LITERATURE

MEDICAL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ELDERLY

ELDERLY

Medical problems in the elderly can involve any organ system in the body. Most conditions result from decreased function or degeneration of the involved organ.
There is something fascinating about growing old. For some people this is a graceful and relaxing experience, while for others it can be quite terrifying. As the old saying goes: With age comes wisdom, and this can help to make the older generation finally come to realize that the most precious things in this life are their family and friends. After all, when the long years of employment are finally over, this should be the time for those in their golden years to enjoy all that they have worked so hard to build. Sadly, not all senior citizens get to see their labor come to fruition because of a health condition.

DISEASES/CONDITIONS
Most commonly encountered medical conditions in seniors are listed below: Alzheimer and Dementia Parkinson disease Cancer Heart disease Arthritis Vision and eye disease Diabetes Sleep disorders Depression Hearing loss Lung disease

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Although there are a number of maladies that typically affect those people 55 years and older, there are five that are quite prevalent in this age group.
These are: 1. Parkinsons Failure - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder which can affect people who are at least sixty years of age, although it can be seen in younger groups too. Parkinsons involves the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in the brain, called neurons.

2.

Heart failure - Heart Failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through the heart to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. Heart failure usually results in an enlarged heart.

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3. Cancer - this is the unrestrained growth of certain cells in the body. Sometimes this involves the invasion of other cells which can spread to other parts of the body. ancer, also called malignancy, is an abnormal growth of cells. There are more than 100 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma.

4. Alzheimer - This is the most widespread form of dementia, and is, unfortunately, incurable. In most cases, this particular malady is found in people at least 65 years of age, but there are rare examples of seniors who have been diagnosed before this time frame. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life.

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5. Arthritis - Arthritis, which involves damage to the joints in the human body and is seen most often in elderly patients. he word arthritis comes from the Greek arthron meaning "joint" and the Latin itis meaning "inflammation". The plural of arthritis is arthritides.