surgery have managed to stave off the appearance of
being old. Maintaining good skin elasticity will prolong a more youthful
appearance. A loss of skin elasticity can cause premature wrinkles
and changes in skin texture. Consequences of damaging the skin by
allowing it to become to dry, getting even a minor sunburn, or other
damage include skin cancer and skin discoloration.
Skin discoloration called Lentigo can appear on the face, back of
hands and forearms of people over the age of 50. They are also
known as liver spots. Lentigo is caused by an accumulation of skin
pigment melanin. Another skin discoloration is called senile purpura
because it occurs in the elderly, appearing as purple bruises. It also
can be found on the back of hands but is harmless and is caused by
ruptured fragile blood vessels.
Skin cancer is common in the aging population that have been
exposed to the sun without sunscreens. As we age, skin damage
accumulates. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer.
It rarely spreads but must be removed before it destroys surrounding
tissue. Malignant melanoma is more serious, they can metastasize. It
can spread to other parts of the body, including bones, your brain,
and internal organs. My mother died of bone cancer about 12 years
ago. You do not want to die like that! In essence, the best protection
against skin cancer is sunscreen.
Rough dry skin can be the result of many things, but not usually just
aging. In most cases, a good moisturizer used daily will get rid of
rough, dry skin, but it helps to ex-foliate dead dry skin first.
Are we all destined to lose our hair and have paper thin fingernails?
While all of us will turn gray-headed or white-headed eventually, we
will not all have thinning hair (balding) or suffer from thin, fragile
fingernails. My father is 80 years old. He has thick white hair and thick
fingernails. Graying of hair is caused by a decrease in the number of
active pigment producing cells called melanocytes. When the
melanocytes cease to function completely, your hair will turn white
(like my dad's). People have a tendency to gray or turn white headed
at different rates, between the ages of 40 to 70.
Thin, brittle, or splitting fingernails known as Onychoschizia is not
necessarily a sign of aging. Onychosichizia can be caused by an iron
deficiency or by repeatedly wetting and drying the fingernails (hands),
like nurses or physicians do, or housewives that wash dishes without
gloves. The key is to use gloves.
Thinning (balding) or brittle hair can be a sign of aging or a
medical problem. Hair loss due to aging is more often in men due to
interactions between testosterone and genetics. Male pattern
baldness may appear in men as young as 20. Women may
experience thinning hair like men but more often than not, they
experience hair growth in the wrong places like the upper lip and long
wiry strays on the arms and face caused by menopause. Electrolysis
or cream hair removers can easily resolve these problems (or a good
pair of tweezers).
Aging and Changing Brain Function
How does aging effect brain function? Aging causes changes in the
Central Nervous System (CNS), Peripheral Nervous System (PNS),
can be responsible for many balance and fall (a leading cause of hip
fractures in the elderly) problems in the elderly, and changes in sleep
patterns that may be keeping you up at night. While looking young
depends on good skin care and genetics, everything has an impact
on brain function. And brain function has an impact on memory,
mood, intelligence, sleep patterns, bodily functions and sensory
organs (everything).
What is the Central Nervous System? The CNS includes the brain
and spinal cord. The brain is divided into areas specific in function
such as vision, hearing, smell, speech, interpretation, comprehension,
touch, taste, intelligence, personality, and mood. What is the
Peripheral Nervous System? The PNS includes all other parts of the
nervous system including the spinal nerves or peripheral nerves from
every part of the body. As we grow older, neurons in the brain die and
are not replaced by new ones. The cell loss is not uniform nor the
same from individual to individual. Some parts of the brain will
experience neuron loss sufficient to cause up 30 to 40 percent loss of
voluntary movement: slowed movements, decreased flexibility and gait
seen in the elderly. Verbal and performance levels begin to decline in
people age 60 and older.
What causes balance problems and falls in the elderly? A structure
called the cerebellum in the back of the brain is responsible for bodily
movements and movement (to some degree). Damage to this area of
the brain ultimately causes disruptions in balance and fine voluntary
and involuntary movement. As we age, we lose up to 25% of cells in
this area of the brain, causing us to have balance and coordination
problems. Falls occur in as many as 35% of people age 65 and older
and is the leading cause of hip fracture. Between 40 and 45 percent
of people over the age of 80 fall at least once a year and incidences
increase with age. Falling is a major problem that reduces active
lifestyles and thus reducing life expectancy.
Changes in sleep patterns can be a serious problem. Genetics and
the nervous system regulates sleep patterns or circadian rhythms.
Newborn babies require 16 to 18 hours of sleep, by the time they
reach a year old, the only require 13 to 14 hours and this slowly
decreases until they reach adolescence. Teenagers only need about
8 1/2 to 9 hours sleep. Most adults need about 8 hours of sleep per
day to function well, and contrary to popular belief, the need for sleep
does not decrease. Plus up to 10% of people require more or less
than 8 hours. Menopause cause significant changes in women's
sleep patterns. It significantly decreases the amount and quality of
sleep and can lead to chronic insomnia, snoring and sleep apnea. As
we age, our need for sleep remains the same. but the number of time
we awaken during the night increases, which is why the elderly take
naps often. Nocturnal awakenings tend to increase around age 40
and can cause insomnia. Insomnia can lead to irritability and weight
gain. Overall, getting the proper amount of undisrupted sleep is
important at any age.
Aging doesn't have to mean bifocals and canes, or wrinkles and
arthritis pain. Society today imposes negative stereotypes and
attitudes on the aging and the elderly. While we all age differently,
here is some statistics and information that may interest you and may
help you avoid those negative stereotypes and attitudes:
- Definitions and Perspectives on Aging
- Physical and Social Aspects of Aging
- Care of the Aging
- Aging and Society
- Staving off the effects of Aging
The field of aging is defined as social gerontology or gerontology.
While many of you think, "Who cares?", the fact is that the major
proportion of our population will soon be over the age of 50, Baby
Boomers, and they do care and so should you. They are the largest
generation, some 75 million people born between 1946 and 1964.
They are the generation that brought most of you, the Eco Boomers
at 72 million, into the world today.
Some of the Baby Boomers have been fortunate enough to retire
early, but the rest will be retiring in a few years, increasing jobs in a
vast majority of fields. By the year 2030, one out of every five
Americans will be over the age of 65.
Leading Causes of Death In the U.S. for people over the age of 65
(census 1977)
- Heart Disease
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Lung Disease
- Pneumonia & Influenza
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Accidents
- Alzheimer's Disease
What effects aging and life expectancy? Several factors effect
aging and life expectancy including:
- Marital Status
- Sex or Gender
- Income & Poverty
- Education
- Geography
- Socialization, Friends & Family
- Actively Engaged
Life expectancy: Married people vs. divorced or single people live
longer. Women tend to live longer than men, about 6 years longer.
Economics play a factor in life expectancy as well. Those who have
even their basic needs taken care of live longer, while those in
impoverished conditions die sooner. People with higher educations
have a tendency to live longer than those with a high school
education or below. This may have a lot to do with income levels of
those with higher education. People who are able to stay in their own
homes, those who do not have to be moved to a long-term care
facility fare better and live longer. Having close family and friends, ties
to the community, etc., will also prolong both health and life. The
disabled generally decline more rapidly than healthier individuals,
decreasing their life expectancy as well. Actively engaged (up and
moving around) simply means the longer you stay active, the longer
you will live.
How do other countries fare compared to the U.S.? The chart shows
the active life expectancy of men and women for:
Today, in America, the average woman lives to 80.1 years and the
average man to 74.8 years. While statistics may vary, the gap
between men and women has gradually narrowed.
In 1820, the median age of Americans was 16.7 years, in 1900, it
increased to 22.9. By 1995, the median age was 34.3 years old. What
that means is that the death rate vs birth rate has improved because
of advances in economic prosperity, science, medicine, and general
living conditions.
What are the Effects on the Human Body as we Age?
- Aging and Exterior Body
- Aging and Changing Brain Function
- Aging and Sensory Organs
- Aging and Skeletal System
- Aging and Muscular System
- Aging and Reproductive System
- Aging and Cardiovascular System
- Social and Psychological Aspects of Aging
- Prevention
Aging and Exterior Body
No matter where you go in this world, you will always see someone
with wrinkles and/or sagging skin. Wrinkles and sagging skin
appear for other reasons other than aging and the time they appear
varies from person to person between the ages of 35 to 60. The skin
is the largest organ in the human body. It protects us against water
loss, allows us to feel pleasure or pain, heat or cold and protects our
organs within. Aging skin, wrinkles, is the first sign of aging. We see it
as crow's feet around the corners of the eyes, lines on the forehead,
and around the lips and chin. While it is a natural process, cosmetics
and plastic surgery have managed to stave off the appearance of
being old. Maintaining good skin elasticity will prolong a more youthful
appearance. A loss of skin elasticity can cause premature wrinkles
and changes in skin texture. Consequences of damaging the skin by
allowing it to become to dry, getting even a minor sunburn, or other
damage include skin cancer and skin discoloration.
Skin discoloration called Lentigo can appear on the face, back of
hands and forearms of people over the age of 50. They are also
known as liver spots. Lentigo is caused by an accumulation of skin
pigment melanin. Another skin discoloration is called senile purpura
because it occurs in the elderly, appearing as purple bruises. It also
can be found on the back of hands but is harmless and is caused by
ruptured fragile blood vessels.
Skin cancer is common in the aging population that have been
exposed to the sun without sunscreens. As we age, skin damage
accumulates. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer.
It rarely spreads but must be removed before it destroys surrounding
tissue. Malignant melanoma is more serious, they can metastasize. It
can spread to other parts of the body, including bones, your brain,
and internal organs. My mother died of bone cancer about 12 years
ago. You do not want to die like that! In essence, the best protection
against skin cancer is sunscreen.
Rough dry skin can be the result of many things, but not usually just
aging. In most cases, a good moisturizer used daily will get rid of
rough, dry skin, but it helps to ex-foliate dead dry skin first.
Are we all destined to lose our hair and have paper thin fingernails?
While all of us will turn gray-headed or white-headed eventually, we
will not all have thinning hair (balding) or suffer from thin, fragile
fingernails. My father is 80 years old. He has thick white hair and thick
fingernails. Graying of hair is caused by a decrease in the number of
active pigment producing cells called melanocytes. When the
melanocytes cease to function completely, your hair will turn white
(like my dad's). People have a tendency to gray or turn white headed
at different rates, between the ages of 40 to 70.
Thin, brittle, or splitting fingernails known as Onychoschizia is not
necessarily a sign of aging. Onychosichizia can be caused by an iron
deficiency or by repeatedly wetting and drying the fingernails (hands),
like nurses or physicians do, or housewives that wash dishes without
gloves. The key is to use gloves.
Thinning (balding) or brittle hair can be a sign of aging or a
medical problem. Hair loss due to aging is more often in men due to
interactions between testosterone and genetics. Male pattern
baldness may appear in men as young as 20. Women may
experience thinning hair like men but more often than not, they
experience hair growth in the wrong places like the upper lip and long
wiry strays on the arms and face caused by menopause. Electrolysis
or cream hair removers can easily resolve these problems (or a good
pair of tweezers).
Aging and Changing Brain Function
How does aging effect brain function? Aging causes changes in the
Central Nervous System (CNS), Peripheral Nervous System (PNS),
can be responsible for many balance and fall (a leading cause of hip
fractures in the elderly) problems in the elderly, and changes in sleep
patterns that may be keeping you up at night. While looking young
depends on good skin care and genetics, everything has an impact
on brain function. And brain function has an impact on memory,
mood, intelligence, sleep patterns, bodily functions and sensory
organs (everything).
What is the Central Nervous System? The CNS includes the brain
and spinal cord. The brain is divided into areas specific in function
such as vision, hearing, smell, speech, interpretation, comprehension,
touch, taste, intelligence, personality, and mood. What is the
Peripheral Nervous System? The PNS includes all other parts of the
nervous system including the spinal nerves or peripheral nerves from
every part of the body. As we grow older, neurons in the brain die and
are not replaced by new ones. The cell loss is not uniform nor the
same from individual to individual. Some parts of the brain will
experience neuron loss sufficient to cause up 30 to 40 percent loss of
voluntary movement: slowed movements, decreased flexibility and gait
seen in the elderly. Verbal and performance levels begin to decline in
people age 60 and older.
What causes balance problems and falls in the elderly? A structure
called the cerebellum in the back of the brain is responsible for bodily
movements and movement (to some degree). Damage to this area of
the brain ultimately causes disruptions in balance and fine voluntary
and involuntary movement. As we age, we lose up to 25% of cells in
this area of the brain, causing us to have balance and coordination
problems. Falls occur in as many as 35% of people age 65 and older
and is the leading cause of hip fracture. Between 40 and 45 percent
of people over the age of 80 fall at least once a year and incidences
increase with age. Falling is a major problem that reduces active
lifestyles and thus reducing life expectancy.
Changes in sleep patterns can be a serious problem. Genetics and
the nervous system regulates sleep patterns or circadian rhythms.
Newborn babies require 16 to 18 hours of sleep, by the time they
reach a year old, the only require 13 to 14 hours and this slowly
decreases until they reach adolescence. Teenagers only need about
8 1/2 to 9 hours sleep. Most adults need about 8 hours of sleep per
day to function well, and contrary to popular belief, the need for sleep
does not decrease. Plus up to 10% of people require more or less
than 8 hours. Menopause cause significant changes in women's
sleep patterns. It significantly decreases the amount and quality of
sleep and can lead to chronic insomnia, snoring and sleep apnea. As
we age, our need for sleep remains the same. but the number of time
we awaken during the night increases, which is why the elderly take
naps often. Nocturnal awakenings tend to increase around age 40
and can cause insomnia. Insomnia can lead to irritability and weight
gain. Overall, getting the proper amount of undisrupted sleep is
important at any age.
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How does aging effect our sensory organs? First, the
sensory organs include eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and
skin and what is effected is the vision, hearing, smell,
taste, and touch, respectively. As we grow older, we
experience some loss in each area, but that also
depends on the individual and the area as to how much.
Would it surprise you to find out you begin to lose some
of your senses as early as your 20's. Well, between the
ages of 25 and 50. In your mid twenties, the losses are so
minute that you don't notice them, then gradually the
losses increase until your 50's when they become more
obvious. One of the most apparent loses, presbyopia,
requires bifocals. Other vision loss can usually and easily
be corrected with glasses, contacts, or some new form of
corrective surgery. Presbyopia cannot be corrected by
surgery but bifocals do help. Glaucoma and cataracts are
other eye problems which require a physician. Hearing
loss associated with aging is called presbycusis, can
usually be corrected with hearing aids. It becomes
noticeable when people can no longer hear high-pitched
sounds, like women's voices. What of taste, smell, and
touch? Taste and smell are connected, the loss of one
affects the other. As we age, we gradually lose the sense
of smell, and it directly affects how we eat. If you can't
smell food, it becomes unappealing. To make matters
worse, as we grow older, we burn off taste buds on our
tongues. Taste buds do not regenerate, so over time (or
more rapidly is you continually burn your tongue on hot
foods or drinks) we lose the sense of taste. Another
cause is degeneration of taste buds and/or how the brain
perceives information from taste buds. Between the
combination of loss of taste buds and smell, the elderly
can suffer from malnutrition. Touch, the final sense, is
regulated by sensors under the skin. It regulates
temperature and our ability to 'feel' things that are too hot
or too cold. It also controls pain, itching responses, and
pleasure. Loss of the layer of fatty tissue beneath the
skin and poor circulation can cause the elderly have
difficulty staying warm enough. Another problem is that
when we age, the sweat glands can cease to function,
making it impossible to cool off, putting the elderly at risk
for heat exhaustion or heat stroke. This is very important
is there is a heat wave because many elderly die every
year from a lack of air conditioning or fans.
"Oh, my aching bones! It's going to rain today." We've all
heard either our parents or grandparents say this. Aging
can have a severe impact on the skeletal system. The
skeletal system effects the bones, cartilage, and
connective tissue. Those actively engaged in sports can
testify to how painful the damage in one or all of the
areas can be (my son, the football player). Repetitive
type work or assembly line work can be especially bad on
the skeletal system over time. In fact, most individuals
who work under those conditions can expect to fare much
worse as they age than other individuals. People who did
not get enough calcium during infancy, early childhood,
young adulthood, up to their thirties will develop bone
problems as they age. Why? Bone is made up of calcium
and protein. When we need calcium, it is taken away from
the bone, Calcium on the bone is then replenished if we
consume enough, if not.....This is why you see individuals
as young as 35 with bone loss. A severe loss of bone is
called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis as we age occurs
after many years of calcium depletion, where the outer
bone thins and the inner bone becomes spongy. As we
age, individuals with osteoporosis will become shorter in
stature (lose height), have back pain, and develop a
curvature of the spine, like a hump back (dowagers
hump). This curvature can cause the bones to fracture
under the pressure. While getting enough calcium at the
right time (between birth and age 30) is extremely
important, once osteoporosis occurs, there are
prescriptions (including HRT, which most doctors will not
prescribe if you've had a heart attack or stroke) and new
medical procedures that may help. Another bone problem
is arthritis. It is a chronic degenerative joint disease that
is the number one cause of disability in the elderly. It
affects more than 1/3 of men and 1/2 of women over the
age of 65.The causes of arthritis are overuse (like
repetitive and assembly line work), viral infections,
bacterial infections, and injury (sports and accidents).
Arthritis causes pain, swelling, and sometime deformity of
the joints, from a loss of cartilage which protects the
bones from rubbing against each other. Over the counter
anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or aleve can
reduce swelling and pain, but as the conditions worsens,
prescriptions may be required. Symptoms of Rheumatoid
arthritis are more severe. It is caused by the immune
system attacking synovial membranes that line the joint
and cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause scarring,
deformity of joints, chronic severe pain in the afflicted
joint, usually hands, fingers, feet, and hips. It affects more
women than men and can occur at any age (it affected
my sister-in-law at age 22). Many with rheumatoid arthritis
become wheelchair bound or have mobility problems as
well as require prosthetics or orthopedic braces. Artificial
joint replacement can last as long as 15 years, then they
must be replaced again.
Aging and Muscular System
Aging and Reproductive System
Aging and Cardiovascular System
Prevention of Age Related Damage:
Prevention is all about protecting your body before
damage occurs. Eating a well-balanced diet, taking
vitamin supplements, drinking plenty of fluids, getting
enough sleep, and getting regular (medical or physical)
check ups is a great beginning. Protect your body from
injury or damage, especially from the sun. Use sun
screen, sun glasses, an umbrella, or proper clothing.
While most of us try to protect our health, sometimes
damage occurs for other reasons, including aging.
Exterior Body
Prevention of age related damage (other than injury or
genetic issues) to the skin can be as easy as taking
vitamin supplements and using a moisturizer daily.
Experimenting with the different brands will allow you to
find the one most likely to help or maintain your skins
glow and youthful appearance. Using an exfoliant once a
month to remove, dry dead skin works best. If your skin
already has that aged look, tiny lines, wrinkles, and
sagging, then other methods like the infrared light
therapy and vitamin supplements will rebuild collagen
and gradually diminish wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, and
cellulite.
Brain Function
One of the easiest ways to protect the brain is to keep
the brain active for as long as possible. Take courses at
your local college (beyond retirement age most colleges
offer courses free to senior citizens). Or work puzzles,
play word games, anything that requires thought. Many
companies produce and sell supplements engineered
toward protecting and promoting better brain function.
Sensory Organs
The sensory organs, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin
require the proper care to ensure they last a lifetime.
Regular eye exams should catch any eye problems, but
allergies, dry eye, and lack of vitamins can cause serious
(and blinding) results. Your ears can be protected in
several ways. First, extremely loud music can eventually
cause deafness and is not age related. In fact, this type
of deafness is found in younger people. Wearing ear
plugs at work where the noise levels are beyond 70 to 85
decibels will help you retain your hearing longer. Using
ear plugs while swimming will reduce the amount of ear
infections which can result in permanent hearing loss.
Also, protecting them from the wind and cold. While losing
the sense of smell is generally age related, several things
effect the nose and sinuses. Nose picking, putting the
fingers in the nose can cause infections. Infections can a
reduced sense of smell and effect the ears. Allergies,
prolonged exposure to allergens can also reduce the
sense of smell. Our sense of taste can be severely
effected at young ages. Repeated burns in short periods
of time can kill taste buds and sense of taste. Thrush,
Candida in the mouth and on the tongue can reduce
sense of taste as well. Our skin is the easiest to take care
and yet the most neglected. Skin cannot repair itself from
damage if it is dry. Moisturize daily.
Skeletal System
Muscular System
Reproductive System
Cardiovascular System
Social and Psychological Aspects of Aging
sensory organs include eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and
skin and what is effected is the vision, hearing, smell,
taste, and touch, respectively. As we grow older, we
experience some loss in each area, but that also
depends on the individual and the area as to how much.
Would it surprise you to find out you begin to lose some
of your senses as early as your 20's. Well, between the
ages of 25 and 50. In your mid twenties, the losses are so
minute that you don't notice them, then gradually the
losses increase until your 50's when they become more
obvious. One of the most apparent loses, presbyopia,
requires bifocals. Other vision loss can usually and easily
be corrected with glasses, contacts, or some new form of
corrective surgery. Presbyopia cannot be corrected by
surgery but bifocals do help. Glaucoma and cataracts are
other eye problems which require a physician. Hearing
loss associated with aging is called presbycusis, can
usually be corrected with hearing aids. It becomes
noticeable when people can no longer hear high-pitched
sounds, like women's voices. What of taste, smell, and
touch? Taste and smell are connected, the loss of one
affects the other. As we age, we gradually lose the sense
of smell, and it directly affects how we eat. If you can't
smell food, it becomes unappealing. To make matters
worse, as we grow older, we burn off taste buds on our
tongues. Taste buds do not regenerate, so over time (or
more rapidly is you continually burn your tongue on hot
foods or drinks) we lose the sense of taste. Another
cause is degeneration of taste buds and/or how the brain
perceives information from taste buds. Between the
combination of loss of taste buds and smell, the elderly
can suffer from malnutrition. Touch, the final sense, is
regulated by sensors under the skin. It regulates
temperature and our ability to 'feel' things that are too hot
or too cold. It also controls pain, itching responses, and
pleasure. Loss of the layer of fatty tissue beneath the
skin and poor circulation can cause the elderly have
difficulty staying warm enough. Another problem is that
when we age, the sweat glands can cease to function,
making it impossible to cool off, putting the elderly at risk
for heat exhaustion or heat stroke. This is very important
is there is a heat wave because many elderly die every
year from a lack of air conditioning or fans.
"Oh, my aching bones! It's going to rain today." We've all
heard either our parents or grandparents say this. Aging
can have a severe impact on the skeletal system. The
skeletal system effects the bones, cartilage, and
connective tissue. Those actively engaged in sports can
testify to how painful the damage in one or all of the
areas can be (my son, the football player). Repetitive
type work or assembly line work can be especially bad on
the skeletal system over time. In fact, most individuals
who work under those conditions can expect to fare much
worse as they age than other individuals. People who did
not get enough calcium during infancy, early childhood,
young adulthood, up to their thirties will develop bone
problems as they age. Why? Bone is made up of calcium
and protein. When we need calcium, it is taken away from
the bone, Calcium on the bone is then replenished if we
consume enough, if not.....This is why you see individuals
as young as 35 with bone loss. A severe loss of bone is
called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis as we age occurs
after many years of calcium depletion, where the outer
bone thins and the inner bone becomes spongy. As we
age, individuals with osteoporosis will become shorter in
stature (lose height), have back pain, and develop a
curvature of the spine, like a hump back (dowagers
hump). This curvature can cause the bones to fracture
under the pressure. While getting enough calcium at the
right time (between birth and age 30) is extremely
important, once osteoporosis occurs, there are
prescriptions (including HRT, which most doctors will not
prescribe if you've had a heart attack or stroke) and new
medical procedures that may help. Another bone problem
is arthritis. It is a chronic degenerative joint disease that
is the number one cause of disability in the elderly. It
affects more than 1/3 of men and 1/2 of women over the
age of 65.The causes of arthritis are overuse (like
repetitive and assembly line work), viral infections,
bacterial infections, and injury (sports and accidents).
Arthritis causes pain, swelling, and sometime deformity of
the joints, from a loss of cartilage which protects the
bones from rubbing against each other. Over the counter
anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or aleve can
reduce swelling and pain, but as the conditions worsens,
prescriptions may be required. Symptoms of Rheumatoid
arthritis are more severe. It is caused by the immune
system attacking synovial membranes that line the joint
and cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause scarring,
deformity of joints, chronic severe pain in the afflicted
joint, usually hands, fingers, feet, and hips. It affects more
women than men and can occur at any age (it affected
my sister-in-law at age 22). Many with rheumatoid arthritis
become wheelchair bound or have mobility problems as
well as require prosthetics or orthopedic braces. Artificial
joint replacement can last as long as 15 years, then they
must be replaced again.
Aging and Muscular System
Aging and Reproductive System
Aging and Cardiovascular System
Prevention of Age Related Damage:
Prevention is all about protecting your body before
damage occurs. Eating a well-balanced diet, taking
vitamin supplements, drinking plenty of fluids, getting
enough sleep, and getting regular (medical or physical)
check ups is a great beginning. Protect your body from
injury or damage, especially from the sun. Use sun
screen, sun glasses, an umbrella, or proper clothing.
While most of us try to protect our health, sometimes
damage occurs for other reasons, including aging.
Exterior Body
Prevention of age related damage (other than injury or
genetic issues) to the skin can be as easy as taking
vitamin supplements and using a moisturizer daily.
Experimenting with the different brands will allow you to
find the one most likely to help or maintain your skins
glow and youthful appearance. Using an exfoliant once a
month to remove, dry dead skin works best. If your skin
already has that aged look, tiny lines, wrinkles, and
sagging, then other methods like the infrared light
therapy and vitamin supplements will rebuild collagen
and gradually diminish wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, and
cellulite.
Brain Function
One of the easiest ways to protect the brain is to keep
the brain active for as long as possible. Take courses at
your local college (beyond retirement age most colleges
offer courses free to senior citizens). Or work puzzles,
play word games, anything that requires thought. Many
companies produce and sell supplements engineered
toward protecting and promoting better brain function.
Sensory Organs
The sensory organs, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin
require the proper care to ensure they last a lifetime.
Regular eye exams should catch any eye problems, but
allergies, dry eye, and lack of vitamins can cause serious
(and blinding) results. Your ears can be protected in
several ways. First, extremely loud music can eventually
cause deafness and is not age related. In fact, this type
of deafness is found in younger people. Wearing ear
plugs at work where the noise levels are beyond 70 to 85
decibels will help you retain your hearing longer. Using
ear plugs while swimming will reduce the amount of ear
infections which can result in permanent hearing loss.
Also, protecting them from the wind and cold. While losing
the sense of smell is generally age related, several things
effect the nose and sinuses. Nose picking, putting the
fingers in the nose can cause infections. Infections can a
reduced sense of smell and effect the ears. Allergies,
prolonged exposure to allergens can also reduce the
sense of smell. Our sense of taste can be severely
effected at young ages. Repeated burns in short periods
of time can kill taste buds and sense of taste. Thrush,
Candida in the mouth and on the tongue can reduce
sense of taste as well. Our skin is the easiest to take care
and yet the most neglected. Skin cannot repair itself from
damage if it is dry. Moisturize daily.
Skeletal System
Muscular System
Reproductive System
Cardiovascular System
Social and Psychological Aspects of Aging
Although it is 2008, sometimes it feels as
though we are still back in the stone ages. Men
and women are attracted to each other the
same way, our genes dictate who we will be
attracted to, but how and why?
Can we change it? Do we want to?
Men are attracted to women by the hip to waist
ratio, whether it is conscious or not. Then they
look at a woman's smile, shape, size, hair,
eyes, teeth, legs, thighs, buttocks, breasts,
face, hair, arms, hands, waist, neck, abs, and
feet, but not in that order. We, of course, do the
same thing (not the hip to waist ratio), we
subconsciously seek a mate that will be a
'good father' for our children. People are also
attracted to each other by pheromones, habits,
hobbies, sports, income (money), position or
occupation, and power. With so much going on
subconsciously how can one change how to
pick the right mate or friends? A difficult task for
some and easy for others.
Think ageism, sexism, racism, or just plain
discrimination is a problem. Guess what? We
all use discrimination every day to make
decisions about what we like and don't like.
That's right, discrimination. It enables us to
weed out things or people we don't think fit
neatly into what we believe we want. Does that
shock you? It did the first time I read it, and
then I realized we all do it consciously and
unconsciously. Feel slighted when someone
you like won't talk to or even look at you? He
may be doing you a favor. While you may be
physically attracted to his looks or his scent
(pheromones), his body is telling him you are
not suited for him. It's nothing personal. And
forcing a relationship would probably just
mean ultimate divorce. And who wants that!
Being yourself is the most important key to
finding someone who wants you for you, but
how do you do that when you don't know who
your are? It starts with the mirror!
Not happy with what you see in the
though we are still back in the stone ages. Men
and women are attracted to each other the
same way, our genes dictate who we will be
attracted to, but how and why?
Can we change it? Do we want to?
Men are attracted to women by the hip to waist
ratio, whether it is conscious or not. Then they
look at a woman's smile, shape, size, hair,
eyes, teeth, legs, thighs, buttocks, breasts,
face, hair, arms, hands, waist, neck, abs, and
feet, but not in that order. We, of course, do the
same thing (not the hip to waist ratio), we
subconsciously seek a mate that will be a
'good father' for our children. People are also
attracted to each other by pheromones, habits,
hobbies, sports, income (money), position or
occupation, and power. With so much going on
subconsciously how can one change how to
pick the right mate or friends? A difficult task for
some and easy for others.
Think ageism, sexism, racism, or just plain
discrimination is a problem. Guess what? We
all use discrimination every day to make
decisions about what we like and don't like.
That's right, discrimination. It enables us to
weed out things or people we don't think fit
neatly into what we believe we want. Does that
shock you? It did the first time I read it, and
then I realized we all do it consciously and
unconsciously. Feel slighted when someone
you like won't talk to or even look at you? He
may be doing you a favor. While you may be
physically attracted to his looks or his scent
(pheromones), his body is telling him you are
not suited for him. It's nothing personal. And
forcing a relationship would probably just
mean ultimate divorce. And who wants that!
Being yourself is the most important key to
finding someone who wants you for you, but
how do you do that when you don't know who
your are? It starts with the mirror!
Not happy with what you see in the