With the growth of age, compared with the young and middle-aged period, the physical function of the elderly will deteriorate to varying degrees, and it is prone to malnutrition, anemia, osteoporosis, Grade IV and other chronic diseases.
With such a huge old age base, it is the hope of every old man to take care of himself in daily life, maintain his physical function as much as possible, reduce the pain of chronic diseases, and make his life more quality and dignified in the next few decades.
Today, we will take you through the following four aspects:
1, physiological characteristics of the elderly
2. The misunderstanding of health care for the elderly
3, how to carry out self-care
4. How to keep a good mood
Part number 1. Physiological characteristics of the elderly
Article 2 of China's Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly stipulates that the age starting point for the elderly is 60 years old. Caring for the health of the elderly begins with caring for their physiological changes.
Because of the growth of age, the organ function of the elderly has declined to varying degrees, such as decreased digestion and absorption ability, decreased heart and brain function, slow sensory response of vision, hearing and taste, muscle atrophy, and decreased lean body weight.
These changes can significantly affect the ability of the elderly to ingest, digest and absorb food, making them prone to malnutrition, anemia, abnormal weight and muscle attenuation, and greatly increasing the risk of various chronic diseases.
1. The digestive function of the elderly is decreased.
It is characterized by tooth loss or obvious wear, decreased taste and smell, atrophy of mucosa, decreased digestive function, decreased number of liver cells and increased fibrous tissue, so that the detoxification ability and protein synthesis ability of the body are decreased, food is not fully digested, and feces stay in the large intestine for too long, which is easy to cause constipation.
2. Cardiovascular sclerosis and hypofunction in the elderly
Manifested as cardiovascular physiological sclerosis, myocardial atrophy, myocardial sclerosis and other diseases; The physiological sclerosis of blood vessel wall is more and more obvious, and the elasticity of blood vessel wall is reduced and the brittleness is increased. At this time, the prevalence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases increased, and the incidence increased.
3. The metabolic function of the elderly is reduced.
Metabolic tissue decreased by about 30-60%, metabolic capacity decreased by about 15%-20%, catabolism was greater than anabolism, insulin receptor decreased and binding capacity decreased, glucose tolerance decreased, osteoblasts decreased and osteoclasts increased; The adaptability to low calcium decreased. Obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia and other metabolic syndrome problems are prone to occur.
4. The body composition of the elderly has changed.
For example, adipose tissue increases, and gradually turns from limbs to trunk, so the number of cells in the body decreases, muscle tissue decreases, muscle atrophy, water in the body decreases, intracellular fluid decreases, tissue atrophy, bone minerals and bone matrix decrease, bone density decreases, and more people suffer from osteoporosis and arthritis. At this stage, the adaptability of the elderly to the external temperature and humidity is also declining.
5. The immunity of the elderly is declining.
Many organs begin to age, the immune tissues decrease, and the number of immune cells decreases, which easily leads to the decline of disease resistance of the elderly.
6. The elderly are prone to anemia.
Common causes of anemia in the elderly include:
As the number of red bone marrow decreases, the number of yellow bone marrow increases, and the hematopoietic function of bone marrow decreases, senile anemia will occur.
The decline of gastrointestinal function in the elderly leads to folic acid deficiency and megaloblastic anemia caused by B 12. The absorption function of folic acid and vitamin B 12 is reduced due to the decline of digestive function in the elderly, which is easy to cause insufficient concentration of folic acid and vitamin B 12, and eventually lead to megaloblastic anemia.
Iron deficiency anemia, some elderly patients suffer from gastrointestinal ulcers or tumors, causing chronic gastrointestinal blood loss. Iron deficiency anemia will occur after a long time.
Therefore, if anemia is found, we need to look for it from the hematopoietic function of our own bone marrow, whether we lack folic acid or vitamin B 12, and whether we lack iron. , should be symptomatic treatment.
In diet, it is especially necessary to fully supplement iron, vitamin B2, folic acid and high-quality protein for synthesizing red blood cells, so as to promote the body to synthesize red blood cells. Finally, we should pay attention to the usual living habits, pay attention to proper exercise, and improve the oxygen consumption of the body. Pay attention to diet and improve sleep quality.
The incidence of anemia in the elderly is high, but not serious. You just need to pay more attention and eat properly, and you can basically avoid senile anemia.
7. Psychological changes of the elderly.
With the increase of age and the decline of physiological functions of various tissues and organs, the elderly are prone to abnormal psychological conditions, such as fear and abandonment, loneliness, anxiety and depression, paranoia, talkativeness, inferiority and other psychological problems. In addition, if there are reasons such as widowhood, empty nest and retirement, it will cause psychological loneliness and affect sleep and appetite.
The second part. Misunderstanding of health care for the elderly
Myth 1: Nourishing drugs are beneficial and harmless.
Many elderly people, especially those who enjoy free medical care after retirement, often ask doctors to prescribe nourishing drugs, thinking that all nourishing drugs can strengthen the body and eat more is beneficial and harmless.
In fact, many diseases suffered by the elderly are not all "virtual syndromes". If tonic is abused, it will cause metabolic disorder and lead to various diseases. For example, elderly people with high blood pressure and high blood viscosity, taking supplements such as ginseng and velvet antler for a long time, will also lead to high blood pressure and even nosebleeds, which is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire and helping others. Therefore, it is the basic principle of nourishing that "medicine is toxic in three ways, and medicine is better than food".
Some health care products claim to prevent cancer, so many elderly people are trapped by false advertisements and buy in large quantities, which not only causes economic losses, but also easily damages liver and kidney functions.
Myth 2: The lighter the diet, the better.
In life, some elderly people are vegetarian just for a light diet. In fact, this is going to extremes. Many vegetarian elderly people are often emaciated or puffy, accompanied by general weakness, limb pain, depression and other symptoms. When they went to the hospital, they couldn't find any serious diseases. In fact, this is caused by malnutrition. Nutrition experts remind elderly friends that the diet should be mixed with meat and vegetables, not mainly meat and vegetables. Eating a little of everything is the best state of human balance of payments.
Myth 3: You can eat and sleep.
Being able to eat and sleep is of course a sign of health, but sometimes it is a reaction to illness. Some diseases do not affect appetite and sleep, but increase food intake and prolong sleep time, such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes and obesity. Therefore, if you find abnormal food intake and sleep time in a short time, don't take it lightly.
Myth 4: The more exercise, the better.
"Life lies in exercise", and many elderly people mistakenly think that the more exercise, the better. In fact, the physiology of the elderly is aging and degrading, and too much or too much exercise is not good for the elderly. It should be said that four classes and six quiets are good for the health of the elderly.
Especially in mountaineering, the leg has a process from bending to straightening, which will cause some joint fractures or articular cartilage softening, and excessive load-bearing activities will accelerate its degradation and wear. Therefore, if there is a problem of joint degeneration, middle-aged and elderly people should try to climb fewer mountains and stairs. You should choose sports with less joint load, such as swimming and walking on the ground.
Exercise is the most affordable way to keep in good health, but the most taboo is too much. Don't ignore the endurance of your body, but hurt your knees and cause low back and leg pain.
The health care of the elderly needs to be armed with scientific knowledge, otherwise it will not only fail to achieve the purpose of health care, but will damage their own health, which is a thankless thing. As children, we must help the elderly manage this matter well and don't let the elderly be cheated by profiteers.
The third part. How to carry out self-care
Knowing the physiological characteristics of the elderly and some common health care misunderstandings, let's take a look at some simple and easy self-care measures suitable for the elderly.
Generally speaking, the elderly need to avoid the following nine problems in their daily life:
Avoid eating: too full, too sweet, too salty, too greasy, alcohol, tobacco,
Psychological avoidance: great joy and great anger,
Avoid exercise: sedentary, lazy,
Also prevent: constipation.
1. Diet is the foundation.
Self-regulation of diet is mainly to help the elderly to better adapt to the changes of physical function, strive to achieve a reasonable diet and balanced nutrition, reduce and delay the occurrence and development of diseases, and prolong the healthy life of the elderly.
In order to prevent anemia and osteoporosis, the diet of the elderly should pay attention to the following parts:
1. Eat proper amount of lean meat of fish, eggs and poultry every day. These foods contain high-quality protein with high digestion and absorption rate and various micronutrients; Eat animal liver and blood 1~2 times a week. These are very important for the elderly to maintain muscle synthesis and prevent anemia.
2. Drink milk every day. Whey protein in milk is very beneficial to promote muscle synthesis and prevent muscle attenuation, and the absorption and utilization rate of calcium is also high. If lactose is intolerant, consider using low lactose milk or edible yogurt.
3. Eat soybeans and bean products every day. Old people should eat soybeans and their products once a day. Increase protein's intake.
4. A balanced diet. Specifically, eat at least 12 kinds of food every day. For example, breakfast 1~2 kinds of staple food, an egg and a glass of milk, and some fruits and vegetables. Lunch and dinner are served with two or more staple foods, 1~2 kinds of meat dishes, 1~2 kinds of vegetables and a bean product.
You can add a handful of nuts and a fruit as a meal between meals every day.
5. In addition to dairy products, high-calcium foods can also choose natural foods such as bean products, seafood, vegetables with high calcium and low oxalic acid (celery, talented people, purple onions and alfalfa), black fungus and sesame seeds.
Eating coarse grains is very popular among healthy elderly people. Everyone thinks that coarse grains can supplement B vitamins and are rich in dietary fiber, which is very helpful for digestion and prevention of constipation. However, if the spleen and stomach function is weak, eating too much coarse grains will easily lead to indigestion, so we must pay attention to the feedback from the body and pay attention to the good degree.
Considering that many elderly people have tooth defects, digestive juice secretion and gastrointestinal peristalsis are weakened, and they are prone to loss of appetite and premature satiety. When eating, you should chew slowly to prevent coughing and aspiration. This can increase the body's ability to digest and absorb food and stimulate the secretion of gastrointestinal digestive juice.
In the cooking method of food, for the elderly who are prone to swallowing disorders such as choking, choking and swelling, we can try to cut the food into small pieces, chop it up, or extend the cooking time, and cook it soft and rotten by stewing, steaming and stewing. Avoid frying and smoking food.
If you are very old and weak, or the elderly who have obviously lost weight, your dinner intake may be limited, so you should pay special attention to increasing the number of meals and changing the pattern frequently. You can try to arrange a three-meal two-point system or a three-meal three-point system.
The tolerance of the elderly to water shortage is declining, so they should take the initiative to drink water. Warm water or light tea is preferred. The daily drinking water reaches 1500~ 1700 ml, which should be a small amount for many times. It is not recommended to eat and drink an hour before going to bed, so as not to affect sleep. Avoid strong tea and coffee, which will interfere with the absorption of iron in food.
In addition, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol is also a necessary measure to improve the health of the elderly, and it can also minimize the impact on health.
Step 2 improve through exercise
Muscle atrophy is the enemy of the health of the elderly. More muscles, less chronic diseases. Studies in the United States show that if you don't exercise deliberately, people's muscles will decrease year by year at the age of 30 and disappear by 50% at the age of 75. At this time, you can't prevent chronic diseases if you want to. Old people should strengthen muscle exercise and maintain a healthy weight.
The body mass index (BMI) of the elderly is not less than 20kg/m2, and some studies show that the weight of the elderly is within 10% of the standard weight, which is the longest life span.
The first issue of the American Heart Association's Guide to Health Care suggests that the elderly over 65 should do 8~ 10 strength exercises twice a week. There are some simple methods: take two bottles of mineral water and do it while watching TV at home, such as horizontal lift, side lift and upward lift.
In addition, balance training can activate cerebellum and delay aging. It is suggested that you can stand on one leg with your eyes closed, and practice on the flat ground first and then on the uneven ground. You need to protect your body and pay attention to safety when practicing. You can also play Taiji Chuan, Baduanjin and Zhanzhu.
Besides walking, traditional exercise methods such as Tai Ji Chuan or Baduanjin are also emphasized as recommended exercise methods for the elderly.
Foreign scientists pointed out that after practicing Tai Ji Chuan 15 minutes, the immune cells were obviously improved. Domestic medical researchers found through experiments that practicing Tai Ji Chuan once can increase secretory immunoglobulin in saliva 16mg/ 100. It is proved that Tai Ji Chuan can improve the immune function of the body, which is difficult for drugs to achieve.
Another experiment even found that if people in Taiji group were vaccinated, their immune index was twice as high as that of people who only injected without boxing, which proved that Tai Ji Chuan could improve the immune system function without contradicting any drugs.
Middle-aged and elderly people insist on practicing Tai Ji Chuan, which is especially beneficial to enhancing immunity. Tai Ji Chuan exercise has the functions of burning fat, regulating body weight, promoting digestion and absorption, enhancing metabolism, enhancing cardiovascular function and improving blood sugar.
In addition, Lu, a master of traditional Chinese medicine at Guang 'anmen Chinese Medicine Hospital in Beijing, attaches great importance to the health care function of Baduanjin. Moreover, Guang 'anmen Chinese Medicine Hospital applied for a number of national project funds in Baduanjin to improve intestinal function and relieve pain, and conducted in-depth quantitative research with foreign research institutions.
Tai Ji Chuan or Baduanjin relaxes exercise, which is especially suitable for the elderly.
For the elderly, exercise is a very necessary part of keeping healthy. The colder it is, the more you can't hide in the house without exercise. Old people are often constipated, and more exercise can avoid this trouble to a great extent.
In the exercise of the elderly, it is suggested that outdoor exercise should be carried out as much as possible, so as to better receive ultraviolet radiation, and at the same time, it is beneficial to the synthesis of vitamin D in the body and delay the development of osteoporosis.
The fourth part. How to keep a good mood
More and more elderly people quit the social stage where they have served for decades and turned to the stage of life. The great change of their roles can easily bring many psychological problems to the elderly:
1. Loneliness: When I retired, I lost my job and began to have a lot of time to rest at home. This sudden change completely broke my long-standing living habits and left many gaps in my life, which easily made people feel lonely and empty.
2. Sense of loss: No longer holding social posts, and the source of funds changes, which will easily lead to the feeling that the elderly can't continue to contribute to their families, lack personal value, and have a sense of loss, which may lead to many other problems, such as psychological atrophy, impatience, paranoia, depression and other psychological problems;
3. Fear: In the face of the illness of relatives and friends and the deterioration of physical function, it is easy to have fear of disease and death.
At this time, the old people who have entered the long retirement life track naturally need to re-recognize life and know themselves.
Old age life is also an inevitable transformation of our life trajectory. Like birth, growth, work, marriage and having children, it is a natural stage that everyone must face in his life. There is not only one dimension in a complete life. Therefore, for the elderly, it is also an important part of life to actively change their mentality, take care of themselves, cultivate hobbies that can cultivate their temperament, make plans for their old-age life in advance, and let them live a dignified and quality old-age life.
Aging is a "normal physiological process" that each of us will eventually move towards, but we can always alleviate the symptoms of aging, delay its occurrence and compress the pain in a short time before dying.
The most beautiful life should be 100 years old, 80 years old with broad mind, 60 years old with wisdom and talent, 40 years old with persistence and hard work, 20 years old with passion and fearlessness, and 2-3 years old with innocence. This is the most wonderful life!
After all, what we care about is not only the years in life, but also the life in the years!
Finally, the essence of health preservation is ultimately to help the elderly develop a relaxed and natural lifestyle. Find a way that suits you, make it a relaxed and natural habit, and integrate it into life at any time.
This is all that we share today about "how to do a good job of self-care for the elderly". Finally, send a word to each of us old people:
Shut your mouth and lift your legs,
Use your head and practice your hands,
Balance your heart, cultivate your feelings,
Quit smoking and limit alcohol, and crane children will live 99 lives.