What are the methods to prevent geriatric diseases?

At present, the prevention of geriatric diseases is not classified into certain fixed models in clinical practice. The general prevention logic is centered around the three core implementations of "preventing the occurrence of no disease, preventing the progression of minor diseases, and preventing complications of serious diseases". There has never been a set of standard answers that can be applied to all elderly people.

Last week, when I was doing health education for the elderly in the community, I met 62-year-old Aunt Zhang. She dragged me and asked me if taking deep-sea fish oil and aminoglycosides would be a preventive measure. She had just spent more than 2,000 in a live broadcast room to buy a complete set of elderly health products. She said that the anchor guaranteed to eat these to avoid geriatric diseases. I showed her the case of a 71-year-old man who was admitted last month. The man’s liver and kidney functions were weak. He had been taking an Internet celebrity health care package for half a year. Finally, it was found that the transaminase was three times higher than the normal value. It took him a week to stay in the hospital before it came down. Speaking of which, we have to mention the issue of dietary supplements that everyone is currently debating. Some people think that there is no harm in supplementing when you are deficient in nutrients as you get older. There are also many clinical studies that prove that as long as the daily diet can be a combination of eggs, milk, vegetables, and grains, there is no need to supplement these. On the contrary, supplementing too much will burden the metabolism. If you really feel that you are lacking something, it is not too late to take a blood test to find out before supplementing. Don't buy blindly according to the advertisements.

In fact, for most elderly people with no underlying diseases, the most effective prevention lies in small daily habits. For example, in winter, if you get up before dawn and do morning exercises, the cold wind will constrict the blood vessels. Elderly people with poor blood vessel elasticity can easily cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems. Every year in winter, our department receives three or four patients who suffer from myocardial infarction during morning exercises. They all think it is good to get up early to exercise, forgetting that they cannot withstand the stimulation of cold air. There are also many elderly people with heavy mouths who cannot live without pickles and marinated meat every meal. They feel delicious when they eat them. In fact, the damage to blood pressure and blood vessels caused by excessive salt intake gradually accumulates. By the time they feel dizzy, high blood pressure has already set in.

Many people also say that the elderly should do more puzzles to prevent Alzheimer's disease. If they can't solve it, their brains are damaged. This makes many elderly people compete with Sudoku at home every day and feel anxious if they can't solve it. At present, there is no unified conclusion in the academic world on this matter. In fact, as long as you can keep your brain active, whether you go downstairs every day to chat with your old friend for two hours, or practice calligraphy at home, or even if you watch TV series every day and are willing to complain about the plot to your family, it is better than forcing yourself to do puzzles that you don’t like, which will harm your health if you are not in a good mood.

Last month, a 68-year-old hypertensive patient came for a review and said that he had stopped taking antihypertensive medication recently because he was not feeling dizzy. I advised him to take his antihypertensive medication quickly. Basic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes may appear to be asymptomatic, but the damage to blood vessels and organs has been quietly developing. Taking medication regularly to stabilize the indicators is the most practical prevention of geriatric diseases. Otherwise, it will be too late to regret it when stroke or kidney failure comes to your doorstep. After all, there are really no fixed "several methods" for the prevention of geriatric diseases, and there is no need to make it complicated. Just follow your own physical condition and don't mess around. Don't feel bad about paying for the annual physical examination. Don't bear it if you really feel uncomfortable. Most elderly people will suffer less and live a much more comfortable life.