Health for Seniors

We all want to live longer and happier–but the combination of all we have done, or not done, in our lives and the aging of our cells usually thwart our ambitions. The malfunction of our various organs is different from person to person. It is said that when older people talk it is an organ concert! We hear enough about reducing the heart attacks and cancers that will eventually take most of us. But what about the other maladies that pursue us? By age 40 or 50 we may need hip or knee replacements because of our sporting careers or our jobs. By age 60 we may begin to have balance problems because of poorer eyesight, middle ear problems or brain factors such as the cerebellum that aids our coordination. Or we may have lower back problems because we have been walking on our “hind legs” all our lives, thus putting strain on our lumbar vertebrae and discs. Or it may be a combination of poor balance being increased because of the pain in our backs. It is common in older people to feel dizzy when they stand up from a chair or bed because it takes the body longer to push blood into the brain than it did when were younger.We have many body organs that may be lessened in efficiency as we age. For some people the urinary bladder or the inability of the urinary sphincter to remain closed create incontinence and many older people need to wear diaper-like underwear.The sinuses behind the nose, or even the actions of stomach may make our nose drip or our coughing increase. This may entice us to cough more than we once did. In fact we may want to split up the accumulated mucus and saliva.Of course the major problem that we may face is dementia of some sort, like Alzheimer’s. Most of us have “senior moments” when we forget things that we know we know. There are activities we can do throughout our lives to reduce the chances of being haunted by these bugaboos of aging– and there are things we can do after they have begun to appear. Such things as eating soluble fibers and omega-3 oils to reduce heart attack , or even drinking more water to improve our balance are simple but effective healthy habits. The kind of exercise is also important. There are some things that we can do to extend our lives and increase our joy of living. This book is aimed at helping these to happen. Written by two college health professors, It should answer all, or most, of your questions about healthy aging. Written by two college health professors, the book explains the various theories of aging, how to slow the process through correct nutrition and exercise and how to handle the common effects of advanced aging.

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