In many instances, the symptoms listed below are the result of relatively minor disorders as elderly. However, they can also represent the early signs of serious chronic disease in older adults, and they should be investigated promptly by your doctor.
1. Loss of appetite
This symptom can be caused by a variety of disorders, ranging from chronic depression to cancer somewhere in the body. When it occurs, your doctor should be consulted.
2. Unexplained weight loss or fatigue
These symptoms also accompany a number of disorders, ranging from anemia, diabetes, thyroid disease, and cancer. In each, early treatment is vital.
3. Chronic cough
This symptom may represent nothing more than heavy smoking. It may also represent tuberculosis or cancer of the lung. If a cough gets worse, or hangs on longer than 10 days, or if pus or blood is coughed up, your doctor should be notified immediately.
4 Change in bowel habits
Persistent diarrhea or constipation, change in the size or color of the stool, or blood in the stool, are all warning symptoms and should be looked into.
5. Urinary symptoms
Pain or burning with urination, excessive frequency of urination, blood or pus in the urine, and wetting all indicate abnormality and should be checked.
6. Bleeding in women
After the change of life (menopause) vaginal bleeding is abnormal. Although the cause is frequently not serious, it could be cancer.
7. Lump in the breast
Any lump, particularly a single lump, should be checked immediately. Although many times the tumor is benign, the only way to check it is to remove it for examination under the microscope.
8. Pain
Pain can be caused by any number of abnormalities. It can take a variety of forms, and can occur almost any place in the body. In all cases, however, it means that something is wrong, and if there is no explanation for it, consult your doctor.
9. Skin changes
Sores, ulcers, lumps, or rashes in the skin that do not clear up rapidly should be investigated. Although the cause may be serious, early treatment can often provide a cure.
10. Impaired vision
There are several common causes of impaired vision in older people. As the lenses of the eye age they become less elastic and cause blurring of vision, particularly when reading. Glasses can compensate for this. The lens also may become clouded, resulting in cataracts. These can be removed surgically and sight can usually be restored. Finally, pressure of the fluid in the eye may increase, resulting in chronic glaucoma. This causes gradual loss of vision out of the corner of the eye, and the appearance of halos around lights. This disease can be halted, but because it cannot be reversed, it should be caught early.
In summary, good health in the later years is a precious asset, and it is something that must be worked at constantly. Your family doctor is your best friend in this regard. He is someone who can mobilize health resources when disease occurs, and can work effectively to prevent or minimize ill health.
Your role is one of taking a sensible attitude towards health and of practicing good health habits. When symptoms do develop they should neither be shrugged off as nothing, or accepted as inevitable. Again, reliance on your doctor can save a great deal of needless suffering.
