When you get older, your body may show abnormalities. Is it because you are old or sick?

The elderly are the ones who pay the most attention to their health, and they are also the ones who are more prone to diseases. Elderly friends often ask Huazi about the treatment methods for various abnormalities in their bodies, such as feeling that eating is not as delicious, always having backaches, or memory deterioration. What medicine can be used to treat it?

Hua Zi said that medicine can only cure diseases, but not aging. In fact, as we age, many abnormalities in the body are simply aging, and only some of them may be signs of disease.

1. “Three highs” chronic diseases are just a sign of aging

Many elderly people who suffer from the "three highs" chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and diabetes are looking for cures everywhere. Unfortunately, with current medical technology, the "three highs" chronic diseases cannot be cured, and can only rely on regular medication to control the condition and prevent complications.

But everyone should understand that the "three highs" are almost an inevitable result of aging. Chronic diseases that can be controlled by drugs are not real diseases. People with chronic diseases are still healthy people. If chronic diseases are not controlled, and complications such as cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and renal failure occur, then they are real diseases.

2. Carotid artery plaques are caused by aging blood vessels

Carotid artery plaque is a common phenomenon that is highly correlated with age. With aging, blood vessel elasticity decreases, and tiny damage occurs to the arterial intima, forming atherosclerosis.

About half of people in their 50s will have plaques in their carotid arteries, and almost all people in their 80s will have plaques in their carotid arteries. Under normal circumstances, carotid artery plaques progress very slowly and most of them will not cause cerebral infarction.

However, under the influence of uncontrolled risk factors such as "three highs", smoking, and obesity, plaques will progress rapidly, become more unstable, and easily rupture and form blood clots. Arterial plaques are a phenomenon of vascular aging, so there is no need to worry as long as the risk factors are controlled.

3. Decreased appetite is due to aging of the digestive system

As we age, our digestive system also declines, gastrointestinal motility weakens, digestive juice secretion decreases, and the sense of smell and taste deteriorate. It is difficult to maintain the same appetite as young people, and the ability to digest and absorb nutrients will also weaken. Therefore, loss of appetite or preference for heavy flavors in the elderly are normal manifestations of aging.

However, if your appetite decreases and you experience rapid weight loss and fatigue, you should be on guard against digestive system diseases. You should be especially alert to digestive system tumors and go to the hospital for gastroscopy, colonoscopy, color Doppler ultrasound, CT scan and other examinations to rule out tumor risks.

4. Back pain and osteoporosis

As the human body ages, bone density and muscle capacity decrease significantly. When you maintain the same posture for a long time, you are prone to back pain, which is related to aging. However, if you often experience back pain without long-term muscle tension, you should beware of osteoporosis.

Especially for menopausal women, the cessation of estrogen secretion will cause a "cliff-like" drop in calcium in the bones. Osteoporosis can cause bone pain symptoms, mainly on both sides of the spine, and the pain will be further aggravated after standing or sitting for a long time or stretching.

The elderly should eat more calcium-containing foods on a daily basis. If bone pain symptoms occur, a bone density test should be done and appropriate medications should be used for treatment under the guidance of a doctor.

5. Forgetfulness is not necessarily Alzheimer's disease

As we age, the activity of brain nerve cells weakens, and we are more likely to become forgetful. For example, when cooking, we add salt once and then add it again; or when we want to take something, we forget it after a few minutes. However, forgetfulness is only a partial memory loss. After being reminded by others, we can recall what we did. We can correct forgetfulness by concentrating our attention and avoiding distractions.

Alzheimer's disease is progressive, with amnesia as the core symptom. Memory begins with recent memory loss and gradually progresses to long-term memory loss, and the person still cannot remember the memory even after being reminded.

6. Blurred vision is not necessarily due to presbyopia

As we age, the eye's ability to adjust weakens, the lens gradually hardens and loses its elasticity, causing the eye to see blurry objects near it due to refractive error. This is a normal physiological phenomenon caused by aging, and the idiom "old eyes are blurry" describes this situation. Presbyopia is inevitable, and vision can be corrected by wearing reading glasses.

If you have blurred vision, a reduced field of vision, or dark shadows in front of your eyes, and wearing reading glasses cannot correct your vision, you should beware of cataracts or retinal damage caused by high blood pressure or diabetes. You need to go to the hospital's ophthalmology department for a check-up in time to intervene in time if problems are found to avoid the risk of blindness caused by delayed treatment.

To sum up, as people age, their physiological functions will degenerate. Some abnormalities are normal aging, but the early manifestations of some diseases are similar to aging, so you should be careful to distinguish them. If you find any suspicious situation, don't be afraid to see a doctor. Go to the hospital for a detailed examination in time to protect your health to the greatest extent. I am pharmacist Huazi. Welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.