Reduced sense of taste and smell

While everyone else is enjoying their meal, you’re the only one asking for a multitude of condiments to be passed. Or you notice that the foods that you’ve always loved don’t excite you anymore. Ageing may reduce your sensitivity to taste, because as you age, the number of taste buds on the tongue decreases. Also, your sense of smell plays a role in how you taste your food. The aroma of the food sends a signal to your taste buds to secrete more saliva. If this is not happening, your mouth produces less saliva and this causes dry mouth, which in turn can affect your sense of taste.

People who experience diminished taste and smell often get depressed, as food no longer has the joy it once held. The most appetising foods seem unappealing; and if you add excessive salt or sugar to compensate for the loss of taste it may wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels and blood pressure too [if you have hypertension]. Loss of taste can also cause a nutrition deficiency as you no longer have the desire to eat. Besides, you become unable to detect if the food has gone bad.

How you can beat it

• Get regular flu shots to keeps respiratory infections away
• Your medication might be altering your sense of taste; have your doctor adjust the dose or substitute it with something else
• Avoid allergens like pet dander, grass, dust and others
• Stopping or reducing smoking can significantly restore your sense of taste
• Instead of adding more salt or sugar, use herbs and natural sweeteners to add more flavour to your food
• Certain foods taste better when they are eaten either hot or cold; have your food warmer or cooler for enhanced taste
• Maintain impeccable oral hygiene and give immediate attention to any dental problems.

Emotional problems

It is fairly common for older people to have emotional problems [which can often be mistaken for dementia]. As people gear up to face retirement, some of them believe that their remaining years will be an unending saga of gloom and doom. They may get upset, melancholic, lonely or bored. Also, as their children move to other cities or the grandchildren get busier with their school and college schedules, seniors may get a feeling of being redundant or may experience the empty nest syndrome.

Depression is worse still for people who are grieving over the loss of a loved one or who have been given a serious medical diagnosis.

How you can beat it

• Stay social; emotional problems can be eased by the support of the people around you. If possible, live close to your family
• Visit friends regularly
• Join a book club or dance class. Many communities have a senior-citizens group, which organises weekly events, classes and other activities for seniors
• Get professional help from a doctor or counsellor if you feel the need

Slow reflexes, reduced alertness and dullness of memory

As we age, we find it difficult to articulate our thoughts and might say “toasted peanuts” when we mean “roasted peanuts”. But if you say “purple curtains” when you really mean “roasted peanuts”, then that is a sign to watch out for, as it can indicate memory decline at best or a stroke at worst.

The recall ability in old age is affected because of the decreased blood flow to the brain. Also our bodies become less efficient at absorbing brain-enhancing nutrients, which leads to changes in cognitive skills. You may notice that you’re dropping things more often while working in the kitchen or that driving has become a problem for you.

How you can beat it

• Challenge your brain with crosswords, Sudoku or other puzzles
• Play games like chess, Jenga, scrabble or others that involve strategy
• Learn a new language, an instrument, driving route or recipe
• Read books, newspapers and magazines
• Work on projects that require you to plan and design them. Quilting, knitting clothes, starting a terrace garden are just a few ideas for you.

Urinary incontinence

This is a fairly common but very embarrassing problem for both men and women. Incontinence can range in severity from passing urine when sneezing, coughing or laughing to getting the urge to urinate so badly that you can’t get to a toilet in time. Most underlying causes are simple and easily treatable.

How you can beat it

• You can learn to re-train your bladder: Make a note of the timings when you urinate and when you leak and see if there’s a pattern. Accordingly you ‘train’ your bladder by emptying it before an incident can occur
• Do Kegel exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor
• Your doctor might prescribe a device called a pessary to reposition the urethra
• Injections, medication and surgery are some of the other ways to rectify this.

Loss of balance/dizziness

Our sense of balance is something that we take for granted. Constant falling is often due to a loss of balance, which is brought about by lack of co-ordination between eye-sight and hearing. Light-headedness, dizziness and a mild to violent spinning sensation [vertigo] are some of the symptoms you need to look out for.

Loss of balance can have a variety of causes: inner ear disorders, central nervous system disorders, low blood sugar, side effects of medication, infection, cardiac problems [including low or high blood pressure], or a poorly balanced diet. If you have difficulty walking or standing on soft or uneven surfaces, it could be the result of age-related, weakened inner ear function. Falling should not be dismissed as just another effect of ageing, but should be looked into as it can be cured.

How you can beat it

• Practise balancing exercises like yoga and T’ai Chi
• Regular walks are also beneficial to maintain balance
• Ensure that the floors of your house are free of clutter
• Put in a good lighting system and fit handrails around the house
• Place anti-skid mats in your bathroom and keep it as dry as possible
• While getting up from a lying down position, avoid doing so with a jerk or with haste.

The post Beat these five problems that accompany ageing appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

I took a deep breath and tried to figure out what I had done wrong. I thought I had inserted the correct PIN number into the machine, even taking care to cover the keypad so as to hide the number. While I was pondering over my possible error, the girl at the counter shoved the card reader towards me again. Her irritation was clear on her face as well as in her voice.

“Could something be wrong with your machine?” I asked, smiling sweetly.

She probably wanted to say, “Perhaps with your memory, you fossil”. Instead, she shot back, “Please, insert the correct PIN.”

I could sense the fidgeting of the people impatiently standing in the queue behind me. Not wanting to prolong my embarrassment, I said, rather fibbed, loudly, “Ah, I see, I’m using the blue card. Unfortunately, the PIN I entered was for my other card, the green one, you see.” All the while I wracked my brains to try and recall that elusive four-digit number.

“What senior moment?” I said, panting a little. “I have brain cells in a thousand shades of grey, young man.”

Finally, the PIN number hit me like a bright light. I was so excited at my triumph that I mistakenly shouted out the number. “I got it! It’s 1464,” I exclaimed. The girl at the counter didn’t share my elation, choosing to roll her eyes instead.

Relieved to be done with the ordeal, I was waddling across the car park with my grocery bags when a young man came up to me.

“It’s alright Aunty, you were just having a senior moment,” he said smiling, obviously trying to make me feel less uncomfortable about what had happened inside.

“What senior moment?” I said, panting a little. “I have brain cells in a thousand shades of grey, young man.”

“Sure,” he said, still smiling. “But after announcing your PIN to the whole store, you might want to consider changing it,” he added and hurried off. Good thing he reminded me, for the thought had not even crossed my mind.

Forgetfulness is not equal to ageing

Although most people associate forgetfulness with ageing, it is not necessarily a “senior problem”. It is not that older people forget things. We just take a little longer to remember, that’s all. My son once said to me, “Mum, admit it, your memory is getting weaker. It happens to all old people.”

So I explained my point using an analogy that his generation would understand.

“What happens to a computer when the hard disc is almost full?” I asked trying to sound as erudite as a computer expert, though I was more in the league of a cat trying to pose as a tiger.

“It slows down,” my son said patiently, knowing full well the extent of my knowledge of computers.

“Exactly,” I said, happy I’d elicited the answer I wanted. “That’s exactly what happens with older people. We’ve got so much knowledge stashed away in every nook and cranny of our brains that, naturally, we take a little longer to find information when we need it.”

It is not that older people forget things. We just take a little longer to remember, that’s all

In fact, gerontologists, who study various aspects of ageing, state that it’s normal for people’s brains to work slower as they age. That struggling to remember stuff doesn’t mean we’re developing a mental disorder.

Calling memory lapses ‘senior moments’ is ageist

It is a common misconception to equate memory lapses with ageing. Anyone, at any point in their life, can experience moments of forgetfulness. It is ageist to think that only older people forget things.

Labelling an incident when someone has a hard time remembering something as a “senior moment” is therefore incorrect. If you ask me, it would be more appropriate to equate moments when people display a more mature understanding of people or events, or share their wisdom with others as ”senior moments.”

While I concede that not all seniors are wise, I refuse to accept the common belief that ageing is the transformation of capable people with sharp brains into morons who can’t remember simple things. I believe that there are many positive changes that come with growing old.

The Golden Years: the pleasures of old age

With age, comes the ability to make more sense of the world and to better appreciate life and all that it offers. Also, once your days of being a spring chicken are far behind you, you sensibly begin giving importance only to the things that matter.

Having witnessed, endured, and experienced many different life situations, seniors are in a position to mentor younger folk and act as their guides in life. Therefore, the world needs to look at us as the old brooms who know all the dusty corners and not as burned out old fogeys who belong in the past.

I believe that there are many positive changes that come with growing old

It’s frustrating to me when my children worry that because I’m a senior citizen, I need to be looked after by other, younger people. They have no idea of how resourceful I can be when caught in a difficult situation. For instance, the other day I was again facing a potentially embarrassing situation at a supermarket. I was at the checkout counter, waiting to pay my bill, when I suddenly remembered I had not memorised the PIN of my new debit card.

I had no option but to think on my feet, even if it meant coming up with a lame excuse.

I gave the girl at the counter my sweetest “helpless old bat” smile, wrung my hands, and said, “My dear, I just remembered that when I switched handbags this morning, I forgot to transfer my debit card into this bag.”

Although the girl at the counter scowled at me, she cancelled the bill. I quietly slunk out of the market, cool as a cucumber. I slipped into a nearby store, bought just essential items with the cash I had on me and went home, pleased as hell for wriggling out of an awkward situation.

While forgetfulness is often wrongfully labelled as a “senior problem,” it sure comes in handy in some situations. When you’re an oldie and spin a yarn about forgetting, they really believe you forgot.

Don’t panic

Forgetting things or taking longer to remember is not the same as suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. So don’t press the panic button if you find yourself struggling to put a name to a face or find the exact word to express yourself or if you go to the fridge and forget why you went there. However, if you fail to recognise the fridge as yours, then that would be a matter of concern.

This was first published in the August 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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The best strategy against this is encouraging photoprotection [nature’s mechanism to minimise damage to the body when exposed to UV radiation]. Towards that, it’s important to know the correct usage of sunscreens. Before we discuss that, let’s quickly understand how the different radiations affect our skin.

Ultra-violet radiation

UV rays or ultra-violet radiation are harmful rays emitted by the sun. These rays are divided into different energy levels from shortest to longest wavelengths: UVA and UVB.

UVA

UVA rays penetrate deepest into the skin and are often referred to as the ‘ageing rays’. In high doses, these rays damage the underlying collagen causing darkening, pigmentation and acceleration of the ageing process. Skin affected by the UVA rays looks scaly, dry, wrinkled and leathery with dark patches.

UVB

UVB rays are primarily responsible for sunburns and are often referred to as the “burning” rays.

What are sunscreens and how do they help

Any substance or material that protects the skin from UV radiation can be termed as a sunscreen. Sunscreens work by absorbing, reflecting or scattering the sun’s rays on the skin. Since they play such an important role in your skincare, everyone—men, women and children—should use them throughout the year irrespective of the season.

Sunscreens must be used in conjunction with other safety steps for optimal sun protection. These measures include limiting outdoor activity during peak exposure time [11am to 3 pm] when the sun’s rays are the strongest and most harmful; wearing adequate clothing; sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat. However, such protection isn’t enough at all times, so your best bet, and one that is quick and easy to protect your skin from the sun, is using sunscreen.

Selecting your sunscreen

Based on your personal liking, select from the range of sunscreen lotions, gels, ointments, wax sticks and sprays.

• While lotions and gels work best for oily skin, while cream applications are ideal for dry skin.
• Products with higher Sun Protection Factor [SPF] may contain higher sunscreen oils, accounting for the occlusive greasy feel [and breakouts in people with oily skin].
• Nowadays sunscreens come with a wide combination of elements—antioxidants, fairness ingredients or hydrating moisturising ingredients—incorporated in them. Choose one that is best for you. If you are unsure about the combination that is right for your skin type, consult a dermatologist.
• Spray formulations can be used on larger body parts—hands, legs, and back. They are good to use on kids, since kids don’t stay still enough for you to apply a lotion.
• Sunscreen wax sticks are usually for lips.
• In case you’re allergic to certain skin products, go for Para Amino Benzoic Acid-free, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic sunscreens.

How to apply a sunscreen

Using inadequate sunblock is the biggest mistake we make; most people use only 25 – 50 per cent of the recommended amount. This is how you need to use sunscreen for maximum benefits:

1. To ensure that you get the full SPF of a sunscreen, apply a good palm full or about two or three tablespoons per application to all your exposed parts [and not just your face]. Only then will you get adequate protection.
2. If you wear makeup, apply the sunscreen before applying it. In fact, you can even choose one of the numerous SPF foundations available. But if you’re prone to breaking out, choose a non-comedogenic sunscreen [something that
   does produce not aggravate acne] as it will not block the pores.
3. Apply sunscreen liberally and evenly about half an hour before you venture out. This allows the ingredients to fully bind to the skin. Pay particular attention to the back of your neck, ears, and the areas of the scalp with thin hair.
4. Perspiration, exercise, swimming and towel-drying removes sun creams from the skin, so reapply every few hours. Even water-resistant sunscreens should be reapplied every two or three hours after taking part in water-related activities.
5. Don’t reserve the use of sunscreen only for sunny days. Even on a rainy or cloudy day, up to 80 per cent of the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays can pass through the clouds.

Getting the SPF right

SPF is a measure of a sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. The SPF number indicates the amount of time a person can be exposed to sunlight without getting sunburned. For example, without a sunscreen a person would normally turn red after ten minutes of exposure to the sun.

A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 would allow the same person to multiply that initial burning time by 15, which means it would now take the person 15 times longer to burn, or 150 minutes.

Comprehensive cover

When buying sunscreen remember that not all products protect you from all kinds of sun rays. Hence, use broad spectrum sun protection to stave off photodamage.

Broad spectrum sunscreens have a combination of specific UVA and UVB agents and offer protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

Using sunscreen is not extraordinary; like a facial, it’s fundamental to skincare. If you follow this approach and apply sunscreen the right way, your skin will thank you today and in the years to come.

The post ABC to SPF of sunscreens appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.