10 MOST COMMON HEALTH HAZARD
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Research indicates that staying physically active can help
prevent or delay certain diseases, including some
cancers, heart disease and diabetes, and also relieve
depression and improve mood. Inactivity often
accompanies advancing age, but it doesn't have to. Check
with your local churches or synagogues, senior centers,
and shopping malls for exercise and walking programs.
Like exercise, your eating habits are often not good if you
live and eat alone. It's important for successful aging to
eat foods rich in nutrients and avoid the empty calories in
candy and sweets.
***Overweight and Obesity****
Being overweight or obese increases your chances of
dying from hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart
disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep
apnea, respiratory problems, dyslipidemia and
endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers. In-depth
guides and practical advice about obesity are available
from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the
National Institutes of Health .
***Tobacco***
Tobacco is the single greatest preventable cause of illness
and premature death in the U.S. Tobacco use is now
called "Tobacco dependence disease." The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that
smokers who try to quit are more successful when they
have the support of their physician.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse usually means drugs and alcohol. These
are two areas we don't often associate with seniors, but
seniors, like young people, may self-medicate using legal
and illegal drugs and alcohol, which can lead to serious
health consequences. In addition, seniors may deliberately
or unknowingly mix medications and use alcohol. Because
of our stereotypes about senior citizens, many medical
people fail to ask seniors about possible
substance abuse.
"**HIV/AIDS***
Between 11 and 15% of U.S. AIDS cases occur in seniors
over age 50. Between 1991 and 1996, AIDS in adults over
50 rose more than twice as fast as in younger adults.
Seniors are unlikely to use condoms, have immune
systems that naturally weaken with age, and HIV
symptoms (fatigue, weight loss, dementia, skin rashes,
swollen lymph nodes) are similar to symptoms that can
accompany old age. Again, stereotypes about aging in
terms of sexual activity and drug use keep this problem
largely unrecognized. That's why seniors are not well
represented in research, clinical drug trials, prevention
programs and efforts at intervention.
***Mental Health***
Dementia is not part of aging. Dementia can be caused by
disease, reactions to medications, vision and hearing
problems, infections, nutritional imbalances, diabetes, and
renal failure. There are many forms of dementia (including
Alzheimer's Disease) and some can be temporary. With
accurate diagnosis comes management and help. The
most common late-in-life mental health condition is
depression. If left untreated, depression in the elderly can
lead to suicide. Here's a surprising fact: The rate of
suicide is higher for elderly white men than for any other
age group, including adolescents.
***Injury and Violence***
Among seniors, falls are the leading cause of injuries,
hospital admissions for trauma, and deaths due to injury.
One in every three seniors (age 65 and older) will fall each
year. Strategies to reduce injury include exercises to
improve balance and strength and medication review.
Home modifications can help reduce injury. Home security
is needed to prevent intrusion. Home-based fire
prevention devices should be in place and easy to use.
People aged 65 and older are twice as likely to die in a
home fire as the general population.
****Environmental Quality***
Even though pollution affects all of us, government studies
have indicated that low-income, racial and ethnic
minorities are more likely to live in areas where they face
environmental risks. Compared to the general population,
a higher proportion of elderly are living just over the
poverty threshold.
"***Immunization****
Influenza and pneumonia and are among the top 10
causes of death for older adults. Emphasis on Influenza
vaccination for seniors has helped. Pneumonia remains
one of the most serious infections, especially among
women and the very old.
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