What to expect as you get older
Gray hair, sagging skin and wrinkles are only a few of the joys that accompany getting older. However, it doesn’t end there! The following are 10 things you may or may not have expected to escort you through your later years:
- Shrinking. As we age, our bones reduce in size and density. While for many individuals this can result in becoming shorter, it also means that your bones are becoming weaker and therefore more susceptible to fracture.
- Weight Gain. With age comes a slower metabolism meaning your body burns fewer calories than it used to. As you get older it becomes even more important to eat healthy and stay active.
- Incontinence. Losing control of your bladder is one of the less glamorous things that you may have to look forward to as your muscles get weaker. While more common in women than men, an astonishing one in ten individuals face this inconvenient side-effect of aging.
- Worsening Eyesight. According to the Mayo Clinic, as you age your eyes are less able to produce tears, your retinas thin, and your lenses gradually turn yellow and become less clear. This means that your eyes become more sensitive, it becomes harder to focus, and your eyes take longer to adapt to changing levels of light.
- Hearing loss. As if not being able to see or make it to the bathroom in time is not enough, with age comes hearing loss. Due to the damage of the sensory hair cells of your inner ear that can occur over the years, as well as other changes that accompany getting older “ hearing loss affects about 50 percent of individuals 85 and older.
- Forgetfulness. As we get older our brain’s ability to learn and retain new, short-term information diminishes leading to occasional forgetfulness.
- Loss of sexual drive. As men and women get older it’s important to remember that sexual needs, patterns and performance may change (CNN Health).
In case you were beginning to fear that there were no perks of getting older
- Freebies. Free prescriptions. Free bus passes. Free eye exams. Free meals from certain restaurants. You’ve paid your dues, now it’s time for FREE!
- Reduced-priced entrance to just about everywhere! The movies, museums, amusement parks… you name it!
- Wisdom. With age, comes wisdom gained from life’s experiences. So, take the good with the bad and embrace your age.