InHealth: Common Health Issues in Older Adults

Courtesy of Michael Juceam, Owner of Right at Home

As people age, a number of health conditions can shift, causing mild irritation and consternation to a full outbreak of pain and disability. For some older adults, their eyesight dims or hearing fades. For others, arthritis sets in or their teeth start to break. Since American seniors on average are living another 19 years once they reach age 65, those two decades can prove challenging for keeping healthy.

While not exhaustive what follows are some suggested prevention measures for a few age-related health changes in older adults.

Skin:

• Protect your skin from the damaging effects of sun exposure. Staying out of direct sun is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin. 
• Get an annual full-body skin check from a professional dermatologist. The Cleveland Clinic estimates that 40% to 50% of people who live to at least age 65 will develop basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer at least once. 
• Prevent skin dryness and itching by increasing humidity in the home and countering the drying effects of winter overheating and summer air conditioning.
• Go easy on using antiperspirants, soaps and perfumes, and taking hot baths or showers — all of these are drying on the skin. Applying a moisturizer within a few minutes of taking a bath or shower can help prevent skin dryness.
• Keep adequately hydrated.
• Ask your doctor about the shingles vaccine. Older adults are more susceptible to contracting this painful, blistery skin rash that lives in nerve cells after an earlier outbreak of the chickenpox virus.

Sensory:

Eyesight

• Get a yearly eye exam if you are over age 50 or have known health risks. If you are diabetic, you will need regular eye exams and careful blood sugar monitoring.
• Eat a nutritious diet that promotes healthy eyesight. Foods packed with vitamins A, C and E and rich in omega fatty acids help protect the eyes from dryness and infection.
• Wear durable eye protection for activities that could injure the eyes.

Hearing

• Avoid exposure to loud noises. 
• Turn down the volume on music, the television, etc. 
• Use a smartphone app that measures noise levels and be sure it is properly calibrated for an accurate reading.
• Talk to your doctor about medications that can be harmful to hearing.
• Know your family history and medical conditions that can cause hearing deficits.
• Ask your doctor about a hearing screening as part of an annual physical. 

Bones and Joints:

Osteoporosis

• Check with your physician about a bone mass density scan.
• Do weight-bearing exercises such as walking, weightlifting and other types of strength and resistance training to strengthen bones. 
• Eat adequate amounts of calcium-rich foods daily or take calcium supplements. 
• Be sure to get enough vitamin D in your diet, which helps your body absorb calcium. 

Arthritis

• Control your weight to take extra stress off joints.
• Avoid injuries to bones and joints by wearing proper sports equipment and getting adequate safety training for work and play.
• Eat a nutritious diet with low amounts of alcohol, sugar and purines. Eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk for rheumatoid arthritis.

Urogenital:

• Be aware of factors that affect bladder health. Some medications, caffeine and alcohol can bother the bladder. 
• There is no sure-fire prevention for prostate cancer. Medical professionals recommend reducing risk by maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active and eating a diet high in certain vegetables. Consuming cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower), tomatoes, soy, beans and other legumes have been shown to lower the risk for prostate cancer.

Right at Home of Sarasota County is a locally owned and operated franchise office of Right at Home, LLC. It serves Sarasota, Osprey, Nokomis, Venice, North Port and the Sarasota County portion of Longboat Key. For more information, visit www.seniorcaresarasota.com, or email mjuceam@rahcentralgulfcoast.com.