Due to aging, seniors need to consider a range of factors concerning their health. Wellness, cognitive ability, immunity, and mobility help in delaying the health issues that they experience.
However, even if seniors take the requisite precautionary measures, they continue to suffer from health problems because of a longer lifespan and the regular physical decline that accompany aging. So, some health problems are natural.
Seniors are advised to remain aware of the risks of common age-related illnesses. These include Alzheimer’s disease, hearing loss, and accidents. More so, they must adopt ways to remain healthy.
A good way to enhancing health is by remaining active via low-impact exercises such as walking. Then, they can thwart depression, anxiety, among other mental disorders. The release of the ‘feel-good’ hormones (or endorphins) due to the body exertion helps to uplift their moods.
Here, we have listed the 12 common health issues that elderly persons experience and the ways of countering them.
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12 Health Issues Faced by Seniors
Arthritis
As per CDC estimates, Arthritis affects 49.6% of adults who are above the age of 65 years. As compared to men, women more commonly suffer from Arthritis, with the risk rising as they age.
Alzheimer’s
In the year 2017, the Alzheimer’s disease claimed the lives of 121,404 persons – as per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In total, Alzheimer’s is pegged to be the sixth top cause of deaths.
Cancer
According to the CDC, Cancer stands second in the list of causes leading to death in people who are above 65 years of age, recording close to 4,28,000 deaths during the year 2017.
Where new cancers are concerned, over two-thirds of cases are reported among persons who are 60 years of age or older.
Diabetes
When accounting for both diagnosed and undiagnosed cases, close to 27% of seniors who are above 65 years old complain of diabetes or approximately 14.3 million.
Dental Problems
In people who are above 65 years, one out of five suffers from untreated tooth decay, around 68% ail from gum diseases, and one out of 5 persons lose their teeth.
Accidents
As per the National Council on Aging, where seniors who are 65 years or above are concerned, one out of 4 seniors fall in any given year; every 11 seconds, a senior person receives treatment for falls in an emergency room; and an elderly person dies due to a fall every 19 minutes.
Heart Diseases
The CDC reports that heart disease is the foremost killer in adults who are above 65 years, having been the cause for 25.1% deaths in the year 2017. They accounted for 24.2% percent and 21.8% percent of male deaths and female deaths respectively.
Respiratory Disorders
Both pneumonia and influenza were recorded to the eighth leading cause of deaths in people aged 65 years and above during the year 2017. In age groups who are 85 years and above, they were the sixth most common disorders. More so, both illnesses caused 46,862 deaths in persons above 65 years.
Hearing
Around 33% of those who are between the age range of 65 to 74 years complain about hearing loss, and more than 50% who are 75 years or above face difficulty in hearing – so says the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Many seniors who are impacted suffer from noise-induced loss coupled with age-related issues.
Obesity
The CDC reports that 43.5% of women and 40.2% of men between the age groups of 65 to 74 suffer from obesity. This means their body mass index is over 24.9%. In age groups who are above 75 years, 32.7 of women and 28% of men are obese.
Shingles
As per the National Institute of Aging, 50% of all adults who are 60 years and older suffer from Shingles. And, by the age of 70 years, their chances of contracting Shingles increase.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis affects women more than men. Women who are above 65 years or older are reported to have osteoporosis of the lumbar spine, neck, and femur. In men, the figure is pegged at 5.1%. One in every two women and one out of four men who are 50 years or above suffer from osteoporosis-linked fractures.
How To Fight Health Risks
Here are some ways to reduce your health risks:
- Abstain from Smoking
- Shed excess weight
- Consume healthy foods
- Socialize
- Take your prescribed medicines
