Most Common Old Age Diseases, Reasons, Symptoms, Care: List of the disease of old age, including, ailments, illnesses, disorders maladies, and diseases associated with old age. While many of the diseases related to old age have only been suggested through correlation, a few diseases are caused by old age and do not exist without this risk factor. Among other possible diseases, old age can lead to harmful conditions.
Those conditions include:
- Vision changes/cataracts
- Arthritis
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes
- Cancer
1. Vision Changes/Cataracts, Glaucoma, And Macular Degeneration
Before an individual turns 50, the eyes have started to change. As they age, the eyes become less able to produce tears, the retinas thin, and the lenses slowly turn yellow and become less clear. As aging progresses, The three most common diseases related to aging eyes are cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
A cataract is a clouding of the lens that affects vision. Glaucoma the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, which can lead to vision loss or blindness if not treated. Age-related macular degeneration causes no pain but slowly robs an individual of his/her clear, central vision.
2. Arthritis
This chronic disease is an irritation of the joints. The most common type is osteoarthritis, and although it can arise in any joint, it most often affects the knees, hands, hips, or spine. It can occur due to lack of vitamin D, calcium, physical activity, hormonal changes, or diseases such as hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism.
The accurate cause is not known. Although it occurs after substantial wear and tears on the joints. Heavy wear and tear alone cannot cause it to occur. It is believed that the disease runs in families.
3. Cardiovascular Disease
With age, the heart becomes less efficient and must work harder to circulate blood throughout the body. Blood vessels lose their elasticity. The loss of elasticity, along with atherosclerosis makes the arteries inflexible, which forces the heart to work harder. This process leads to high blood pressure.
Heart disease is caused by disorders of the heart and blood vessels. It is the main cause of death worldwide. Around 87% of coronary heart disease deaths are found among 60 years and older. It includes raised blood pressure, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, and heart failure.
4. Diabetes
Diabetic is a metabolic illness in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not generate or react to blood insulin. In old age, other risk factors for diabetes include being overweight, not getting enough exercise, high blood pressure, and a family history of diabetes. It is incurable but can be controlled through changes in diet, lifestyle, and medication.
Also Read: Best Diet for 60 Years Old Women, Dieting After 60
5. Cancer
This disease evokes universal fear when mentioned, and while it strikes people of all ages, adults are more likely to get cancer as they age. Cancer is a term for a group of more than a hundred diseases involving unregulated cell growth. Though cancer can affect all age groups, cancers of the prostate, colon, and breast are the most common among the elderly.