How without hands! This is what we say about clumsy people who are not good at their work or occasionally make a mistake. Yes, manual dexterity and dexterity are very dependent on weight and decrease with age. The good news is that we know this and are counting on it, so we can delay this process.
How come we don’t use our hands everyday! Moreover, even without paying too much attention to all the actions – tying shoelaces, opening a jar of pickles, steering the car, using it to make a phone call – these are just some of the complicated movements that require different strength and dexterity. However, with age, fingers and hands can become weaker and their joints can lose plasticity, making it increasingly difficult to perform small motor actions.
Some hand problems can even be a sign of certain medical conditions. Dace Bērziņa, a neurologist at the Association of Health Centers, explains what you should pay attention to in order to keep your hands in good shape, and what to do if they start to feel worse or movement difficulties are accompanied by pain. On the other hand, “Mēness aptiekas” pharmacist Daiva Āboliņa recommends the most suitable skin care methods and products, and also warns about some groups of medications that can contribute to the deterioration of hand health.
Grip strength
As we age, grip strength inevitably declines, which can make it difficult to perform daily tasks. “It can be caused by arthritis of the small joints or loss of muscle mass, as well as nerve damage due to improper loading. If it happens suddenly, you should immediately consult a doctor, because there may be a more serious reason, such as a blockage of an artery in the hand, a rapidly progressing nerve compression, or a blood circulation disorder in the head,” explains the neurologist.
A medical specialist or physical therapist can test your arm strength and help you regain or maintain it. It is very important to perform exercises for the hands correctly – some will help to improve blood circulation in the hands and reduce changes in the joints, others – to release the pinched nerve. The doctor states: “Slow rotating movements are valuable for improving joint function. On the other hand, in the case of nerve compression, stretching exercises for the joints help better than long-term muscle work by squeezing a ball in the fist. Perform the learned exercise initially for a few seconds, then rest and repeat it, preferably 10 times with each hand. Start with once a day or every other day, depending on how your hands feel and cope with the new load.”
Trembling
Hand tremors can occur for many reasons at any age, but it is more common after the age of 50. “Some medications, such as mood stabilizers and medications that treat seizures, can cause or worsen tremors. Anxiety, stress, low blood sugar, fatigue or too much caffeine taken in tea or coffee can also have an effect,” says the pharmacist.
There are two types of tremors – active, which occurs when the hands are in action, and passive, which occurs when the hands are at rest. The neurologist states: “Although active tremor can be bothersome, it is usually harmless. Diet and lifestyle changes, such as reducing the amount of caffeine you consume daily, can help. Passive tremors can be a sign of a brain disease such as Parkinson’s disease, so if you experience passive tremors, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. The sooner therapy is started, the better the chance of reducing the rate of disease progression.”
Arthritis
Arthritis causes inflammation in the joints, and it sometimes occurs in places where there have been fractures, sprains, or tears, even if everything has healed. As you age, you are more likely to experience this health problem and over time it can cause severe pain, swelling and loss of movement.
Neurologist Dace Bērziņa explains: “If it turns out that arthritis is the cause of the decrease in hand abilities, the doctor will want to find out how active a lifestyle you lead, how joint pain and joint stiffness affect daily life. Anti-inflammatory drugs or steroid injections may be recommended, which can reduce pain and swelling for weeks or possibly months. In some cases, orthoses can help, which protect the joints and prevent them from being overloaded.”
Arthritis pain can be well relieved by over-the-counter gels that contain eucalyptus essential oil, lots of menthol, or warming gels that contain capsaicin (extracted from red chili peppers). Warming or, on the contrary, cooling action can well relieve pain in the presence of osteoarthritis (it can affect not only the knee joint, but also the hands). Oral over-the-counter medications such as glucosamine powder or avocado and soybean oil capsules can also help with osteoarthritis. Although these preparations are designed to be used for at least three months, they can reduce pain and, therefore, the need to use painkillers.
Dipitrene contracture
The ailment with this complex name manifests itself as a disease of the connective tissues of the hand, when the layer under the skin (fascia) thickens. This can cause the fingers, most often the ring finger, but also the middle and little finger, to pull against the inside of the palm. Adhesions or thick nodules may form in the palm. Sometimes it also affects pi
knuckles or feet. Contracture is believed to be caused by excessive muscle irritation, often due to nerve irritation. More often, this disease affects men older than 40 years.
For most people, a mild course of the disease does not cause any major problems or pain, and the condition may not get worse, so the doctor may take a wait-and-see approach. If, however, it causes problems to return the ability to move the hand, surgery can be performed. True, treatment does not always help completely, sometimes thickenings tend to recur.
Skin health
Changes in the skin of the hands are obvious when aging – pigmentation or “age spots” appear. Although it seems that frequent washing and contact with various substances, including household cleaning products, cause the most damage to the skin of the hands, the condition of the skin of the hands shows the years spent in the sun – therefore, to keep the skin of the hands youthful for longer, you can not only put on rubber gloves for doing housework, but also protecting your hands from the sun. The pharmacist of “Mēnes Aptiekas” states: “The skin ages and along with the loss of moisture level, wrinkles appear, dryness and itching may occur. Over the years, the veins become distended as the soft tissues become thinner. It is important to do what is definitely possible – protect your hands from the harmful effects of sunlight by using a product with a protective filter of at least SPF 30. When doing gardening or cleaning work, remember to wear gloves (preferably with a cotton lining) and choose a mild soap or cleaning agent. in order not to wash off the natural protective layer of the skin of the hands, which is released from the sebaceous glands. Skin moisturizers and a healthy diet that contains essential vitamins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids can also help keep your skin and nails healthy.
In the pharmacy, you can buy special hand creams that contain niacinamide – it soothes the skin and restores its protective barrier against the irritating effects of the external environment. UREA, glycerin or shea butter are added to creams for intensive moisturizing. Anti-pigmentation creams are available as well as seaweed creams.
Most drugstore hand creams are hypoallergenic and some are fragrance-free. It should also be taken into account that it is easy to mechanically injure dry hand skin and inflammation may develop in the injured areas.”
Bruises
Purpura, or age-related bruising, on the hands can be caused by a light blow (often the person does not even notice the blow, so seemingly insignificant it is), and they are more likely to appear on thin, wrinkled or sun-damaged aged skin. “You are more likely to bruise if you take medications such as aspirin or other blood thinners, or if you drink alcohol frequently. First, red spots appear on the skin, which turn purple, then darken, and then fade. They usually don’t hurt, but they can be visible on the skin longer than a normal bruise (often a few weeks),” explains the pharmacist and recommends protecting your hands, including your hands, when they are in the “line of fire”, for example, when doing housework or gardening. Then long-sleeved clothing and gloves can help.
“A doctor or pharmacist may recommend a cream or lotion to make the skin thicker and more resilient. It is worth thinking about a vitamin complex for seniors or special vitamins for skin health, because they contain minerals and vitamins that are involved in blood clotting processes in the body. The most important are vitamin K and calcium. If you are taking blood-thinning medications and there is reason to believe that they are causing bruising, consult a specialist about a possible change in the medication or its dose. It is important to remember that painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs also thin the blood,” warns Daiva Āboliņa and adds that in case of a bruise or injury, cold compresses or a cooling spray can be used for the first two days to reduce bruising. After that, a warming gel will be more useful, which will help to better blood the bruised area and help the bruise to absorb faster.
The pharmacy company “Mēness aptieka” has both small pharmacies in the regions, as well as pharmacies popular with customers in shopping centers and polyclinics. The company has pharmacies with doctorates alongside, 24-hour pharmacies and pharmacies with the function of making medicines. “Mēnes aptiekas” is also the brand of one of Riga’s oldest pharmacies – “Vecpilsētas aptieka”, which has been performing its functions for more than 200 years, as well as all known 24-hour pharmacies in Riga – “Kamelias Aptieka” and “Jaunaja Torņakalna Aptieka”. “Mēnes aptieka” has also created the possibility for remote pharmacist consultations and delivers pharmacy products (if necessary, also prescription drugs) to your home.
