by Kay Bidwell | Dec 22, 2017 | aging safely, healthy aging
Winter in the northern states can be isolating, increasing loneliness and depression. The holiday season often highlights feelings of loneliness. Today, 17% of Americans over 65 live alone, and an estimated 8.8% of seniors are chronically lonely. The sad fact is that loneliness can cause health problems and affect quality of life. Health Factors of Loneliness According to an article in Forbes, persistent loneliness may be a bigger health risk than smoking, obesity, exercise or nutrition. A few years ago, researchers at Brigham Young University found that social isolation increases your risk of death by 30%. There are 3 main factors contributing to this outcome. Psychologically, loneliness and social isolation are often associated with depression, anxiety, dementia, substance abuse, and an increased risk of suicide. Practically, human beings have a better chance of surviving in social and family groups than in isolation. If you have an accident or a sudden health event, there may not be anyone around to help. You could be showing signs of decline or disease that no one is round to notice. Self-maintenance and healthy hygiene habits are something lonely people are less likely to engage in without some sort of encouragement from others. Lonely people tend to eat worse, get less exercise, and not sleep as well. Physically, loneliness itself appears to be something that negatively impacts the body, from hardening your arteries to depressing your immune system to deterioration of your brain. Loneliness can raise blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This makes your heart muscle work harder and causes damage to blood vessels. Obesity and low levels of immunity...
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