Age-Related Illnesses That People are Experiencing at Younger Ages

By  //  August 4, 2020

When you were younger, you were told by your parents to eat your vegetables to grow up healthy and strong. Well, that particular piece of parental advice wasn’t necessarily wrong but it also wasn’t the “cure-all” to all of life’s health complications.

When you were younger, you were told by your parents to eat your vegetables to grow up healthy and strong. Well, that particular piece of parental advice wasn’t necessarily wrong but it also wasn’t the “cure-all” to all of life’s health complications.

In fact, there are lots of age-related illnesses that more and more young people are starting to experience now.

It was once thought that when you’re young (in your 20s) that there are certain health issues that you don’t have to worry about, like heart attacks and strokes.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore. There is an epidemic of obesity and sedentary lifestyles that has caused a major surge in age-related illnesses.

New research suggests that disorders associated with older age could affect you much sooner than you think. Health conditions like high cholesterol and heart disease have become prominent in younger age groups. Fortunately, a lot of these health conditions are largely preventable.

Through certain lifestyle changes, you can prevent some of these age-related illnesses from impacting your life sooner than expected.

Here are some of the most common age-related illnesses that are becoming more prominent in younger adults.

Age-Related Illnesses That are Heavily Impacting Younger Age Groups

Stroke

Strokes are most common in adults aged 65 and older but more recently, there has been an increase in the number of strokes by 32% in women aged 18 to 34 years of age, and it’s extremely concerning.

Strokes in younger women aren’t very common, but for the individuals that do experience a stroke at a younger age, it proves to be fatal in most cases. This surge in stroke cases is due to conditions of obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, and even pregnancy and birth control. 

Autoimmune diseases like Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis have also been shown to be more prominent in individuals with those health conditions as well.

High Blood Pressure AKA Hypertension

Did you know that you could have high blood pressure and not even know it? What you’re thinking is a normal headache could actually be a result of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is when the blood pumps through your veins with too much force.

Hypertension is commonly known as the “silent killer,” and appropriately so due to most people being unaware they have it because most people don’t experience warning signs of it.

For those who do experience the warning signs, it’s common to feel these symptoms:

• Headaches

• Irregular heartbeats

• Blurred vision

• Chest pain

• Nausea

According to the World Health Organization, 1.13 billion people have hypertension and less than one and five people have it under control. Reducing your salt intake, regular exercise, and a healthy diet are all ways to lower your blood pressure and get it under control. 

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, consult with your doctor. They may be able to provide you with certain medication to help you get your blood pressure under control, which will then lessen your associated symptoms. 

Brain Shrinkage

A normal part of aging includes the shrinking of your brain, but despite this commonality, there are certain factors and lifestyle choices that heavily impact the progression of the shrinking of brain volume.

Things like being overweight, smoking, and diabetes all impact your mental capacity, but making heart-healthy choices now can be done to prevent this shrinkage later on in life.

Consuming foods rich in nutrients and maintaining an active lifestyle will go a long way in protecting the health of your brain.

Sometimes certain supplements aid in the protection of your brain. For example, supplements that increase the production of your nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) protects your brain and defends against neurodegeneration… it aids in heart function as well. 

Research has shown that individuals at risk for heart disease had more amyloid deposits on the brain, which is also a key component of Alzheimer’s Disease. In fact, UCF researchers have been working to cut away brain plaque linked to the devastating disease.

Diabetes

Obesity is the leading risk factor for diabetes. The disease is becoming more and more prevalent in children as well.

With children, it’s sometimes hard to get them to eat healthy foods and want to incorporate a healthier and more active lifestyle, with video games, television, and social media as their main choice of entertainment.

The rise in diabetes cases is largely due to lifestyle choices. The foods and beverages we consume play a distinct role in this health matter.

To add to that, it’s also much cheaper to consume junk foods than healthier options. If you go to most fast-food establishments, you’ll see that they have “dollar menus” and other “cheap eats” options.

By consciously making the decision to eat healthier, you’re significantly reducing your likelihood of developing diabetes.

That’s not saying to completely do away with the foods you enjoy (even if they’re not the healthiest option), but more so to be aware of how often you consume those foods and how much of it you consume.

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