Skip to main content

Commonest Elderly Health Concerns

There is a common saying that as we get older we get wiser but old age is also accompanied by number of inevitable ailments. To ensure elders safety, go through this list of some common ailments affecting the elders. By identifying the signs and symptoms you will be able to provide them with proper care.

Degenerative diseases of the nervous system – Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Dementia are some of the common degenerative ailments affecting the elderly. Memory loss, shakiness, body stiffness and speech problems are some of the common symptoms. These patients may need very special care and everyday assistance for them to lead a normal life. Geriatric home healthcare  will bring the patient a lot of relief and convenience and will make life easier for you also.

Incontinence – This is one of the most common age-related ailments – the person loses bladder control and hence urinates on themselves. Contrary to popular belief, this can be treated and managed.

Hypertension – In this condition high pressure is exerted in the blood vessels causing the heart to function harder. This eventually affects the kidneys, heart and brain. There is a high increase in the frequency of hypertension patients above the age of 60 years. Hypertension is also related to heart diseases.

Diabetes – Elders are commonly affected by Type 2 Diabetes. Although it cannot be cured there are plenty of options to manage this condition. This is a state where blood glucose levels become high. Some of the common symptoms include weight loss, blurred vision, slowing healing of wounds and bruises and frequent urination.

Heart Diseases – Heart diseases occur when the arteries get deposited with fat and it disrupts the smooth flow of blood causing the heart to over-work. The most common type of heart disease in seniors is angina. It is a mild chest pain. The pain arises when the person performs activities such as lifting objects or climbing steps. Angina is not life threatening but is a clear indication of an upcoming heart attack and a medical attention is necessary.

Bed sores – Aged people tend to lie or sit for too long and this leads to bed sores. Bed sores are reddish patches commonly seen on shoulder blades, back of head, buttocks, side of knees and heels. It occurs when the blood supply to these areas become low. In order to prevent bed sores you need to make sure that the person shifts frequently while he/she is resting.

Ulcers and Intestinal Disorders – Seniors are vulnerable to gastric and intestinal ulcers with peptic ulcers being the most common one. Certain medications, such as those for heart disease and hypertension can aggravate ulcers. Therefore people having gastro-intestinal disorders need to follow a special diet to manage the condition.

Depression – Apart from physical ailment, elders are frequently affected by psychological disorders such as depression. Loneliness, traumatic events and the inability to lead an active life can push elders into depression.

These are some of the most common ailments seen in senior citizens. Aging-related disease is a nightmare for elders as well for their care-takers. A proper care of elderly patient  is necessary to avoid senior health risk.

Keep a watch for these symptoms because an early detection can help in curing or managing the condition. If you have a relative or a loved one suffering from age-related illnesses check out geriatric home healthcare facilities to ensure better care for them.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Indian Budget Session and how it affects Senior Living

Budget 2019 was expected to bring in a slew of benefits for both seniors and healthcare in India. It did bring in a brief respite by increasing the income tax slab for seniors and pensioners.     How Indian budget 2019 benefits seniors?   Yes, senior citizens above 60 years with an income up to Rs 3,00,000 per annum will pay 0% income tax. Elders above 80 need not pay income tax up to Rs.5,00,000 income p.a. category. Senior citizens between 60-80 years should pay 5% tax if their income p.a. is between Rs. 3,00,000 to 5,00,000. This would accrue a savings of Rs. 2575/-. Super Seniors aged 80 and above will pay 5% income tax if their income is between Rs. 5,00,000 to 10,00,000. This will give them a sizeable savings of Rs.7,725/-.   Apart from this, the TDS limit has been increased for senior citizens from bank and post office deposits. The TDS threshold has been increased from Rs.10,000 to 40,000. This means even without submitting Form15G, sen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ayurvedic treatment for paralysis

Ayurveda is originated in India and it is the most popular holistic form of medicines that people trust rapidly. It is nothing but the herbal science. It is a combination of two Sanskrit words, ‘Ayur’ means life and ‘veda’ means knowledge so it means knowledge of life. By using Ayurvedic medicines, one can naturally get a cure for their diseases. Paralysis is a loss of muscles function which causes weakness on one side of the body. In Ayurveda, Paralysis is known as Pakshaghat that is associated with doshas of Pitta and Vatta. It is observed that at acute paralytic stage, the care is done in hospitals and once the patient is discharged, Ayurvedic treatment for paralysis should be initiated at the earliest. It has shown better results and speedy recovery of patients. Causes of Paralysis What causes paralysis? Stroke is the major cause of this problem. Other causes are trauma such as a broken or severed spinal cord, or direct trauma to a nerve and environmental factors ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Glaucoma in Seniors: Symptoms, treatments and Prevention

Glaucoma is an umbrella term used for a cluster of diseases that can damage your eye’s optic nerve. This damage can further lead to irreversible vision-related issues. In a few cases glaucoma can lead to total blindness.   Citing the Glaucoma week observed between 7th to 13th March, here is an attempt to shed more light on this blinding condition. Stay with us till the end of the blog as we give a complete round up of the glaucoma causes, glaucoma types, glaucoma treatment, best foods for eyesight and more.     What causes glaucoma?   The damage of the optic nerve. There are various types of glaucoma and all of them are linked to the damage of the optic nerve that connects and sends images to the brain. The aqueous humor, the eye fluid that is responsible to provide nutrition to the eyes and manages the eye pressure, flows through the mesh-like channel.   For unknown reasons this channel gets blocked or fails to pass the fluid as the eye starts producing more of...
Post a Comment
Read more