Wrinkles and gray hair are just examples of natural aging process but this is something you see outside of your body. There are certain things which undergo changes within as well, whether emotional or physical. That is why it is always advisable for seniors, ages 50 and above to go for regular, routine checkups with their doctors even if you believe you are healthy and active. It is done to prevent unforeseen health risks from damaging our bodies.
Cardiovascular diseases are more common in men. In fact, heart disease is the leading health threat for the gents and it usually starts earlier than any other diseases. The most common cause of cardiovascular disease is your lifestyle and habits especially if you are predisposed to this disease meaning if you have hereditary tendencies running through your blood. If you are having difficulties with your heart, try to quit smoking. Smoking can cause your blood to thicken and clot which can clog up your heart. It can also harden your arteries, losing their elasticity. Overtime, your heart will work even harder resulting to high blood pressure.
For women, their common enemy is osteoporosis or bone loss. This usually occurs after menopause. Bear in mind that this is a common phenomenon for all humans since maximum bone mass reaches its peak at around 25-35 years old and declines after that which will result to gradual loss of density making the bones weaker and susceptible to fracture. To prevent this, you should start taking calcium supplements and join fitness activities. Exercising is the best way to maintain your strength and slow down your bone’s aging process. You should start early on.
Memory loss is common to seniors. As we grew old, we experience gradual brain cell loss thus making our memory less efficient than yesterday. Memory loss is also obtained in instances of alcoholism, infection and repeated head trauma but it is a natural occurrence when we get older. Adequate daily dose of folic acid and B vitamins will somewhat alleviate the symptoms. Also, mind exercises such as crossword puzzles and Sudoku will help tremendously in keeping your mind healthy and active. Avoid mind stresses and practice relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation.
If you find your self having some difficulties in sleeping, then you are not alone since it was found that seniors do have at least one sleeping disorder under their belts. There are many known factors which affect a seniors’ goodnight sleep. For one, due to hormonal changes, our bodies secrete less of sleeping hormone melatonin. Melatonin is our body’s own sleep timer which signals the brain when it’s time to sleep making us feel sleepy and drowsy. Without it, the brain would never know when to send sleep signals to the body. Health conditions also aggravate sleeping patterns especially if you have diabetes and you need to make several trips to the bathroom during the night. Anxiety also interferes with your sleep. When having some sleeping problems, examine your medications closely. Some medications prevent you from sleeping, ask your doctor about your medications’ side effect and let him know at once if you suspect one.
It is but normal for our bodies to undergo some certain changes depending on how we live our lives. What’s important is how we take care of our bodies to prevent or delay natural occurrences from happening so it will not interfere with our daily living. It is most recommended for seniors to stop all harmful vices such as alcohol drinking and smoking and start cleaning up by engaging in a healthy diet everyday. Regular checkup is necessary since it can provide a better health foresight of your body.
