Common Health Problems with Aging 133
Joint pain (arthritis)
Many older women suffer from joint
pain caused by arthritis. Usually it cannot
be cured completely, but the following
treatment may help.
Treatment:
• Rest the place that hurts.
• Soak cloths in hot water and place them on the painful
areas. Be careful not to burn your skin. (Some people with
joint pain lose their sense of feeling from the skin on the
painful areas.)
• Keep your joints moving by gently rubbing and stretching
them every day.
• Take a mild pain medicine. Aspirin works best for arthritis.
For very bad pain, take 600 to 1000 mg of aspirin up to
6 times a day (but not more than 4 g per day), with food,
milk, or a large glass of water. Ibuprofen also works well.
Take 400 mg 4 to 6 times a day.
IMPORTANT If your ears start to ring or you start to bruise easily,
take less aspirin. Also, if you are having a lot of bleeding from your
vagina, you should not take aspirin.
143
exercises to prevent
contractures
482
medicines for pain
Weak bones (osteoporosis)
After menopause, a woman’s body starts to make less
estrogen, and her bones become weaker. Weak bones break
easily and heal slowly.
A woman is more likely to get weak bones if she:
• is over 70 years old.
• is thin.
• does not exercise.
• does not eat enough foods rich
in calcium.
• has been pregnant many times.
• drinks a lot of alcohol.
• smokes or chews tobacco.
Treatment:
• Walk for 20 to 30 minutes every day.
• Eat foods rich in calcium.
➤ Weak bones are
a major cause of
disability for older
women.
➤ Both exercise and
calcium make the
bones stronger.
168
calcium-rich foods
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012