Your 50s: A Health Guide for Women

We can't deny it: time passes, and our bodies change. Our day-to-day health is kind of like the weather. Like sunny days or passing storms, colds come and go. So do sniffles, aches and pains, and pimples and blisters. Our overall health, though, is more like the climate. It's an accumulation of lots of different factors - genetics, chance, and the lifestyle choices we make - and has more impact on our lives in the long run.

Some of the factors that affect our health are out of our control, like our family's medical legacy. If your mother or sister have had breast cancer, you might be more likely to have breast cancer, too. Accidents, injuries, and genetically unforeseen conditions can sideswipe us and set our health off-balance, too.

But we can control the lifestyle choices we make, and these choices certainly do accumulate and either enrich or endanger the quality of health we enjoy through the years of our lives. Decisions you make, like whether to smoke or not, what sort of foods you eat, and how much physical activity you fit into your life, may make or break your health.

Each one of us is a unique specimen, and the aging process will touch us each in different ways. In general, to be the healthiest you at any age, you will need to understand the ways your body may change. You also need to keep up with a few routine preventive health screenings and integrate beneficial habits into your life. Time passes, so make the most of the time you have, no matter what your age.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Your-50s-A-Health-Guide-for-Women

For most women, her 50s mean menopause. But it is not really a pause at all. Menopause is more like a shift. Your hormone levels shift and change, and your body shifts out of its childbearing years into a new state of balance. But before reaching that balance, many women go through the sometimes roller-coaster-like symptoms of menopause. During the time leading up to menopause, you may experience hot flashes and night sweats, upset sleep and stress, mood swings, irritability, or depression.

And as your body's levels of the hormone estrogen drop, you may also notice other changes. Reduced vaginal lubrication can make sexual intercourse difficult, even painful, and increase your risk of urinary and vaginal infections. Estrogen dips also cause you to lose bone density - putting you at risk of osteoporosis - and have been linked to a gain in belly fat.

Belly fat, in turn, may boost your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. To lose this fat, you may need to bump up your workouts and lower your caloric intake. Your risk of colorectal cancer increases during this decade, so screening becomes crucial.

Weakened pelvic muscles may play a role in urination issues like incontinence, and in some women a condition called pelvic prolapse is to blame. Women who are obese or have had children are more susceptible. Excess weight may also put a woman more at risk of developing uterine fibroids, which are noncancerous tumours that develop in the years before and during menopause but often shrink after. Symptoms of fibroids include heavy bleeding, pain during sex, frequent urination, and sensations of pelvic fullness.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Your-50s-A-Health-Guide-for-Women

Cultivate resilience. Your 50s may present many changes and pose fresh new challenges that cover all the mental, physical, and emotional bases. Good thing, then, that folks in their 50s tend to feel less anger and to let go of worries more than they would have when they were younger. This wise resilience will help you handle stress and not let it do the physical damage that it is capable.

Being resilient may also keep you alert to the signs of depression, allowing you to be proactive in your approach to managing it. If you feel you're running low on resilience, get a body-and-mind boost from your friends and family, from volunteering in your community, or doing work you love. Trust your inner resources, and remember: living for half of a century means you've collected half-a-century's worth of wisdom!

Get fit to flourish. 50-something fitness should focus on maintaining a healthy weight, supporting strong bones, and building muscle to boost a lagging metabolism. Cardiovascular exercise will help keep your heart strong, but you also need flexibility training like yoga or Pilates to help keep your joints mobile. You also need strength training or a weight-bearing workout like climbing stairs or calisthenics to help bump up your calorie burn and support your bones and muscles. Keep up with regular physical activity, and you'll be more likely to sleep well and to handle stress on an even keel.

Feel it in your bones. Your first bone density test may occur in your 50s. Your mid-60s is when you are at a greater risk for osteoporosis, so you should work now to fortify and protect your bones. Do regular weight-bearing exercise, which could include lifting weights, jogging, or stair-climbing, as well as muscle-strengthening exercise such as yoga, Pilates, or using exercise bands. If you smoke, you should quit, since women who smoke often have lower bone density and more frequent fractures. If you cannot reach your daily calcium quota of the recommended 1,200 mg from the foods you eat, consider supplements. And pair your calcium with vitamin D to get the full benefits. Some vitamin D can be found in foods you eat, but you may need to take supplements to get the 800 IU of vitamin D per day that is recommended for osteoporosis prevention. You could also spend about 5 to 15 minutes outside, 2 or 3 times a week, to soak up vitamin D from the sun. But keep in mind that this works best for fair-skin individuals who don't wear sunscreen, and that you should generally always wear sunscreen to help prevent skin damage that can lead to skin cancer.

Nourish the nutritional needs of your changing body. Feeding a 50-something appetite? As you pass through menopause, your changing body may require fewer calories. At the same time, you might contend with a slowed metabolism and become more prone to belly fat. Switch out high-fat foods for lower-fat options, and slice into leaner sources of protein, like chicken, fish, beans, or quinoa. Give your body an antioxidant advantage by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables, and support healthy cholesterol and digestion with plenty of fibre.

Enjoy the pleasures of passion. By your 50s, you know your body and you know what pleases, sexually speaking. But hormonal shifts during menopause may change the way you feel during foreplay and sexual intercourse. Lower levels of estrogen and reduced blood flow to the vaginal area can make genital tissue drier and less quick to become lubricated upon arousal. Sex may even become painful. You could use over-the-counter lubricants or vaginal moisturizers. Or you could talk to your doctor about prescription products that can help decrease vaginal dryness and ease pain during intercourse.

Accept - no, adore - your changing body. Your appearance may change after menopause. It can be tough to accept the lines, wrinkles, or weight gain and to just age gracefully. You have a choice. You could take the route of more and more women and seek surgical solutions to the self-image or body issues. Or you can resist the urge to resist the changes. You can look upon your body as a reflection of a life well-lived, a testament to time through which you have triumphed or tackled troubles. You can embrace the aging process and by practicing healthy habits mentioned above. Eating well, exercising, keeping the spark in your love life - it will all shine through you, and you will see your own positive intention whenever you gaze into the mirror.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Your-50s-A-Health-Guide-for-Women

Check out this checkup checklist and stay on top of the tests and examinations you need all through your 50s.

• Bone density test: You may get your first bone density test during your 50s. Some people who fall into particular risk categories may need one sooner or more regularly. Taking certain medications may speed bone loss, and certain medical conditions can compromise bone density as well. Ask your doctor if you are concerned about osteoporosis, especially if it runs in your family.
 
• Diabetes screening: If you are in your 50s, you may be at risk for type 2 diabetes. Your doctor can screen your risk by testing your levels of hemoglobin A1C (a blood test that reflects your average blood glucose levels over the last 3 months) or your blood glucose levels. How often you need to be screened for diabetes will depend on your risk of diabetes. If you are overweight, your risk of diabetes will probably be higher and you should be tested earlier and/or more often. Ask your doctor how often you should be screened for diabetes.
 
• Blood pressure and cholesterol: Anytime you go in for any health care visit, your blood pressure will be taken, and you should get a cholesterol work-up at least once every 5 years. If you fall into certain risk groups, your doctor may screen your levels more frequently. You may be at risk if you have diabetes or a large waist circumference, or if you smoke or are inactive or eat an unhealthy diet.
 
• Colorectal cancer screening: A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) helps to identify polyps before they become cancerous. When caught early, 90% of colorectal cancers can be cured. This test should be conducted every 2 years. There are different types of tests used to check for blood in the stool as part of the FOBT, though the preferred option in most jurisdictions is the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). A flexible sigmoidoscopy may be done every 10 years as an alternative to the FOBT. A colonoscopy may be recommended if you screen positive on a FOBT.
 
• Pap tests: You should be having routine Pap tests every 3 years. Nowadays, there is little evidence to support the use of pelvic exams in detecting cervical cancers. That said, you may have pelvic exams done if you're experiencing gynecological problems like abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge.
 
• Breast exam: Breast cancer is a very common cancer among women. The most accurate way to detect for breast cancer involves mammography, which is an X-ray examination of the breast. Some provinces or territories will recommend breast cancer screening with mammography every 2 years for women starting in their 40s, whereas others will suggest routine testing starting at 50 years of age. Other types of examinations previously used for breast cancer screening like MRIs, clinical breast exams and self-examinations are no longer recommended.
 
• Skin check: Anyone at any age can develop skin cancer. In addition to minimizing your risk with healthy sun habits, your health care provider should do a thorough skin check annually to screen for new or changed moles or marks. You can also do a skin check yourself (or with a helpful partner) each month. Remember the letters ABCDE when looking at skin growths: 
 
• Asymmetry (not round)
• Border (irregular)
• Colour (uneven, different than other moles)
• Diameter (larger than a pencil eraser)
• Evolving (changing in size, shape, or colour)

If anything seems out of the ordinary or alarming, contact your doctor.

• Dental checkups: Visit your dentist for preventive checkups and routine cleanings. The frequency of visits will really depend on individual needs, though most authorities on the subject recommend at least once or twice a year.
 
• Eye exams: Even if your vision is 20/20, you should have your eyes examined every 2 years. After all, optometrists check for other things besides how good your vision is - like signs of glaucoma. If you have a condition like diabetes or high blood pressure, or a family history of vision problems, your optometrist will let you know if you need more frequent eye exams and checkups.
 
• Immunizations: You think shots are just for kids? Certain vaccinations you received as a child may need to be updated, while other immunizations are available that can protect you from specific health issues you may be at risk for. Ask your doctor if you're due for any of the following:
 
• Get shots to protect you from measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) if you've never had the vaccination before. Should you find yourself in certain risk situations, you'd also need the MMR vaccination. Those risky situations include working in health care, attending college, and travelling to certain countries.
 
• The tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine is recommended for everyone, once in adulthood (you may have received vaccinations against these in childhood). The Td (tetanus and diphtheria) vaccine is recommended every 10 years. Others who should get the Tdap include those who work in close contact with infants, those who plan on becoming pregnant, and those who have received a "dirty" wound (e.g., from a rusted nail).
 
• Each year, get the influenza vaccine. The flu shot is especially important if you have medical conditions that put you at risk of complications from the flu.
 
• Considering world travel? Consider being vaccinated against meningitis and hepatitis A and B, and consult with a travel clinician or your doctor in regards to other risks of particular destinations. Some places require proof of immunization before you enter the country.
 
• If you never had chickenpox as a youngster, you should get vaccinated against it now. And if you're unsure whether you did, ask your doctor to perform a test to see if you are immune. If not, get the vaccination.
 
• The herpes zoster vaccine, also known as the shingles vaccine, is recommended after the age of 50. If you've had chickenpox before, it can come back later in life and cause severe pain, as well as other complications that affect your nervous system. The herpes zoster vaccine requires 2 doses to be given several months apart.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Your-50s-A-Health-Guide-for-Women