If you are over 40, is your general health much worse?

[Furoshika]

I am 41 and have realised that over the past two years, my health has gradually declined.

For example I now get every cold going, and am laid low again with a chesty - but mainly totally draining - virus.

I feel like I'm a few weeks pregnant - totally out of sorts, often nauseous, knackered - but I feel like that all the time now

I eat well, am slightly overweight but not much, I don't exercise madly or anything but have always had a basic level of fitness, I don't drink loads and nothing major has changed.

Is this just a symptom of ageing?

[misssmilla1]

Yes! Its like I hit 40 and everything started to disintegrate.

At 41 I've just found out I've got arthritis in my knees (ffs) and I have a weird hamstring / glute issue which isn't being solved by physio but there's nothing actually wrong with it, but its massively impacting my day to day life, also not helping my creeping weight gain.

I spend around ovulation and after my period with manic PMS and my periods are heavy. No libido and I'm knackered ALL the time - had all the blood tests done and thankfully there's nothing wrong (thyroid etc) but on the other hand, I still feel terrible most of the month with no cause except for a raging toddler.

[penguinsandpanda]

Furoshika - maybe get blood tests done, may reveal an issue easily corrected.

[penguinsandpanda]

I recently had a fibroid removed Sarah though under double antibiotics for 14 days now as got an infection so not improved anything yet.

[penguinsandpanda]

I'm mid 40s and currently being tested at 4 different hospitals, very healthy until 40, thin, swimming 3 times a week now still thin but heavier but terrible health - have struggled to get out of bed for 6 months thankfully work have let me work from home, constant aches / pains in muscles and bones, dizziness, anaemia, pins and needles, loads of bleeding and numerous other issues. I need to scrap myself.

[lljkk]

When I was a teen there were other teens always complaining about their health. I kept thinking "OMG, if you're this bad now, how will you be when you're 40+?!!"

I am 50 & have fairly rude good health, though I can make a long list of minor chronic ailments. Almost all of them started before I was 30, & none of them feels important.

My eyesight is in slow decline, that must be due to ageing.

[SarahCrezz]

I'm 45 and I've had half of a fyboid taken away due to heavy periods, not all fyboid was taken as it was to big. I have to wait four months to see if periods slow before deciding weather to get the last bit removed or have hysterectomy. Has any one had fybiod removed. I feel like I'm having anxiety moments , Im aware of my breathing, I come over like I'm spaced out but it goes as quick as it comes. I've had anxiety attacks in the past due to stress but I'm happy at mo so don't understand. The only way to describe it is I'm awear of my breathing.

[nethunsreject]

I'm loads healthier now. Like others have said, being older has spurred me on to look after myself and I feel great. Sorry, op!

[judefawley]

This thread is a bit depressing.

I am much, much fitter and toned than before I had children. I do weigh about a stone more though, but I don't think 8 stone something and I will be buddies again any time soon. I have low blood pressure and really low cholesterol. I think I last had a cold 2 years ago.

But, I don't work full time and my youngest is 10. My friends that are 40+ and have really young kids are infinitely more knackered and prone to illness.

[amillionyears]

Not really. Except general fitness is not so good. [Though it never was brilliant to be fair]

[shrimponastick]

No. O would say my general health is a lot better in recent years.

I exercise now, no longer smoke, drink less, eat much 'cleaner', and have much more leisure time.

I rarely get a cold or whatever bug is doing the rounds.

Just cursed myself there, didn't I ??

[digerd]

From a young age I trained as a ballet dancer, then modern dance and jazz dance. Also taught later. It was when I was 45, that I noticed becoming stiff and feeling exhausted after teaching and demonstrating ( like a 20 year-old) for 2 hours. At 48 I suddenly was moving in 1st gear/ slow motion, and thought it must be the Change. Went on HRT and felt 20 years younger. Not that I was ever able to do the splits again.

[BsshBossh]

I'm fitter and slimmer in my 40s compared to my 30s but that's because I've put the effort into it since turning 40.

I get more colds and stomach bugs since 40 but I put that down to having a 4 year old child who catches everything then passes it all onto e!

I am definitely stiffer and less flexible in my 40s though and I put that down to age.

[Elegantlywasted]

The thought of hitting 40 was the kick up the bum I needed to improve my diet and exercise more. I find I have less colds etc now I am fitter. I do find that if I overstrain muscles though that it takes longer for them to recover

[ivykaty44]

I feel fine and although I have thyroid issue seem to be doing ok, get to the gym 4-5 times a week and eat a pretty decent diet.

I will add though having one teen and one in her twenties is far better for me than one in nappies, I can't imagine going back to those days and do enjoy my freedom

[DameSaggarmakersbottomknocker]

I'm 49 apart from being a bit more creaky my general health is no worse than it was 20 years ago. It's probably better truth be told because I'm way less stressed and I'm exercising more.

[Elibean]

I'm 52 now - either I've adjusted, or I feel better again: either way, I think of myself as being in pretty good health and reasonably fit. Which I didn't at 40.

Then again, I had both my dds in my 40s!

My bet is that its the adjustment 'phase' of declining hormones and increasing aches and pains that is hard.....then hormones settle down, one gets used to aches, and with any luck it all feels better again

(just to give you all hope.....)

[Furoshika]

OK I am convinced I am an old crock. Shit.

YES to PMS arriving with ovulation. It's like a switch has been flicked. It means I spend half a month in a state of derangement, about two days feeling 'myself' and the rest of the time in a sort of limbo.

[ouryve]

I've always had lts of aches and pains. I'm 43 and last year, after things getting much much worse, spending whole nights unable to sleep because of the pain and losing most of the movement in my left thumb almost overnight, I was diagnosed with hypermobility syndrome. My periods are still fairly regular, but the PMS starts at the moment when i should have finished ovulating (I don't seem to do that every month, any more, specially in winter) and carries on relentlessly until my next ovulation is due. Some periods are 5 day gush fests and others barely happen (though I still get the other symptoms). The appearance of my libido is a whaheyyy get off your x-box and open us a bottle of wine event for me and DH.

And the only compensation for the belly is the boobs.

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

No, 49 and the complete opposite.

[PacificDogwood]

No, I am 46 and feel just the same as always (may not look the same, but hey ho!).

AND I had a baby at 43 and11 months

My DH is almost 4 years younger than me and recently accused me of 'deception' because I "had not warned him that the body falls apart after 40" - "Speak for thyself" I said .

Having said that, my arms are getting to short for reading in the last couple of years... And I mourn the loss of my waist, not weight gain as such, just the famous middle-age spread, gah!

[Mabelface]

I'm nearly 43 and in good health, the only real problem is my knees, but that's a long standing problem I've always had.

[grimbletart]

A few teeth troubles now and a disc prolapse corrected by surgery when I was 50. Some arthritis in my knees - so mechanical stuff a bit worse IYSWIM, but general health better. I haven't had flu since one bout in 1986 and I haven't had a cold since I can remember - at least 10 years, probably more. I was still working a 50 plus hour week until I retired a couple of years ago. I'm 69.

Haven't been to the quack's for 8 years. So poorer health certainly not inevitable. Cheer up everyone

[iseenodust]

No, health is as before which was generally good. Agree with others teeth seem to be ageing first.

[Furoshika]

Lots of different experiences. I hear you about 'use it or lose it': I feel weighty now, when (at the same weight but younger) I used to feel fine. What a bugger that losing weight isn't now as simple as three weeks off the sauce

[Arcticwaffle]

I do wonder if I get more tired. I'm 44 and generally very healthy in that I'm very rarely actually ill, but I often feel knackered. last year I thought I might have thyriod problems but it turned out to be anaemia, I'm a veggie with quite heavy periods, maybe they are getting heavier.

It's really hard to tell though, I have a full time job and d3 dc, I do quite a lot socially, I exercise a fair amount, so I can't tell whether I'm reasonably or excessively tired.