Five Important things to Know about Cataracts if you are Over 60

 

Many patients are surprised to hear that over half of all seniors will have cataracts by the time they hit the age of 80. According to professionals who specialize in cataract surgery in Salt Lake City, cataracts can start to show up as early as age 60. Cataracts are an exceptionally common condition in which there is a “clouding” of the lens that will eventually affect one’s vision. Due to just how prevalent this eye disease is, here is a look at five important things that every senior should know about cataracts, how they can be delayed, and what can be done to treat them.

 

 

Your Demographic Is At the Highest Risk

One of the first and most important things that seniors should remember is that their demographic is at the highest risk of developing cataracts. Most specialists say that it is not so much a question of if a senior will develop cataracts, but when will they develop cataracts, and how far the condition will progress. Other demographics at a higher risk include women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and those with a family history of cataracts.

 

 

There Are Different Types of Cataracts

Most seniors will develop age-related cataracts or “secondary” cataracts, but there are actually five different types of this condition. Age cataracts are simply a weakening of the eyes and exposure to the elements while secondary cataracts are the result of other medical problems like diabetes. There is also congenital cataracts that occur at or before birth, radiation cataracts after extended exposure to radiation, and traumatic cataracts that can occur when there is damage to the eye or the soft tissue around the eye.

 

 

The Symptoms May Be So Subtle That You Do Not Notice Them

Another extremely important fact to remember is that the side effects of cataracts, especially in the earliest stages, may be completely undetectable to the patient. One’s vision may only diminish ever so slightly, and this means that many will not know that they have cataracts for years on end. Primarily, seniors should pay attention to situations in which they feel as if there vision or eye comfort has been recently affected. This may include difficulty seeing at night, blurring around bright lights, streaks coming off of lights, eye glasses that are no longer working well, and any discomfort from contacts or around the eye in general.

 

 

Early Detection is Imperative

In some instances, cataracts do not need to be removed right away and a doctor may only suggest that the other steps are taken to prevent the cataracts from worsening. That being said, catching them in the early stages will make treatment much easier. When cataracts are not affecting a senior’s ability to see, they may be able to reduce the side effects and slow the condition with nothing more than changing their medication, or using prescription eye drops.

 

 

You Can Still Delay Cataracts

It is never too late to think that cataracts have progressed to the point that they are untreatable or the only solution is surgery. When caught early on, seniors can often go for years by only making minor changes to their lifestyle. This begins by protecting your eyes from the sun with sunglasses and hats. Smoking and drinking should also be avoided, and an overall healthy diet filled with leafy greens can also slow cataracts or prevent them altogether.

 

 

Speaking with a vision specialist and regularly having one’s eyesight checked is the absolute best method of delaying and treating this condition. The longer that cataracts are allowed to develop, the more severe your vision loss will become, and the higher their risk will be for going completely blind. This is especially important information to remember for the millions of seniors that develop this condition each and every year.

 

Categories: cataracts, condition, develop, develop cataracts, highest risk, important things, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, over 60, secondary cataracts, seniors

How to Have a Great Sex Life When You’re Over 60

It may surprise younger people to learn this, but sexual wellness and wellbeing can be just as strong in the over 60s as in the under 30s. There is no rule that says that when you get to a certain age you have to stop having sex, and recent research has even found that those who are over the age of 65 may be having far more sex than anyone realises.

 

A study, published recently, found that more than a quarter of those who were over the age of 70 reported that they had had sex in the past year, and – perhaps even more surprisingly for that generation – more than half of people aged between 57 and 75 said that they had either given or received oral sex recently. In addition to this, around a third of 75 – 85 year olds had given or received oral sex in the past year.

 

It is true that sexual activity does tend to diminish as people get older, but this is not due to a decrease in sexual desire. It is mostly due to health issues that occur as people get older, which can result in couples being less sexually active than they used to be.

 

Even in this day and age, when attitudes towards sex can seem somewhat flippant, talking about sexual habits is still considered a taboo subject. This is even more the case with older generations, who are so used to not talking about the subject. Many people over a certain age will not even consider talking to their spouses about sexual problems, let alone a doctor.

 

This is part of the reason that many seniors who struggle with sexual problems end up suffering from social withdrawal and depression, because they are unable to talk about it. Others may find that a doctor could change a medication if it is causing serious sexual side effects.

Categories: nbsp, oral sex, over 60, people, received oral, seniors, Sex, sexual, sexual problems, talking, year

Work Hard, Play Hard: Facing the Protein-Challenge

We’re often told to eat a balanced diet, with a good dose of positive vitamins, calcium and protein – but some of us can’t help but wonder at times “why?”. In terms of protein, it’s natural to be told that it’s good for you – and at times, you do take it in, whether by supplements or by eating meat.

For women, the average rate of protein a day should be 46 grams a day, which can be an assortment of milk (8g), meat (21g), dry beans (16g) and a pot of yoghurt (11g), whilst for men, is 56g a day. For dieticians however, there are concerns that not enough people are reaching these targets, which means that the body’s muscles suffer as a result.

As you age, it’s natural for your body to start losing the strengths and aptitudes that it had when you were younger. Essentially, we start to shrink. In your 20s, muscles are at their peak performance, then gradually starts to dwindle – the decrease is quite minute, going down about 0.5 percent a year. It means that this can be maintained with next to little fuss, should you choose to. When you hit 50 years old however, the decreases start getting a little bigger. As a result, things are harder to lift, open or in worst cases, you can’t move your own mass.

As we grow older, our bodies decide to be even more helpful by decreasing our metabolic rate. It is a natural process known as sarcopenia, which is the age-related loss of muscle. It means that the body’s capacity for burning calories and fats is slowed to a significant degree. Dense muscles are often good for the bones, meaning that problems like arthritis and osteoporosis are less of an issue.

A daily intake of protein is important – no matter what your muscle mass is, your body will not store up protein. Even if you eat significant portions of protein, it will not carry you through to the next day.

Good sources of protein can be found in a multitude of things – not just in meat. This can be an array of:

 

• Beans, peas and lentils.


• Tofu and soya products.


• Meat, poultry and fish.


• Milk, eggs and dairy products.


• Nuts and seeds.

 

A protein intake is perhaps most important once you hit your 60s. By consuming a diet of protein-rich foods, your muscle-maintenance can be sustained significantly, as well as giving you a positive zest to your way of life and excellent blood circulation. A boost in circulation promotes good muscle cell regeneration. Consider the addition of an amino acid known as L-Arginine, which can also give your boost a leg-up.

Take advantage of your body – grab some protein, exercise if you can and show that you can keep up with those incessant youngsters as you grow older and more able to face the challenges of ageing.

Work Hard, Play Hard: Facing the Protein-Challenge

Categories: ageing, diet, exercise, muscles, over 60, Protein