Better Health 25 Eng

Q & A
The aging process is a catalyst for many
physical changes, including some that
cause health problems. For this edition
of Q&A, Dr. Lily Chaisompong, a specialist
in geriatric medicine at Bumrungrad, answers
readers’ questions on age-related health
issues.
Q: I’ve heard several people say that if your vision is nearsighted
when you’re young, it eventually shifts back toward normal, or even to
farsightedness, when you’re older.
Is this true?
A: This is a fairly common misconception.
Myopia (nearsightedness)
and hyperopia (farsightedness) result
from improper shaping of the eyes
which affects the way light focuses
on the retina. Another eye disorder,
presbyopia (farsightedness resulting
from aging), causes the eyes to lose
their ability to reshape the lens
accurately, making it difficult to focus clearly on close objects.
If you have myopia, presbyopia provides no help in reducing nearsightedness.
In fact, correcting the two conditions requires concave lenses
for nearsightedness and convex lenses for farsightedness. That’s why
many seniors wear bifocal glasses incorporating two lenses, so the
eyes can focus on objects both near and far.
Q: My mother has trouble sleeping at night and usually takes a nap
during the day. Could napping cause her poor nighttime sleep? Or is
napping good for catching up on lost sleep?
A: Research suggests that napping during the day can alleviate fatigue
and boost energy while helping support proper brain function. A
daytime nap can also improve the quality of nighttime sleep.
It’s best to nap for no more than two hours, and avoid napping after
3 p.m. to prevent affecting nighttime sleep. Napping aside, sleeping well
at night remains very important to good health. As day turns to night,
the darker atmosphere prompts the pituitary gland to produce hormones
that control a number of body functions.
Ask your mother how she feels after a
night’s sleep. Instead of feeling refreshed,
if she feels tired when waking up, and
the feeling continues throughout the
day, she should be evaluated
by a doctor.
Dr. Lily Chaisompong
Q: My father will soon turn 60, and
recently he’s been complaining about
having to urinate frequently and feeling
listless. Is this normal for a man his age?
A: It’s normal to urinate about four to eight
times a day. If your frequency is higher, or
if you wake up in the middle of the night
to urinate, it may simply be that you drank
too much before bedtime.
In other cases, the symptoms may
indicate a medical problem such as earlystage
diabetes, an overactive or inflamed
bladder, a prostate condition, or in rare
cases, bladder cancer.
For a more complete picture of your
father’s situation, ask him the following
questions:
Is he taking any medications that increase
urination frequency? Certain medications,
including some anti-hypertensive drugs,
contain diuretic substances which can
increase urine discharge;
Does his urine contain blood, or is it dark
or cloudy?
Does he have other symptoms such as
fatigue, pain while urinating, fever,
chills, or pain originating from his back
or abdomen?
Has he experienced other urinary hesitancy
such as dribbling, weaker flow, leakage,
or the need for more time and effort to
empty his bladder?
Has his thirst or appetite increased
noticeably?
If your father answers “yes” to any of
these questions, he should consult a doctor.
If he’s diagnosed with a medical condition,
the doctor will recommend the best course
of treatment for your father’s individual
situation.
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Have a question? You can submit your question for possible inclusion in future issues of , by e-mail
betterhealth@bumrungrad.com or by mail to Editor, Magazine, Bumrungrad International Hospital,
33 Sukhumvit 3, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.