No matter what your age, there's nothing fun about sweating out a heat wave. The air gets thick, asphalt turns sticky, and a walk to the corner can feel like an ordeal. But if you're a senior citizen, hot weather can be much more than just a nuisance. The body's natural defenses against heat can break down with age, putting seniors at risk for heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and other serious disord...

• Chris Woolston, M.S.
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Aging: Misc. Heat- / Sunstroke

At any age, stress is a part of life. Young and old alike have to face difficult situations and overcome obstacles. While young adults struggle to establish a career, achieve financial security, or juggle work and family demands, older people may face failing health or dwindling finances -- or simply the challenges of retaining their independence. Unfortunately, the body's natural defenses against...

• Chris Woolston, M.S.
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Aging: Misc. Psychology / Mental Health: Misc. Stress

Menopause, strictly speaking, is when you stop having periods, but it is usually identified once it has been a year since your last period. When you've reached menopause, your body's hormonal mix shifts. Both men and women produce the female hormone estrogen and the male hormone testosterone. At menopause the ovaries begin producing more testosterone and less estrogen, and their egg production shu...

• Laurie Udesky
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Aging: Misc. Hormones: Female Menopause / Postmenopause Women's Problems: Misc.

At this point, no one would dispute the link between growth hormone and aging. It's a fact that as we age, our bodies produce less of this important hormone. "It's natural human physiology to have a decline in the amount of growth hormone we produce as we get older," says Mary Lee Vance, an endocrinologist in Virginia who specializes in growth disorders. Youth at any price Since the link between ...

• Melanie Haiken, M.A.
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Alternative Medicine: Misc. Hormones: Female Hormones: Male Hormones: Misc.

In the early 2000's, women in New York and other U.S. cities got a less-than-gentle reminder about age and fertility: bus-size billboard ads trumpeting "Advancing Age Decreases Your Ability to Have Children. Infertility is a disease affecting 6.1 million people in the United States." Accompanying the ad was an unsettling image of an upside-down baby in the shape of an hourglass. The ad was part of...

• Paige Bierma, M.A.
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Infertility Pregnancy Women's Problems: Misc.

What is macular degeneration? Most people have heard about glaucoma and cataracts, but there's another eye disease that senior citizens should know about, especially those of European descent. This is macular degeneration, or damage to the macula, an ultrasensitive part of your retina that gives you sharp focus in the center of your vision. If you develop this condition, you may have trouble driv...

• Chris Woolston, M.S.
  
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Aging: Misc. Eye / Vision Problems: Misc.

Nothing is more irritating to author Connie Goldman than the stereotypes out there about older people and sex -- especially the one about seniors not having sex. "People see an older couple that has just gotten married or who are holding hands, and they say, 'Oh, how cute,' " says Goldman, a former public radio producer. "It's belittling." At age 76, Goldman spends a great deal of her time trying ...

• Chris Woolston, M.S., and Paige Bierma, M.A.
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Love / Sex / Relationships: Misc. Psychology / Mental Health: Misc. Sex

Robin Stanton supposes her appreciation for younger men was honed during the feminist revolution. Growing up in Ohio in the 1950s, she married her high school sweetheart at age 22. They had two children, but before long she realized her traditional marriage was killing her soul. To Stanton's dismay, her husband seemed threatened by her intelligence and high spirits, as well as her singing career. ...

• Beth Witrogen McLeod
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Aging: Misc. Love / Sex / Relationships: Misc. Marriage

There's a world of difference between being old and feeling old. Your birthdays may be piling up, but that doesn't mean you have to slow down, grow weak, or lose energy. All it takes to keep your body and spirits strong is a little exercise - and an understanding of what it does. Take this quiz to see how much you know about exercise for seniors. 1. Aerobic exercise is the fastest way for senior...

• Chris Woolston, M.S.
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• March 11, 2013
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• • Age Aging: Misc. Exercise: Misc.

How can you protect your vision? Remember when you could sit down to read a newspaper without reaching for your glasses? You may never have those young eyes again, but that doesn't mean you're doomed to a life of poor vision. In fact, many people have good eyesight well into their eighties and beyond. While some changes are inevitable, with a few simple steps you can ensure the best vision possib...

• Chris Woolston, M.S.
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• March 11, 2013
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• Full Page
• • Age Eye / Vision Problems: Misc.