Disease is something that can strike anyone at any time, and often when they least expect it. It can be a relatively mild inconvenience or something that causes life-altering or even life-ending consequences. Unfortunately, the odds of people developing certain diseases increase as they age. You have the gift of living a longer life, but it also means you are more likely to experience health issues. So, which diseases and health issues are associated with aging? Let’s take a look at three common ones.
Dementia
Dementia is one that most people know about and tend to understand that the risk of developing it does increase with age. But did you know that under the term dementia, there are 80 different types? Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia, as is vascular dementia, Parkinson’s, and frontotemporal dementia to name a few.
If you sometimes forget things, get confused here and there and have an issue communicating, you may ask “am I showing signs of dementia” and feel a bit concerned. The problem is that these signs are also part of aging, so they don’t necessarily mean you have dementia. If you’re showing early warning signs, the best plan is to speak to your doctor so a treatment plan can be made.
Dementia is a progressive disease, which means it will get worse over time, and there is no cure. A dementia diagnosis is one that your entire family will need to know about, as they will likely be involved in your care as the disease progresses.
Hearing Loss
Here’s another health issue that becomes more common as you age. While it’s true that you can suffer hearing loss at any age, roughly one in three people age 65 and older have some form of hearing loss. That doesn’t mean they are deaf; it just means it is starting to get harder for them to hear. Generally speaking, hearing loss starts with high-pitched sounds being harder to hear. This could include simple household items like the microwave beeping, a phone ringing or even a doorbell.
Age-related hearing loss can be treated with such things as assistive devices, hearing aids and even learning speechreading. Hearing loss tends to be gradual and affects both ears, and it’s not something you can reverse.
Cataracts
Sight can also suffer as you age, with the most common issue being cataracts. Cataracts make it difficult for people to see depth and people often describe their vision as hazy or blurry. It can affect one or both eyes, and it progresses over time. A cloud forms on the eye’s lens and can lead to blindness if not addressed. It’s important to note that this doesn’t just affect seniors; it just becomes more common with age. According to the CDC, 17.2% of people aged 40 suffer from cataracts.
If you are diagnosed with cataracts, you will likely be recommended to get surgery. The good news is that the surgery is relatively simple and quick, and the recovery is fast. During the procedure, the cloudy lens is removed so vision is restored.
Seniors must stay on top of their health, address any concerns they may have, and keep up with regular doctor visits so that diseases and health issues can be treated.
