Dental, Hearing, and Vision Care

"I keep better track of when my pets need their checkups than when I need checkups myself. I can't seem to remember the next time I need to visit the dentist or get my eyes checked. So I've started to ask my dentist and doctor when I need my next appointment. I write it down in my Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+."

—Narong P.

Teeth and Gums

Here are some simple tips to follow for dental health:

• Visit your dentist once or twice a year for checkups.
• Brush after meals with a toothbrush that has soft or medium bristles.
• Use toothpaste with fluoride.
• Use dental floss every day.
• Eat fewer sweets, especially between meals.
• Do not smoke or chew tobacco products.

Hearing

Hearing loss is one of the most common health problems. Your risk for hearing loss increases after age 50.

How can you tell if you have a hearing problem? Here are some signs:

• You may have to strain to hear a normal conversation.
• You may find yourself turning up the volume of the TV and radio so loud that others complain.

If you are worried about your hearing, talk to your doctor or nurse. They may suggest a hearing test. Hearing aids can help you hear well.

Vision

You may have more vision problems—such as glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration—now than when you were younger. Also, older people are more likely than younger people to suffer accidental injuries because of vision problems. By age 65, you should have regular eye exams.

Eyeglasses or contact lenses can improve your vision. Doctors also have other ways to protect and improve your vision. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are having trouble with your vision.

Tests To Find Diseases or Conditions Early

"Last year, my doctor told me I had high cholesterol. The doctor said to eat the right foods, lose weight, and exercise. I was worried about having a heart attack, but I didn't know where to begin. So I went back to my doctor and talked with her about a plan for taking better care of myself."

—Marietta S.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. It is most common in black people and people older than 45.

High Cholesterol

Too much cholesterol can clog your blood vessels and is a major cause of heart disease.

Diabetes

Diabetes, or high blood sugar, is a major cause of blindness, kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, and amputation of the lower legs and feet. Almost all adults who have diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This type usually appears in middle age. The number of people in the United States who have type 2 diabetes is growing.

Exercise, a healthy diet, and watching your weight can lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, those health habits and quitting smoking can help you prevent or control many of the problems of diabetes.

Your risk for type 2 diabetes increases as you get older. In the United States, almost 1 in 5 people between the ages of 65 and 74 has diabetes.

Your risk for type 2 diabetes also is higher than average if:

• You are American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, or black.
• You have a family member with diabetes.
• You are overweight.
• You had diabetes during pregnancy.

You may want to be tested for diabetes if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. If you have diabetes, you may need to maintain lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than you would if you did not have diabetes.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, or thinning bones, makes your bones break easily. This condition is more common in women than in men. After women have gone through menopause, their bodies make less estrogen (a hormone that helps protect their bones). Their bones become more prone to breaking.

Half of all women past menopause will break a bone during their lives. A bone density test can help determine whether your bones are prone to breaking. If they are prone to breaking, your doctor may suggest that you take a medicine to reduce your risk for fractures.

Women who are 65 or older should be tested regularly for osteoporosis. You should begin to be tested at age 60 if you are at increased risk for fractures, for example, if you weigh less than 155 pounds.

You can reduce your risk for osteoporosis by:

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection that affects the lungs and eventually other parts of the body. This infection can be passed from one person to the next. It is treated more easily if caught early.

You are at greater risk for TB and may need a TB test if:

• You have been in close contact with someone who has TB.
• You have recently moved from Asia, Africa, Central or South America, or the Pacific Islands.
• You have kidney failure, diabetes, HIV, or alcoholism.
• You have injected or now inject street drugs.

Tests and Exams To Find Cancers

"I knew many of my friends were getting mammograms. But I didn't think it was very important because no one in my family ever had breast cancer. Then a good friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she had no family history of it. So I decided to ask my doctor about the testing. She told me that all women 40 and older need a mammogram every year or two."

—Anita T.

You can increase your chances of finding a cancer before it has spread by getting certain screening tests and exams regularly. Many cancers can be treated more easily when they are found early.

The tests you get and how often you get them will depend on your age, health history, and risk factors, such as family history and lifestyle.

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death from cancer. But if colorectal cancer is caught early, it can be treated.

Older men and women are more likely to get colorectal cancer than those who are younger. Starting at age 50, you should be tested for colorectal cancer. Tell your doctor if you have had polyps or if you have family members who have had colorectal cancer, breast cancer, or cancer of the ovaries or uterus. If so, you may need to be tested more often and at an earlier age.

There are a number of effective tests, used separately or together, for colorectal cancer. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States.

Women 50 or older are at higher risk for breast cancer than are younger women. If you have a sister or mother who has had breast cancer, your risk is even higher. A mammogram every 1-2 years can help find this disease early when it is easier to treat.

Mammograms have a few risks. They may not find all breast cancers. Also, they may show that you have cancer when you really do not. These false-positive results could lead to unnecessary biopsies.

Cervical Cancer

All women who are or have been sexually active are at risk for cancer of the cervix unless their uterus has been completely removed. Most deaths from cancer of the cervix can be prevented if the cancer is found and treated early. A Pap test is used to find cervical cancer.

Women need to have a Pap test at least every 3 years, and women at increased risk for cervical cancer may need the test more often.

You are at increased risk for cervical cancer if:

• You have had a sexually transmitted disease.
• You have had more than one sex partner.
• You have had abnormal Pap tests.

Your doctor may suggest stopping Pap tests if:

• You are older than 65, have had regular, normal Pap tests, and are not at increased risk for other reasons.
• You have had a hysterectomy.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is most common in men older than 50.

You also may be at increased risk for prostate cancer if:

• You are black.
• Your father or brother has had prostate cancer.

Tests such as a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test or a digital rectal exam can help detect prostate cancer, but these tests also have risks. They sometimes have false positive results, which may lead to avoidable anxiety and unnecessary biopsies and treatment. It is not yet clear whether these tests save lives.

Oral Cancer

Oral cancer includes cancers of the lip, tongue, pharynx, and mouth. Most oral cancers occur in people older than 40 who use tobacco or alcohol. People who are in the sun a lot are at risk for cancer of the lip.

You can help prevent oral cancer by not smoking or abusing alcohol. If you are outdoors a lot, use a sun block on your lips.

If you chew or smoke tobacco or abuse alcohol, you may want your dentist to examine your mouth for signs of oral cancer during your regular dental checkup. You also may need to see your dentist more often.

Shots To Prevent Diseases

"I watched some of my relatives suffer with pneumonia and just hoped it would never happen to me. Then I found out about the pneumonia shot. I got one last year, and now I feel much safer. I tell all my friends and relatives to get the shot."

—Belle T.

Tetanus-diphtheria Shot

Most people need this shot every 10 years.

Flu Shots

People 50 or older need a flu shot every year.

Pneumonia Shot

Everyone needs a pneumonia shot once around age 65. If you have lung, heart, or kidney disease; diabetes; HIV; or cancer, you may need this shot sooner.

Hepatitis B Shots

You should receive hepatitis B shots if:

• You have had sex with more than one partner or with someone infected with hepatitis B.
• You are a man and have had sex with a man.
• You have had any other sexually transmitted disease within the last 6 months.
• You have injected street drugs.
• You have a job that involves contact with human blood or blood products.
• You travel to areas where hepatitis B is common.