A normal list of ailments for a 44 year old?

[chr1stmastree]

Just posting for some perspective and I don't want to share all of this IRL. First of all no offence intended to anyone experiencing serious illness - it's intended as a lighthearted post.
My husband says I should have a full check-up as I'm always experiencing some ailment or other. He's not saying I'm a hypochondriac - he knows all these ailments are real - but rather he thinks it's not normal for one person who is essentially healthy should have all this things wrong with them! He keeps saying "you need to see a doctor and get all these things fixed" as if it's so simple and I'm a car or something.

Is my list of ailments basically a normal list for a 40-something or should I get checked out?

(For context I'm 44 and had a baby 3 years ago. Asthma sufferer but otherwise healthy.)

• poor sleep (the baby and toddler years left their mark)
• bad back (pregnancy hangover)
• sore ankle after sprain last year
• possible peri symptoms, low libido, low mood, forgetting
• fungal toenail for years - can't shift it
• sore bunion (I'm sounding attractive now aren't I?!)
• hair thinning (falling out in shower - peri?)
• PMT moods after starting HRT
• dodgy crown and a dodgy filling, possible root canal needed (pregnancy hormones messed up my teeth)!
• currently have a chest infection but DH says "not another thing!"

So is the above list fairly representative or am I about to crumble altogether?

@GingerLiberalFeminist I also had hip flexor pain after pregnancy - mine have always been quite tight. Reformer Pilates has massively helped me with that.

It’s all minor but there is a pattern of self-neglect. I encourage you to dedicate the time to get these sorted before they worsen.

Hair falling out is not good. Get your thyroid checked. Tea-tree oil applied daily to the toe nail and patience. And do see about your back and ankle

I'm 65 and I don't really have any of those symptoms... I've never slept particularly well .. no libido (never had one !) ... so no change there & doesn't bother me.
I prioritise dental care over everything else & pay privately.
No aches & pains bar the very occasional twinge.
Must be good genes .. my DM is 90 and in very good health - for her age.

@Ozgirl75 thanks. I'm doing pilates and light aerobics several times week to shed baby weight so will look at reformer pilates. I had hop issues in pregnancy and had to wear a support belt for most of it.

I used to be almost in agony holding my legs in tabletop but they did a few things with my core and it’s totally fine now. I’m always amazed at how things like physio, Pilates and stretching can help things that have hung around for ages.
My achillies was so so painful and physio and stretching totally put it right.

A lot of that could well be "peri ailments". Especially the need for alarms and reminders. Classic perimenopause!

I don't even want to think about my list of ailments and I'm a little bit younger than you!

I think most of my friends have a list of ailments. I have some friends where all we do is complain about our ailments.

I'm 45 -

Undiagnosed back pain - I do Pilates and yoga and walk daily. Have regular physio, I've tried a chiropractor but hated it. Nhs refuse to do anything and basically said live with it and we can prescribe meds if needed.

Extremely heavy periods every 3 weeks - been to gynaecology . No answer found offered coil which I declined.

Frequent water infections, referred to urology. No reason found .

Fungal nail in one toe

Low Vit d - take a supplement

Low iron/anemia- take high dose iron supplements as needed

Frequent bouts of face pain/blocked sinuses accompanied by lethargy, headache and sometimes fever, blocked ears or sore throat. Happens frequently, worse in winter will last a few days then disappear. I've had blood tests, hormones checked . No explanation found.

Constant pain in middle finger in right hand, it also looks swollen . Mentioned it to physio who said they couldn't see anything wrong.

Can't stand for long periods as I get dizzy. Feel faint .

Oh no and a root canal/ capped tooth ( next to each other) that ache/bleed/hurt regularly.

These just sound like normal niggles and part of being a human being. No one is 100% all the time. Most of that can be easily sorted anyway?

I’m 44.
So im in a physical profession and always have been. I’m quite active. I’ve had tennis elbow on both, dodgy back ten years ago but yoga sorted that, I’ve a sore shoulder atm.

Peri wise I have some def symptoms but nothing horrendous atm so sleep (always an issue anyway!) pmt/moods can be worse, odd weird little symptoms like itchiness, low tolerance to alcohol , dry skin, achy hips and so on. Discussing with same aged friends we all seem to have comparable

Other than some physical bits I don’t get ill often luckily last 2 years has only been covid twice which wasn’t bad and I’ve recovered from fine luckily. No health issues or medications

Im trying hard to keep myself healthy so good nutrition ( balanced no fads or cutting out) I exercise regularly with some strength stuff too. Drink lots of water. A couple of supplements, Minimal alcohol. Boring but necessary these days

I'm 42 and until this year was super fit and healthy. Now I have arthritis in my toes, labral tears in my hips and constant fatigue. I just feel like giving up on life to be honest.

I'm 52 and am quite surprised by how many people are saying that this is normal. My only current ailment is a touch of eczema due to a change in washing powder.

Admittedly if you asked me when my DC were 3 I may have given you a different answer.

The number one thing you need to get sorted is your sleep. Your body cannot fix itself without adequate sleep.

I am 51 and have no aches, pains or any ailments beyond a few peri niggles. I am not really keen on talking much about ailments anyway. I find it tedious and a self fulfilling prophecy.

57 years old
I've got an underactive thyroid, depression, acid reflux, vaginal atrophy, overactive bladder and I'm on meds for them
I've just recovered from a bad back. I coughed and it strained a muscle. It took over a month and 5 sessions with a chiropractor to feel near normal....and coughing, sneezing etc is still painful.
I've broken both my arms in the past 2 years and have been diagnosed with osteopenia (early osteoporosis).
I've got a touch of arthritis in my knees.
In the last couple of years I've had my cataracts treated and had my gallbladder out.
I had a hysterectomy in 2015 due to a humongous fibroid.
I'm a fat cow and am finding it very hard to shift it.

Why reply if you don’t like talking about it? You can just scroll past…

@Autieangel I tried Osteo after my pregnancy and it was amazing, much much nicer than chiropractor - they barely touched me! I'm going to book in a few seasons

Fungal nails are not easy at all to get sorted, unfortunately. I am going on nearly 4y now. It is so annoying and I've tried everything.

I am also 45 in a fortnight and that's my only ailment.

@Musiclover234 I wasn't talking about this thread. I was referencing pp who said all the talk these days when meeting friends is of ailments . I am not objecting to this thread. I just don't think it's normal to have that much wrong, though on the other hand most of the problems appear to be peri.

In my forties I had my gallbladder and an ovary removed, but my fifties have been pretty good. On HRT so sleep well and anxiety now better. Always had shit hair, and born with deformed knees, but apart from a bit of arthritic stiffness I keep waking, which is good for me.

Generally very well. Teeth perfect, no fungal anythings ever in my life, no viruses or infections. Rarely I'll, even when kids were young. COVID only once.

I think a lot may be genetics, and some luck.

My only current thing, is having a biopsy for a BCC. Lots of time in the sun when I was a teen.

I'm not sure how much the GP can offer.

The structural stuff could both be helped by finding the right osteopath or equivalent.

The sleep could be all sorts. Magnesium deficiency, worries, habit. Things like getting plenty of early morning daylight, and magnesium could help.

The peri stuff, I'm on month 4 of a seaweed supplement for iodine, plus having a few Brazil nuts per day for selenium (don't over do it). I've found lots of this is much improved.

I would look at the relationship between nutrients. Doctors aren't big on this, unfortunately and it can take time to work out.

I take the bare minimum of supplements because they're all such a balance and it's a really fine web to untangle but would look at getting adequate magnesium and b vits of the right kinds from supplements initially and the rest from a good diet.
There's a Facebook page called nutrient teams that goes into this.

Wow OP I'm the same but my DH doesn't even blink he is used to it 😂

Endless thrush since I had children, including on my honeymoon so no sex!

Asthma, the associated two or three chesty coughs every year and bacterial chest infections every three years

Fungal nails since my 20s i just use vics vapo rub in the spring and paint them so no one sees. I didn't think of that as an illness!!

Terrible teeth despite amazing oral hygiene and regular dental visits.

Horrendous Peri issues, on highest oestrogen.

I have had covid three times plus in the last year been ill six times (in bed, temp, cods, chest infections).

My colleague at work is always amazed because my diet is so good and I workout and am slim.

I wouldn't give any of it a second thought though. It's just normal life for me!

I'm 45 and have MS so I have put lots of my issues down to that, as well as being peri (been on HRT since June)

achilles tendonitis
stiff, painful muscles and joints
regular back pain
spasms in legs
migraines/blurry vision
trigeminal neuralgia
anxiety, depression, low mood
forgetfulness and overwhelm
dizziness and crap mobility requiring use of a stick
can't walk for long now
absolute fatigue- sleep every day for an hour
irritability
asthma
food allergies
severe eczema controlled by immunosuppression
appalling gums

and more I've likely forgotten

on the upside, the HRT seems to be addressing some of the issues and my sleep is brilliant since I gave up the drink.. 🤣

As a martyr to UTIs I swear by D-Mannose supplements for prevention. You need the decent strength ones from Holland & Barrett or similar (or very high concentrate cranberry extract) - the stuff you get in supermarkets won’t cut it.