Golden Years Sometimes Bring Tears

Age-wise, I am in a sweet spot dubbed ‘the golden years’. The term was first coined in a 1959 ad for Sun City, Arizona, considered the first active adult retirement community. The phrase is supposed to conjure images of retirement, leisure time, relaxation, enjoyment of life – a stretch of time before the ailments and illnesses of old age prevail, limiting or eliminating active, fun time. 

What I am learning as I march into my sunset years is that an email does NOT appear one day to announce: OK, gal, you’re now OLD. Rather, ailments creep up on you – maybe not you, but definitely on me. One day I feel fine, one day I AM fine, and the next day something is not quite right.

My latest problem is, according to my doctor, an allergy. To what I have no idea. I never had an allergy. Until now.

I am fine, and then suddenly my eyes tear and redden, my nose runs, I sneeze. Then symptoms disappear. I tested to find out if the problem was my soap, makeup, shampoo…nothing made a difference. After months of this on-and-off scenario it was time for a professional opinion.

The diagnosis: I probably have an allergy to something (Eureka!). I am trying an over-the-counter antihistamine, and if that does not work will add a prescription med. 

What is going on? Why am I turning into a weak-bodied specimen?

Apparently I am not alone. There has been a world-wide increase in allergies among folks over 50 in the past few decades. So many older people succumb to allergies that WHO, the World Health Organization, has classified the trend an ‘epidemic’ of the 21^st century.

Reasons for the rise in allergies include:

• Environmental, such as climate change and pollution.
• The immune system and tissue structure changes as we age, and a consequence can be increased sensitivity to allergy-producing agents, such as foods and whatever is in the air we breathe.
• Stress. Although not a direct cause of allergies, stress can intensify them.

All this information is interesting but not helpful to my situation. On doctor’s orders I am to keep a diary of my allergy episodes, in the hopes that eventually a commonality will be found (another Eureka moment!).  Otherwise I will walk around forever wearing dark glasses as tears stream down my face and I bump into people and objects because my sight is impaired, while folks wonder – what is wrong with that old lady?

To be continued, eventually, for better or worse.