The Sunday News
Simon Gama
I bet you are looking forward to retirement. You think you can toss the charm clock, forget commuting, stop gulping your coffee and you will be out of the rat race, but what you may not realise is that retirement lifestyle changes can be stressful.
Retirement may cause or worsen common digestive disorders.
For many people the sudden disruption of the daily routine diminishes the sense of purpose and structure those jobs once provided.
The retirees lose workplace friends with a less structured life they may skip meals, snack too much or develop other poor eating habits all of which exacerbate digestive disorders.
They may develop ulcers with painful and uncomfortable acidic symptoms that can interfere with the ability to enjoy life. Untreated ulcers can turn nasty.
Retirees should communicate regularly with their physicians. Perhaps the best palliative for those aging blues is regular exercise.
As well as it works for the young it works just as well for the elderly. Keeping them busy and making life a continuous pleasure.
Staying vital
People keep looking for a pill to do what is far better done by changes in behaviour researcher at the National Institute on Aging Sprott recommends four simple actions in this order; Fasten your seat belt; Stop smoking; Start a programme of regular exercise; Control your body weight
Living longer living better
Actions that can increase your lifespan also increase the quality of your life in later years. Ageing and various diseases are intertwined. Many of the actions recommended to prevent ageing. That includes controlling blood glucose levels, limiting caloric intake, and exercising regular and avoiding unhealthy habits like smoking and or excessive drinking.
Maintaining your physical strength and flexibility helps you maintain your independence. Proper nutrition helps prevent strokes and heart attacks.
Mental activity improves your chances of retaining your intelligence and sharpness. A healthy lifestyle can help you live longer.
Detecting Aneurysms
Mostly people over 60 years of age have life threatening aneurysms that they don’t even know about.
At risk are people with high blood pressure or heart disease and those with a family history of aneurysms.
People over 60 who fall into any of those groups should have a routine screening with ultra sound every two years.
If an aneurysm, an out pouching of an arterial wall is indicated, a CAT scan can then provide a clear picture.
Aneurysms measuring more than 2 inches in diameter are most likely to rapture. To replace a ruptured aneurysm with a synthetic blood vessel requires major surgery. About 40 000 people in Africa undergo this operation each year.
Surgeons may favour repairing a small aneurysm in a person living in a remote area where follow up cannot be readily available.
Common problem areas are the brain and aorta.
The writer is a fitness trainer at Body Works Gym in Bulawayo.
