Geriatric diseases are not the same as the standard diseases faced by an elderly.
There are some common diseases which affect a frail and aging body of an elderly.
For example, kidney impairment is a normal part of aging; but diseases like kidney failure and urinary incontinence are not.
The diseases that are not a part of normal aging, and increase the effects of aging fall into the group of geriatric diseases.
What are the most common geriatric diseases? Let us look at the list and get a detailed idea: Alzheimer's disease This disease is the result of dying nerve cells in the brain of an elderly.
How can we differentiate it from other forms of dementia? The brain of an affected person, when subjected to microscopic examination, shows signs of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Like any other major disease, the Alzheimer's disease has some specific symptoms.
Some of these symptoms are problems with language, problems with abstract thinking, sudden changes in mood or personality, and inability to recognize familiar faces.
Age-related Macular Degeneration Age-related macular degeneration or AMD affects the central vision of an elderly.
The chances of an elderly with AMD going blind are rare.
However, this disease makes it hard to do tasks (like reading and driving) that need a clear central vision.
There are two types of AMD - dry AMD and wet AMD.
The major symptoms of AMD are straight lines appearing wavy, blurred central vision, difficulty in recognizing faces, and rapid loss of central vision.
Osteoarthritis This disease is a severe form of arthritis where cartilages in a joint start breaking down.
Like AMD, there are two types of osteoarthritis - primary osteoarthritis (when there is an unknown cause) and secondary osteoarthritis (when the cause is another disease).
In most cases, the cause of osteoarthritis is either a genetic defect, obesity or a significant injury.
The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint stiffness, joint pain, limited joint movement, and grinding of joints.
Clinical Depression Clinical depression is not similar to the depression bouts we experience from ordinary problems.
This disease gets considered as a serious medical condition in the United States.
Decreased energy, social withdrawal, excessive crying, changes in sleep patterns, and thoughts of suicide are the most common symptoms of clinical depression.
As every person is different, many factors come into consideration during the treatment.
Although antidepressant medicines can cure this disease, care and affection are the best therapies.
Conclusion The geriatric diseases were not so common even a century back.
As we embrace modernism, we are more prone to encounter these diseases.
This is the reason geriatric doctors and caregivers must have expert knowledge to deal with complex situations.
They can take help of tools like Geriatric Electronic Health Records (EHR) software that can make their task smoother, faster and more accurate.
There are some common diseases which affect a frail and aging body of an elderly.
For example, kidney impairment is a normal part of aging; but diseases like kidney failure and urinary incontinence are not.
The diseases that are not a part of normal aging, and increase the effects of aging fall into the group of geriatric diseases.
What are the most common geriatric diseases? Let us look at the list and get a detailed idea: Alzheimer's disease This disease is the result of dying nerve cells in the brain of an elderly.
How can we differentiate it from other forms of dementia? The brain of an affected person, when subjected to microscopic examination, shows signs of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
Like any other major disease, the Alzheimer's disease has some specific symptoms.
Some of these symptoms are problems with language, problems with abstract thinking, sudden changes in mood or personality, and inability to recognize familiar faces.
Age-related Macular Degeneration Age-related macular degeneration or AMD affects the central vision of an elderly.
The chances of an elderly with AMD going blind are rare.
However, this disease makes it hard to do tasks (like reading and driving) that need a clear central vision.
There are two types of AMD - dry AMD and wet AMD.
The major symptoms of AMD are straight lines appearing wavy, blurred central vision, difficulty in recognizing faces, and rapid loss of central vision.
Osteoarthritis This disease is a severe form of arthritis where cartilages in a joint start breaking down.
Like AMD, there are two types of osteoarthritis - primary osteoarthritis (when there is an unknown cause) and secondary osteoarthritis (when the cause is another disease).
In most cases, the cause of osteoarthritis is either a genetic defect, obesity or a significant injury.
The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint stiffness, joint pain, limited joint movement, and grinding of joints.
Clinical Depression Clinical depression is not similar to the depression bouts we experience from ordinary problems.
This disease gets considered as a serious medical condition in the United States.
Decreased energy, social withdrawal, excessive crying, changes in sleep patterns, and thoughts of suicide are the most common symptoms of clinical depression.
As every person is different, many factors come into consideration during the treatment.
Although antidepressant medicines can cure this disease, care and affection are the best therapies.
Conclusion The geriatric diseases were not so common even a century back.
As we embrace modernism, we are more prone to encounter these diseases.
This is the reason geriatric doctors and caregivers must have expert knowledge to deal with complex situations.
They can take help of tools like Geriatric Electronic Health Records (EHR) software that can make their task smoother, faster and more accurate.
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