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HEALTH ZONE - Age-Related An Disease Introduction |
By 2025 it is estimated that over one billion people worldwide will be over the age of 65, many of whom will be affected by an age-related diseases.
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In the UK, the average lifespan is 75 years for
a man and 79 for a woman.
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What are Age-Related Diseases?
It's happening right now. You, us, we're all getting older by the second. But what happens to us when there seems to be more years behind us than in front.
The biggest concern for the aged is the loss of independence. This can come about through deterioration of eyesight and hearing, which can make it hard to get around and to interact with people. Also, with old age, it takes longer to recover from a fall, because fractures don't mend as quickly.
As people get older, the prevalence of diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis increase. Arthritis is a serious problem not just because it restricts movement but because there's also a lot of pain and suffering. While cures are important, help living with these conditions today is also what people need. Below are a few diseases and conditions that are commonly associated with old age:
Depression: Depression is a major concern for aging people and can be caused by a number of factors. As people get older, they gradually lose their independence. Common everyday tasks can become difficult procedures - going to the shops, gardening, cleaning, walking, using the toilet etc. A loss of independence can be demeaning and inconvenient as people may find themselves relying on others. Some older people may experience social isolation and loneliness. This could be due to a loved one or friends passing away or perhaps due to a disability that prevents them from leaving the house to attend social groups and events. As people get older they tend to experience loss a lot more than in earlier life. Aging people may experience the loss of friends on frequent occasions and may also experience the loss of a loved one that they had previously shared most of their life with. Many other diseases associated with age, tend to contribute to depression in older people as it is the diseases that can disable and weaken them, thus restricting the activities that they can participate in.
Alzheimer's Disease: A worrying prospect for anyone approaching old-age is the possibility of getting Alzheimer's disease (AD) which affects around 12.5 million people worldwide. AD is a degenerative disease of the brain that kills brain cells, making it difficult for the patient to remember how to do certain things. AD can lead to dementia which is a collective name for a group of diseases that lead to the loss of intellectual functions. AD can be a frustrating disease for both the patient and the carer as the disease's affects can be severe and unpredictable.
Osteoporosis: At adolescence, our bones develop, in our late twenties, our bones are at their strongest. However, from middle-age, our bones begin to grow weaker and can, in some people, develop osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens the bones and therefore increases the chances of breakages and fractures. Women are affected more by osteoporosis than that of men. This is partly due to men naturally having stronger bones than women. Also, women will experience weakening of the bones at a faster pace for the following years after their menopause. This is due to the ovaries ceasing to produce estrogen - the female sex hormone. Estrogen is a contributor to the maintenance of bones and helps keep them strong. As men do not experience the menopause, their bones will not deteriorate as fast as those of women.
Arthritis: Although arthritis is not exclusively found in older people, it is commonly associated with old-age. This may be due to the most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, being associated with the overuse of the joints which will inevitably be more common in older people. As people get older, their joints become warn and can result in a painful swelling. Read more on Arthritis by visiting our arthritis health zone page.
Stroke: In the UK, someone has a stroke every five minutes and in America around 700,000 people suffer one every year. Although a stroke can happen to just about anyone, it is more common within older people. A stroke occurs when the brain cells stop receiving oxygen due to the blood supply being interrupted by a blockage or a burst blood vessel that spills blood into the brain. Having a stroke can be a harrowing experience and can cause disabilities of the body through paralysis. There are two types of stroke, ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are caused by a blocked blood vessel unable to supply the brain with oxygen and nutrients. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused by a burst blood vessel in the brain that results in bleeding around the brain cells.
Incontinence: Incontinence is the involuntary loss of control of the bladder and/or bowel. You may have also heard it described as, faecal incontinence and urinal incontinence. Incontinence is not a condition that is inevitable with old age and indeed is not exclusive to the older populations. Incontinence can, in fact, affect anyone, of any age but is more common amongst those of 65 years and over. People who discover that they are incontinent can often find the condition extremely embarrassing. As a result, many people do not seek medical attention and attempt to manage the condition themselves.
There are many other diseases and conditions that are commonly associated with old age, such as, COPD, diabetes, cancer and loss of vision and hearing to name but a few. Getting older causes worries of diseases and the loss of independence that may follow. As we get older, our bodies slow down which can have a devastating affect on the mind, causing depression and sadness.
 How do I know if I have an Age-Related Disease?
As 'age-related disease' is not a disease in itself, and in fact is a term that refers to the collective diseases that are a possible result of old age, it is difficult to describe how to detect whether or not you have one. To try and simplify this task, we will briefly go through the signs and symptoms of each individual disease stated in the above section:
Depression: If you are feeling hopeless and forgetful and are experiencing bad moods and are not eating much, this could be a sign of depression. Depression is all too common amongst older people but can be reversed with the right help.
Alzheimer's Disease: If you are having mild problems remembering things, you may be concerned that you are developing Alzheimer's disease. However, it is more than likely that you are merely experiencing age-related memory change which does not mean you have AD. Some symptoms to look out for however, are forgetting how to do simple, daily tasks such as brushing your teeth. If people tell you that you repeat yourself a lot but you can't remember doing it, this may be a sign of AD. Also, forgetting people's faces that are usually very familiar to you may be a worry.
Osteoporosis: As the bones gradually weaken as a result of osteoporosis, there are often no obvious symptoms. However, you may experience aches in your bones and muscles and perhaps a loss of height. The most obvious symptom is the fracture or breakage of bones from minor injury. A sufferer of osteoporosis may experience broken bones from a mere fall. The bones that are usually affected tend to be the hip, spine and wrists.
Arthritis: Please see our arthritis health zone page.
Stroke: If you receive any of the symptoms of a stroke, it is important that you receive immediate medical attention as it is a medical emergency. Some warning signs you may experience include, sudden numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body, confusion in understanding, problems walking or keeping balance, a sudden and severe headache and perhaps sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes.
Incontinence: It is possible that you have urinary incontinence if you; leak urine when you laugh, sneeze or cough, you have urges to urinate, you use the bathroom more than eight times during the day and twice at night or you leak urine during sex.
Experiencing any of the above symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have any of the age-related diseases listed above. However, it is important that you do not ignore any symptoms that you believe are affecting you. If you are unsure about anything, try and abandon any fears of embarrassment you may have and seek a professional, medical opinion.
What Causes Age-Related Diseases?
Again, it is difficult to pin-down each specific cause of all of the diseases that commonly occur with old age. You may be wondering, "Why does old-age affect our health?" or, "what is it about age that means that the body finds it harder to cope?". Well, aging is a complicated process. It is hard to say why aging results in decreased bodily function and a greater likelihood of disease. One theory, based on studies with worms, is that each time a cell divides, the chromosomes become a tiny bit shorter. Eventually our cells will lose little bits of vital genetic information. Also, our body, like anything that is around for a while, will experience general wear and tare. As we get older, parts of our body become warn out, for example, overuse of the joints can cause osteoarthritis. The longer we are alive, the more our bodies are exposed to potential cell-damaging environments, such as the sun.
How can I Treat My Age-Related Disease?
Here we will take the common age-related diseases discussed in the above sections and outline some available treatment options for each:
Depression: Depression, unfortunately often goes untreated in older people. However, if the disease is diagnosed, there is a good chance that the symptoms can be reversed. A combination of antidepressant medications and psychotherapy has proved to be affective in 80% of elderly people who were depressed.
Alzheimer's Disease: As researchers are still unsure of what causes Alzheimer's disease, there is currently no cure or a 100% affective treatment. However, if the disease is in its early or middle stages, there are certain medications that can possibly help postpone some of the symptoms. Such medications include aricept (for memory loss) and namenda (for learning and memory). If you want to know more about these medications, you should speak to your doctor and be sure to understand any possible side-affects they may have.
Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis can be prevented by a healthy diet and regular exercise at a young age. If osteoporosis is already causing a problem for you or someone you know, there are a few treatment options available:
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Weight-Bearing Exercise: Exercise that puts some stress (but not dangerous amounts) on the bones has been shown to stimulate bone production. Some exercise techniques to look into are jogging, walking, aerobics and lifting light weights.
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): As estrogen is thought to protect the strength of the bones, it is understandable why post-menopausal women experience speedy bone deterioration in the following years. HRT replaces the estrogen that is lost after a woman goes through the menopause and therefore helps in keeping bones strong. However, HRT has been associated with some serious side affects such as breast cancer and blood clots. So be sure to gain a full understanding of the pros and cons of this treatment before proceeding.
- Vitamin D and Calcium Supplements: These supplements can help strengthen the bones and can be bought over-the-counter.
Stroke: Depending on the type of stroke experienced, there are a few treatments available. Aspirin, if taken soon after a stroke, is known to reduce possible disabilities and to help prevent future strokes. A drug called tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase), can help reduce blood clotting in the veins and will sometimes be used after a ischemic stroke. However, a possible side-affect that the drug can cause is bleeding in the brain. Surgery may become an option after a stroke, as using such procedures, blood clots and fatty deposits can be removed. Over time, if the stroke suffered was mild, the brain may overcome the damage it has caused and symptoms may get considerably better.
Incontinence: There are many ways in which you can reduce your incontinence. Firstly, for women, pelvic muscle exercises help strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Another affective way to prevent incontinence is to schedule your toilet visits. If you make sure you visit the toilet at regular 2-4 hour intervals, then this should help keep you dry. Another method, called bladder retraining, involves following the steps above, but increasing the interval times between each toilet visit. This, over time trains your bladder to delay the need to be emptied. There are also a few surgical options that should really only be considered after all other efforts have been made. If you are unsure about anything, discuss your queries and thoughts with your doctor.
Living with an Age-Related Disease.
Experiencing any kind of age-related disease can sometimes be embarrassing and demeaning for the patient. If you are a sufferer yourself, you should know that you are not alone with your disease and by seeking professional help, you will considerably improve your chances of getting on with your life as you wish to. Perhaps attempt to find other people who also suffer from the disease. Talk about any queries or problems you may have with your doctor and try and educate yourself as much as possible on what it is that you have. If you have a better understanding of what is going on inside you, you may feel less anxious about it.
If however, you know someone with an age-related disease, offer your support by trying to rid them of any feelings of embarrassment or humiliation. The embarrassment that the elderly may experience as a result of their disease could lead to depression and sadness and it is important therefore, to try and encourage a positive outlook.
How can I help?
The causes of some age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, are not yet known. Without knowing the cause of a disease it is hard to develop affective treatments. Medical research plays a vital role in the development of new treatments and cures. Most importantly however, medical research and medical trials enable researchers to gain a better understanding of a particular disease by discovering how it affects the body. Medical trials allow researchers to test new drugs for their safety and effectiveness in humans which is a vital stage before they become readily available to the general public. By participating in medical research, you could be the key to the next treatment for an age-related disease or perhaps even the next cure.
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 Parts of this information has been generously supplied to the BioTrax Volunteer Support Group by the:
Coalition for Medical Progress
Medical research studies may be conducted and are carefully designed to answer specific medical questions while protecting participants´ safety. Well conducted medical trials are the fastest and safest way to find improved treatments and preventions for diseases. Clinical trials or interventional trials determine whether experimental preventions, treatments, or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled conditions. Observational or natural history studies examine health issues and disease development in groups of people or populations. For more information on current medical trials or to register on the BioTrax database, view the study section at www.biotrax.com .
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