Life expectancies have been increasing in recent decades, and this is something to celebrate. However, aging typically comes with managing acute and chronic health issues. Making lifestyle changes, seeing the right doctors, taking the prescribed medication, and living an active life can all help. It pays for loved ones to learn how to identify common health concerns in seniors so they can get them the help they need.
Arthritis
Arthritis is arguably the most common condition in those aged over 65. Arthritis is characterized by swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. This is accompanied by stiffness, pain, loss of mobility, and inflammation.
Apart from the pain and inflammation, arthritis is a danger because it can lead to reduced activity. This, in turn, leads to weight gain and other conditions. It is, therefore, important that you talk to your doctor to come up with a personalized treatment and management plan. Also, talk to them about an activity plan so you can maintain an active lifestyle with arthritis.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s accounts for a significant percentage of deaths of people over 65 in the United States. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder whose diagnosis is very challenging. It can be confused with other dementias, with its main symptoms including changes in behavior, memory issues, and reasoning challenges.
Being a progressive disease means it worsens over time and many families end up needing help with the day-to-day care of their loved ones. The best way to get this care is through dedicated memory care facilities like Parc Provence, which have dedicated staff who specialize in taking care of memory care residents. They also provide proven memory and cognitive therapies to ensure your loved one lives a full life.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition that causes the bones to become brittle and therefore weaker. It happens when there is an imbalance between bone resorption and formation. This disease is very dangerous because a person cannot feel their bones get weaker, but they will find out what has happened when one of their bones fractures unexpectedly.
Women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis as they lose a significant amount of bone material after menopause. Because of how it develops and how devastating it can be, women should get tested if they have back pain that won’t go away or a stooped posture.
The good news is that there are interventions that can reduce bone loss and even encourage bone formation. Just know that both will happen slower in seniors due to biological reasons.
Diabetes
Although it is common in people of different ages, there is a disproportionate number of seniors with diabetes. The Endocrine Society estimates that as many as 33% of people aged 65% and over in the United States have diabetes.
Diabetes can present with different symptoms, but it is identified best using a blood glucose test. Getting tested early and often if you are at risk is the best way to know if you have the condition early. This allows you to manage it much better from the onset.
Conclusion
Although seniors do different from the same conditions and illnesses the rest of the people do, they are much more likely to do so. To ensure proper management, they and their loved ones should learn how to identify these conditions and illnesses.
