All You Need To Do To Keep Your Bones Healthy At 60

The condition of our bones begins to deteriorate with age. As we grow older, our bones become much weaker and tend to get affected even with the minutest of injuries. Conditions like osteoporosis and fractures are most likely to happen with growing age and many don't know how to prevent any of these occurrences from happening. Another factor that makes us prone to the above conditions is the kind of lifestyle that we live. Not exercising and eating unhealthy food results in making us feel less energetic.

But there are still plenty of things one can do prevent these occurrences and take proper care of bones even after 60. Read more to know how...stay active

Feeling lethargic and less energetic, pain in the joints and getting tired too easily are common things that people experience at 60. But no matter what, you should try to push yourself and exercise moderately, every day for around 150 minutes. This will help in keeping your body warmer and improve the condition of your heart. Exercises like long walks, dancing, carrying groceries and going up and down stairs will make you feel active and will also strengthen your muscles.

Also, you can engage in activities that help in improving balance and coordination. Doing yoga can be helpful in easing stiffness and unsteadiness associated with painful joints. Also people at 60 or above that should avoid sitting for too long in the same place. Along with affecting your muscle and bone strength, this will make your joints stiffer and increase your chances of falling.

Exercises for people with osteoporosis
People with osteoporosis will be prone to risks of fractures. They should be more careful while exercising. Bending knee while lifting objects is a must-do. They should avoid movements that involve awkward bending and lifting movements. You may need to be cautious about some types of high impact exercises. Take expert advice as a precautionary measure.

Diet for healthy bones
Many people tend to experience a loss of appetite with old age. But eating less can devoid your body of essential nutrients and will have an adverse effect on your muscles and bones. While staying active will help you have a good appetite, people should still try and have a balanced diet, which includes a healthy mix of fruits, vegetables, pulses, meats, etc. Maintaining body weight and keeping the muscle and bone strength intact are a few of the benefits of having a well-balanced diet at all times.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential requirement for people to have strong bones and muscles. Direct sunlight is the best and the most natural source of Vitamin D. But people who are not that exposed to the sun should either take Vitamin D supplements or try and keep outdoors for getting sufficient sunlight. Besides, they can have foods rich in Vitamin D such as salmon, eggs, breakfast cereals, etc.

Other ways to protect your bones
In order to prevent falling too often and fractures, follow these steps as a precautionary measure.

Get your eyesight and hearing checked
Sight plays an important role in controlling balance and mobility, and hearing is extremely important for balance. Get them checked regularly to avoid any unwanted fatalities.

Check for foot pain
Foot pain will make you feel less active and can cause falls and fractures. Get medical check-up instantly if you experience pain in the feet.

Manage your medicines
Some medicines which people eat to control blood pressure can make one feel dizzy or faint. Review this medicine intake regularly. 

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/    

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Opioids may increase risk of falls, death in elderly says research

Older adults who use opioids for pain relief may be at an increased risk of falling as well as deaths, according to researchers. Falls are a leading cause of injury and death in older adults. However, evidence for a link between opioid use and falls is inconsistent, the researcher said.

The findings showed that patients with opioid intake were 2.4 times more likely to have a fall causing injury.  “The study confirms an association between recent opioid use and fall-related injury in a large trauma population of older adults,” said a researcher.

Patients whose falls were linked to opioid use were also more likely to die during their hospital stay, the researchers said. “Physicians should be aware that prescribing opioids to older patients is not only associated with an increased risk of falls but also if these patients do fall, a higher in-hospital mortality rate,” the Dr. noted.

The study, published in the journal included data on 67,929 patients aged 65 and older who were admitted for injury to one of 57 trauma centres. The mean age of patients was 81 years, and the majority, 69 per cent, were women.

Falls were the most common cause of injury (92 per cent of patients), and more than half (59 per cent) had surgery for their injuries, with lengthy hospital stays (median stay of 12 days).

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/  

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Urinary infection may cause falls in older people

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.






PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO VIEW MY BLOG-
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 Not just a loose throw rug or poor eyesight, even bloodstream, respiratory and urinary infections can cause falls, especially in older people, says a study.

The findings also suggest that while these falls may be more common in the elderly, they shouldn't be overlooked in younger people - 20 percent of patients in the study were younger than 65.

"Over the years I have been struck by the fact that some of the more serious infections I treated were in people who came to the hospital because they fell," said principle investigator of the study Farrin Manian from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, US.

"Even though many of the patients had vague early signs of an infection, such as weakness, or lethargy, it was the fall that brought them in," Manian noted.

People can fall down because the infection may cause low blood pressure - and therefore lightheadedness and dizziness - or because it adds to confusion in older patients with dementia, according to the researchers.

They analysed 161 patients who went to the emergency room because they fell and were subsequently diagnosed with a coexisting infection.

Of those, 71 (44.1 percent) had a urinary tract infection, 64 (39.8 percent) had a bloodstream infection, 37 (23.0 percent) had a respiratory infection and nine (5.6 percent) had an infection of the heart valve.

The findings suggest that family members, care givers and healthcare providers shouldn't rush to judgement about the cause of a fall, particularly in an older person, and should consider whether the person was ill or not feeling well before the incident happened to ensure the patient is diagnosed appropriately and can receive timely treatment.

The study was presented at IDWeek 2015 conference in San Diego, California in the US.

Older people taking psychiatric drugs are more prone to fall

Seniors taking psychiatric drugs may be at extra high risk for 

falling according to a new  research.

Of about 400 elderly people in the study, those who took 

medications including antidepressants and anti-psychotics 

were twice as likely to report having fallen three or more times 

in the previous year, researchers found.

The new study can't prove that falls were due to the effects of 

the drugs, themselves, and not to seniors' underlying medical 

conditions, for example.

But a number of side effects of psychiatric drugs - from 

changes in thinking and attention to drops in blood pressure - 

could put elderly people at greater risk for falls, according to  

the Dr. 

Seniors are especially vulnerable to falls, which at their worst 

can cause hip fractures, head injuries or death.

If possible (psychiatric drugs) should be avoided for elderly 

patients with other risk factors for falling.

In particular, the researchers found a higher rate of multiple falls 

among people taking antidepressants, antipsychotics and 

short-acting benzodiazepines, which include the anxiety drug 

alprazolam (marketed as Xanax) and the insomnia drug 

temazepam (Restoril).

That pattern held after the team took into account any 

depression or cognitive impairment among the seniors, as well 

as their exact age, their living situation and how much they 

typically walked each day.

Seniors and their families should come to each healthcare visit 

with a list of all medications an elderly person is taking and 

what each was prescribed to treat said the Dr. Sometimes, he 

noted, a person gets put on an anti-psychotic for delirium while

in the hospital, for example, and ends up staying on it for years 

for no good reason.

Many of our old people have multiple (conditions) that need 

medication to control them or make them feel better. Every 

time somebody is considering adding something, review 

everything else they're taking to make sure there is a solid 

indication for everything they're already on," the Dr. advised.

Many different factors may raise the risk of falls and fractures, 

such as age, osteoporosis or a history of stroke.

Drugs end up being the thing that you can modify," the Dr. said. 

WHY SENIOR CITIZENS FALL? PREVENTION TIPS

 Falls among elders is a common cause of morbidity, hospitalization, disability and death. Nearly a third of the elderly have falls that trigger a chain of events that usually have them succumb to the situation or leave them bed-ridden till the end comes. With age, the ability of the body to heal itself reduces considerably and the immunity drops. The muscles and ligaments tend to get more lax with bones becoming more brittle and porous. Under these circumstances, even a trivial looking fall may prove fatal.
> >>
> >> *Common causes of falls*
> >>
> >> Reduced muscle strength, coordination and reflexes.
> >> Poor sensation in the lower extremities due to diabetes or degenerative conditions.
> >> Poor balance due to neurological diseases, hypothyroidism or ear problems.
> >> Poor vision.
> >> Postural drop in blood pressure. Seizure disorders, Strokes, transient ischemic attacks, Abnormalities of cardiac rhythm.
> >> Multiple medication use.
> >> Environmental hazards eg poor lightning ,carpets, rugs, clutter etc
> >>
> >> *Osteoporosis*
> >> Osteoporosis is a one major risk factor for falls. What is debatable is whether brittle bones break after a fall, or break when stressed and in turn cause a fall.
> >> In either event, a decrease in bone density contributes to falls and resultant injuries.
> >>
> >> Osteoporosis is a condition wherein bones become more porous, less resistant to stress, and more prone to fractures. Caused by hormonal changes, calcium and vitamin D deficiency, and a decrease in physical
> >> activity, osteoporosis is a chief cause of fractures in older adults,especially among women.
> >>
> >> *Prevention Tips*
> >> "Eat or drink sufficient calcium. Postmenopausal women need 1,500 mg of calcium daily. Calcium-rich foods include milk, yoghurt, cheese, fish and shellfish, selected vegetables such as broccoli, soybeans, tofu and almonds.
> >>
> >> "Get sufficient Vitamin D in order to enhance the absorption of calcium into the bloodstream. Vitamin D is formed naturally in the body after exposure to sunlight, but some older adults may need a supplement.
> >>
> >> "Regularly do weight-bearing exercise.
> >>
> >> *Lack of Physical Activity*
> >> Failure to exercise regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased strength, and loss of bone mass and flexibility. All contribute to falls and the severity of injury due to falls.
> >>
> >> *Prevention Tips*
> >>
> >> "Engage regularly (e.g., every other day for about 15 minutes daily) in exercise designed to increase muscle and bone strength, and to improve balance and flexibility.
> >>
> >> "Undertake daily activities in a safe manner, such as reaching and bending properly, taking time to recover balance when rising from a chair or bed, learning the proper way to fall, and learning how to recover after a fall.
> >>
> >> "Wear proper fitting, supportive shoes with low heels or rubber soles.
> >>
> >> *Impaired Vision*
> >> Age-related vision diseases can increase the risk of falling. Cataracts and glaucoma alter older people's depth perception, visual acuity, peripheral vision and susceptibility to glare.
> >> These limitations hinder their ability to safely negotiate their environment, whether it be in their own home or in a shopping mall.
> >>
> >> Young people use visual cues to perceive an imminent fall and take corrective action. Older adults with visual impairments do not have this advantage to the same extent.
> >>
> >> *Prevention Tips*
> >>
> >> "Have regular checkups by an ophthalmologist to discern the extent of age-related eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma, Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) etc.
> >> "Use colour and contrast to define balance-aiding objects in the home (e.g., grab bars and handrails). Add contrasting colour strips to first and last steps to identify change of level.
> >> "Clean eye glasses often to improve visibility.
> >>
> >> *Medications*
> >>
> >> People taking multiple medications are at greater risk of falling. Sedatives, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotic drugs can contribute to falls by reducing mental alertness, worsening balance and gait, and causing drops in systolic blood pressure while standing.
> >>
> >> *Prevention Tips*
> >>
> >> "Know the common side effects of all medications taken. "Talk with your physician or pharmacist about ways to reduce your chances of falling by using the lowest effective dosage, regularly assessing the need for continued medication, and the need for walking aids while taking medications that affect balance.
> >> "Remove all out-of-date medications and those no longer in use.
> >> Limit intake of alcohol as it may interact with medication Environmental Hazards
> >>
> >> Indoors
> >> At least one-third of all falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home. The most common hazard for falls is tripping over objects on the floor. Other factors include poor lighting, loose rugs, lack of grab bars or poorly located/mounted grab bars, and unsturdy furniture.
> >>
> >> *Prevention Tips*
> >> It is useful to conduct a walk-through of your home to identify possible problems that may lead to falling.
> >>
> >> *Outdoors*
> >> Repair cracks and abrupt edges of sidewalks and driveways.
> >> Install handrails on stairs and steps.
> >> Keep floor dry, devoid of wet areas and greasy surfaces.
> >> Keep walk areas clear of clutter, rocks and mud.
> >> Install adequate lighting by doorways and along walkways leading to doors, gates.
> >>
> >> *Indoors*
> >> Ensure adequate lighting inside the house.
> >> Remove unnecessary furniture and over crowding.
> >> Keep floor dry and clean and devoid of wires, toys etc
> >> Indicate steps, stairs by painting in contrasting colours.
> >>
> >> If person has had a fall, he should get himself properly checked out by a physician to assess the risks of falling again and to ensure safety at home.
> >> When you go to see the doctor after a fall please remember to tell the doctor about all your current medications and medical Conditions.-
> >>

WHY DO SENIOR CITIZENS FALL?

Falls among elders is a common cause of morbidity , hospitalization , disability and death. Nearly a third of the elderly have falls that trigger a chain of events that usually have them succumb to the situation or leave them bed-ridden till the end comes. With age, the ability of the body to heal itself reduces considerably and the immunity drops. The muscles and ligaments tend to get more lax with bones becoming more brittle and porous.

Under these circumstances, even a trivial looking fall may prove fatal.

*Common causes of falls*

Reduced muscle strength, coordination and reflexes Poor sensation in the lower extremities due to diabetes or degenerative conditions

Poor balance due to neurological diseases, hypothyroidism or ear problems Poor vision

Postural drop in blood pressure Seizure disorders Strokes, transient ischemic attacks

Abnormalities of cardiac rhythm

Multiple medication use

Environmental hazards eg poor lightning ,carpets, rugs, clutter etc

*Osteoporosis*

Osteoporosis is a one major risk factor for falls. What is debatable is whether brittle bones break after a fall, or break when stressed

and in turn cause a fall. In either event, a decrease in bone density contributes to falls and                            resultant injuries

Osteoporosis is a condition wherein bones become more porous, less resistant to stress, and more prone to fractures. Caused by hormonal changes, calcium and vitamin D deficiency, and a decrease in physical

activity, osteoporosis is a chief cause of fractures in older adults, especially among women.

*Prevention Tips*

"Eat or drink sufficient calcium. Postmenopausal women need 1,500 mg of calcium daily. Calcium-rich foods include milk, yoghurt, cheese, fish and

shellfish, selected vegetables such as broccoli, soybeans, tofu and almonds.

"Get sufficient Vitamin D in order to enhance the absorption of calcium into the bloodstream. Vitamin D is formed naturally in the body after exposure to sunlight, but some older adults may need a supplement.

"Regularly do weight-bearing exercise.

*Lack of Physical Activity*

Failure to exercise regularly results in poor muscle tone, decreased strength, and loss of bone mass and flexibility. All contribute to falls and the severity of injury due to falls.

*Prevention Tips*

"Engage regularly (e.g., every other day for about 15 minutes daily) in exercise designed to increase muscle and bone strength, and to improve balance and flexibility.

"Undertake daily activities in a safe manner, such as reaching and bending properly, taking time to recover balance when rising from a chair or bed, learning the proper way to fall, and learning how to recover after a fall.

"Wear proper fitting, supportive shoes with low heels or rubber soles.

*Impaired Vision*

Age-related vision diseases can increase the risk of falling.

Cataracts and glaucoma alter older people's depth perception, visual acuity, peripheral vision and susceptibility to glare. These

limitations hinder their ability to safely negotiate their environment, whether it be in their own home or in a shopping mall.

Young people use visual cues to perceive an imminent fall and take

corrective action. Older adults with visual impairments do not have this advantage to the same extent.

*Prevention Tips*

"Have regular checkups by an ophthalmologist to discern the extent of age-related eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma, macular degeneration etc.

"Use colour and contrast to define balance-aiding objects in the home

(e.g., grab bars and handrails).Add contrasting colour strips to first and last steps to identify change of level.

"Clean eye glasses often to improve visibility.

*Medications*

People taking multiple medications are at greater risk of falling Sedatives, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotic drugs can contribute to falls by reducing mental alertness, worsening balance and gait, and causing drops in systolic blood pressure while standing.

*Prevention Tips*

"Know the common side effects of all medications taken.

"Talk with your physician or pharmacist about ways to reduce your chances of falling by using the lowest effective dosage, regularly assessing the need for continued medication, and the need for walking aids while taking medications that affect balance.

"Remove all out-of-date medications and those no longer in use.

Limit intake of alcohol as it may interact with medication Environmental Hazards

Indoors

At least one-third of all falls in the elderly involve environmental hazards in the home. The most common hazard for falls is tripping over objects on the floor. Other factors include poor lighting, loose rugs, lack  of grab bars or poorly located/mounted grab bars, and unsturdy furniture.

*Prevention Tips*

It is useful to conduct a walk-through of your home to identify possible problems that may lead to falling.

*Outdoors*

Repair cracks and abrupt edges of sidewalks and driveways.

Install handrails on stairs and steps.

Keep floor dry, devoid of wet areas and greasy surfaces.

Keep walk areas clear of clutter, rocks and mud.

Install adequate lighting by doorways and along walkways leading to doors, gates.

*Indoors*

Ensure adequate lightning inside the house.

Remove unnecessary furniture and over crowding.

Keep floor dry and clean and devoid of wires, toys etc

Indicate steps, stairs by painting in contrasting colours.

If person has had a fall, he should get him self properly checked out by a physician to assess the risks of falling again and to ensure safety at home. When When you go to see the doctor after a fall please remember to tell the doctor about all your current medications and medical conditions.

LET GOD SAVE OUR ELDERS. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------      

  It is an illusion that youth is happy;

  an illusion of those who have lost it.

                ------W.Somerset Maugham.

  No man is so old as to believe he cannot

  live one more year.

                ------Sean O Casey.

  The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.

                -------Mohammed Ali.