Senior Health: Top 10 Health Issues Seniors Face

Seniors Exercising

No doubt, each stage of life brings its own set of challenges. As people reach their senior years, they face health challenges. So, it’s quite important to keep ourselves healthy so that when we enter into senior citizenship, we don’t face many health challenges.

It’s quite obvious people of all ages benefit from healthy lifestyle choices such as remaining active, engaging in a regular aerobic activity, following a balanced diet and staying tobacco-free. And, this is especially important for those people who are entering into their golden years. Here we have listed health challenges faced by seniors these days:

• Common Illnesses - Influenza and Pneumonia: As you age, your immune system grows stronger; however at the age of 65 your immune system starts to weaken. When this happens, you become more susceptible to common illnesses – pneumonia and influenza.

• Arthritis: This chronic condition is painful which makes it difficult to maintain an active lifestyle and so it makes sense to seek help from your physician. The doctor will help you discover a level of activity which alleviates symptoms.

• Cognitive Health Issues: If you face cognitive health concerns, it’s quite imperative to talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes to help reduce this risk such as: quitting smoking, improving diet and following a regular exercise regimen.

• Eyesight Issues: Your annual wellness checkups should include an eye exam. These are the symptoms that indicate you need to visit the doctor quickly, including – narrowed vision, cloudy vision, double vision, sudden redness in your eyes or unable to see colors.

• Diabetes: Your annual wellness check gives you a perfect opportunity for blood tests to diagnose and begin treating the disease. 

• Heart Disease: The common causes of this heart disease include obesity, high cholesterol, smoking, blood pressure and diabetes. Though heart disease affects so many Americans, healthy lifestyle choices help prevent it.

• Mental Illness: Depression is common among seniors but it is fairly treatable. So, talk to your doctor if you experience signs of depression.

• Osteoporosis: As people age, bone growth slows and this results in bone breaking. When a bone breaks, healing takes much longer.

• Respiratory Illness: This disease increases your risk of contracting pneumonia and influenza. If you receive this diagnosis, work with your doctor to treat your condition.

• Physical Injuries: The fourth leading cause of death among seniors is an accidental injury. This is due to reduced balance and flexibility but also to arthritis and osteoporosis. Once again you need to follow a healthier lifestyle which includes regular exercise that helps protect you from falls and other accidents as it improves balance, flexibility and strength.