Health issues in old age

The concept about old age can differ from person to person. But, the definition remains the same. Old age represents the ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings. The regenerative capacity of the body will decline with old age, making you more prone to old age related health issues. There are many studies going on about the various health problems of old age, which is called geriatrics.

 It is important to be prepared to face the various health issues that you may experience as you near your old age. Apart from physical health problems of old age, there will be more mental stress and anxiety due to social reasons.  Knowing the common health problems of old age people will help you to manage your life and lifestyle to reduce its impact. Some planning and preparations can make your old age more beautiful. The ability to deal with health problems of old age will make the task easier.

Here are some of the important health problems of old age that you may have to face once in the future. Know these problems and it will help you to plan for an optimum health.

Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is one of the major health problems of old age people. Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become more fragile. This will increase the chance of fracture due the decreased bone density. The risk for osteoporosis is more in women after menopause.

Macular Degeneration: Vision deterioration is one of the most common health problems of old people.  This condition is called macular degeneration, which will make old age more difficult.  The macula, which helps to sense and transmit images to the brain, will be affected.

Hearing Loss: Hearing loss is an important issue that many senior citizens face. The most common form of age-related hearing loss is presbycusis. Older people may need a hearing aid because the ability to hear high frequency sound may decrease over time.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma is one among the health problems of old age people, which is due to an increase in the fluid pressure inside the eye. This increased pressure will cause damage to the optic nerve resulting in loss of vision.

Alzheimer's disease: Alzheimer's disease is another serious issue in the list of health problems of old age. Once you get Alzheimer’s disease, your ability to remember and think will be affected. Memory lapse is the common problem that will be noted in the early stage.

Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive impairment will cause memory loss and your ability to correlate things and doing calculations will get decreased over time.  The affected person will be confused and the ability to take up more than one task at a time will be affected.

Incontinence: Urinary incontinence is one of the most annoying health problems of old age people.  Women are most likely to have this condition due the decreased strength of pelvic muscle. Men who have enlarged prostate may also experience this difficulty.

Arthritis: Arthritis is a common condition that almost all old people have to face. This is mainly an autoimmune disease, which is characterized by joint pain and deformities. Arthritis commonly affects fingers, hips, knees, wrists, and spine.

Metabolic syndrome: Obesity and other related issues during old age are mainly due to metabolic syndrome. This may further lead to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and high blood pressure.

Emotional disturbances: Health problems of old age are not limited to physical disabilities. Old age can affect your mental status also by various social aspects. This may create discomfort both to you and your family.