INTRODUCTION
As we human beings pass through various stages of life, we notice certain changes in our bodies. Some of these alterations in bodily function and appearance --- such as those we experienced at puberty --- we have celebrated. Other changes, such as loss of reading vision or hair, have mystified or depressed us.
As the decades pass, we continually adjust our expectations of how our bodies ought to appear or function. Slowly we get used to drying or wrinkling of our skin, changes in digestion or elimination, and reduced tolerance for exercise or certain foods. We no longer expect comfortable joints, a youthful profile, or an uninterrupted night's sleep. Everything seems to sag!
For those of us fortunate to have reached the age of 60, a number of common aches, pains, and annoyances have become a predictable part of our everyday lives. "It's all part of aging," we are told. And we baby boomers wonder why that must be so.
Of the myriad age-related changes in our physiology, we have chosen 60 of the most symptomatic and common conditions. Because of hereditary and lifestyle differences, many of you may experience some of these conditions before age 60, or long after, though no one will suffer all of these conditions. Nevertheless, after three score years, these are some of the changes which annoy most of us. How and when these occur remains a mystery. For some of you, symptoms will be mild, and hardly a nuisance; for others, medical or surgical intervention will be necessary.
Because these conditions result from aging changes in our various organs, we will briefly review the normal anatomy and physiology of each organ system, so that you can better understand the altered structure and function we experience when our tissues undergo the frustrating changes with time.
We’re intentionally avoiding discussion of future advances in the biochemistry of aging. Gerontobiology may hold great promise of extending useful lives, but we just want you to understand and deal with the here and now.
This book, then, will attempt to explain why aging commonly produces characteristic changes in our bodily functions by the time we achieve age 60. We will discuss how these symptoms arise, and how you may mitigate or even prevent them. Reading this may allow you to help a spouse or family member even more than yourself. This is certainly not a guide to medical treatment. In cases of serious disorders, we will refer you to specific professional evaluation and treatment.
There is still no Fountain of Youth despite some promotions to the contrary. We cannot make you younger, but we hope to help you accept your body's inevitable aging changes calmly, and to guide you to simple, commonsense measures such as diet, exercise, and home remedies. Through understanding, we hope to relieve your anxiety and help you more cheerfully play the hand your genes have dealt you.
This book certainly won’t cover everything that may happen to you after 60 – we’ve purposely left out uncommon illnesses or those that usually begin much earlier – but it should cover most of them. Superficially.
We’re not sure that “50 is the new 30, and 70 is the new 50.” But it is now official: “Middle age begins at 60.” From here on, whether you age gracefully --- or disgracefully, is up to you.
