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For a senior, the aging process and a person's lifestyle will affect health. People who maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat nutritionally, and don't smoke reduce the risk for many health conditions. This wellness allows people to live longer and to remain independent for more years. Smoking, obesity (excess weight), and lack of exercise shorten life and increase the risk for many health conditions. According to a 2003 report, about 80% of people in the United States age 65 and older have at least one chronic (long-lasting) condition and 50% have two.

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Diet and exercise

Proper diet and regular exercise form the foundation of senior health. A nutritional diet and physical activity can help prevent diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. A healthy diet also can help manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

As people age, there is more of a need to exercise on a regular basis. According to the American Heart Association, the inactive person loses from 3-5% of muscle fiber each decade after age 30. That loss would total 30% of lost muscle fiber at age 60. Exercise helps to boost muscle strength. It can help improve balance and coordination, and therefore help to prevent falls.

Organizations including the heart association advise that regular physical activity helps prevent bone loss (osteoporosis) and the risk of conditions such as heart disease, Type II diabetes, colon cancer, stress, and depression. In addition, exercise can help extend the lives of people with conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Good health later in life helps to prevent serious illness or death from common infections as well. If a senior catches the flu, for instance, it can have more detrimental effects than in a healthier, younger person. When the SARS outbreak occurred in 2002 and 2003, clinicians expressed concern about the elderly Americans and again expressed the importance of diet and exercise. As people age, their immune system response weakens. Seniors need to be proactive in keeping their systems strong.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become less dense (solid). Bones become brittle, thinner, and break easily. Although osteoporosis is associated with aging, it is only the risk of osteoporosis that increases as a person ages. It is linked to approximately 70% of bone fractures in people age 46 and older. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one out of two women over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture. So will one out of eight men over 50.

Osteoporosis is associated primarily with the changes that occur to women during menopause. During menopause, there is a decrease in the level of estrogen, the hormone that helps maintain bone mass. Other causes of osteoporosis include lack of exercise and a diet deficient in vitamin D.

Osteoporosis is largely preventable, however, research released in 2003said that evidence is increasing to suggest that the condition starts as far back as in the womb. If this is true, it still is preventable, but by the behavior of the mother carrying a child. More research needs to be done, but it is clear that childhood growth rates are linked to hip fractures that occur decades later.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a joint disease in which cartilage wears out and bones rub against each other. This condition can occur gradually over time as activities performed throughout the years cause wear on joints. In addition, bones thin as a person ages.

Excess weight and injuries can aggravate this condition. About 16 million Americans experience some form of osteoarthritis. It generally affects the neck, fingers, lower back, knees, and toes. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, swelling, and creaking. The pain may disrupt sleep, and joint stiffness may make it difficult for a person to dress.

Falls

More than two million Americans each year fall and experience serious injuries, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. For seniors, fall-related injuries can reduce mobility and hinder independence.

As people age, their reflexes slow down so it may be more difficult to prevent a fall. Deteriorating vision and hearing can affect balance, which can cause an accidental fall. Furthermore, conditions such as arthritis, dizziness, and sleeping disorders can increase the likelihood of a fall. In addition, a person may fall at the start of a condition such as a stroke or heart attack.

Falls can result in broken bones or fractures because bones are weakened by osteoporosis. In addition, healing takes longer. Head injuries could affect sight and hearing. Injuries sustained during falls could reduce an active person's mobility and independence.

Vision

Eyesight changes as people age. Generally, people are in their 40s when they experience presbyopia, a form of farsightedness. This is a progressive condition involving a decrease in the eye's ability to focus on close objects (near vision). By age 65, little near focusing ability remains.

Glaucoma is a condition caused by pressure from the build-up of a large amount of fluid in the eye. This progressive condition is often seen in people in their 50s. It starts with the gradual loss of peripheral vision. If not treated, it can lead to some vision loss.

People in their 60s may experience the first signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is a progressive condition affecting the retina. The macula in the retina distinguishes detail. Degeneration in the macula could cause scarring and a gradual reduction in vision. The person experiences a circle of blindness, an area of sightlessness that grows as the condition progress.

More than half of people age 65 or older will be diagnosed with cataracts. Cataract refers to the loss of the transparency in the lens of the eye. As the loss progresses, the person is able to see less detail. This condition generally affects both eyes.

Hearing

Presbycusis, age-related hearing loss, is a progressive condition. It usually starts with a difficulty in hearing high-frequency sound such as people talking. A senior has less trouble with low-frequency tones. Background noise will make it even more difficult to hear. Presbycusis affects approximately 25% of people between the ages of 65 and 75 and half of those over 75. Many people diagnosed with this condition say they have lost hearing in both ears. They also report feelings of dizziness and that they experience a ringing in their ears.

Sleep disorders

Sleep patterns change when a person ages. Many people in their 60s and 70s experience less time in the stages of deep sleep known as delta sleep. Despite this change, many healthy older people don't experience sleep disorders. Overall health plays a role in whether a senior experiences trouble sleeping.

Obesity is linked to snoring and sleep apnea. Snoring can turn into apnea. A person with apnea stops breathing for up to one minute until the brain restarts the breathing process. This action could be repeated several hundred times each night.

Furthermore, a senior's sleep can be disrupted by conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Insomnia, or the inability to stay asleep, is a symptom of conditions including depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and restless leg syndrome (RLS).

RLS involves movement of legs when a person is at rest. The person moves legs in response to a tingling sensation in the upper leg, calf, or foot. In other cases, legs move involuntarily. Sensations that trigger movement can re-occur within seconds.

A person with RLS is likely to have PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder). A sleeping person with this condition will kick legs or move arms repeatedly. These involuntary movements can last from 20 seconds to an hour. Approximately 45% of the elderly have a mild form of PLMD, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

The cause of these disorders is not known. They are thought to be caused by a chemical reaction in the brain. In addition, the conditions may be hereditary.

Mental health

While age has little effect on the mind, social and emotional factors affect an older person's health. After a lifetime of work or raising a family, retirement brings several challenges. A person who has been identified for years by a profession may experience a sense of lost identity.

A senior may find that the thinking process has changed. Learning something new may take longer. However, older people have excellent recall of new information.

Memory loss may be a concern, particularly since this is a symptom of Alzheimer's disease.

Dementia

Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia, a condition in which mental abilities decline. Symptoms of dementia include memory loss that goes beyond forgetting a word or where an item was placed. The person with dementia may never recognize family members or remember how to perform functions such as preparing a meal. Sometimes they experience a change in personality, with some uncharacteristic aggression or paranoia.

Alzheimer's disease is the most prevalent form of dementia. Although the cause of this condition is not known, the risk of Alzheimer's increases as a person ages. In 2000, the condition affected one in 15 people over the age of 65. The ratio rises to one in three people age 85 and older.

Alzheimer's is a progressive condition. In most cases, after five to eight years, a patient with this condition is unable to perform basic functions. There is no known cure for Alzheimer's. However, as of 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved four medications that could help delay the degenerative process.

Precautions

A health condition may result in a doctor recommending against some forms of exercise. However, even if a person can't jog, other forms of exercise include those designed for people in wheelchairs and those who are bedridden.

Treatments for menopause and osteoporosis include Raloxifene, a medication that may cause blood clots.

Description

The cost of treatment varies. Cost of medical treatment will be determined by the type of procedure and whether a person has medical insurance. Health plan and Medicare coverage and copayments impact an individual's cost for various preventions and treatments.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays an important role in senior health. Not only does a well-balanced diet keep a person from becoming obese, that same diet is a safeguard against health conditions that seniors face. Proper diet can help prevent a condition like diabetes or keep it from worsening.

The senior diet should consist of foods that are low in fat, particularly saturated fat and cholesterol. A person should choose foods that provide nutrients such as iron and calcium. Other healthy menu choices include: 

• fish, skinless poultry, and lean meat.  
• proteins such as dry beans (red beans, navy beans, and soybeans), lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts. 
• low-fat dairy products  
• vegetables, especially those that are dark green and leafy  
• citrus fruits or juices, melons, and berries  
• whole grains like wheat, rice, oats, corn, and barley  
• whole grain breads and cereals  

Exercise

Physical activity should be rhythmic, repetitive, and should challenge the circulatory system. It also should be enjoyable so that a senior gets in the habit of exercising regularly for 30 minutes each day. It may be necessary to check with a doctor to determine the type of exercise that can be done.

Walking is recommended for weight loss, stress release, and many other conditions. Brisk walking is said to produce the same benefits as jogging. Other forms of exercise can include gardening, bicycling, hiking, swimming, dancing, skating or ice-skating. If weather prohibits outdoor activities, a person can work out indoors with an exercise video.

Exercise also offers a chance to socialize. In some cities, groups of seniors meet for regular walks at shopping malls. Senior centers offer exercise classes ranging from line dancing to belly dancing.

Costs for exercise range from the price of walking shoes to the fees for joining a gym.

Osteoporosis

Prevention is the best method of treating osteoporosis. Methods of preventing osteoporosis include regular weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, weight lifting, yoga, and stair climbing.

People should not smoke since smoking makes the body produce less estrogen. Care should be taken to avoid falling.

Diet should include from 1,000-1,300 mg. of calcium each day. Sources of calcium include: 

• leafy, dark-green vegetables such as spinach, kale, mustard greens, and turnip greens  
• low-fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss,mozzarella, and parmesan; also helpful are foods made with milk such as pudding and soup  
• canned fish such as salmon, sardine, and anchovies  
• tortillas made from lime-processed corn  
• tofu processed with calcium-sulfate  
• calcium and vitamin D tablets

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