Seven secrets to feeling great as you age — advice for preventing and treating health issues – Eye Witness News

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Many people once assumed that Bahamian men had little to no interest in health issues, but luckily that misconception is changing with the overwhelmingly positive response to the annual men’s health conferences hosted by the Ministry of Health.

Men in the Bahamas today want to feel comfortable as they age, but to do this they need to understand the risks that naturally increase with age and be willing to adopt preventative, healthy habits.

What influences the way we age?

“Your gender, your genetics and your psychological differences play a role in aging,” said family doctor Dr. Donald Ford, MD, MBA from Cleveland Clinic. “Most importantly, other factors that a man is more in control of can affect how well he ages.”

Ford said men age better when they:

• Are non-smokers;
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption;
• Maintain a healthy diet and weight; and
• Have a strong support system.

Age affects several systems in the body. Here are seven general areas that are affected, as well as tips to help you fight back.

1. Fight heart disease and high blood pressure.

With age, the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure increases. In fact, men by the age of 60 have a 75 percent risk of heart disease. A similar risk for women is not observed until the age of 80.

Tips: Keep high blood pressure and cholesterol under control, exercise, eat right, and if you smoke do everything possible to quit.

2. Keep your mind sharp.

Our brains also change with age, and that includes the loss of neurons. Memory, cognitive function, and reaction time are all affected. Depression is also becoming more common.

Tips: Keep your brain up with mental exercises, social activities, music, hang out with friends, and keep pets if you want. If depression is a problem, seek counseling.

3. Watch your metabolism and sleep.

Changes in metabolism and hormonal function can often lead to weight gain and sometimes weight loss. Your sleep pattern can change.

Tips: If sleep is an issue, try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. If you take a nap during the day, you should also contain it so you can sleep better at night. These changes can help reset a circadian cycle. Exercise can also help you sleep better. You can also discuss weight gain or loss with your doctor.

4. Be smart about testosterone.

Despite what you hear on TV, low testosterone levels that require treatment are very rare and usually limited to men with chronic illnesses, although prolonged use of drugs such as opiates or steroids may be the cause. Most of the symptoms associated with low testosterone (fatigue, loss of libido) are usually due to other physical or psychological factors.

Tips: Work hard to get plenty of exercise and eight hours of sleep each night, and symptoms of “Low-T” usually improve.

5. Don’t ignore your skin.

As you age, the skin can lose its thickness and elasticity, making it more prone to injury. In addition, various skin lesions such as sunspots are more common.

Tips: Look for changes in skin lesions, including shape, texture, size, and color. If you notice anything, call your doctor right away.

6. Address prostate problems.

The size of your prostate can increase, which can result in decreased urine flow and frequent visits to the toilet. There is also a higher risk of urinary tract infections or prostatitis. While women are more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence, men are not immune.

Tips: Talk to your doctor about problems urinating, or signs of irritation or pain. Most over-the-counter prostate drugs are ineffective.

7. Reduce your risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis tends to affect men later in life. An increased risk of fractures due to bone fragility generally affects men ten years after women, but the severity or mortality associated with, for example, a hip fracture is higher in men.

Tips: Regular exercise and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can help you prevent osteoporosis.

Checkups, treatments and nutritional supplements

In order to age well, it is also important to have appropriate preventive examinations. Make sure your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are under control and, if necessary, have diabetes screening done.

Dr. Donald Ford, MD, MBA.

“As we get close to age 50, we also need to check for colon cancer and prostate cancer,” said Ford. “I’m also looking for things like lung cancer and aortic aneurysm in men with a history of smoking.”

He said it was also a good idea to reconsider your diet as you get older. You may find that the same diet you had when you were 20 stopped working by 50.

It is also important to fight heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. Your treatment may require prescription medications and / or lifestyle changes.

Dietary supplements are generally unnecessary and sometimes harmful. While taking multivitamin supplements daily can provide some reassurance, it’s always better to maintain your nutrients through a healthy diet.

“It’s important to focus on staying physically active. It doesn’t have to be soccer. It can dance, walk, or use a treadmill. The ‘use it or lose it’ principle becomes a reality as you age, “said Ford.” The more you just sit around, the more you just sit around. “

source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/seven-secrets-to-feeling-great-as-you-age-advice-for-preventing-and-treating-health-issues-eye-witness-news/