Enter the golden years prepared, and follow the SHEEP framework to ensure a good, satisfying quality of life. Read on.
Ageing is a normal phenomenon in all life forms and, despite that, it comes with its challenges. As women age, they face a combination of health problems that can have a significant impact on their mental and physical well-being. While ageing is a normal part of life, women must take steps to preserve their health and well-being as they approach their golden years. Today, I’d like to share some health and wellness tips to help women live a longer and healthier life.
According to the United Nations, the worldwide population of adults over 60 years is predicted to quadruple by 2050, with women accounting for the bulk of this number. The challenges faced by elderly women is the summation of how their life had been from their childhood onwards. It depends on the nutritional, educational, socio economic status, the independence that they have lived with, and the medical conditions that they would have to deal with. Women in India have always been known to consider themselves and their well-being second to their families and this also is a huge contributor to how their old age is going to be. The health concerns for women start at around 45 to 55 years.
Here are some common problems that women face as they age, and some advice on how to keep healthy and happy as you grow older and tackle health issues.
Menopause
Peri menopausal and menopausal symptoms occur due to a decrease in oestrogen and the symptoms can range from hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, reduced libido, and disturbed sleep leading to being tired and irritable during the day. Mood fluctuations cause anxiety, sorrow, or rage, making it difficult to carry out daily routines. Menopause is also known to be associated with a decline in bone mineral density, which raises the likelihood of osteoporosis and fractures, which can have serious consequences for women’s health and quality of life. How severe this stage is depends on the nutritional, physical and mental status of women. Women who have taken care of their nutrition in their younger years, and were physically, mentally and socially active, will mostly sail through this time.
Oestrogen is the protective hormone till menopause and its reduced levels increase the risk of heart attacks in older females. As is true with age, the incidence of cancer increases in women too, especially of the reproductive organs.
Uterine prolapse and urinary incontinence
Uterine prolapse and urinary incontinence are other common occurrences specific to elderly women due to pregnancies, caused due to lax pelvic floor muscles. These conditions can cause discomfort, pain, and embarrassment for the affected women. Urinary incontinence is one of the major contributors to social withdrawal and depression in elderly females, as they may feel ashamed or isolated by their inability to control their bladder.
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Dementia
Dementia is another age-related condition found in ageing women. It is a disorder that affects the memory, thinking, and behaviour of the person. It can interfere with their daily functioning and quality of life. The progression of dementia can be slowed down by leading a healthy lifestyle in early and through adulthood. This includes eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and alcohol, and managing stress. It is known that the brain can keep increasing neural plasticity till we live.
Neural plasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt and change in response to new experiences and challenges. It increases by creating new neural pathways, and new neural pathways are generated when a person does anything new. For example, read a new book on a new subject, make a new friend, try a new route to walk, spend time with different people from different backgrounds, try a new recipe, play a new game, etc. These activities stimulate the brain and keep it active and healthy.
Tips for Staying Healthy and Happy in Your Golden Years
Enter the golden years prepared, and follow the SHEEP framework to ensure a good, satisfying quality of life:
- Sleep: Ensure you have good quality sleep, which will give you enough energy for the next day
- Hydration: Hydrate adequately, as water is the simplest treatment to prevent UTI, prevent constipation, decrease headaches, anxiety and mood swings, keep the body cool, and remove toxins which are formed in our body in the forms of normal metabolism, diseases or medicines.
- Eat: Ensure to eat a well-balanced nutritious meal to provide energy, rebuild tissues and nourish the body well
- Exercise: Adequate physical activity should be an integral part of our lives like eating, breathing and sleeping. Exercise increases blood flow to all parts of the body, releases happy hormones called endorphins, and maintains weight.
- Pause: Take time out for yourself. Stop and reflect, reset your thoughts, and redesign your way of living to get every ounce of happiness out of life that you have created for yourself.
The best way to deal with these changes is to accept the normal changes that come with ageing. Prepare for ageing when you are much younger and focus on self-health- physical and emotional. Having a well-balanced nutritious diet, avoiding habits like smoking, alcohol and other substance abuse, keeping yourself physically active, and enhancing your emotional and mental well-being by socialising and practising spirituality as it suits you. This is not the time to repent but to live life as you had dreamt!
(This article is authored by Dr Reema Nadig, Co-Founder and COO, Kites Senior Care)
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