A Health Blueprint for Old Age: Mental Health, Organ Protection, and Prevention of Sensory Degeneration

At the beginning of this century, infections and acute illnesses were the leading causes of disease in the elderly. Today, the leading killers of people over 65 are chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke; influenza and pneumonia; and accidents. To be precise, some aspects of aging cannot be corrected: enlarged prostate, hardening of arteries with age, decreased muscle mass and strength, and thinning hair. But on the bright side, the body at 65 simply functions a little slower, not worse. The heart pumps blood at roughly the same rate at age 80 as it did at age 30. Atherosclerosis, emphysema, cirrhosis, stiff joints, weight gain, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and constipation are all preventable or treatable. Youth and aging are a matter of mental and psychological state. A healthy, positive, and optimistic mental state is itself a manifestation of youth. Harvard University's Institute for Research on Aging has proposed 15 criteria for measuring mental aging: Have you become forgetful lately? Do you get easily stressed in emergencies? Do you focus your attention on self-centered matters? Do you like to talk about the past? Do you complain a lot? Are you indifferent to what's happening around you? Do you feel constantly disturbed by others? Do you find it very difficult to learn new things? Are you sensitive to tedious tasks? Are you reluctant to interact with strangers? Do you feel like you're falling behind the times? Are you often bound by your emotions? Do you no longer want to achieve anything new? Are you gradually developing a liking for collecting impractical things? Tooth loss is usually caused by cavities or periodontal disease, which affects almost everyone over 35. The consequence of both diseases is plaque: an invisible thin layer that adheres to the surface of teeth. Bleeding while brushing is the earliest sign of gum disease. To prevent tooth loss: Use fluoride to prevent tooth decay. Reduce sugar intake. Brush your teeth with baking soda and gently floss once a day. Have a dental checkup every 6 months. Cataracts and glaucoma are two of the most common, manageable age-related eye diseases. Glaucoma is characterized by high fluid pressure inside the eye, and symptoms include difficulty adjusting to dark rooms. Cataracts are a cloud-like layer of material on the lens of the eye that can lead to blindness, and symptoms include blurred vision; about 60% of people over 65 years of age show signs of developing them. Another age-related condition is macular degeneration (AMD), which provides the necessary sharp central vision. One age-related decline in the eye's ability to accommodate is farsightedness (hyperopia), and by age 50, most people need reading glasses. Age-related hearing loss is caused by cumulative damage to the fine, hair-like cells of the inner ear. This damage can be caused by disease, as well as prolonged exposure to noise. Therefore, age-related hearing loss, which affects about half of all older adults, is mostly not caused by age itself. The extent of the damage depends on sensitivity to noise, the duration of the noise, and the amount of noise. 0 decibels (dBA) represents the lowest level of sound the ear can detect. A whisper can be heard at 30 decibels. At around 90 decibels, the ears begin to ring, a sign of irreversible hearing damage. For example, a quiet room is around 40 decibels, conversation is around 60 decibels, city traffic and baby screams are around 90 decibels, a woodworking shop is around 100 decibels, amplified rock music is around 120 decibels, and artillery fire or fireworks can reach 125-160 decibels. While exposure to a single loud noise can cause hearing damage, most noise-induced hearing loss takes a long time to develop. Whenever you're standing in a noisy place, an arm's length away from someone, and you can't hear them without raising your voice, that noise is unsafe. In this situation, either leave, wear earplugs, or keep a tissue as an emergency earplug. Most hearing loss is painless. For years, you may not notice the damage. Then you may find it difficult to understand what others are saying. Many experts recommend having a hearing test annually after age 55. Wearing a hearing aid-modern instruments are constantly being improved-is far better than being cut off from other people and events and always appearing confused, deaf, and mute.

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