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keesan
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Age-related health issues
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Feb 26 17:21 UTC 1998 |
An item for discussing health problems that are specific to, or at least more
frequent in, particular age groups, such as vision changes (first glasses or
first bifocals), skin changes (acne or dry skin), loss of flexibility (ripped
tendons, arthritis), changes in amount of body hair (hair growing in in new
places or falling out in old places), weight changes with age, etc.
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| 45 responses total. |
headdoc
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response 1 of 45:
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Feb 27 00:21 UTC 1998 |
Ok, I'll start. As Sini mentioned in another item, one of the better aspects
of my aging is that I almost never get colds any more, in spite of the fact
that I work in a few elementary schools and touch all the stuff the children
touch after they have picked their noses. (I do wash my hands about 10 times
a day with antibacterial soap). Also, I am much more at peace with myself
then I was at earler stages and ages.
Om the negative side, there is almost never a day that goes by that I do not
ache somewhere from something. This includes GERD, vision deterioration
(especially night vision), need for bifocals (but that doesn't bother me at
all.) I thought I was starting to lose my hearing, but was tested today the
U Hospital and told my hearing is perfectly within the normal range. I asked,
"For my age?" and was told, "For any age." Any decrease in auditory acuity
must be noticeable to me since I tend to expect excellent sensory and
intuitive skills. If any of these skills fall into the "average" range, I
begin to think I am handicapped.
One of the worst things, is I gain weight at the drop of a hat (or at least
whenever I eat all the things I love). I use to be able to eat everything
and stay slim. Now, I have to watch my intake, deprive myself and excersize
constantly to stay even mildly overweight. Feh!
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keesan
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response 2 of 45:
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Feb 27 18:40 UTC 1998 |
If I ate all the things I love, I would also gain weight, I am sure. Maybe
the trick is to start loving other foods? What is GERD? I read somewhere
that loss of hearing is usually mainly in the higher range, which
unfortunately is the range of the human voice. People in primitive societies,
who are not constantly exposed to lloud noises, do not lose hearing. I am
trying to wear earplugs when around loud noises. But the vision loss is due
to other things. I had not heard about the night vision, but notice that
glare, especially now that they have put in all those decorative lights
downtonw that shine sideways instead of down, makes me a bit night blind.
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rcurl
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response 3 of 45:
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Feb 27 23:06 UTC 1998 |
No, the human voice is in the *low* range. The telephone is limited to
something like 200-2000 Hz (I forget exactly). I used to be able to
hear the flyback transformer in a TV set - ca. 18KHz - but could not
after I was past 35 or so. *Everyone* loses hearing range, just by age,
but loud music will ruin your hearing quickly and permanently at any
age.
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keesan
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response 4 of 45:
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Feb 28 00:04 UTC 1998 |
High and low are relative terms. Obviously you have lost some of the higher
range, and I thought people lost their ability to hear the higher parts of
the voice range. What frequencies do hearing aids amplify best? Maybe high
frequencies are lost first because the ear stiffens with age?
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keesan
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response 5 of 45:
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Feb 28 03:54 UTC 1998 |
I copied down a short introductory web site as /a/k/e/keesan/presbycusis (from
the Greek meaning 'old man' 'hearing', or hearing loss. A few people have
trouble with low frequencies (including a friend of mine who is very fussy
about getting good speakers) but age-related hearing loss if of the higher
frequencies, including the ones used in speech to distinguish consonants (mat
map mack all sound the same). The ear drum loses elasticity and the joints
in the ear stiffen, etc. Also the inner ear cells malfunction. Clinton
recently admitted to getting a hearing aid, after a lifetime of loud noises
(noisy crowds, hunting, saxophone and rock music). He also had a ripped
tendon in his knee. A major problem of aging (starting in the late teens)
is loss of ability to tolerate stress of all sorts. Clinton was 51.
Children hear up to 24,000 cycles/sec, some adults only to 15,000, the
telephone reproduces only up to 4,000, which is why you can't hear the
differences in consonants (s as in sam, f as in furnace....)
There is usually very little loss of taste buds and saliva, except in people
taking lots of drugs (such as in nursing homes, the food there was terribly
oversalted and sweetened).
At what age did other grexers first need glasses, for near- or
far-sightedness. I was squinting at the blackboard until I got them at 14.
My prescription got gradually more nearsighted until about 25, then despite
the optometrists insistence that I needed an annual checkup, it stayed the
same for 20 years,and recently I got less near-sighted, which apparently is
also normal for 'middle-age'. Wonder why.
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eeyore
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response 6 of 45:
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Mar 4 18:29 UTC 1998 |
I dropped from completely normal vision to legally blind in about 6 months
when I was 7...both in near-sightedness and with a stigmatism....it's gotten
about twice as bad since then. I can no longer wear sft lenses (I hate hard
lenses! :), and am fighting bi-focals really hard. At least my vision isn't
changing as much now as it used to.
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keesan
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response 7 of 45:
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Mar 5 02:40 UTC 1998 |
What does it mean to be legally blind? Is that only without glasses? I know
several people who wear glasses about 1/3" thick and can't see much without.
How do you go swimming, or don't you?
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eeyore
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response 8 of 45:
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Mar 6 23:29 UTC 1998 |
From what I was told, it means that WITHOUT glasses/contacts, your vision is
20/500 or worse. Mine is at this point about 20/1100.
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keesan
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response 9 of 45:
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Mar 7 00:29 UTC 1998 |
Has your 20/1100 vision stabilized, or does your prescription change often?
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keesan
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response 10 of 45:
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Mar 11 22:40 UTC 1998 |
Has anyone noticed that as they get older they need less sleep, or dream less,
or fall asleep later, or wake up more often during the night? (I am waiting
to see at what time resposes come in to this question.)
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rcurl
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response 11 of 45:
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Mar 12 06:36 UTC 1998 |
I need about the same amount of sleep, dream less, stay up later, and
only wake up during the night for gladder relief.
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remmers
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response 12 of 45:
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Mar 12 10:38 UTC 1998 |
<remmers amusedly speculates on the concept of nightime "gladder relief">
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keesan
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response 13 of 45:
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Mar 12 18:50 UTC 1998 |
Hi, night owls (or are you waking earlier, John?) Does it take older people
longer to fall asleep?
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rcurl
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response 14 of 45:
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Mar 12 21:15 UTC 1998 |
Gladder - the state of my bladder.
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remmers
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response 15 of 45:
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Mar 13 00:07 UTC 1998 |
Re #13: I'm an early riser and usually start my day with Grex.
My day typically begins around 5 or 6 a.m., sometimes earlier.
As I get older, I notice the biggest change in when I wake up,
not when I fall asleep. I'm getting up much earlier than I was,
say, 5 or 10 years ago.
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headdoc
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response 16 of 45:
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Mar 13 12:30 UTC 1998 |
Oh yes, I do notice a dramatic change in my sleep patterns. I rarely have
difficulty falling asleep, but I waken often and sometimes find it extremely
difficult to return to sleep. My best sleep times are from 5 am till 9 am.
Unfortunately, I have to be in my office at 7 am. That wrecks havoc with my
biorythyms. If I drink any liquid after 6 O'Clock, I will have to wake to
go to the bathroom at least once. My sleep is often less deep, seemingly more
superficial.
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keesan
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response 17 of 45:
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Mar 13 20:54 UTC 1998 |
I keep waking around sunrise no matter when I fell asleep. I wish I were less
bothered by traffic and aircraft noise and could fall asleep at 10 pm. I have
always had to go to the bathroom after 4 hours sleep, I think that is when
I am in a shallower sleep pattern and wake no matter what.
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eeyore
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response 18 of 45:
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Mar 16 07:11 UTC 1998 |
re: #9: It's stabalized a bit, but it's also sort of hard to tell, since my
last prescription was a bit messed up, and I'm still wearing them. But
everytime I go in, both my vision and my stigmatism has gotten slightly worse.
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keesan
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response 19 of 45:
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Mar 16 16:57 UTC 1998 |
My vision got worse until about age 25, then stabilized. I hope that you are
under 25 for that reason.
ANyone remember what age they first and last had acne? That is something that
stabilizes in most people, but I think some people always have it.
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eeyore
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response 20 of 45:
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Mar 24 21:03 UTC 1998 |
My last acne breakout was 2 days ago. :( I'm pretty much always going to
have it, but it's gotten a little better over the years.
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keesan
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response 21 of 45:
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Mar 24 21:17 UTC 1998 |
Does it really get affected in any way by what you do or don't eat? Or by
the weather, or PMS, or stress due to exams?
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rickyb
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response 22 of 45:
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Mar 25 22:12 UTC 1998 |
many times folliculitis is confused as acne. both can be related to clogged
pores, and the former is an inflammatory process which can be painful (and
usually deeper in the skin than a 'zit'). stress seems to play some role,
at least, so I guess PMS would too. diet plays a much lesser role, but diets
which affect the pH of your skin might contribute (usually, a more acidic,
lower, pH will inhibit bacteria).
once your vision has stabilized (around mid-20's, as described above), enjoy
it while you can. In your 40's you'll likely find you need to take off your
glasses to see things close up...time for those bi-focals! ;-)
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eeyore
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response 23 of 45:
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Mar 26 05:43 UTC 1998 |
It's time for the bi-focals now! :)
PMS did cause it until I went on the pill to erase the massive amounts of PMS
I was having...(that got worse as I got older too..sigh)
(If you people haven't figured out by now, my mom and I are alot alike. :)
I've got the same type of acne that my mother does, but not to the same
degree....mine's mostly cleared up (for now, I suppose). But the zits are
more like a cyst....sigh
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keesan
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response 24 of 45:
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Mar 26 20:13 UTC 1998 |
Does chocolate really make it worse? Or nuts? I bought a big chunk of
chocolate recently, which I had to eat my share of before it disappeared, and
got one pimple, don't usually get any.
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