On average, most of us are living up to 30 years longer than our grandparents. If you live to 65, there is a good possibility that you will still be alive at 85. However, along with this longevity goes managing your health. Most management revolves around healthy lifestyle choices. We need to be physically active, eat healthy meals, cut out alcohol and cigarettes, keep our weight down and make various other healthy choices.
Many of us have chronic conditions that also need to be managed. Seniors are particularly interested in keeping the following conditions under control.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is still the main killer of those over 65. As people age, they tend to be living with more of the risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Both of these can increase your chances of having heart disease or a stroke. To help deal with the risks of heart disease, get lots of sleep and eat well. A well balanced and healthy diet will lead to a healthy weight.
Cancer
Cancer is the second most common cause of death for seniors. Though you can’t always prevent cancer, you can get tests such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Cancer is also treatable.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Almost 11% of those over 65 are living with Alzheimer’s Disease, a chronic condition. Cognitive impairment from the disease has a huge impact on senior health. Many are no longer able to care for themselves and must live in nursing homes.
Diabetes
25% of those 65 and over have diabetes. Diabetes can be caught early with the proper tests. The sooner you start to take control of the disease, the better it will be for you in the long-term.
Falls
As our population ages, the risk of falls increases. More than 2.5 million seniors visit emergency departments each year due to falls. Many of these falls occur in the home because of tripping hazards such as throw rugs.
There are many other health concerns that seniors presently live with and are working to manage. Some of these are preventable and others are treatable. Many are manageable through healthy living. To read the full article on the most common health concerns of seniors, click here.
