The Six Most Common Senior Diseases

It’s no secret to any of us that with age comes health problems; some more common and more serious than others. But if you’re wondering which ones are the most likely conditions to be diagnosed, here they are:

Arthritis

With over 100 different forms of arthritis, the usual one seniors suffer with is osteoarthritis. This condition can be the result of age, trauma, or infection of the joint. Pain and stiffness are the results of the disease and unfortunately, both symptoms can worsen over time.

Diabetes The metabolic disorder of Diabetes type 2 (the most common among older people) is characterized by high blood glucose and insulin deficiency. People with Type 2 Diabetes suffer with increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, and fatigue. If untreated, the condition can lead to other problems such as kidney and heart failure.

Alzheimer's Disease This disease is most often diagnosed in seniors over 65 years of age, and older and it is the most common form of dementia; singer Glen Campbel, 75,l was recently diagnosed with it. The course of this illness can be divided into four stages: from early Alzheimer’s to advanced stage. Although there is no cure, some studies suggest that diet, pharmaceutical products, cardiovascular risk, or lack of mind-challenging activities may contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's.

Heart Failure Among its causes among seniors are diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, hypertension, valvular heart disease (involving either/or the aortic and mitral valves on the left and the pulmonary and tricuspid valves on the right), cardiomyopathy (the deterioration of the function of the heart muscle, myocardium) and some other forms of heart disease. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, ankle swelling, and coughing.

Parkinson's Disease This is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that affects motor skills, cognitive processes and other functions. Parkinson’s most often affects people 60 years of age and older, although it can affect younger people, too, like actor Michael J. Fox. The most common symptoms include tremors, joint stiffness, slowness or absence of movement, difficulty with speech and swallowing, as well as fatigue and gait and balance disturbances.

Cancer The latest research points to environmental and lifestyle factors as a leading cause in the development of cancer. Tobacco, diet, inactivity and radiation exposure are the top reasons. Only 5 to ten percent of cancers are the result of genetics.