It can be overwhelming. I feel lucky to have a primary care physician I can talk to about my concerns and I trust if she can't treat me, she'll point me to a specialist who can.
1. Thinning hair. Women over 50 find their hair thins or falls out, which can cause anxiety. No one needs anxiety. If thinning hair bothers you, talk to a dermatologist about possible treatments.
2. Bladder problems. Do you leak? Feel an urgency to go? Struggle to go? Women over 50 frequently experience one of these three. Drink more water and less caffeine.
3. Obesity. Don't like what your scale reads? You're not alone. Nearly 45% of Americans over 50 can be considered obese.
4. Hearing loss. Nearly 10% of us deal with this. I'm one of them. I have CC on my TV all the time.
5. Vision problems. Do yourself a favor and get checked for glaucoma and cataracts every year. (I have an appointment in a few weeks.)
6. Back pain. Watch your weight and exercise. Be careful how much you lift and how you lift it.
7. High blood pressure. Losing weight, limiting salt and stopping smoking can help manage this.
8. Diabetes. It's estimated 1 in 10 of us will face this over our lifetimes. Four members of my social circle are dealing with it.
9. Heart disease. While men experience this more than women, it's not like women are immune. Nearly 10% of women over 60 will experience this.
10. Osteoarthritis. Genetics may play a big part in this one. If you have a family history of osteoarthritis, move more and lose weight.
11. Osteoporosis: As many as 54 million Americans deal with this and it can to fractures and broken bones. Calcium and Vitamin D are your friends here.
12. COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Take care of yourself by quitting tobacco.
13. Cancer. For me, this is the scariest one. Genetics play a big part, but you can do yourself a favor by eating better, staying out of the sun, and not smoking.
Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.
