• Online Scheduling | Careers

Physicians Regional Healthcare System
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
        • Cancer Care
        • Colorectal Care
        • Critical Care Medicine
        • Dermatology Services
        • Digestive Health
        • Emergency Services
        • Endocrinology
        • Gastroenterology
        • Heart Care
        • Infectious Disease Care
        • Inpatient Rehab Facility
        • Kidney Disorders
        • Laboratory Services
        • Neurology
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Pain Management
        • Primary Care
        • Pulmonology Care
        • Radiology
        • Rehabilitation Services
        • Rheumatology
        • Stroke Care
        • Surgical Services
        • Urgent Care
        • Urology
        • Vein Care Center
        • Women's Health
        • Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • DAISY Award Nominations
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Health Library
              • Local Accommodations
              • Online Scheduling
              • Outpatient Instructions
              • Patient Portal
              • Payment, Billing & Assistance Policies
              • Physician Referral
              • Request Medical Records
              • Your Stay
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Laboratories
                  • Outpatient Rehabilitation
                  • Physicians Regional Medical Group
                  • Urgent Care
                  • Other Locations
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Careers
                    • CEO's Message
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Contact Us
                    • History
                    • Newsroom
                    • Quality & Safety
                    • Volunteer Opportunities
                      • Collier: (239) 354-6000
                      • North: (239) 260-6631
                      • Pine Ridge: (239) 348-4000
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Bill Pay
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait Times

                        View ER Wait Times
                      Home/Patients & Visitors/Health Library/Age and Illness

                      Refine Results

                      About Us
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Orthopedic Center
                      Otolaryngology
                      Patients & Visitors
                      DAISY Award Nominations
                      Events
                      Financial Information
                      Billing & Insurance
                      Billing & Registration FAQ
                      Eligibility Services
                      Medicare
                      Online Bill Pay
                      Patient Protections Against Surprise Billing
                      Payment, Billing & Assistance Policies
                      Price Information
                      Price Transparency Information
                      Your Right to a Good Faith Estimate
                      Health Library
                      Local Accommodations
                      Online Scheduling
                      Outpatient Instructions
                      Patient Portal
                      Patient Portal FAQ
                      Payment, Billing & Assistance Policies
                      Physician Referral
                      Request Medical Records
                      Your Stay
                      Services
                      • information
                      • news
                      • Avg ER Wait Times

                        View ER Wait Times
                      • Directions

                        Find Our Location
                      • Adopt Healthy Habits Today to Maintain Bone Strength as You Age

                        06.18.2025

                      • Serving Patients, Supporting Our Community at Physicians Regional Healthcare System

                        04.28.2025

                      • See All News & Press Releases
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Mobile Device

                        Online Scheduling

                        Free, convenient online check-in services.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      Age and Illness

                      You're young at heart, but that doesn't mean you're immune to illness. Many diseases we associate with older age can develop during our 40s and 50s.

                      Arthritis

                      Risk factors: Age is one of the most significant risk factors, as joints wear and tear over time. If you've ever had a joint injury, you may experience arthritis pain sooner in life. According to the CDC, 1 in 4 adults has arthritis.

                      Treatment: Exercise is the best long-term strategy. Regular exercise increases joint flexibility and strengthens the muscles that support the joint. Balance your activity every day with periods of rest. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers can help exercise feel more comfortable. Stick with water exercises and resistance bands, which are easier on joints.

                      Prevention: Change your exercise routine to include more joint-friendly activities like swimming or biking. Focus your workouts on the muscles around joints that have a history of pain or injury. A study published in the Arthritis & Rheumatism journal found that strengthening the quadriceps above the knees was the most effective exercise to reduce pain in patients with knee arthritis.

                      Diverticulitis

                      Risk factors: Most common after age 40, diverticula are small, inflamed pouches that form in your stomach lining. Generally, this occurs in the lower large intestine. Risk factors include age, obesity, smoking, a low-fiber diet and a sedentary lifestyle. However, steroids, opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen) can cause diverticulitis.

                      Treatment: Stomach pain is the primary symptom, especially on the left side. Most cases are treated with antibiotics and a liquid diet. The Mayo Clinic states up to 25% of people can develop complications, which sometimes require surgery.

                      Prevention: The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you take in. On average, that's 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Women can hit their target by eating a banana (3.1 grams) at breakfast, an apple (4.4 grams) at lunch, a handful of almonds (4.3 grams) in the afternoon, and half a cup of black beans (14 grams) at dinner.

                      Shingles

                      Risk factors: Shingles can develop at any age, but people age 50 and older are at greater risk. Anyone who has had chickenpox virus can develop shingles. An estimated 1 million Americans are diagnosed with shingles annually.

                      Treatment: If you develop shingles, your primary care provider may prescribe an antiviral medicine to shorten the duration and intensity of the illness. Symptoms include a tingling or itching sensation on the back or chest followed by a painful, blistering rash. Medication should be taken as soon as possible after these symptoms appear.

                      Prevention: Vaccination is the only proven method for preventing shingles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for adults beginning at age 60, but it is approved for use as young as 50. Ask your primary care doctor about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

                      Stroke

                      Risk factors: If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you're at risk for stroke. These conditions begin with lifestyle factors, such as poor diet, low physical activity and smoking. The CDC reports a stroke happens in the U.S. every 40 seconds.

                      Treatment: Stroke is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment. If you experience a sudden drooping in the face, weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, difficulty understanding others, loss of coordination or severe headache, call 911 immediately.

                      Prevention: Commit to a lifestyle change. For example, quit smoking, replace red meat with baked fish once a week or bike to a nearby park on your lunch breaks.

                      Want More Health Tips?

                      Sign up for our e-newsletter, Live Healthy, to receive a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                      Back

                      Affiliated Hospitals

                      • Physicians Regional Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility
                      • Physicians Regional Medical Center - Collier Boulevard
                      • Physicians Regional Medical Center - North
                      • Physicians Regional Medical Center - Pine Ridge
                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
                      • Cancer Care
                      • Colorectal Care
                      • Critical Care Medicine
                      • Dermatology Services
                      • Digestive Health
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Endocrinology
                      • Gastroenterology
                      • Heart Care
                      • Infectious Disease Care
                      • Inpatient Rehab Facility
                      • Kidney Disorders
                      • Laboratory Services
                      • Neurology
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Pain Management
                      • Primary Care
                      • Pulmonology Care
                      • Radiology
                      • Rehabilitation Services
                      • Rheumatology
                      • Stroke Care
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Urgent Care
                      • Urology
                      • Vein Care Center
                      • Women's Health
                      • Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • DAISY Award Nominations
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Health Library
                      • Local Accommodations
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Outpatient Instructions
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Payment, Billing & Assistance Policies
                      • Physician Referral
                      • Request Medical Records
                      • Your Stay

                      About Us

                      • Careers
                      • CEO's Message
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Contact Us
                      • History
                      • Newsroom
                      • Quality & Safety
                      • Volunteer Opportunities

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...