The Beginning of a Sincere Heart

Do you drink water and still find your mouth dry again right away — or wake up at night feeling parched? After 60, that's common, as saliva production slows down. Why does it happen? Medicines are the most common cause. Blood pressure drugs, antihistamines, antidepressants, and diuretics can all reduce saliva. With age, the salivary glands themselves weaken, and drinking too little water or breathing through your mouth adds to it. Diabetes or Sjögren's syndrome can also be behind it. It's more than discomfort Saliva doesn't just wet your mouth — it protects your teeth. With less saliva, cavities and gum disease become more likely, speaking and swallowing get harder, and bad breath and taste changes can appear. What you can do at home Sip water often, a little at a time. Keep a water bottle by your bed so you can drink at night. Sugar-free gum or lozenges (xylitol) stimulate saliva. Run a humidifier at night. If you breathe through your mouth, practicing nose brea...

Do your ankles swell by the evening, making your shoes feel tight? After 60, that's common — surveys suggest nearly two in ten people over 65 experience swollen ankles or legs. Why does it happen? With age, the valves in the leg veins weaken, so blood doesn't flow upward as well and fluid pools around the ankles with gravity. Long days of sitting or standing, hot weather, and salty meals can all make it worse. Some blood pressure medicines, such as calcium channel blockers (amlodipine), can also cause ankle swelling. Usually it's nothing serious If both ankles swell in the evening and the swelling eases overnight, it's usually nothing serious. Raising your legs above heart level and resting typically brings the swelling down. What you can do at home Raise your legs and rest whenever you can during the day. When sitting, a footrest helps more than flat feet on the floor. If you sit for a long time, get up and walk around gently every 30 minutes. Cut back on salty ...

Do you wake up with a stiff lower back, barely able to get out of bed — and then find it loosens up after about 30 minutes of moving? After 60, that's common. Why is it worst in the morning? While you lie still overnight, the spinal discs absorb fluid and swell slightly, and the joints stiffen. Muscles rest and tighten during sleep too. With age, arthritis adds to the stiffness. Usually it's nothing serious If morning stiffness eases within 30 minutes of moving, it's usually just your body warming up after a night at rest. How to get up Don't jump out of bed. Pull your knees gently toward your chest a few times first. A warm shower loosens the muscles quickly. Take a short walk after breakfast. Walking is one of the best exercises for your back. How to prevent it Strengthening your core muscles (abdomen and back) matters most. If you sleep on your side, a pillow between your knees reduces strain on your back. An old, sagging mattress can make things worse — che...

Have you ever lain down after dinner and felt a burning in your chest, with sour fluid creeping up your throat? After 60, that's common. It's gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — stomach acid flowing back into the esophagus. With age, the muscle valve between the stomach and esophagus weakens, and hiatal hernia becomes more common, so reflux happens more easily. Signs it may be reflux A burning feeling in the chest, worse when lying down or after meals Sour-tasting burps, a lump-in-the-throat feeling Chronic cough or hoarseness Trouble swallowing What you can do at home Start with eating habits. Eat smaller meals instead of large ones, and stop eating 2 to 3 hours before bed — a late-night snack is the most common trigger. Raising the head of your bed by 6 to 8 inches helps (tilting the bed itself works better than stacking pillows). Cut back on spicy or fatty foods, coffee, alcohol, and chocolate. Losing a little weight helps too, if you've gained. Antacids (li...

Sitting in a quiet room, have you ever heard a ringing in your ears — a buzzing with no sound around to explain it? After 60, that's a familiar experience. It's called tinnitus. Tinnitus gets more common with age. The most common cause is age-related hearing loss: when the ears hear less, the brain may generate its own sound to fill the gap — that's the leading explanation. Other causes include earwax buildup, years of loud-noise exposure, certain medications (high-dose aspirin, some antibiotics and diuretics), high blood pressure, and jaw joint problems. Usually harmless, but see a doctor if The sound is only in one ear It pulses with your heartbeat (it could be a blood vessel issue) Hearing drops suddenly or dizziness comes with it It started after a head injury No cure for most, but ways to make it less bothersome To be honest: there is still no treatment that eliminates most tinnitus completely. But there are ways to turn down the annoyance. If hearing loss comes...

Do your eyes feel gritty while reading, so you keep rubbing them — and then the mirror shows red, bloodshot eyes? After 60, that's common. As we age, tear production drops and the tear film becomes unstable, making dry eye easy to develop. Women are affected more often, partly due to hormonal changes after menopause. Age isn't the only cause. Staring at screens reduces blinking and dries the eyes, and winter heating makes indoor air painfully dry. Some medications — antihistamines, diuretics, certain blood pressure drugs and antidepressants — dry the eyes too. Signs it may be dry eye A gritty or burning feeling, like sand in the eyes Frequent redness Paradoxically, watery eyes (reflex tears compensating for dryness) Blurry vision that clears briefly when you blink Worse in wind or dry air What you can do at home Start with artificial tears. If you use them several times a day, choose a preservative-free formula. A warm compress over closed eyelids for about five minutes,...