Elderly Health Class

As for the core question of how the elderly can maintain a reliable health without falling into pitfalls, the clearest answer is – don’t use the magic secret recipe that claims to be “universal for everyone”, don’t impose the health care standards of Internet celebrities, and adapt to your own basic diseases and follow regular medical advice. Daily habits are the most cost-effective health solutions.

I have been doing community health education for almost 8 years, and I have seen all kinds of strange health traps. During the free clinic last week, I met Aunt Zhang holding three boxes of "hypertensive tea" that was snatched from the live broadcast room. She said that the anchor patted her chest and promised that she could stop taking the antihypertensive medicine after half a month. As a result, she stopped taking the medicine for a week. Today, her blood pressure soared to 162, and her face was swollen. Those health care products that claim to cure all diseases are like master keys. They seem to be able to open any lock, but they are useless when they are actually used. You have to use the original ones to open your own home locks. The same is true for health care.

There used to be an Uncle Li who believed that "a simple diet is the best way to maintain health." He ate vegetables with white porridge and rarely touched eggs. He lost eight pounds in three months. When he came for a physical examination, he was found to have hypoalbuminemia and his feet were so swollen that he couldn't wear shoes.； There is also Aunt Wang. She heard people say that the elderly need to supplement enough nutrition to survive the disease, so she bought a cabinet of protein powder, deep-sea fish oil, and lecithin, and ate them every day. After half a year of eating, the uric acid level soared to 520, and she cried in pain due to gout. Nowadays, two schools of thought about the diet of the elderly are quarreling fiercely. One side says that it should be light and light with less oil and less meat to live longer, while the other side says that sufficient high-protein supplements can prevent muscle attenuation. In fact, is there any black and white standard? The advice of the clinical nutrition department has always been to "have some coarse and fine supplements, and don't overdo it." Eat an egg and one tael of lean meat every day, drink a cup of warm milk, and eat vegetables and fruits together. If you really feel that you are lacking any nutrients, you should first ask the doctor with the physical examination report. What supplements will be useful.

Speaking of this, I met Lao Zhou in the community park last week, sitting on a bench with a crutch and rubbing his knees. When I asked, I learned that I had heard someone say that walking 20,000 steps a day can open blood vessels. After walking for half a month, the degenerative disease in my knees that I already had has been directly affected, and I can't even go downstairs. There is a lot of controversy now about whether the elderly should be more active or restful. I have seen a 72-year-old man who runs a half-marathon every day. His cardiopulmonary function is better than that of a 20-year-old boy. I have also seen an 86-year-old woman who likes to sit in the yard and bask in the sun and feed the birds. Apart from a little presbyopia, there is no problem. The difference is not about moving or not, but whether your body can bear it. If your knees are worn out, don’t force yourself to walk. Do some Tai Chi or walk slowly in the neighborhood for half an hour. Just feel comfortable and not tired. ； I have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that makes me breathless when I move even a little bit. There is nothing wrong with stretching my arms and legs while sitting at home, and there is no need to compare steps with others.

Oh, by the way, there is another question that people ask every autumn: Do I need infusion to open my blood vessels? There is no completely unified conclusion in this field. Some grassroots hospitals will recommend that elderly people who have had cerebral infarction or severe cerebral blood insufficiency receive some blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing drugs in spring and autumn to relieve symptoms. However, more neurologists from tertiary hospitals do not advocate infusion without indication. After all, infusion itself carries the risk of allergies and damage to veins. If your blood pressure and blood lipids are under stable control and you take the medicine prescribed by the doctor on time, it is more reliable than regular infusion.

Many people think that health means eating well, sleeping well, and having no problems. In fact, emotions are the most easily overlooked aspect. Last month, a 68-year-old aunt came to the clinic and said that her whole body hurt and she couldn't sleep all night. There are two opinions now. Some people say that the elderly should just let go of their family affairs and enjoy their old age. Others say that the elderly should worry about things and use their brains to avoid confusion. I think both are right. It depends on whether you are fooling around. Heart - If you help pick up your grandson, cook, and then turn around to dance square dance with your old sisters, that’s fine. But if you keep thinking about your grandson in your mind every day without sleeping, then you’re just looking for trouble for yourself.

In fact, to put it bluntly, is there any standard answer to elderly health? You feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning, you feel good after eating, you don't feel tired when you go for a walk, and if you occasionally have a minor problem, you take medicine as directed by the doctor, which is more effective than any physical examination indicators. Next time you meet someone pulling at you and saying, "This recipe can be used by all elderly people" or "You don't need to take antihypertensive drugs after taking this", don't hesitate, just turn around and walk away.