As we age, our bodies go through inevitable changes. This includes deterioration of our five senses. Our senses connect us to the world and influence everything from enjoying a meal to navigating daily life safely. While some decline is natural and cannot be prevented, our lifestyle and behaviours can also cause this decline. By taking certain proactive steps, you can preserve your senses and enhance your quality of life well into your latter years. This post explores each of the five senses and what you can do to look after them as you get older.
Vision
Vision inevitably declines with age. One condition that affects most people in their 40s and 50s is presbyopia - this condition makes it harder to focus on close objects, affecting tasks like reading or knitting. Fortunately, this is easily corrected with reading glasses. By getting an eye exam early, you can avoid eye strain and get yourself a prescription.
There are other conditions that can affect vision in old age. Some of these can be quite serious including diabetes, glaucoma and cataracts. It is a good idea to see a doctor or get an eye exam if you notice your vision getting blurry. Cataracts typically cause cloudy vision, and can be treated easily with surgery, provided that you get treatment early. Diabetes has many symptoms including unexplained weight loss, extreme tiredness, intense thirst and frequent urination. If you experience blurred vision and one of these other symptoms, see a doctor to get tested for diabetes.
Bad habits can increase the risk of developing vision loss. Smoking and poor diet are both linked to conditions like diabetes. Prolonged sun exposure without wearing sunglasses and smoking can meanwhile increase the risk of developing cataracts.
Vision inevitably declines with age. One condition that affects most people in their 40s and 50s is presbyopia - this condition makes it harder to focus on close objects, affecting tasks like reading or knitting. Fortunately, this is easily corrected with reading glasses. By getting an eye exam early, you can avoid eye strain and get yourself a prescription.
There are other conditions that can affect vision in old age. Some of these can be quite serious including diabetes, glaucoma and cataracts. It is a good idea to see a doctor or get an eye exam if you notice your vision getting blurry. Cataracts typically cause cloudy vision, and can be treated easily with surgery, provided that you get treatment early. Diabetes has many symptoms including unexplained weight loss, extreme tiredness, intense thirst and frequent urination. If you experience blurred vision and one of these other symptoms, see a doctor to get tested for diabetes.
Bad habits can increase the risk of developing vision loss. Smoking and poor diet are both linked to conditions like diabetes. Prolonged sun exposure without wearing sunglasses and smoking can meanwhile increase the risk of developing cataracts.
Hearing
It’s natural to experience hearing loss as you get older. This is due to the gradual wear of the hair cells in the inner ear. Many people don’t realise that they are experiencing hearing loss - warning signs to look out for include struggling to hear conversations, turning the volume up louder on the TV or having trouble hearing phone calls.
Getting your hearing tested by an audiologist can help you accurately determine whether you have hearing loss. Hearing tests involve listening to a series of bleeps at different volumes and frequencies - this helps to determine exactly what sounds you can hear. If it is discovered that you do have hearing loss, you can then be prescribed a hearing aid, which can help you to hear certain frequencies better. This post explains more about advocating for yourself during tests.
While hearing loss is often natural, hazards like loud noise can make hearing loss more rapid and severe. Such hearing loss is typically accompanied by ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and can be caused by spending time in loud environments without hearing protection or listening to music too loudly on headphones. Make sure to wear earplugs or ear defenders in noisy environments (employers in loud workplaces should legally provide this protection) and don’t set the volume on your headphones too loud.
It’s natural to experience hearing loss as you get older. This is due to the gradual wear of the hair cells in the inner ear. Many people don’t realise that they are experiencing hearing loss - warning signs to look out for include struggling to hear conversations, turning the volume up louder on the TV or having trouble hearing phone calls.
Getting your hearing tested by an audiologist can help you accurately determine whether you have hearing loss. Hearing tests involve listening to a series of bleeps at different volumes and frequencies - this helps to determine exactly what sounds you can hear. If it is discovered that you do have hearing loss, you can then be prescribed a hearing aid, which can help you to hear certain frequencies better. This post explains more about advocating for yourself during tests.
While hearing loss is often natural, hazards like loud noise can make hearing loss more rapid and severe. Such hearing loss is typically accompanied by ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and can be caused by spending time in loud environments without hearing protection or listening to music too loudly on headphones. Make sure to wear earplugs or ear defenders in noisy environments (employers in loud workplaces should legally provide this protection) and don’t set the volume on your headphones too loud.
Touch
Our sense of touch can diminish with age due to thinner skin, reduced blood flow, and sometimes nerve damage from conditions like diabetes or vitamin deficiencies. This can make it harder to feel textures, temperatures or even pain - which can increase the risk of burns or falls.
Engaging in physical activity may help you to nurture your sense of touch. Exercises like yoga and tai chi can improve circulation, which may help you maintain nerve function. Diet may also help prevent you developing certain types of neuropathy. Tight blood sugar control, for example, can reduce the risk of developing diabetes, while a diet high in vitamins (especially b vitamins, which are found in eggs and leafy greens) can prevent nerve problems caused by deficiencies.
Taking measures like wearing gloves while handling hot objects can meanwhile help to protect your hands from burns. Similarly, preserve touch in your feet by wearing shoes outdoors in areas where they may get injured.
Neuropathy can sometimes be caused by infections and autoimmune diseases. It is important to see a doctor if you experience any loss of touch to help diagnose any disease early. This can allow you to then explore any possible treatments or disease management options.
Our sense of touch can diminish with age due to thinner skin, reduced blood flow, and sometimes nerve damage from conditions like diabetes or vitamin deficiencies. This can make it harder to feel textures, temperatures or even pain - which can increase the risk of burns or falls.
Engaging in physical activity may help you to nurture your sense of touch. Exercises like yoga and tai chi can improve circulation, which may help you maintain nerve function. Diet may also help prevent you developing certain types of neuropathy. Tight blood sugar control, for example, can reduce the risk of developing diabetes, while a diet high in vitamins (especially b vitamins, which are found in eggs and leafy greens) can prevent nerve problems caused by deficiencies.
Taking measures like wearing gloves while handling hot objects can meanwhile help to protect your hands from burns. Similarly, preserve touch in your feet by wearing shoes outdoors in areas where they may get injured.
Neuropathy can sometimes be caused by infections and autoimmune diseases. It is important to see a doctor if you experience any loss of touch to help diagnose any disease early. This can allow you to then explore any possible treatments or disease management options.
Smell
Loss of smell is known as anosmia and is experienced by 25% of adults over 60. This can affect appetite, mood and even safety (e.g. not being able to smell a gas leak).
Protect your sense of smell by avoiding exposure to irritants. Wear a mask in dusty environments and when using certain strong chemicals. Quitting smoking can also help to protect your nasal cavities. It should come as no surprise, but putting stuff up your nose can also damage your nasal cavities and contribute to loss of smell (one of the most noticeable effects on long-term cocaine use).
Cold and allergies can also damage our sense of smell, especially if they turn into infections. If you notice that you’ve had a stuffy nose for a long time and it has become sore, consider whether you need to see an ENT to get specialized treatment. In fact, it’s worth seeing an ENT if you have any issues with your nose.
Loss of smell is known as anosmia and is experienced by 25% of adults over 60. This can affect appetite, mood and even safety (e.g. not being able to smell a gas leak).
Protect your sense of smell by avoiding exposure to irritants. Wear a mask in dusty environments and when using certain strong chemicals. Quitting smoking can also help to protect your nasal cavities. It should come as no surprise, but putting stuff up your nose can also damage your nasal cavities and contribute to loss of smell (one of the most noticeable effects on long-term cocaine use).
Cold and allergies can also damage our sense of smell, especially if they turn into infections. If you notice that you’ve had a stuffy nose for a long time and it has become sore, consider whether you need to see an ENT to get specialized treatment. In fact, it’s worth seeing an ENT if you have any issues with your nose.
Taste
Our sense of taste is strongly linked to our sense of smell. It can also fade as we get older, causing food to taste bland. This in turn can negatively affect our appetite.
Smoking is a common cause of loss of taste - quitting this habit can help to preserve your tastebuds. Dental problems can also have a knock-on negative impact on this sense - maintain good oral hygiene to prevent infections that can impact your taste.
It is a good idea to see a doctor if you notice any weird tastes in your mouth. Various conditions can affect our taste including acid reflux, diabetes or digestion issues. Fortunately, many of these conditions can be easily treated or managed, provided that you don’t ignore them for too long.
Our sense of taste is strongly linked to our sense of smell. It can also fade as we get older, causing food to taste bland. This in turn can negatively affect our appetite.
Smoking is a common cause of loss of taste - quitting this habit can help to preserve your tastebuds. Dental problems can also have a knock-on negative impact on this sense - maintain good oral hygiene to prevent infections that can impact your taste.
It is a good idea to see a doctor if you notice any weird tastes in your mouth. Various conditions can affect our taste including acid reflux, diabetes or digestion issues. Fortunately, many of these conditions can be easily treated or managed, provided that you don’t ignore them for too long.
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