1. Hormone Levels Decrease
One startling fact is that both men's and women's hormone levels, estrogen and testosterone for males decrease. Menopause affects both men and women, resulting in muscle loss, sleep disturbances, cognitive problems, mood fluctuations, and weight increase. This process can start as early as your 30s, but it tends to speed up around 40, and even more so after 50.
Recommendation: Hormone therapies are available for both men and women, but they must be discussed with a doctor because the medicines must be tailored to the individual.
2. Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is frequently an unforeseen ailment. Those who suffer from it wait an average of seven to 10 years before seeking treatment, which can lead to various other life-altering issues. Nearly 23% of persons over the age of 50 and 50% of people over 75 have dementia. Many people are unaware of that, so many studies have found links between hearing loss and other illnesses such as depression, impaired balance, and dementia. As hearing loss worsens or goes untreated, these risk factors grow significantly.
Recommendation: It is critical to actively maintain hearing health by scheduling annual hearing assessments at hearing health clinics or during annual medical appointments. If you suspect you have hearing loss, getting help as soon as possible helps you maintain your quality of life.
3. Vaginal Dryness
Vaginal dryness as opposed to dryness caused by a lack of sexual interest, can affect any woman, but it's far more common after menopause. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a term coined by the North American Menopause Society and the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health to describe a group of menopausal symptoms caused by a decrease in estrogen production in the body.
Recommendation: Moisturizers and tablets may be beneficial; consult your doctor for more information.
4. Skin Breaks Down
After 50, the natural ageing process severely impacts our skin. This is partly because your body creates less collagen as you get older. Collagen is a protein that makes up roughly 75% of the proteins in your skin, improving its flexibility and ability to renew itself. Your skin begins to look lacklustre, fine wrinkles emerge, and your skin strains to restore without collagen. Your skin acts as a natural defensive barrier from hazardous elements and external forces for your body.
Recommendation: If you're looking for a unique way to express yourself, When your skin is fragile, your entire body is vulnerable to a variety of health issues. Increasing your collagen intake through food, supplements, or skin care products cskincareou restore the health of your skin after 50.
5. Height Shrinking
Men and women tend to shrink after 50, which is surprising. We lose height as we age because the water content and suppleness of the discs between the vertebrae deteriorate. It means the cushions between the bones in the spine become less spongy, lose their form, and flatten. The spine shrinks as a result, and people lose inches in height.
You can also lose height if your spine begins to curve or if you have an osteoporosis-related compression fracture (when bone fractures and collapses in on itself) (age-related bone loss).
Recommendation: Because the difference between now and when you were younger can be several inches, it's critical that you have your height and weight assessed during your annual physical at your doctor's office.
6. Incontinent
Incontinence affects both men and women as they age. This can include leakage, urgency, and more frequent urine, forcing many people to limit their fluid intake, overburdening their kidneys.
Recommendation: It can enhance bladder control and maybe increase sexual function. Not to mention assist you in avoiding embarrassing mishaps. Do at least one set of 10 Kegels per day. Here's a quick tutorial on how to kegel.
7. Lower Eyelids Get Wonky
Fat herniations in our lower lids become increasingly common, resulting in lower lid malpositions. That's an irregular position of your lower lid that necessitates surgery. Your eyelid may be excessively high or low, droop, curve inward or outward, or be abnormally high or low.
Recommendation: If you're self-conscious about your appearance, a filler can be used to hide flaws depending on your level of comfort with plastic surgery.
8. Joint Pain
Joint discomfort caused by degenerative joint or disc disease, or osteoarthritis, is one health issue. Many of my patients in their early 50s, who believe they are "too young," suffer from arthritic discomfort. I prefer to refer to weight-bearing joints like the hips, knees, ankles, and even the lower back as the body's "shocks and struts," since wear and tear, also known as degeneration, can create pain over time. Exercise that requires repetitive use of those joints, as well as obesity, might hasten the breakdown of the cartilage that cushions the joints."
Recommendation: Don't dismiss aches and pains as part of the ageing process. You might have a degenerative joint disease that your doctor can treat, and you're unknowingly exacerbating it. Thankfully, innovative regenerative medicine methods are now widely available. These strategies tap into your body's natural ability to repair itself, reducing the need for drugs and surgery.
9. Sleep Disordered Breathing
As estrogen levels drop throughout menopause, women may encounter unexpected symptoms such as fatigue, daytime sleepiness, unexplained weight gain, persistent neck and shoulder discomfort, and teeth grinding. All of these are signs and symptoms of SDO, or Sleep Disordered Breathing.
What happens when you have SDO is as follows: "Estrogen tightens the muscles of the airway, and as levels fall, the muscles loosen, allowing the tongue to slip back into the throat, restricting oxygen flow. The brain then experiences an instantaneous microarousal, signalling the body to fix the oxygen situation. These microarousals may not be long enough to wake someone up, but they are long enough to transition from deep restorative sleep to light, unrefreshed sleep.
Your body's adaptation to expand the airway and enhance blood flow...that provides oxygen to the brain is to grind your teeth. You could also be sleeping on your side (producing a tight neck or shoulder) or experiencing chronic stress (due to a lack of sleep) without realizing it.
Recommendation: If a person hits 50 and starts to experience these symptoms, it's important to have their sleep and airway looked up by an airway-focused dentist who can address tongue posturing and tongue spacing for a variety of health benefits.