3 weeks ago
18
Wait a minute. Over the years I have been watching myself age. It appears there is nothing I can do about it or is there?
I was 40, got to 50, then 60. Then, I retired and now in my early 70s.
Since 2003, that is 22 years ago, when “Doctor Sun” debuted in the Sunday Sun newspaper, most of my readers, especially females, have always wanted to know how to avoid, stop or slow down aging.
I had always remembered the novel I read in Government College, Umuahia in the early 70s. Titled “She” by H. Rider Haggard, an English writer published in 1887. Where some white men went in search of eternal life.
In the novel “She” also called “Ayesha” revealed that she had learned the secret of immortality and therefore could live forever. She also possessed some supernatural powers like, reading people’s minds as well as healing wounds and curing illnesses. She had then lived for 2,000 years, and still counting.
In a research paper by Prof. Richard J. O. Wagman, he said “growing older, could mean growing healthier.” In many ways you are as old as you think and feel.
Consider these points. No disease results just from the passage of years. We age piecemeal, each organ separately, rather than uniformly. In retirement you have less daily stress and strain, and you have more time to take care of yourself.
Let us now discuss what then makes a person think and feel old physically; we mature at about 25 to 30, when the body reaches maximum size and strength. Then, body tissues and cells are constantly being rebuilt and renewed.
Nutrition, rest, exercise and stress influence the length of time that the body can maintain a balance between the wearing down and rebuilding of body tissues. When more cells die than can be reproduced, they are replaced by a fibrous, inert substance called collagen. The living process slows down to compensate, and we begin aging; strength and ability start to decline.
But this happens at various intervals. For instance; vision is sharpest at age 25; the eye loses its ability to make rapid adjustments in focus after age 40. Hearing is sharpest at about age 10, and then diminishes as you grow older. Sensitivity to taste and smell lessens after age 60.
The decline in strength and muscle ability is long and gradual, there are even gratifying plateaus. At age 50, a man still has about four-fifths of the muscle strength he had when he was 25.
Although physical abilities may decline, mental abilities may actually improve during the middle years and memory and the ability to learn can remain keen. Prof. Alfred Schwartz, Dean of Education at Drake University, was asked: “Can a 70-year-old man in reasonable, good health learn as rapidly as a 17-year-old boy? “ Prof. Schwartz answered:
“Indeed he can, provided he is in the habit of learning.” The fact that some older people today are not active intellectually is no reflection on their ability to learn. There is ample proof that learning ability does not automatically decline with age.
Regardless of what you may have heard, organic brain damage affects less than one percent of those over age 65.
But in thinking about physical change, remember that this is just one aspect of aging. Age is determined by emotional and intellectual maturity as well as by chronological years.
Can a person do anything to retard aging? Most gerontologists feel that the reason more people do not live longer is that they are not willing to follow a regimen of diet, exercise, rest, recreation – coupled with the exclusion of various excesses. And while there is nothing you can do to set back the clock, you can keep in good health by making sure to have regular physical examinations, sufficient exercise, adequate rest, nutritional food, and a positive mental attitude.
Mark Twain once said: “Whatever a man’s age he can reduce it several years by putting a bright-coloured flower in his buttonhole.” A lively fresh outlook is essential for enjoyable living at any age. Most physicians believe there is a direct connection between one’s state of mind and physical health. This is especially true, when you are faced with the challenges of retirement.
Plato said: “He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden.
Experts in the field of aging have found that older people can relieve transitory depression by a deliberate shift of thought or by physical activity. If you look upon retirement as an opportunity to take better care of yourself and to pursue old and new interest you will go a long way toward better health.
For peace of mind and to maintain and improve your health, make it a habit to see your doctor at least once a year. To remind themselves, many people make an appointment on their birthday. An annual check-up is especially important in later years and should not be put off or neglected.
During a routine checkup, the doctor pays special attention to enlarged lymph nodes of the neck, arm pits and groin, and the front of the neck. This was exactly what killed my Cousin Uzochukwu, three weeks ago, at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia. He had Bukit lymphoma. He did not tell me when the lymph node of the neck and groin started enlarging. When I found out it was already too late.
He died three days after admission at 42. If the enlarged lymph nodes, had been detected early say two years ago, when they were still confined to the neck, surgical excision would have been done and he probably would have still been alive today.
The doctor will also check the condition of your veins and arteries, and the doctor looks at your knees and arches – which are of particular importance to older people.
The doctor will conduct tests for arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, brain tumour, and other diseases. He can feel and tap your body to check your lungs, liver and spleen and he can take electrocardiographs to detect changes in your heart. Simple tests can note bladder and kidney conditions.
In addition, doctors usually ask about personal habits – smoking, alcohol consumption and eating pattern. They also want to know about any unusual symptoms you might have.
Please be completely frank with your doctor, answer questions as directly as possible, and give all information that might be helpful.
When explaining the nature of your ailment or symptoms, explain what part of the body is involved, what changes are associated with the symptoms and whether symptoms occurred after a change of diet or medicine. Mention any previous experiences with this condition and what treatments you might have had.
It is extremely important to tell your doctor about any drugs you are taking, including aspirin, marijuana, tranquilizers, and sleeping tablets. Even the most common drug can affect the potency of medication the doctor might prescribe.
Hopefully, by following your doctor’s advice you will stay healthy and well. However, if you are at home and feel ill, call your doctor if: your symptoms are so severe you cannot endure them; apparent minor symptoms persist, without explainable cause or you are in doubt.
Always be medically guided.
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