Common knowledge about geriatric disease prevention and health care

The core of geriatric disease prevention has never been to follow the trend and buy health care products, copy young people's fitness recipes, or forcefully overexercise the body through "hard-core exercise". The most effective solution is actually Individualized slow intervention adapted to one's own basic state, targeted early screening, and long-term maintenance of daily small habits。

I have been working in elderly health services in the community for almost 8 years, and I have seen too many elderly people who have fallen into many traps. Aunt Zhang, 63, who used to live in the North District, spent more than 3,000 yuan to buy deep-sea fish oil and nattokinase, which are said to "clear blood vessels and eliminate plaques" in the past two years after listening to health lectures. She takes health supplements on time every day, but often forgets the antihypertensive medicine she has been taking for more than ten years. She suddenly felt dizzy and fell while cleaning the windows last winter. When she was sent to the hospital, her blood pressure soared to 180, and her blood lipids did not drop much. The doctor said that what she bought was at best a dietary supplement and could not replace regular medication.

There are actually two mainstream views on the prevention of geriatric diseases. Each has its own reasons, and there is no absolute right or wrong. One group is the "active group", who believe that as long as they exercise more, they can strengthen their physique and prevent any disease. Uncle Wang, whom I know, is a loyal fan. He was a physical education teacher before he retired. He used to run 5 kilometers every day without hesitation. After running for five or six years, his knees hurt so much last year that he could not walk. He was found to have third-degree meniscus wear. The doctor said that his joints have degenerated at this age, and long-term running and jumping will increase the burden. Later, he changed running to half an hour of Tai Chi and ten minutes of silent squats against the wall every day. Now his knees no longer hurt, and his blood pressure is more stable than before. The other school is the "nourishing school", which believes that people should move less and rest more when they get older, and eat well to replenish their health. Uncle Li downstairs believed this before. Except for going downstairs to buy groceries, he rarely went out and ate braised pork every meal to replenish nutrients. Last year, his physical examination revealed high blood lipids and moderate fatty liver. The doctor asked him to walk slowly for 20 minutes every day. After walking for three months, his indicators dropped a lot when he was checked again. In fact, both of these views are correct. What is wrong is to apply them mechanically: if you have good joints and no heart disease, it is certainly no problem to take two more steps a day and play table tennis. If you have a weak waist or coronary heart disease, don’t force yourself to exercise. Doing abdominal breathing at home every day and moving your shoulders and neck will also be effective.

Not to mention, many elderly people think that everything will be fine if they have a routine physical examination every year. In fact, this is not the case. There used to be a 68-year-old Uncle Liu who had excellent medical examination reports every year. He always felt his stomach was a little bloated, so he just took some Jianweixiaoshi tablets, but he didn't take it seriously. Last year, our community launched a free early cancer screening, and I persuaded him to get a gastroenteroscopy. He was reluctant at first, saying that he had something wrong with him and suffered the consequences. After the examination, it was found that there was an early cancer focus in his stomach. After it was removed in time, it had no effect. Now he still plays chess downstairs with his old friend every day. Regarding screening, Western medicine and Chinese medicine have different ideas: Western medicine recommends that people over 45 years old should, in addition to routine physical examinations, undergo targeted examinations such as gastroenteroscopy, low-dose chest CT, and bone density every 2-3 years. Those with underlying diseases should also undergo additional examinations according to medical orders. ； Traditional Chinese medicine prefers daily self-monitoring. For example, if you have suddenly lost your appetite in the past half month, lost five or six pounds for unknown reasons, or your stools suddenly become thinner and you cannot clear your bowels, even if the routine physical examination indicators are normal, it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up. The two methods are actually the best when combined.

As for those one-size-fits-all health advice on the Internet, just listen to it, there is really no need to force it on yourself. Why you must drink 8 glasses of water every day, eat no more than 5 grams of salt, and go to bed early and get up early are all different from person to person. I met a 72-year-old aunt before who had coronary heart disease. I heard people say that drinking 8 glasses of water a day can detoxify. She drank it every day, but she drank it hard. As a result, her whole body became edematous and she had a heart failure attack and was hospitalized for a week. In fact, for elderly people like her with poor heart or kidneys, drinking 1200-1500ml a day is enough. Don’t make up the amount. There is also the matter of eating salt. Nowadays, low-sodium diets are advocated. However, if you usually do farm work or sweat a lot in summer, you can also eat more. Otherwise, you will easily become low in sodium and feel tired and dizzy all day long, which is not good. There is also the matter of aspirin. Many people have heard that taking aspirin can prevent heart attack and cerebral infarction, so they buy it and eat it casually. Last year, I treated an uncle who took aspirin for half a month. He suffered from gastric bleeding and was hospitalized. He had gastric ulcer and was not suitable for taking this medicine at all. This medicine must be evaluated by a doctor before taking it. Do not take it blindly.

After working in this industry for so long, my biggest feeling is that there is really no standard answer to the prevention of geriatric diseases, and there is no need to pursue a "perfect health plan". After all, everyone's physical condition is different. To put it bluntly, pay more attention to your body’s little signals. Don’t follow the trend and buy health care products blindly. Don’t copy other people’s health regimens. If you feel uncomfortable, don’t carry it and don’t take medicine blindly. Live your life slowly and adjust your body slowly. This is better than anything else.