HOW THE HANDS AND FEET AGE
April 9th, 2009 | Posted by admin | Category: General healthNo Comments
The effects the aging process has on your hands are usually a giveaway to your age. Other parts of the body that show maturity can easily be altered with a face-lift or tummy tuck, but the telltale signs of age are always right there in your hands, not only in appearance but in their capabilities. Hands that are nimble in youth eventually become hands that may be unable to perform even simple tasks. However, arthritis is not necessarily a part of growing older, and I’ve seen many aging artisans who can still use their hands with great precision and skill.
Typically, as the hand ages, the skin becomes thinner and the muscles on the back of the hand begin to lose some of their tone. The veins and bones become more prominent, and the area between the thumb and first finger is especially prone to losing muscle. On the whole, muscular strength in the hand may decrease, but the decrease is gradual enough that, for most of us, our hands can function effectively well into our 80s and 90s.
Like the hand, the nails are a part of the body that provides a clue to the general health of the rest of your body. Many times, the first signs of an underlying medical illness, such as cancer or cardiovascular disease, show up in the nails. For instance, the nails of lung cancer patients begin to spoon, while the nails of people who have vascular disease frequently thicken or turn blue underneath. Many women use nail polish and other adornments as a cosmetic and a form of expression. Unfortunately, nail polish can mask possible medical problems that are evident in the nails and even create new ones.
Starting in your 50s, the aging nail may start to become brittle and gray. Polishes and nail treatments made with alcohol and formaldehyde can cause the nails to dry out even more. And artificial nails and many layers of polish can lead to a fungal infection in the real nails.
Even though your nails become drier and more brittle, you can preserve them by keeping them clean and well groomed. I’ve also seen many cases where nails have become stronger with intake of gelatin and vitamins, especially the B vitamins.
Feet don’t normally show the signs of aging as hands do, since they spend most of their time covered up and protected from the elements and sun. As a result, many of us tend to take our feet for granted. Indeed, the foot is often the part of the body that is least examined in the course of a regular medical exam. As a result, many people suffer from foot problems that are never diagnosed, such as warts and corns. Foot care is especially important for diabetics, because their poor circulation leaves them more prone to infections that can develop into a serious skin infection called cellulitis. It is also important for elderly people, since proper foot care can help prevent falls.
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