Elderly health problems – Aging comes with its own challenges; with the increase of seniors by the year, it’s vital to understand these challenges and be conversant with the preventive measures that will help your loved ones, or you age gracefully.  

Here is a guide to medical conditions that affect the elderly

HYPERTENSION

This is a long-term condition where blood pressure is always high. Most elders have high blood pressure, but it’s hard for one to know unless you have your blood pressure checked.

Its symptoms are barely existent. The only moment you can notice it is when your blood pressure has risen to a dangerous level.

DIABETES

According to the CDC estimation, 25% of the elderly are suffering from diabetes. You can find out if you have diabetes by doing some tests on your blood for sugar levels. The earlier you notice you have diabetes, the better to proceed with some adjustments to your diet.

OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis contributes to being immobile and somehow disabled if you fall, incurring a fracture. With this condition, your bone quality is reduced. They tend to become fragile and porous. You will not experience any symptoms until the occurrence of a fracture, and then you will start experiencing pain and height loss over time.

BLADDER AND KIDNEY PROBLEMS

As you age, so does your body organs, and the bladder and kidney are no exception. The kidneys’ tissues will decrease, blood filtration becomes slow due to the hardened blood vessels supplying to the kidney and nephrons decreases too, the bladder muscles weaken, the urethra can be blocked, bladder walls changes and all these lead to bladder and urinary tract infections, bladder control issues, and chronic kidney disease.

Contact your doctor as soon as you start experiencing 3 of the above symptoms.

GLAUCOMA

This is a disease of the eyes, and it destroys the optic nerve leading to blindness and vision loss. It’s one of the leading legal blindness cause in New Jersey, which is mostly caused by fluid buildup (aqueous humor). When this fluid is overproduced, the eye pressure increases, leading to optic nerve deterioration. There are 6 types of Glaucoma.

Symptoms include; eye pain, blurred vision, Nausea and vomiting, severe headache, patchy blind spots, and eye redness.

Glaucoma leads to irreversible blindness if untreated, so you might want to see the doctor as soon as you start experiencing Blurred vision, eye pain, and severe headache.

DEPRESSION

This is common among the elderly, but it is not a normal aging part. Elderly health problems, As a matter of fact, studies indicate that most older people are satisfied with their lives.

The most common symptoms are; constant sadness, weight change, insomnia, fidgeting, constant worries, frequent tearfulness, withdrawal from social activities, etc.

Depression in older adults can be treated in many ways, including;

Medication; where antidepressants can be prescribed hence relieving depression symptoms

Support groups; to get social support and be able to talk without fear of criticism

Psychotherapy; will help in thinking patterns elimination.

Change of lifestyle, including exercise, healthy diet, and social circle in your daily activities.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

This is a brain disorder that is both progressive and irreversible; it leads to brain cells’ destruction, hence poor thinking capabilities and low memory. Symptoms are commonly experienced in the early 60s, and they include; memory loss, vision loss, indecisiveness, items misplacement, rambling speech, and trouble sleeping.

They develop radically, getting worse as time goes by, and at its late-stage (7^th), people who have Alzheimer’s cannot converse or even respond to the surroundings.

A cure has not yet been discovered, but you can treat the symptoms, but this will not stop it from going to the next stage. They just slow the worsening of the symptoms.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

It is associated with the accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries and blood clots at high risk.

As you age, your blood vessels and heart tend to stiffen, which later n leads to heart conditions like atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Its cause is not yet defined, but these are some of the risk factors that can increase the chances of contracting it; smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, inactivity, inheritance, and alcohol.

Leading a healthy life can help reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease. Be healthy.

It is safe to say that aging affects the cardiovascular system.