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Why do you shrink when you get older? Experts explain
專家解惑：為什么人老了會變矮？
Once you become an adult, you typically reach your full height. But your height can change with age, and it's no myth — you shrink with time.
人在成年之時，通常身高會達到頂點。但是你的身高會隨著年齡而改變，年紀大了就會變矮，這并不是什么秘密。
People usually lose about a centimeter in height every 10 years after age 40, according to Medline Plus, and that pace of height loss speeds up after age 70. Overall, you can lose between 1 to 3 inches in height as you age, per Medline Plus.
醫學網站Medline Plus稱，在40歲后每過十年人的身高通常會縮水1厘米左右，70歲后身高縮水速度會加快?？傮w來看，人在年老后身高會縮水1到3英寸（2.5到7.6厘米）。
While age-related height loss is normal, there are times when it's a sign of an underlying health condition.
盡管人老了變矮是正?，F象，但是有時候也預示著潛在的健康問題。
Why do you get shorter as you age?
為什么人老了會變矮？
On a macro level, you get shorter as you age due to changes in the bones, muscles and joints. "There are a few different things going on here," Dr. Angela Catic, a geriatrician and associate professor in the Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor College of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life. One, she says, is that the discs between the vertebrae in your spine lose fluid as you get older. "They become dehydrated and, with that, they lose height — and you lose a bit of height," she says.
從宏觀層面來看，人在衰老時會因為骨骼、肌肉和關節的變化而變矮。美國貝勒醫學院赫芬頓衰老研究中心的老年病學專家、副教授安吉拉·卡蒂克博士告訴雅虎生活頻道：“有幾種不同情況?！币环N情況是，年紀大了以后，脊柱椎間盤所含的液體會減少。她指出：“脊柱椎間盤脫水后會變短，從而讓你變矮?！?/p>
Abdominal muscles also tend to weaken over time, which can create a stooped posture, causing you to appear shorter, Catic says.
卡蒂克說，另一種情況是，腹部肌肉隨著時間流逝會衰弱，從而會導致駝背，讓你看起來更矮。
In women, menopause can speed up bone loss "due to the loss of the protective effects of estrogen on bones," Dr. Arashdeep Litt, an internal medicine physician with Spectrum Health, tells Yahoo Life. That, too, can cause you to get shorter.
健康機構Spectrum Health的內科醫生艾拉什迪普·利特博士告訴雅虎生活頻道，女性絕經會加速骨質流失，因為“雌性激素對骨骼的保護作用減弱了”，這也會令其變矮。
But height loss can also be due to osteoporosis, a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, or when the quality or structure of bone changes, Litt says. That can decrease your bone strength and increase your risk of fractures, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
但是利特指出，變矮也可能是由骨質疏松導致的，骨質疏松指的是骨密度和骨量下降，或骨骼質量或結構發生改變。美國國立衛生研究院稱，這會降低骨骼強度，增加骨折風險。
How to tell the difference between normal height loss and signs of osteoporosis
如何區分正常的身高縮水和骨質疏松癥？
So, how can you know what's behind your shrinking size? Your doctor will suspect osteoporosis if you have an overall height loss of 1.5 inches or more, Litt says. "This much height loss is a sign of osteoporosis and warrants a bone density test," she says.
那么，怎么知道是什么原因導致自己變矮的呢？利特說，如果你身高縮水總量超過1.5英寸（3.8厘米），你的醫生就會懷疑你得了骨質疏松癥。她指出：“身高縮水這么多是骨質疏松的跡象，需要進行骨密度測試?！?/p>
The test can tell how strong your bones are and will determine if you have osteoporosis, as well as your risk of fractures in the future.
這種測試可以測出你的骨強度，并確定你是否有骨質疏松癥，以及未來發生骨折的風險。
How to prevent height loss
如何預防身高縮水
Again, some height loss is normal. But Catic says you can lower your risk of height loss by doing the following:
年紀大了變矮一些是正常的。但是卡蒂克指出，你可以通過做以下幾件事來降低身高縮水風險：
Exercise regularly.
定期鍛煉
Lift weights (this, along with regular exercise, stresses your bones and makes them stronger).
舉重（舉重和定期鍛煉都能強健骨骼）
Eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to support bone health.
攝入有助于骨骼健康的富含鈣和維生素D的膳食
Avoid smoking, excessive alcohol use and excessive caffeine intake — all of which are risk factors for osteoporosis.
避免吸煙、酗酒和過量攝入咖啡因，這些都是導致骨質疏松的風險因素
英文來源：雅虎新聞
翻譯&編輯：丹妮
本文轉載自中國日報網，如有侵權，請聯系我們刪除。
