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With the number of people over 85 set to triple by 2050, it’s important that we are aware of elderly sicknesses. The main health concerns are age-related diseases, which include high blood pressure and cholesterol, which often go undiagnosed. Other health problems in older adults include cataracts, a condition that causes clouding of the eye lens, and glaucoma. Other health issues such as dementia are also common. Arthritis is an illness that causes pain and stiffness in the joints. It is a chronic condition that can affect the whole body, including the skin, eyes and heart. Although arthritis is a common complaint in older people, there are things that can be done to make it less of an issue. For example, encouraging your loved one to eat a healthy diet will help, as excessive weight can put pressure on the bones and joints. Keeping your loved ones active is also important, as this will reduce joint stiffness and pain. The results of the SLCDC survey (after controlling for sex, BMI, education, type of arthritis, number of painful joints and disease duration) show that, contrary to expectations, old adults with arthritis are not more likely to report worse outcomes than younger adults with arthritis. Diabetes is the commonest metabolic long term condition in elderly people, who are at greater risk of vascular complications than other age groups. This leads to a greater rate of disability and institutionalisation in this population. Older people can also experience episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) which cause shakiness, dizziness and confusion. This can be treated quickly by consuming something sweet like a sugary drink or glucose tablets. The management of diabetes in older people requires a holistic approach that includes screening for diabetic retinopathy, foot care and adequate control of blood pressure and lipids. Geriatric assessments on admission to care homes, with a designated member of the care team to coordinate metabolic monitoring and liaise with diabetes specialist nurses and other professionals, can help to deliver improved outcomes. Pneumonia affects all age groups, but people over 65 are at higher risk. Signs and symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Mild pneumonia is often compared to the flu and is sometimes called “walking pneumonia”. Elderly people may also have a high fever or chest pain, cough with mucus that doesn’t go away, or appear breathless. If they experience these symptoms, they should seek medical care immediately. Bacterial pneumonia is usually caused by bacteria and can be life-threatening if it’s not treated right away. It can happen to people of any age, but a person is at greater risk for getting bacterial pneumonia if they are debilitated, smoking or abusing alcohol, recovering from surgery or coping with an illness that restricts oxygen to the lungs, such as a heart or lung condition. Blood pressure, or hypertension, affects the heart and blood vessels. It can cause a number of problems, including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. The top number when taking your blood pressure, called systolic, shows the pressure of blood while the heart is pumping blood, while the bottom number, diastolic, indicates the pressure of blood between beats. The lower the numbers are, the better. Researchers believe that the risk of high blood pressure increases with ageing. It also depends on family history, gender and race. Women are more likely to get it after menopause and black people tend to have a higher rate than whites. It can also be caused by a range of medical conditions and medications. These include diuretics (water pills), which help the body eliminate salt, and drugs such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs or calcium-channel blockers, which relax constricted blood vessels.
The condition affects motor neurones - specialised nerve cells that send electrical signals to muscles. This means they weaken and waste over time, causing weakness that gets worse. It can lead to difficulties with movement, swallowing and breathing. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ot7rsuTHh17JKFrE6 It usually appears in people aged 60-79 and there are four different types - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive muscular atrophy, progressive bulbar palsy and primary lateral sclerosis. Symptoms usually come on slowly. https://maps.app.goo.gl/xnG5gqtG5ZhpzJQi6 This means that people often do not realise what is happening, and they put their symptoms down to being clumsy, feeling stressed or getting older. There are no specific tests for this disease, but your doctor may refer you to a brain and nervous system specialist (neurologist). They will diagnose you based on the history and physical examination and some specialised tests. |
