Health Conditions
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Hearing loss is a common health problem for individuals who are 65 and older. Hearing impairment rapidly increases with age; Hearing impairment affects 48 percent of individuals in their 60s, 60 percent of individuals in their 70s, and 90 percent of individuals who are 80 and older. Despite the statistics, many individuals do not believe they will need hearing aids. According to some studies, 50 percent of individuals view their hearing loss as troublesome, and many individuals who own a hearing aid rarely use their hearing aid.
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Changes in sleep patterns are expected as we age but aging does not explain all of the sleep problems experienced by the elderly. With aging, sleep becomes more fragmented, and people experience a tendency to wake up more during a session of sleep. At middle age, some individuals start to lack sleep, and some individuals over the age of 90 do not experience a deep sleep. In place of deep sleep, individuals experience the lighter stages of sleep and a decrease in rapid-eye-movement, which means individuals become light sleepers.
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Our body needs the downtime while we sleep to invigorate it and keep us fresh and energetic when we wake up. When we do not get the needed proper sleep, we wake up with a number of health problems. Poor sleep can be a result of our habits or an indication of underlying health issues. Whatever the cause, there are ways you can alleviate the problems so that you can have a better sleep and improve the quality of your life.
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The increase in cancer risk as we age is a well-accepted observation. While children and younger adults are of course afflicted by certain types of the disease, the vast majority of cases occur in people over 50. New evidence from animal studies now suggests that perhaps that the link between adding and cancer risk is a tradeoff between our protections against cancer at the expense of a faster aging.
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Heat stroke occurs during exposure to high environmental temperatures or while performing strenuous work. Preexisting conditions, such as mental illness, alcoholism, or drug use (e.g., diuretics, anticholinergics) may compromise an individual's physiological adjustments to heat stress and increase the incidence of heat stroke. The young and the elderly are also at risks. Athletes, occupational workers (e.g., fire fighters, agricultural workers), and military personnel are while performing strenuous physical work or exercise in temperature or hot climates. Pre-existing illness, drug use (e.g., alcohol, amphetamines, ecstasy), and wearing protective clothing (e.g., uniforms in athletes) that limits heat dissipation also are big influences.
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With airports under high security alerts against terrorist attacks, an air traveler is easily reminded of the risk to safety as they travel. What we often forget is the treat that can be posed to our health if not managed as we travel.
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