Gerontology is the name for studying aging’s social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects.
Cataracts in the eyes (most common in seniors) are among the most common causes of blindness worldwide. This is due to a need for better vision care in our senior communities. Cataracts cause a progressively cloudy spot in the eye, which blocks light from passing through the lens to the retina at the back of the eye. Fortunately, with proper vision care, doctors can find and surgically remove the cataracts before it takes over your vision.
Researchers have named these five places: The Italian Island of Sardinia, Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; The Nicoya Peninsula, an isolated part of Costa Rica; and Ikaria, an isolated Greek island, the five “blue zones.” Where people live similar lifestyles and, on average, tend to live longer than the rest of the world. We must note how these five communities have thrived over the years to live such long, healthy lives.
The average human life expectancy has almost doubled since the 1800’s. Before scientific medical research evolved our world into what it is today, our life expectancy was sitting at about 45 years of age. Life expectancy began to rise, first with knowing how to use and access clean water, sanitation, and medicine, and now we’ve come so far as to have preventative vaccinations for terminal illnesses that have killed millions. In Canada, our life expectancy is, on average, 82 years old, but some live to be 100 years or more!
