Ever tried being a parent to your Dad? May be now is the time….
He is active, yes. He is healthy, yes. He seems fit and fine, yes. But there are some symptoms you have started noticing lately, which defy these confirmations and prove that he still, is not completely healthy after all.
While he goes about performing his duties, you’ve noticed him panting for breath while climbing stairs, getting tired after a small spurt of activity, increasingly complaining of aches and pains, having tablets meant for curing constipation and so on…
While, these may seem routine and petty complaints, which you may want to ignore, but remember, at his age, small health problems can lead to bigger health complications.
So, now is the time, you can be a parent to him and guide him through a healthy journey, as he has been guiding you all this time…..
If you see your dad complaining of these, know that there may be an underlying medical condition involved:
Potential ailment: Diabetes Type 2
Other symptoms: Blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, slow healing of minor scratches and wounds, increased thirst, leg pain, itchy skin.
In type 2 diabetes abnormally high levels of sugar builds up in the blood either due to less or no production of insulin, or insulin resistance. The symptoms are relieved once diabetes is treated with the right diet, exercise and proper blood sugar management. This disease is most prevalent in the overweight and the elderly. Family history and genetics also play a role in type 2 diabetes.
Health checkup: Fasting Blood sugar test -- diabetes is indicated if higher than 126 mg/dL on two occasions.
Jiyo Healthy Goal: To lower high blood glucose levels and to prevent diabetes-related complications.
Potential ailment: High blood pressure
Other symptoms: Headaches, nosebleeds, dizziness, restlessness, a flushed face and fatigue.
High blood pressure can lead to long term health complications such as kidney failure, coronary heart diseases, heart failure, etc.. As the symptoms are not seen early on, many people have high blood pressure and don't know it. This is why Hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure, is known to be a “silent killer”, and must be tested for, especially and between the age of 45 and 60 controlled if found prevalent. Controlled sodium intake, a healthy diet, regular activity and a stress-free lifestyle can keep it under check.
Normal blood pressure range is: 80/120 and blood pressure of 140/90 or above is considered high.
Health Checkup: Regular Blood Pressure test
Jiyo healthy goal: To maintain normal blood pressure levels through healthy lifestyle changes and regular monitoring.
Potential ailment: Heart Disease
Other symptoms: Chest pain, dizziness, feeling of indigestion, backache, shortness of breath, chills, nausea, vomiting, anxiety.
Heart diseases include many health-related problems, disorders and conditions that affect the heart including coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart failure, congenital heart disease, cardiac arrest, stroke and so on. Risk factors for developing heart disease include having hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, a family history of a heart attack, etc. The only sure way to detect heart disease, especially in its early stages before serious complications occur, is to undergo regular health checkups and the best way to avoid/control heat disease is to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Health Checkups: ECG Test and Cholesterol Test. Your father’s total cholesterol number should be below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and your good cholesterol (HDL) should be 40 mg/dL or higher.
Jiyo healthy goal: To have a healthy heart always!
Possible Ailment: Osteoporosis
Other symptoms: Cramps in the legs at night, bone pain and tenderness, neck pain, persistent pain in the spine, fatigue.
This is a bone condition characterized by a decrease in bone density leading to the weakening of the bones, and the risks of the disease increases with increase in age. If left untreated, bones may tend to become extremely fragile and susceptible to fracture. Hence, at his age it is important that your father has healthy, strong bones, regularly validated by way of regular health checkups, increase of calcium and proteins intake in his diet and regular weight bearing exercise which is a good form of physical activity for bone health help greatly.
Health Checkups: Bone density test – this helps in predicting risk of broken bones, in detecting if your father has osteoporosis and in describing the overall health of the bones.
Jiyo Healthy goal: To limit caffeine, and increase the intake of Calcium-fortified foods and beverages and to undergo the test once each year – especially for all men aged 65 and older.
Possible ailment: Kidney Disease
Other symptoms: Skin rash or itching, nausea, vomiting, feeling cold, dizziness, leg pain, fatigue, swelling in the legs and ankles, bad breath.
Basically kidney disease is the impairment of the ability of kidneys to flush out toxins from the body and a buildup of wastes in the blood can make food taste different and cause bad breath. The person suffering from it may notice a loss of appetite leading to sudden weight loss. Many people who have chronic kidney disease don't know it, because the early signs can be very subtle. It can take many years to go from chronic kidney disease to kidney failure, but by then it could be too late. Hence, it is important to detect it early on, to prevent complications later.
Health checkups: Blood tests measuring the buildup of waste products in the blood and Urine tests to measure the amount of protein, detect the presence of abnormal cells, or measure the concentration of electrolytes.
Jiyo healthy goal: To make sure your father’s blood pressure is under control and he doesn’t take unnecessary medicines thereby putting pressure on the kidneys.
Here’s your quick to-do list to keep your father healthy:
- Make sure he accompanies you for regular health checkups.
- Take him for a dental and an eye exam twice a year
- Be his exercise buddy every morning
- Join him in a game of badminton
