Helen Salisbury: Is this just normal for my age, Doctor?

We slow down as we age. Most of us become less fit and less flexible. Eventually, our memory fades along with our sight and hearing, until we reach the last of Shakespeare’s seven ages—a “second childishness and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”1Long before this final stage, however, it’s common for people to visit their doctor and ask, “Is there something wrong, or am I just getting old?” Their worries may be about loss of stamina, increased breathlessness, or problems with continence or sexual function. Whether they seek advice at all will depend on their expectations, driven by the experiences of their family and the people around them. And such experiences vary hugely across the wealth divide, so women living in the least deprived areas of England can expect nearly 20 years more of healthy life than those in the most deprived.2My practice serves a mixed…
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