This up coming series of articles is for women 50 years and older. Having said this, men, you may want to read this series as well to help you understand what’s going on with the significant woman or women in your life.

Changes in the body starting at age 50

One morning we get up and think, “Who is that woman in the mirror looking back at me?”

On closer examination, we see that the “Girls” aren’t as “perky”. They actually seem as though they are rather “deflated” from nursing babies and from life in general.

Our skin doesn’t seem as happy either! When did that youthful glow fade? Waite! Is that a wrinkle I see next to my eyes? OMG! Is that a gray hair?

Then to add insult to injury, it appears that our arms are not long enough for us to read the print on the page! 

Why is it harder to get up off the floor? What is that creaking sound I hear? My God, it’s my joints!

Why is it so hot in here? Someone turn on the air conditioner and if it’s on, turn the temperature down!

Why did I come in here? What was I going to get? I seem to have “brain fog” or even worse, “a Senior Moment”!

What’s the matter with me? How can I be so stupid? I used to know that information. Even worse, I used to be able to learn new information easily and remember it and be able to apply it.

Who is that old woman looking back at me in the mirror? I don’t like her! When did I become invisible?

OMG! I’m going to faint! Look at that number on the scales! I can’t possibly weigh that much! You run to YOUTUBE to see what the latest miracle diet is.

I’m not supposed to want to be having sex. My mother told me that you didn’t have to have sex after menopause. Why do I still have a healthy sex drive?

Or worse yet, where did it go? AND why does it hurt? I seem to be as dry as the Sahara Desert! Sexual positions aren’t as easy as they used to be. Damn that knee replacement surgery!

My partner is gone, what do I do about my sexual urges? Do I think about finding a “friend with benefits”? I don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. That’s certainly a plus. But what is this I’m hearing about sexually transmitted diseases in the older population?

My days are limited! The best parts of my life are over!

Who cursed me? Why? 

Take a deep breath! It’s going to be alright! 

Around the age of 50, women often experience significant body changes, including:

• Metabolism starts to slow down causing changes in your energy levels and your body morphs into something you don’t recognize.
• Menopause can start around age 51 on the average. Hormone levels drop which can lead to mood swings (NOT PUBERTY MOOD SWINGS AGAIN!) You may find that your skin is dryer, your having problems sleeping, your HOT but not in a good way! Your sex drive may have decreased and having sex is uncomfortable.
• You may notice an increase in body fat and the fat may seem to shift. Your muscle mass seems to have declined and you don’t feel as strong. And where did your waistline go?
• The skin may lose elasticity and firmness causing wrinkles. Where did the “batwings” come from? 
• You notice hair graying and becoming thinner. 
• Your doctor may be using the phrases osteoporosis and osteopenia.
• And what the hell is that hair doing on my chin and upper lip? What are those lines around my lips?

60 Ain’t What You Think

Is the 6th decade just the same of the 5th or worse? What can you expect during your sixties?

• Heart health takes on a new meaning in the 6th decade. The most common change in the cardiovascular system is stiffening of the blood vessels and arteries. If this happens your heart has to work harder to pump blood through the blood vessels. The heart muscles change to adjust to the increased workload. Your heart rate at rest will stay about the same, but it may not increase during activities as much as it used to. These changes increase the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems. 
• In your 60s, your bones tend to shrink in size and density. This shrinkage causes weakening and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. The cartilage between your vertebrae starts to flatten out causing loss in height.
• Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility. This can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
• Age-related structural changes in the large intestine can result in more constipation in older adults. Other contributing factors include a lack of exercise, not drinking enough fluids and a low-fiber diet. Medications, such as diuretics and iron supplements, and certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, also might contribute to constipation. Note that unless you have a diagnosis of anemia, you should not be taking iron supplements. Once you go through menopause, you’re not losing blood monthly that might have contributed to the need for iron supplements.
• Your brain undergoes changes as you age that may have minor effects on your memory or thinking skills. For example, healthy older adults might forget familiar names or words, or they may find it more difficult to multitask. In reality, no one can multitask! The brain, at any age, can only concentrate on one task at a time. So, relax on that one.
• Your gums might pull back from your teeth. Certain medications, such as those that treat allergies, asthma, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, also can cause dry mouth. As a result, your teeth and gums might become slightly more vulnerable to decay and infection.
• With age, your skin thins and becomes less elastic and more fragile, and fatty tissue just below the skin decreases. You might notice that you bruise more easily. Decreased production of natural oils might make your skin drier. Wrinkles, age spots and small growths called skin tags are more common.
• How your body burns calories (metabolism) slows down as you age. If you decrease activities as you age, but continue to eat the same as usual, you’ll gain weight. To maintain a healthy weight, stay active and eat healthy.
• With age, sexual needs and performance might change. Illness or medication might affect your ability to enjoy sex. For women, vaginal dryness can make sex uncomfortable. 

The 70s, Well What Can I say?

• You might lose an inch or two off your height as disks in your back flatten.
• Bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture.
• Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
• When you’re older, you spend less time each night in deep sleep and more in lighter phases. You might wake up more and have trouble going back to sleep.
• Migraine headaches tend to fall by the wayside and you’re no longer plagued with them. That’s a good thing! Finally! 

The 80s

Studies say that most 80-year-olds experience less worry, stress, and even anger than they did in the past. With passing time and more exposure, people aged 80 have experienced loss and other emotions. It helps them to better understand the situations, making them able to cope better than other age groups.

• One good thing is that in your 80s you sweat less. Seems as though the sweat glands shrink. 
• Hearing can become impaired resulting in the need for hearing aids. Keep in mind that even children need hearing aids at times. It’s not just an old person thing.
• Taste buds tend to be less sensitive to salt and sweet compared to bitter and sour. Because of these changes, many foods tend to taste bitter, and foods with subtle smells may taste bland.
• The ability to smell diminishes because the lining of the nose becomes thinner and drier and the nerve endings in the nose deteriorate. However, the change is slight, usually affecting only subtle smells.
• Dry mouth can become a problem. However, this can be caused by some medications. Dry mouth contributes to the ability to taste foods.
• As muscles weaken, one may find it’s harder to breath as deeply. This can contribute to weaker lungs and more infections.

As people age, the following occur:

• The lens in the eyes stiffens, making focusing on close objects harder.
• The lens becomes denser, making seeing in dim light harder.
• The pupil reacts more slowly to changes in light.
• The lens yellows, changing the way colors are perceived and causes loss of contrast perception.
• The number of nerve cells decrease, impairing depth perception.
• The eyes produce less fluid, making them feel dry.

The number of nerve cells in the brain typically decreases. However, the brain can partly compensate for this loss in several ways:

• As cells are lost, new connections are made between the remaining nerve cells.
• New nerve cells may form in some areas of the brain, even during older age.
• The brain has more cells than it needs to do most activities—a characteristic called redundancy. That is, more than one area can perform the same function. Thus, areas with somewhat overlapping functions can sometimes compensate for lost functions.

However, new research is showing this may not be the case as far as new cells being formed.

In women, the urethra (the tube through which urine leaves the body) shortens, and its lining becomes thinner. The decrease in the estrogen level that occurs with menopause may contribute to this and other changes in the urinary tract.

Since the kidneys tend to shrink in size as we age:

Certain changes in the urinary tract may make controlling urination more difficult:

• The maximum volume of urine that the bladder can hold decreases. Thus, older adults may need to urinate more often.
• The bladder muscles may contract unpredictably (become overactive), regardless of whether people need to urinate.
• The bladder muscles weaken. As a result, they cannot empty the bladder as well, and more urine is left in the bladder after urination.
• The muscle that controls the passage of urine out of the body (urinary sphincter) is less able to close tightly and prevent leakage. Thus, older adults have more difficulty postponing urination.
• For most people, the changes in the endocrine system have no noticeable effect on overall health.
• The levels and activity of some hormones, produced by endocrine glands, decrease.
• Growth hormone levels decrease, leading to decreased muscle mass.
• Aldosterone levels decrease, making dehydration more likely. This hormone signals the body to retain salt and therefore water regulation.
• Insulin, which helps control the sugar (glucose) level in blood, is less effective, and less insulin may be produced. Insulin enables sugar to move from the blood into cells, where it can be converted to energy. The changes in insulin mean that the sugar level increases more after a large meal and takes longer to return to normal.

As far as the immune system goes, medical doctors will push for vaccines as we age. Actually, pharmaceuticals push for vaccines from cradle to grave.

Hormone treat for women after 50 used to be a risky endeavor. Early in my medical career our pharmacist teaching pharmaceuticals stated, “No woman over the age of 40 should take hormone treatment for menopause. At that time in history, he was correct. The hormone treatment for menopause contributed to high rates of strokes, heart attacks and cancers. However, recent treatment protocol has changed and so have the drugs used in hormone treatment therapy. Talk with a doctor who specializes in hormone therapy.  

Hormone therapy is used to help prevent osteoporosis but may of the drugs used in this therapy are not safe. New research has shown that the protocol for bone loss needs to be reviewed. Many doctors who are specializing in this area are opposed to the current medications. Research the endocrinologist in your area who are on top of the latest and safest procedures.

I have to add a disclaimer at this point. As a natural health doctor, I look at this differently. Having said this, have a discussion with your doctor and do your own research. Then make the decision that is best for you.

Summary

Now that you have the basics, you will start to see it’s not as bad as we’re being told. We just have to get the basics out of the way first.

Stay tuned to the next posting as the journey continues.

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