Aging： What Happens
You know that aging can lead to wrinkles and gray hair. But did you know what aging can do to your teeth, heart and libido? See what happens as you get older. And how to promote health at any age.
What happened
The most common change in the cardiovascular system is hardening of the blood vessels and arteries, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood to them. The heart muscle changes in response to the increased workload. Your heart rate will stay the same when you’re resting, but it won’t increase as much when you’re active. These changes can increase the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.
What can you do
Promote Heart health:
Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Try walking, swimming, or other activities you enjoy. Regular moderate physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Eat healthy. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods, and lean protein sources like fish. Eat less foods high in saturated fat and salt.
Don’t smoke. Smoking causes hardening of the arteries and increases blood pressure and heart rate. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit.
Manage stress. Stress can damage your heart. Take steps to reduce stress, such as meditation, exercise, or talk therapy.
Get enough sleep. Quality sleep plays an important role in the healing and repair of the heart and blood vessels. Seven to nine hours a night.
What happened
As we age, bones tend to decrease in size and density, making them weaker and more prone to fractures. You might even get shorter. Muscles often lose strength, endurance and flexibility. These factors can affect your coordination, stability, and balance.
What can you do
Promote bone, joint and muscle health:
Get enough calcium. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommends adults get at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. For women 51 and older and men 71 and older, it is recommended to increase to 1,200 mg per day. Dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, broccoli, kale, salmon and tofu. If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from your diet, ask your doctor about calcium supplements.
Get enough vitamin D. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 600 ius for adults younger than 70 and 800 ius for adults older than 70. Many people get enough vitamin D from sunlight. Other sources include tuna, salmon, eggs, vitamin D-fortified milk, and vitamin D supplements.
Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, playing tennis, stair climbing, and weight training can help you strengthen your bones and slow bone loss.
Avoid substance abuse. Avoid smoking and limit alcoholic beverages. Ask your doctor how much alcohol is safe to drink for your age, gender, and overall health.
What happened
Age-related changes in the structure of the large intestine can cause older people to be more prone to constipation. Other contributing factors include lack of exercise, not drinking enough water and a low-fiber diet. Medications, such as diuretics and iron supplements, as well as certain diseases, such as diabetes, can also cause constipation.
What can you do
Prevent constipation:
Eat healthy. Make sure your diet includes high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Cut down on high-fat meats, dairy products and sweets, which can cause constipation. Drink plenty of water and other fluids.
Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Regular physical activity helps prevent constipation.
Don’t ignore the urge to poop. Prolonged bowel movements can lead to constipation.
What happened
As you age, your bladder may become less elastic, resulting in the need to urinate more frequently. Weakening of the bladder muscles and pelvic floor muscles may make it difficult to completely empty your bladder or cause you to lose bladder control (incontinence). An enlarged or inflamed prostate in men can also cause difficulty urinating and incontinence.
Other factors that contribute to incontinence include being overweight, nerve damage from diabetes, certain medications, and caffeine or alcohol consumption.
What can you do
Promote bladder and urethra health:
Go to the bathroom regularly. Consider urinating regularly, such as once an hour. Slowly lengthen the time between toilet breaks.
Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, lose the extra weight.
Don’t smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit.
Do Kegel exercises. To work your pelvic floor muscles (Kegel exercises), squeeze the muscles you use to stop passing gas. Try for three seconds at a time, then relax and count to three. Practice until you do 10 to 15 reps in a row, at least 3 times a day.
Avoid bladder irritation. Caffeine, acidic foods, alcohol and carbonated drinks can make incontinence worse.
Avoid constipation. Eat more fiber and take other steps to avoid constipation, which can worsen incontinence.
What happened
As you age, your brain changes, and these changes may slightly affect your memory or thinking abilities. For example, healthy older adults may forget familiar names or words, or they may find it harder to multitask.
What can you do
You can promote cognitive health by taking the following steps:
Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Physical activity increases blood flow throughout the body, including to the brain. Studies have linked regular exercise to better brain function and reduced stress and depression. Factors that affect memory.
Eat healthy. A heart-healthy diet is good for your brain. Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose low protein sources such as fish, lean meat, and skinless poultry. Excessive drinking can lead to confusion and memory loss.
Keep your mind active. Keeping mentally active helps maintain your memory and thinking skills. You can read, play word games, take up a new hobby, take lessons, or learn to play an instrument.
It’s society. Socializing helps ward off depression and stress, which can lead to memory loss. You might volunteer at a local school or nonprofit, spend time with family and friends, or attend social events.
To treat cardiovascular disease. Follow your doctor’s advice to manage cardiovascular risk factors. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes; This may increase the risk of cognitive decline.
Quit smoking. If you smoke, quitting may help your cognitive health.
Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about memory loss or other changes in your thinking ability.
What happened
As you get older, you may have trouble focusing on close objects. You may become more sensitive to bright light and have difficulty adjusting to different levels of light. Aging can also affect the lens, causing blurred vision (cataracts).
Your hearing will also be impaired. You may have trouble hearing high frequencies or following a conversation in a crowded room.
What can you do
Promote eye and ear health:
Schedule regular medical checkups. Wear glasses, contact lenses, hearing AIDS and other corrective devices as recommended by your doctor.
Take precautions. Wear sunglasses or a wide-brimmed hat when you’re outside, and earplugs when there are noisy machines or other noises around you.
What happened
Your gums may fall away from your teeth. Certain medications, such as those for allergies, asthma, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, can also cause dry mouth. As a result, your teeth and gums may become more susceptible to decay and infection.
What can you do
Promote oral health:
Floss your teeth. Brush your teeth twice a day to clean between your teeth. Use regular floss or interdental cleaner; Once a day.
Schedule regular medical checkups. Visit your dentist or dental hygienist for regular dental checkups.
What happened
As you age, your skin thins, becomes less elastic and more fragile, and the amount of fatty tissue underneath your skin decreases. You may notice that you bruise more easily. A decrease in natural oils may make your skin drier. Wrinkles, age spots and small bumps called skin tags are more common.
What can you do
Promote skin health:
It is gentle. Bathe or shower in a warm room; Not hot; Water. Use mild soaps and moisturizers.
Take precautions. Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when you’re outside. Check your skin regularly and report any changes to your doctor.
Don’t smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit. Smoking can cause skin damage, such as wrinkles.
What happened
As you age, your body burns calories (metabolism) at a slower rate. If you reduce activity as you get older, but continue to eat as usual, you will gain weight. To maintain a healthy weight, keep exercising and eat healthy.
What can you do
To maintain a healthy weight:
Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Regular moderate physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight.
Eat healthy. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods, and lean protein sources like fish. Cut down on sugar and foods high in saturated fat.
Watch your portion size. To cut calories, pay attention to portion sizes.
What happened
Sexual needs and performance may change as we age. An illness or medication may affect your ability to enjoy sex. For women, vaginal dryness can make sex uncomfortable. For men, impotence can be a problem. It may take longer to get an erection, and the erection may not be as firm as it once was.
What can you do
Boost your sexual health:
Share your needs and concerns with your partner. You may find that physical intimacy without intercourse suits you well, or you may try different sexual activities.
Exercise regularly. Exercise promotes the release of sex hormones, cardiovascular health, flexibility, mood and self-image. All the factors that contribute to sexual health.
Talk to your doctor. Your doctor may be able to offer specific treatment recommendations. Like estrogen creams for vaginal dryness or oral medications for erectile dysfunction in men.