The Truth About Ageing & Your Hand – How It Can Affect You
As we age, our body’s ability to perform and move also decreases. Our joints, muscles and tendons start to deteriorate and weaken as time passes, and it’s a part of the natural process as we grow older. It includes our hands.
Hand functions decrease over time as we experience the process of ageing, and with that, we can expect conditions and problems to arise. In some cases, some may need to opt for a hand specialist in Singapore to provide diagnosis and treatment for hand-related conditions.
According to research in Oxford Academic, we can experience a change in the way our hands function as we reach past the age of 65. It has been possible due to anatomic changes, dexterity and prehension patterns (think about the pinch strength and grip). Underlying conditions, such as arthritis and osteoporosis, can further influence the hand condition. Tendons, muscles, bones, nerves, and blood supply become more distant and deteriorate. Therefore, most seniors can expect guidance from a hand specialist in Singapore.
The Signs Of An Ageing Hand
Ageing is inevitable. All known living people will experience it, and it will be our definite arrival point. Our hands are among the first body parts to reveal the sign of our arrival at that stage. Your face might not tell your age, but your hands will.
Here are the most common tell-tale signs of ageing manifesting in our hands:
Wrinkles
As we undergo the process of ageing, our hands lose their fat, volume and elasticity. As our skin loses these properties and gets thinner, wrinkles develop and become visible. Wrinkles are the folds or ridges that we see in our skin. The face and hands are among the most vulnerable parts of the body to wrinkles.
While you may not need a hand doctor in Singapore to treat your hand wrinkles, laser treatment and anti-ageing cream are the most common way to eliminate the problem.
Dry skin
Some may not notice it, but dry skin is among the most subtle signs of ageing. As we age, our hands tend to dry more often because it receives sun damage and decreases cell renewal, and when paired with thinning of the skin, it leads to scabs and even woundings. Our hand becomes increasingly fragile. In most cases, moisturisers are the best counter to prevent dryness in your hand’s skin.
Visible veins
As our hands get older, veins become more visible than ever. Veins weaken as more blood gets pooled inside. It increases the vein’s size, enlarging it that seems to be poking out through the skin. Excess weight can also increase the risk of weakening the hand veins.
While one may not need a hand doctor to treat hand veins (unless it causes serious concern), it’s crucial to see a vein doctor instead of paying for laser therapy or surgery.
Age/sun spots
Exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) for an extended period to your skin can leave a different dark patch of shade. In most cases, we often tend to skip our hands when applying sunscreen lotion, and it can lead to UV exposure that leads to age spots.
Loose skin
Loose skin is one of the most apparent and visible signs of ageing. As we age, our hand’s skin leaves a mark of weathering, wounds and scars that we may have accumulated over the years and decades. It leaves the skin to lose more of its protective fat layers, making it more fragile and thinner with a lesser sense of touch. It breaks down its elastic fibres, which cause its surface to sag and stretch.
A hand doctor may not prevent you from having loose skin, but they can help provide treatment should you need surgery due to conditions or injury.
Your Hand Function & Ageing – How It Can Affect You
Hand deterioration is bound to happen, and age-related changes can give way to various hand problems such as:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Trigger finger
Most of these can be painful and can dramatically decrease your hand performance. While hand surgery in Singapore isn’t always necessary for seniors, proper hand care and a healthy lifestyle are always the best remedies for physically healthy hands.
An ageing hand can be evident internally in the body’s skeletal muscle. Many researchers can point out the decrease in muscle strength and mass in seniors compared to younger people. The weakening of the hand is associated with diminishing muscle mass.
On the other hand, tendons may receive a poor blood supply since most can be clogged or pooled inside the vein. It makes your hand less adaptive to environmental stress while diminishing its ability to perform a wide range of joint motions. Some patients need to see a hand doctor for treatment and assistance if they experience associated problems.
Fingernail growth decreases when you age, and physical alterations, such as discolouration and contour changes, become apparent. Fingernails can be prone to fungal infection, and a few cosmetic concerns rise.
In bones and joints, they grow weaker and more delicate to wear down, which is why some seniors are more likely to visit a hand doctor. Morphological and pathological alterations also become more visible due to ageing, leaving your hands prone to arthritis problems. Joint deformities and more restrained motions are common problems among the elderly past 65, where manual activities that require gripping become challenging.
Visiting a hand doctor in a local area can provide a diagnosis for other ageing hand-related conditions that can interfere with your daily life.
Final Thoughts
As we grow older, our mind and body go along with it, and our hand is often the first thing to show you the progress of ageing. We cannot stop this from happening, and at some point, the signs of ageing will reveal themselves to us. Learning how to look after ourselves and visiting a hand doctor can maintain our hands working and functioning for a longer time.
If you are looking for a female hand surgeon in Singapore, visit Advanced Hand, Wrist & Nerve Centre for more info.