In an interview on dzMM's "Magandang Gabi Dok," Dr. Marc Evans Abat of the Center for Healthy Aging at The Medical City explained that the right attitude can play a big role in maintaining a person's health.
"Attitude ang isa sa mga main reasons diyan eh. Hindi lang siya physical. You can always have 'yung physical attributes na 'yun eh, maaring malusog ka, pero kung wala sa isip mo ang mabuhay ng aktibo, sayang ang kalusugan mo. Whereas kahit may sakit ka, nama-manage mo ang sakit mo, at the same time, aktibo ang isip mo and gusto mong mabuhay, at gusto mo mabuhay ng aktibo, magagawa mo ang gusto mo," Abat told host Nina Corpuz.
Pope Francis lost one of his lungs due to an infection when he was a teenager.
For Abat, the pontiff's attitude and good disposition helped him maintain good health.
"Mas mababa ang capacity ng baga ni Pope Francis kaysa sa kaedad niya na dalawa ang baga," he added.
However, the elderly should also take additional precautions to protect themselves from infection, one of the most common afflictions that affect senior citizens.
"Habang tumatanda ka, dumadami ang risk factors sa pagkakasakit. Ang baga, nagkakaroon ng changes due to exposure to different things, o kaya kung naninigarilyo ka, magsusustain ka ng damage, o kaya pollution," Abat said.
Abat also advised those who have old relatives to watch out for symptoms of infections, since they are different from symptoms exhibited by young people.
"Ibang-iba ang representasyon ng sakit sa matatanda kaysa sa mga bata," he said, adding that old people tend to feel weak or lose their appetite when they are sick.
Pope Francis, at 78 years old, showed no signs of slowing down during his five-day apostolic visit to the Philippines.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
