What normal health challenges can a reasonably healthy 70 year- old- senior woman expect to encounter with aging?
1. Your Brain
Your brain shrinks in size as you get older, and the communication between different parts may become slower. As a result, you may have problems remembering names or recalling a specific word. Multitasking and paying attention may become more difficult for you.
Don’t be afraid if it makes you think of Alzheimer’s disease; they are natural changes. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia create far more severe issues with memory and daily activities.
2. Your Heart
As you get older, your heart can’t beat as quickly during activity or when you’re worried. Blood may not circulate as efficiently through its walls and valves when it thickens and hardens. The electrical mechanism of the heart can start to malfunction, resulting in an irregular pulse. The most common concern is plaque accumulation in the arteries. However, you can reduce your chance of problems by adopting healthy lifestyles such as exercising, eating a heart-friendly diet, and giving up smoking.
3. Your skin
Age spots and wrinkles are inevitable, and you may also notice that you bruise more and sweat less. Your skin may seem drier and paperier. It will also become uncomfortable and easily inflamed. Switching to milder soap and using moisturizer and sunscreen daily can help. You can also use a humidifier.
4. Nutrition
As you grow older, your metabolism slows. To avoid weight gain, you may have to reduce your calorie intake. On the other hand, some folks notice that they aren’t as hungry and thirsty as they were. Choose foods that provide more nutrients for fewer calories, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein, as you eat less.
Changes in your body may cause a deficiency in vitamins D and B12, so you may need to take supplements too.
5. Your Muscles, Bones, and Joints
Osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease, affects around one in every four women (and some men) over 65. Your muscles weaken, and the tendons that attach your muscles to your bones stiffen. Your strength and flexibility will suffer as a result of this. It’s no surprise if you lose an inch or two of height in your 70s when the disks in your back flatten. Exercises, especially weight-bearing exercises, can help avoid and even reverse these changes.
6. Your Sleep
People get older and spend less time in deep sleep and more time in less-deep stages. You may wake up quite frequently and have difficulty falling back asleep. Insomnia, particularly in women, can be a problem in their 70s. You may notice that you are falling asleep and waking up more frequently.
Regardless of your sleeping habits, you still require 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Do whatever you can to maintain excellent sleep schedules and discuss any issues with your doctor.
7. Your Immune System
In your 70s, your body’s defences weaken, making you more susceptible to sickness. Vaccines aren’t as effective as they once were for you, but because you’re more vulnerable to infection and viruses, it’s still necessary to get flu, pneumonia, and shingles injections. On the bright side, allergies are less severe at this age, and autoimmune illnesses are rarer.
8. Your Digestive System
Since your stomach lining is more vulnerable, you’re more likely to get ulcers. It’s especially the case if you often take aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs). Constipation is perhaps the most frequent problem at this age. Part of the issue is that your digestive system isn’t moving food as efficiently as it used to. Medication and a lack of physical activity may also contribute.
9. Your Urinary Tract
Your bladder can’t hold as much as it used to, and the muscles that support it have weakened. They may also squeeze when you don’t need to go, resulting in an overactive bladder. All of these factors can lead you to visit the restroom more frequently. Urine leakage is a common problem among women in their 70s. Prostate problems, which are common in men of this age, can also cause problems with urination.
10. Your sexuality
According to research, many people in their 70s are sexually more active now than in past ages. However, there may be further complications. You and your partner may have some problems regarding vaginal dryness or erectile dysfunction, as well as other health issues. Stress and body image might also play a role. However, you do not have to give up on sex.
Discuss what you love doing with your partner, and get advice from your doctor if you are experiencing any medical complications that are interfering with your sexual life.
11. Your Vision
Since your eye muscles have become weaker, your pupils react to changes in light more slowly. When you switch from indoors to strong sunlight, it will take some time to adjust.
Some minor details are challenging to distinguish because fewer cells relay information about what you see to your brain. The lens thickens and yellows, making it difficult to see in low light and making colours less bright.