Osteoporosis is a silent disease that impacts the bones, making them weaker over time and raising the likelihood of fractures. In the United States, around 50 million people over the age of 50 have low bone mass, and many of them won’t know it until they break a bone. Many people are under the mistaken assumption that fragile bones are simply a natural part of aging, but the fact is getting older doesn’t mean having to live with weak bones. But the good news is that it’s never too late to strengthen and protect your bones.

Arthritis refers to the general umbrella term for a group of over 100 different conditions that all have the common factor of affecting the joints in our bones and/or the tissues around the joints. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, followed up by rheumatoid arthritis and gout. There are a number of factors that combine to result in arthritis, genetic factors, lifestyle, and environment. And while people of any age can have arthritis, one of the top risk factors is age.

With heart disease being the number one killer in the United States, many of us are thinking about ways that we can all take good care of our hearts. Maybe we make a resolution to get more exercise, lower our stress levels, and control our blood pressure, making sure to keep it within recommended levels. For most people, the first step is to examine our eating habits, and look at all the ways we can switch to a healthier diet. Many of us may do this and then experience the disappointment of learning we have to give up some of our “guilty favorites” when we create our meal plans for the week.

Gout is a painful type of arthritis that commonly affects the joints of the big toe, but can also affect the ankle, heel, knees, wrists, fingers, or elbow. Like any other joint disease, gout can be painful and disabling, and yet many people with this condition sometimes fail to seek treatment due to misinformation.

Osteoporosis is a disease where the bones gradually lose density, thinning and weakening over time. It is common among older adults of all genders, not just women. And yet many people mistakenly believe that it’s only a health concern for women, and not something men should be at all concerned about either. While it is true that the disease more commonly affects women, the truth is that men can and do get it too.

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began and brought the idea of disease prevention to the front of our minds, many people have been wondering about what extra steps they can take to protect themselves. Though we have vaccines for the COVID-19 virus and for seasonal influenza, there are always extra measures and tools at our disposal. We learned during the pandemic that distancing, masking, and frequent hand washing and disinfection protocols can lower our risk of contracting diseases of any kind. But many of us are also wondering what we can do to boost the strength of our immune system and help our body’s natural line of defense. For seniors, this is a greater challenge due to the changes brought about from age.

As we age, some of the changes that our bodies go through can make driving a less safe activity for seniors. Eye diseases, arthritis, memory problems, side effects from medications, and more, can all make it harder to street, react to conditions on the road, and make decisions behind the wheel.

Melanoma is one of the most common types of skin cancer, and unfortunately, seniors are at a higher risk of developing it. Learn about its risk factors here.

There has been a great deal of research done recently which has shed light on what has been called an “epidemic” of loneliness among seniors. The University of Michigan published a study which found that 25% of adults have reported feeling lonely. And you may not know this, but loneliness is in fact a health problem. Many experts have listed it among health concerns such as smoking or obesity in terms of causing negative health outcomes.

While it is entirely possible to work out at home or outside, joining and working out at a gym has numerous advantages. For one, there is a large amount of space and a wide variety of equipment and machines, all allowing you to perform many exercises that would be otherwise difficult or impossible at home. Staff and instructors teach classes for you to follow along with, and can show you the correct and safe way to use machines and perform exercises. Gyms also provide a place to exercise in the event of bad weather, and many health insurance plans offer discounted or even free gym memberships.

In the United States, more than 30 million people are currently living with diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that happens when levels of blood glucose, more commonly known as blood sugar, are too high.

Maybe your trips to the supermarket produce section are limited to grabbing a few tomatoes, bananas, apples and an onion or two for a basic selection of fruits and vegetables.

For those with Parkinson's, physical therapy can offer numerous benefits that can aid in managing symptoms and enhance your overall quality of life.

Our teeth and gums change as we age. The years of wear and tear will take a toll, often leading to thinning enamel and broken or lost teeth. And even when teeth are repaired, with crowns, fillings, root canals or bridges, they are still less hardy. And gums recede, leading to sensitive areas of the teeth not covered by enamel to be exposed.

For your elderly loved ones who still live alone in their homes, it is only natural to worry about their safety and well being. But no matter how much you worry, they may be less safe than you realize. But the good news is that there are steps that you can take to boost the safety of their homes, which will make them more secure and increase the peace of mind for both you and your aging parents.

It is typically around 40 years of age that many people start to notice changes in their eyesight caused by aging. And in the United States, there are more than 142 million people that are currently over the age of 40. It is predicted that by the year 2030, more than 90 million people will be age 65 or older, and one in six of these people will have a vision impairment that will not be able to be corrected by glasses or contact lens. For people in these age groups, awareness of common eye symptoms can help them seek quicker treatment in order to prevent vision loss.

Family matters in a very important way when diabetes is the subject. Families often share the risk of diabetes. Knowing your family history is important. If you don’t know your family health history offhand, it’s time to do some research and ask around in the family. For example, who in your family is currently living with diabetes? And who may or may not have had it in the past? Knowing if your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents suffered from diabetes is important information. Knowing this can encourage you and other family members to be tested for diabetes, which is important because if undiagnosed and left untreated, the disease can lead to serious health problems, such as blindness, loss of mobility or limbs, kidney failure, and heart disease.

As your senior parents age, it's common for them to experience some decline in their cognitive abilities. These effects can lead to an unintentional mix-up in their pills and medications.

A healthy diet is important for your overall bodily health, but it’s also very important for the health of your eyes. Proper nutrition that provides essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants can help you in the prevention of serious eye conditions. A healthy diet can keep you from developing eye conditions such as cloudy vision due to cataracts, vision impairment from age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, dryness of eyes, and poor nighttime vision. Oxidants can damage our health in negative ways unless counteracted by the intake of antioxidants in the diet.

After the age of 40, muscle mass and strength in people will begin to deteriorate. As a consequence, the capability to engage in physical exercise becomes less and less. After the age of 50, the decline in strength and muscle mass rises to 15% per decade. Muscles will atrophy and grow weaker and smaller when not used, which creates a vicious cycle of age reducing muscles which then causes the person to do less activity, which reduces them further. In the elderly, the leading cause of this problem is sarcopenia, which is the involuntary loss of muscle mass and bone density due to age.

People tend to sleep more lightly as they get older. Midnight awakenings due to aches or bathroom needs are common occurrences for the elderly, as well as taking a nap during the day to make up for lost sleep at night.

From stretching to low-impact cardio, this article provides a list of easy and effective exercises specifically designed for seniors to combat fatigue and low energy levels.

Sepsis is a serious and life-threatening health condition that can and does affect all age groups. Infants, people with chronic health conditions, and those who have damaged immune systems are all more likely than those without to acquire sepsis. However, adults over the age of 65, particularly those who have health problems, are more prone to sepsis than all other groups and demographics. Adults 65 years of age and older are 13 times more likely than adults younger than 65 to be hospitalized with sepsis, and 63% of older adults admitted to the ICU present with sepsis upon entry. Just as with strokes and heart attacks, sepsis is a critical medical emergency that requires swift diagnosis and treatment to save the health and life of the patient.

Chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and others can significantly affect the quality of life of the person suffering from them. Even though many chronic disorders do not have a cure, there are usually several treatments or strategies that are available to help manage and alleviate symptoms. Home care is a type of health care that offers assistance and support to people while they are at ease in their own home.

It is necessary for seniors to practice proper diet and eating habits, to maintain both their mental and physical health. Eating well can restore your health, lift your mood, and raise your spirits. Keeping a healthy diet, making sure to engage in regular exercise as part of your routine, and engaging in outdoor activities in an atmosphere with plenty of sunlight and oxygen are great ways to improve your general health and overall well-being.