If you are 60+, with no chronic (recurring) Disease, congratulations. You owe yourself a pat in the back. You have done well. Either you have good genes or had very boring youthful years. LOL!

Other seniors are not doing so well. Data from the National Council on Aging show that 92% of seniors have, at least, one chronic disease and 77 percent have two.

These days, Americans are living longer. Yet, these most Common Health Issues continue to hound them, threatening their health and well-being.

Most Common Health Issues Affecting the Elderly

A survey done by the CDC show that 41% of people over 65 say their health is good to excellent. But that does not mean they do not have or are not suffering from any of the following common elderly health issues:

1.  Arthritis:

In simplest terms, arthritis is “painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints.”

But there is nothing simple about arthritis. They come and go and can be mild, moderate or severe. But when they come, they cause acute pain, swelling, stiffness, and cause decreased mobility.

Marie Bernard, MD, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland, said: “Arthritis is probably the number one condition that people aged 65 or older contend with.” 

But it can be managed by working closely with your doctor.

2.  Heart Disease:

This health issue is of major concern among patients and doctors because it kills. And it kills silently. In fact, it is among the top two consistent killers among people aged 65 and above. It is responsible for 489,722 deaths in 2014, according to the CDC

Heart disease or cardiovascular disease (CVD), is a class of disease involving the heart or blood vessels. It includes CAD (coronary artery diseases) such as angina, myocardial infarction (commonly called a heart attack), coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery diseases, etc.

Records from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics show that 37% of men and 26% of women have a heart disease due to age-related risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

3.  Cancer:

Cancer is the third of the most common health issues of the elderly but the second cause of death among people aged 65 and above.

For example, in 2014, 413,885 Americans aged 65 and above, died from cancer as 28% of men and 21% of women are afflicted by it.

Among the more than 100 types of cancer, the most common are breast cancer, lung cancer and, prostate cancer. And, contrary to popular belief, they don’t always lead to death. If detected early, they can be treated and possibly cured.

4.  Respiratory Disease:

Respirator disease is a disease that affects the lungs and other parts of the respiratory system, i.e., respiratory tract, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleura, and pleural cavity, etc., causing health issues like asthma,   COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), fibrosis, pneumonia, and lung cancer.

Respiratory diseases are the third most common cause of death among people 65 and above, with 124,693 deaths in 2014. And, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 10 percent of men and 11 percent of women have asthma, 10 percent and 11 percent have chronic bronchitis or emphysema.

Though these diseases increase the risk of getting pneumonia, working closely with your doctor and taking the recommended medications can reduce the risk.

5.  Alzheimer’s Disease:

In 2014, 92,604 people aged 65 and above died from Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, until they become severe to interfere with daily tasks.

The disease is not a normal part of aging but a major risk factor for elderly people. In fact, about 11 percent of people aged 65 and above have Alzheimer’s but are unaware of their medical condition because detection is difficult. Early signs are always aken as results of getting old.

6.  Osteoporosis:

Osteoporosis (porous bone) is a disease that makes bones brittle and fragile from loss of tissue due to hormonal changes, or calcium or vitamin D deficiency. It is a serious health issue because it raises the risk of bone breakage due to falls.

People with osteoporosis can become less mobile because of the risk of disability due to falls or the more serious collapse of the vertebral bodies (thick oval segment of bone forming the front vertebra, also called the centrum).

Figures from the National  Osteoporosis Foundation, show 54 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis.

7.  Diabetes:

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar), is too high.

Per CDC, 25% of people 65 and above have diabetes and it caused the deaths of 54,161 elderly people in 2014.

Diabetes is a wasting and an incurable disease but it can be managed. The key is to have a regular blood sugar level test. The sooner you know that have it or are at risk, the better.

8.  Influenza and Pneumonia:

Influenza and pneumonia are respiratory diseases but occupy a slot of their own among the major health issues of elderly people because they are among the eight major causes of deaths among people in the 65 and above bracket.

They are not chronic but contagious and elderly people are vulnerable to them because their immune system is less capable to fight them off.

9.  Falls:

Falls are not health issues but health risks because a fall can lead to something more serious to an elderly’s health and well-being.

Seniors are particularly vulnerable to falls because of poor balance and eyesight. In fact, 2.5 million seniors each year are admitted to emergency rooms due to falls. And, a study in 2015 and published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine, show that one-third of elderly people admitted to emergency rooms for falls will again fall within a year.

10.  Substance abuse:

Substance abuse, like alcohol and tobacco, is not a health issue, per se, but could lead to serious health risks associated with intoxication and addiction.

Data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions show that one in five of people over 65 had substance abuse problems at some point in their lives.

Scary? Not quite. They are not that serious as you think. Even heart disease, cancer or diabetes cannot always lead to certain death. If detected early, all of them can be cured or mitigated. You may still enjoy your retirement for many more years. But you need to see your doctor regularly.

While there are no hard and fast rules, people between 65 and 70 should see a doctor at least once a year. Those between 70 and 80, twice.

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~oOo~

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