Health

Health


        Often we take our health, or the absence of illness, disease, or injury

for granted until we become sick.  It is then that we recognize the worth of

being without ailments.  It is then that we appreciate feeling strong, robust

and healthy.   Being healthy and, being physically and mentally sound,  is

associated with  one's satisfaction with life.          Developmental health

psychologists -  specialists who  study  the interaction of age, behavior, and

health and gerontologists - specialists in the science of aging -- are piecing

together the details of diet, exercise, personality and behavior that make it

practical to shoot for 80, or even 120.   People approaching middle age can

expect a bonus of several years of extra living thanks to continuing medical

progress against cancer, heart disease and stroke.

     Specialists in the field of aging, developmental health psychologists,

and gerontologist , concentrate their area of study on determining  health

status over the course of adulthood, and determining the nature and origin of

age-related diseases.  They are also concerned with  describing the effects of

health on behavior and  describing the effects of behavior on health. The goals

of  these specialists are:   prevention of diseases, preservation of health,

and improved quality of health for those suffering from disability and disease.

     What does it mean to be healthy?  Health is a state of complete physical

, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease, illness

or infirmity.  It is important to distinguish between disease and health.

Disease is the prognosis of a particular disorder with a specific cause and

characteristic symptoms.  On the other hand, illness is the existence of disease

and,  the individual's  perception of and response to the disease.

     Whether in sickness or in health age and the progression through life

play a large part in our health and  our developmental status.  The role of age

in regard to health is listed below:


- Most young adults are in good health and experience few limitations or

disabilities.  Nearly 71% of adults  older than 65 living in a community report

their health as excellent, good, or very good. - Health and mobility decline

with age especially after age 80. Disease is more common among older adults. -

Most of the diseases of later life have their origin years earlier. - Income is

related to perception of health. - The older the individual, the more difficult

it is to recover from stress. - As an individual age, acute conditions decrease

in frequency while chronic conditions increase in frequency.  4/5 of adults over

65 have at least one chronic condition. - Older adults may have multiple

disorders and sensory deficits that may interact.  Treatments may also interact.

- In contrast to younger age groups, the elderly are likely to suffer from

physical health problems that are multiple, chronic, and treatable but not

curable.  Acute illness may be superimposed on these conditions.


     Although there are factors that affect our health and the aging process

that are not in our control , In a World Health article , K. Warner Schaie(1989),

research director of the Andrus Gerontology Center at the University of Southern

California,  cites three reasons for optimism about future old age:  The control

of childhood disease, better education, and the fitness revolution.(p.2)

     The control of childhood disease often eliminates problems that occur

later in life as a result of these diseases.  Instead of going away, the minor

assaults suffered by the body from disease, abuse and neglect can have "sleeper"

effects.  For example Chicken pox in a child can lead much later in life to the

itching diseases known as shingles.  Vaccines and other medicine have elim
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