CDC: According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can live an average of 19.3 years longer by age 65. For many people, living in old age means carefully managing chronic diseases to stay healthy.
Your senior care team, including geriatricians and doctors specializing in health issues related to aging, can help you learn to live well. According to the CDC, 41% of people over 65 say they are healthy or very healthy.
As you age, taking preventive measures for your health becomes more important. Certain conditions can negatively affect health and longevity, affecting the quality of old age. These conditions can be reduced and/or treated if detected early.
Here we shall discuss some issues senior citizens face that bother their health and how to help them overcome such conditions.
Three Major Issues Leading To Health Decline In Oldage
The most prevalent and expensive chronic health diseases include diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion advises scheduling a yearly visit with a doctor. Chronic illnesses can be managed or prevented with the support of a good diet and regular exercise.
Given below are the three most dangerous age-related conditions that can affect people and get them tied to the bed for the rest of their lives—
Decline In Cognition
Both dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refer to a deterioration in cognition that is higher than would be anticipated for a person’s age, education, or developmental stage. As a result, one person’s definition of normal may not apply to another.
Accelerated cognitive decline cannot happen until conditions, such as a life stressor or sickness, pass a point at which the brain can no longer make up for harm. Additionally, at this point, many elderly develop phobia from pills, and it becomes difficult to keep up with other age-related issues when they refuse to take medication at home.
Therefore, to avoid the problems of declining cognition, it is important to follow the given rules—
- Steer clear of smoking.
- Maintain a nutritious diet and moderately intense exercise.
- Maintaining excellent cardiovascular health (such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels).
- Create social support networks to relieve stress, engage your intellect, and connect with others going through the same things as you in the aging process.
Osteoporosis
About 54 million Americans have osteoporosis, which can result in painful, incapacitating shattered bones termed fragility fractures.
Non-Hispanic white and Asian women are more at risk for developing this condition, affecting women four times more frequently than males.
Your risk of contracting this disease may increase due to certain medical conditions and treatments. Ordinarily, osteoporosis goes unnoticed until a bone fracture takes place. But if you see any of the following, you should let your doctor know:
- Lower back discomfort.
- One- or more-foot drop in height
- Altered posture (e.g. hunching over).
Osteoporotic illness does not have a single therapy that works for everyone. Instead, it may be treated with prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and lifestyle modifications.
Some medications work better on older women than on younger premenopausal women. Based on your general health and the amount of bone you’ve lost, your doctor will assist you in selecting the finest osteoporosis medicine.
Falls And Fractures
With age, there is an increased chance of falling and issues from falls. For instance, you may prevent a fall by exercising, controlling your medicines, getting your eyesight examined, and making your house safer.
Every year, more than one in four adults 65 and older experience a fall.
- Continue to be active.
- Create a personalized fitness plan for yourself.
- If you require assistance feeling stable while walking, use an assistive device.
- Exercise can assist in reducing bone loss caused by osteoporosis.
- Alcoholism can impair balance and cause falls, resulting in fractures to the hip or arm and other injuries.
- Muscle loss due to age can also cause falls and fractures.
Older folks frequently visit the emergency room and remain in the hospital due to falls. Unfortunately, many of these hospital admissions are due to fractures from falls, resulting in permanent disability or even death.
By maintaining healthy bones and using the aforementioned advice, you can help reduce your chance of fractures.
Living A Happy And Healthy Oldage
It might be difficult to balance proactive measures to protect your health with maximizing the positive features of aging.
Age-related changes affect many aspects of life, including the physical, mental, social, emotional, and sexual. You could view some of these changes as favorable and others as bad.
It’s never too late to make tiny lifestyle adjustments if you want to enhance your health and fitness. However, you may get started on the right path by incorporating a few of the healthy behaviors recommended below.