Develops in the elderly. Diseases of the abdominal organs. What are organic mental disorders in the elderly

In the process of population aging observed in recent years, there are not only quantitative changes in its age composition - an increase in the proportion of elderly and senile people, but also large qualitative changes, in particular, an improvement in the health status of people of older age groups. Old age is increasingly not associated with the obligatory physical weakness, illness, socio-economic dependence. Activity, participation of the elderly and old people in professional, social life have become necessary for most people who have crossed the retirement age.

In economic terms, the question arose of increasing the age to reach the retirement period, especially for women. Elderly and old people of the same age in terms of their physical and mental health are heterogeneous groups. The discrepancy between the state of an aging organism and age norms necessitated the introduction of the concept of "biological age". "Biological age" may not correspond to calendar age, in particular, it may "outstrip" it due to premature aging. And vice versa, there are frequent cases when, for example, at the age of 70, the state of the body corresponds to the age norms of a 50-60-year-old person.

Determining the biological age and the degree of its inconsistency with the calendar age is of great practical importance in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, in solving issues of a rational lifestyle and work activity. In the specialized literature, the distinction between chronological and biological age is increasingly emphasized, and an opinion is expressed about the possibility of dividing people of the same age into “young old” and “old old”, based on health status and social indicators.

According to rough estimates, in industrialized countries, "young old" people make up 79-85% of all persons aged 60 years and retain the ability not only to self-service, but also to work, and "old old" make up 15-20% . The share of the latter increases in older age groups, but even many of those aged 80 years and older do not have serious diseases, are practically healthy and therefore can be classified as “young old”.

Biological and physiological aging.

Thus, aging as a general biological process cannot be identified with disease. Aging is a natural biological process that inevitably develops with age, characterized by a gradual decrease in the adaptive capabilities of the organism and an increase in the probability of death. A huge range of adaptive capabilities of an aging organism can for a long time, and often to a very old age, ensure sufficient preservation of functions, postpone the inevitable - death.

Old age is the final stage of the life of the body, a consequence of the aging process. The time of onset of old age is extremely conditional, with an increase in life expectancy, the idea of ​​​​it changes. Old age is usually considered to be age after 75 years. Distinguish between normal, or physiological, and premature aging. During physiological aging, the change in the basic physiological systems of the body occurs relatively smoothly. A person to a very old age retains physical and mental activity, interest in the world around him.

Significant adaptive capabilities of the body can for a long time provide a sufficiently high activity of the main physiological functions, that is, practical health. That is why aging as a general biological process should not be identified with disease. Old age is an inevitable stage in the development of the body, disease is a violation of its vital activity, which can occur at any age.

Usually pronounced signs of physiological aging are changes in appearance, mentality, decreased performance, and others that appear in a person from the age of 60 (the age from 60 to 75 years is conditionally considered old). However, in fact, the aging process begins when the growth and development of the body ends. So, already in 30-35 years there is a decrease in the level of biological processes. The pace and nature of aging largely determine the adaptive capabilities of an aging organism.

An essential role in this is played by the human constitution, which is determined mainly by heredity. Genetically determined aging is quite convincingly confirmed, for example, by the fact that longevity, that is, slowing down the aging process, is transmitted in some families from generation to generation. There is also a certain regularity in the very nature of aging, which is selectively inherited. So, in representatives of one family, the most noticeable age-related changes can manifest themselves, first of all, in the cardiovascular system, in representatives of another family - in the endocrine system, etc. Slower aging in women is also associated with genetic characteristics (the average life expectancy of women in developed countries 4-11 years more than men).

Premature aging is largely due to previous diseases, adverse environmental factors, bad habits, in particular smoking, alcohol abuse, etc. Poor nutrition and bad habits reduce or distort the adaptive capabilities of the body, thereby contributing to the development of diseases characteristic of old age. A consequence of the acceleration of the aging process is premature old age.

The process of physiological aging begins in different tissues and organs non-simultaneously and proceeds with different intensity. Aging consists in a gradual decrease in the viability of the body: protein biosynthesis changes, the activity of oxidative enzymes decreases, the number of mitochondria decreases, and the function of cell membranes is disrupted. Ultimately, cell aging leads to their destruction and death. Cell loss is not the same in different organs and tissues of the same organism. The rate of cell aging is also determined by their relationship to a particular functional system.

So, in the connective tissue, changes are found in all components, the functionality of muscle cells decreases with age. Age-related shifts that occur as a result of aging of cells and tissues cause significant changes in the regulation of the functions of organs and systems. The functions themselves gradually change, which in turn leads to structural changes. For example, in the process of aging, the mass of the brain decreases, the convolutions become thinner, respectively, the furrows expand. However, along with dystrophic disorders in brain cells, adaptive changes occur.

The main manifestations of human aging are associated with age-related changes in the functions of the central nervous system. First of all, the mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition is weakened. The activity of analyzers is disturbed, the sensitivity of smell is weakened, visual acuity and the power of accommodation of the eye decrease, the upper limit of hearing gradually decreases.

The limitation of the adaptive capabilities of an aging organism is largely determined by age-related changes in the cardiovascular system. Over the age of 60, the mass of the heart decreases. In the elderly and even older people, the heart rate decreases at rest. With moderate physical exertion, the increase in heart rate characteristic of young people usually does not occur, which, on the one hand, protects the heart from excessive stress, and on the other hand, limits the blood supply to the organs and systems of the body.

With a sharp increase in heart rate associated with great physical exertion, a mismatch quickly sets in between blood flow to the heart through the coronary vessels and a sharp increase in metabolic processes in the heart, which leads to insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle.

In the process of aging, atrophic and sclerotic changes develop in the endocrine system. Similar changes occur in the respiratory system: the respiratory rate increases slightly, the vital capacity of the lungs and their maximum ventilation decrease. The functions of the digestive and excretory systems, the osteoarticular apparatus suffer, skeletal muscles atrophy.

Psychological aspects of aging.

The period of life of people who have crossed the retirement threshold is not always characterized by successful adaptation. Easy adaptability to new living conditions is usually due mainly to psychological reasons. With aging, there is a decrease in mental activity, in which perception is difficult, its volume narrows, the ability to concentrate and switch attention worsens, there is a sharpening of characterological features, and emotional instability develops. Often an elderly and even more so an old person becomes touchy, capricious, stingy, callous and selfish.

He is afraid of any life changes, the criticality in assessing his capabilities, merits and previous merits decreases. Lack of self-control makes a person irritable, quick-tempered, aggressive or, conversely, too insecure, depressed and whiny. The general opinion is that in the “third age” the state of a person is closely related to adaptation in previous periods at a young and middle age; it is influenced by previous diseases, the environment in its broadest sense (work, nutrition, life, stressful situations, etc.).

Age-related adaptation in old age is carried out purely individually, and one can only schematically present a scale illustrating the range of adaptive capabilities in the elderly and senile age. The adaptive capacity is completely broken, a person is not able to learn new things, cannot work in his current position, depends on others, needs care. The adaptive ability is partially limited, mental performance decreases.

The ability to effectively adapt at the same level, despite the decrease in psychophysical capabilities (an elderly person can change his behavior, compensating for insufficient mental activity). Older people do not show a decline in performance levels because the tasks do not exceed their mental and biological capabilities. This type of adjustment leads some older people to ignore the negative effects of aging.

There is hypercompensation of reduced psychophysical capabilities due to the awareness of the features and severity of deficiencies that arise in the process of aging and the timely use of such adequate preventive measures as exercise, diet, psychophysiological auto-training, etc. There is a so-called neurotic hysteria, hypercompensation, a decrease in psychophysical in the way of life or appearance.

Knowledge of the mentality of elderly and senile people, understanding of the mechanisms of aging should form the basis of the family doctor's approach to organizing geriatric care. Sometimes not so much somatic pathology as unfavorable social factors (changing stereotypes in work) are the reason that an elderly or old person feels sick. Therefore, it is especially important to pay attention to the mental status of patients of older age groups.

Any stressful situation can cause them a number of shifts that cause exacerbation of latent pathological processes and the development of serious conditions. Many elderly and old people need, first of all, to eliminate loneliness. Loneliness is not necessarily accompanied by solitude, it can also be felt in the presence of other people. Loneliness is the consciousness of lack of community with other people, the consciousness that you are excluded from the system of possibilities that unite other people. Particularly susceptible to feelings of loneliness are people who have recently lost a spouse and do not live among family members.

The range of experiences of an aging person with a change in his biological, social capabilities is quite wide, and aging is perceived differently by different people. For some, the transition into old age is carried out smoothly, the changes that accompany it are perceived calmly. Others may have temporary psychological shifts in response to specific life circumstances, but eventually the psychological balance is restored again. Mental symptoms requiring professional intervention may develop in people who, in the presence of a narrow adaptation to old age, have suffered severe misfortunes.

It is often difficult to draw a clear line between the frequent changes in the psyche of old people, sometimes with a sharpening of negative character traits, and the onset of pathology in the mental sphere. Often in everyday life, an elderly or old person who is already showing symptoms of senile pathological changes in the psyche is perceived by others negatively, as a person with a difficult character, with incomprehensible eccentricities, constantly accusing people close to him and neighbors of trying to harm him, rob him, etc.

Many families perceive changes in the behavior of a relative as a severe manifestation of old age and believe that they must be put up with. They do not always turn to a psychiatrist in a timely manner, do not want to place relatives in a hospital for the mentally ill, and endure changes in the behavior of a loved one. In some cases, a psychiatrist examines the patient at home and prescribes treatment at home. Such a situation is impossible with functional senile psychoses, however, the doctor should take into account that in old age the frequency of organic psychoses increases, in which hospitalization in a psychiatric department is mandatory.

Old people, as their physical capabilities decrease, their mental reactions weaken, more and more often feel helpless when confronted with life circumstances. There comes a time when they cannot cope with everyday worries on their own, become dependent on others. This circumstance causes in many old people a feeling of powerlessness, inferiority, abandonment, is the cause of the development of a number of symptoms and syndromes, which, in more pronounced forms, require the consultation of a neuropsychiatrist or psychiatrist and can be considered as functional disorders of the psyche. Often these violations are temporary and may disappear after the elimination of adverse factors, which must be remembered by medical and social workers who provide assistance to the elderly. In the elderly and old people, a number of conditions may occur that require psychotherapeutic help.

anxiety states.

Anxiety is a false psychological reaction. They are usually seen as the result of intrapersonal or interpersonal conflict or as the result of threatening external circumstances. Anxiety can occur for no specific reason and is a common symptom in old age. It may be a response to a specific stressful situation, which is expressed openly or covertly and is characterized by a decrease in the individual's adaptation to aging. The appearance of anxiety states in old people requires their elimination, conversation with a doctor, psychotherapy. Often it is enough just to find out the reasons for the development of this condition and explain that this problem is characteristic of old age.

It is necessary to contact the family doctor with family members to explain to them the essence of the relative's morbid condition, the need for attention to him, goodwill, and organization of life. Some patients need to change their living conditions, physical and psychological climate, the organization of constant medical care, appropriate care, and financial support. Loneliness contributes to anxiety. Drug therapy is reduced to the appointment of tranquilizers in these conditions. In case of more pronounced states anxiety-depressive consultation of a psychoneurologist, psychiatrist is necessary.

Sleep disturbance.

Sleep disturbance is a common complaint of elderly and senile people. Difficulty falling asleep, insufficient sleep, as well as restless sleep with frequent awakenings such complaints can also be heard from normally aging people. These disturbances reflect age-related changes in sleep physiology and may be associated with anxiety states. The structure of sleep and the need for it change in different periods of a person's life. With normal aging, the need for sleep is 8-9 hours. Some elderly and senile people feel satisfactory and well after sleeping for 6-7 hours at night. The structure of sleep changes the fourth stage of sleep, that is, deep sleep, actually disappears, sleep becomes longer. These changes are even more pronounced in individuals with cerebral disorders. Complaints about insufficient sleep are often explained by the fact that the old person sleeps a lot during the day and the need for night sleep is reduced.

It is necessary to find out the causes of restless sleep, sleep with frequent awakenings. The pathology of a number of systems cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, respiratory, digestive can be the cause of poor sleep. Hypokinesia during the daytime, insufficient exposure to fresh air, the microclimate of the room, the condition of the bed (flexible mesh, poor mattress), pain in the limbs, bloating and other factors can also cause restless sleep. In such cases, addressing these causes, rather than giving sleeping pills, may provide reasonably good sleep.

hypochondriacal syndrome.

Hypochondriacal syndrome anxious concern about the state of one's health, belief in the presence of a particular disease in the absence of a real disease. This syndrome is often observed in elderly people, both in a normal state and in a pronounced form with functional and organic brain lesions. The course and structure of the hypochondriacal syndrome are determined by the disease against which it develops. Among the elderly, hypochondriacal syndrome is more common in women. In many cases, the hypochondriacal syndrome can be seen as a person's withdrawal from failure into illness.

The severity of the hypochondriacal syndrome increases when friends and relatives begin to doubt the justification of the patient's complaints. Often, hypochondriacal syndrome develops after retirement due to the fact that the patient switches his attention to the state of his health, which he was not interested in in the past, during the period of work. Injuries due to the loss of social prestige or material well-being can find an easy way out in concerns about somatic functioning, etc. In any case, the hypochondriacal syndrome is a manifestation of a functional disorder of the psyche, which the doctor should take seriously using various methods of psychotherapy. Its effect is possible only if there is a psychological contact between the doctor and the patient, if the patient believes in the authority of the doctor.

Depression.

In elderly and senile people, much more often than in young people, there are repeated periods of depression of varying duration (from several minutes and days to weeks and months). When collecting an anamnesis, patients with bouts of depression describe the periods of its onset as the appearance of a depressed mood, anxiety. Sometimes a sense of disgust for their own helplessness prevails, often to such an extent that they do not see the point in further existence. Many of the patients say that they would welcome death if it came quickly and painlessly.

Depression is often a pathological reaction to the loss of a loved one or object to which the patient is deeply attached. Sometimes this is the result of deep neuropsychic asthenia after suffering or existing serious illnesses. Changing social status, retirement and separation from the usual team, violation of life stereotypes, lack of satisfying occupations are common causes of depression as one of the elements of the so-called retirement illness. For many old people, elements that contribute to depression can be an senile appearance, loss of attractiveness.

The treatment of such moderate, usually temporary, depressive or anxiety-depressive conditions is based primarily on finding out the causes of depression, on the presence or absence of suicidal conditions, which, as a rule, require the competence of a psychiatrist or temporary hospitalization.

In the process of psychotherapy, it is necessary to seek support or resumption of the patient's contacts with other persons from his environment in which he worked, it is possible to return to professional activity in a reduced volume, sometimes on a voluntary basis. Contacts of the patient with other people of his age should be encouraged, with whom he often finds common interests that relieve the depression of his mood.

Do you know about the diseases that are among the ten most common in the elderly? Diseases that torment the elderly with great tenacity for many years? Despite the complex healthcare system and high costs in the healthcare sector, humanity has not yet figured out what to do about it.

The ten most common chronic diseases, to which a modern person devotes most of his time and material costs, looks like this for both sexes:

1. Back pain
2. severe depression
3. Iron-deficiency anemia
4. Neck pain
5. Hearing loss (due to age, but also for other reasons)
6. Diabetes
7. Migraine
8. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
9. Restlessness, anxiety
10. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system

Pay attention to the interweaving of purely physiological causes of diseases in a person and his general mental state.

A study conducted in June 2015 showed that no amount of tricks, including an active lifestyle and medical care, can guarantee the health of people who are already over seventy years old.

The result does not surprise us. The number of health problems associated with an increase in the average life expectancy of people around the world is not decreasing. On the contrary, the number of pathologies in people of senile age is constantly growing.

What is it connected with?

Previously, most people simply did not live up to the onset of certain diseases. Let's take a look at a list of ten common age-related problems and try to figure them out.

Ten chronic diseases in old age

The studies concerned chronic diseases, faithful companions of people at a respectable age. Scientists analyzed the state of affairs in 188 countries, starting in 1990 and ending in 2013.

The general trend suggests that in terms of increasing age-related diseases, the figure is constantly growing, and the nature of the course of pathologies takes on more severe forms. This is especially true of retirement age, when a person takes on less physical exertion.

This is due to the fact that in the absence of a struggle "for survival" immunity is weakened. During this period, people tend to pay more attention not to external factors, but to internal problems. They are collapsing the old habitual way of life and thinking that has developed over many decades.

Staying healthy is getting harder and harder. Old age brings its inevitable adjustments. Illnesses prevent pensioners from fully enjoying the free time that has appeared. The average person spends most of it fighting sickness and infirmity.

In recent decades, physicians from around the world have been actively studying the health problems of modern man associated with the new realities of the changed environment and climate.

Particular attention is paid to the search for effective means of combating pain caused by various causes and solving the problems of limited mobility in an elderly person. Much attention is paid to the search for remedies for the complete loss or weakening of hearing and vision.

At the same time, as noted after the research, the top ten unpleasant diseases most annoying to people of retirement age have not changed. But life expectancy and the duration of diseases have changed. Moreover, it is significant.

The conclusion suggests itself. An increase in life expectancy means an automatic increase in the number of diseases and the duration of their course.

The question arises - what to do with it? Is it enough just to take painkillers, comforting yourself with the thought that this is inevitable at this age, or to look for more substantial ways to solve problems in old people such as chronic back pain, migraines, asthma, depression?

In any case, despite the fact that old age often brings a lot of torment, humanity is still persistently looking for how to overcome pain and prolong life.

Many people suffer from ten diseases or more

In addition to the fact that a modern person often deals with specific diseases, he is also forced to deal with the so-called concomitant pathology of old age. As a rule, this means recognizing the presence of several diseases at the same time. Most often, this

• arterial hypertension,
• diabetes,
• diseases of the nervous system.

Frequent circulatory disorders, which are accompanied by heart disease, loss of vision and depression.

During the period from 1990 to 2013, there was an increase in the number of those suffering from the listed diseases by 52 percent.

Ten major pathologies affecting the elderly have been reported. Moreover, 81 percent of those people who suffer from more than five diseases are people under 65 years of age.

A sad picture emerges. People are waiting, will not wait until retirement age to travel and enjoy life. They spend several years abroad, get to know the world in all its beauty, and then ... they are treated and treated.

There is a certain pensioner syndrome when the initial enthusiasm results in the active phase of travel, excursions, trips, cruises, and then turns into a depressive state of indifference and emptiness.

A person feels tired from life, and since he no longer has to “pull himself into a fist” in order to continue earning a living, he quickly loses the meaning of existence. This dangerous period is marked by dissociation from the world. An active perception of reality is replaced by immersion in oneself and in one's "sores".

Healthy pensioner? Are you kidding?

Surprisingly, none of the diseases that are common in older people, in itself, can lead to death. That is, to be a factor incompatible with life. Nevertheless, all these pathologies are problems that seriously affect the duration and quality of life of a person who has reached a respectable age.

As the results of studies have shown, only 301 pathological cases out of 2337 (!) can be defined as indirect, not concomitant with age.

Interestingly, scientists practically did not find healthy people of retirement age. In any case, their percentage turned out to be so miserable that it cannot play any role for statistics.

Almost every older person suffers from cavities, back pain or headaches

Doctors named the most common problems for people in general and for pensioners in particular infectious diseases and short-term injuries.

In 2013, there were about 2 billion different cases of infection with pathogens of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract.

Ordinary caries was also named a serious problem. In the same year, 2013, dental disease, accompanied by various complications, was found in 200 million elderly people. But that's not all.

So, headaches have become the number one problem on the planet for 2.4 billion people. Of these, 1.6 billion accounted for people of retirement age.

Doctors consider chronic severe back pain and major depressive disorders to be the main causes of long-term disability in pensioners. Both of these problems in any country in the world are among the top ten most common diseases.

Let's finally list other pathologies included in this list. We think that the list will surprise you a little.

So what to do with these ten diseases?

Despite such a depressing situation with the listed problems among the elderly, this does not mean that everything is so hopeless. A healthy nutritious diet rich in vitamins and microelements and an active lifestyle are a favorable factor for the prevention of certain diseases and the successful treatment of existing pathologies.

Doctors point out the need for an integrated approach to solving problems. For example, the treatment of back pain with only medical means will not be successful without paying attention to strengthening the overall adaptability of the body and strengthening the nervous system. And this, in turn, raises the question of the quality of rest, occupational therapy, physical and sports activities.

Unfortunately, we are not yet talking about cardinal changes in this matter. Prevention and mitigation of the course of already developed pathologies, elimination of the pain factor and assistance in adapting to life in society are the main areas that modern science and medicine are capable of.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AGE IN THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF DISEASES

Factors influencing the formation of the type of constitution

Opposite opinions have been expressed on this issue in the past. Supporters of one of them (Yu. Tandler, R. Miller, O. Negeli, P. Mates and others) believed that the type of constitution depends entirely on the genotypic characteristics of a given person, i.e. is hereditary and remains unchanged throughout life. According to C. Sigaud, the type of constitution is formed in the process of life and depends on the type of activity, training of one or another body system. A.A. Bogomolets also considered the constitution as a set of phenotypic features of the organism and believed that environmental factors and living conditions play the main role in shaping the type of constitution.

Currently, most scientists (P.D. Horizontov, A.D. Ado, N.N. Zaiko and others) believe that hereditary features play the main role in the formation of the type of constitution, but environmental factors (infections and intoxication, overnutrition or starvation, hypovitaminosis, physical activity, sports, etc.).

In different age periods, people react differently to the same influences. Each age has its own characteristics and a tendency to develop certain diseases. In human ontogeny(like other mammals) There are two stages: prenatal and postnatal. Postnatal stage development, in turn divided into three periods: 1) period of growth when morphological and functional systems characteristic of representatives of this species are formed; 2) period of maturity which is characterized by the completed formation of morphological and functional systems; 3) old age, in which there is a gradual weakening of all physiological functions and the attenuation of the life process.

Early childhood is characterized by reduced reactivity and resistance (see Chapter 6), which is due to the incomplete development of the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, the immaturity of enzyme systems, and the imperfection of external and internal barriers.

In a newborn, the development of cortical centers is not yet complete, the excitability of the cells of the cortex is low; regulation of metabolism and body functions is carried out mainly by subcortical centers. There is a weakness in the processes of internal inhibition and an insufficient ability to differentiate the signals entering the central nervous system. Therefore, the child responds to the impact of various unconditioned stimuli with a generalized reaction. Pain sensitivity in children of the first year of life is poorly expressed, which can make it difficult to make a timely correct diagnosis in diseases of the internal organs.

Children of the first year of life, especially newborns, are characterized by insufficient manifestation of protective-adaptive and compensatory reactions. Due to the incomplete formation of thermoregulation mechanisms in young children, conditions of overheating and hypothermia easily occur. The insufficiency of the apparatus for regulating water-salt metabolism is the cause

frequent development of states of hyperhydration or dehydration (exicosis) with digestive disorders, with hyperventilation syndrome and other diseases.

Newborns are heavier than adults, endure blood loss. At the same time, children of the first year of life show greater resistance to hypoxia and do not respond to it with increased respiration and pulse rate. These reactions are fully formed by the 6-7th year of life.

A feature of the course of infectious diseases in children is their lack of ability to respond with specific changes to the action of the pathogen, and as a result of this, some characteristic symptoms are erased and distorted, which can create difficulties for diagnosis. A tendency to generalized reactions and the development of complications is also characteristic, which is associated with insufficient manifestation of protective mechanisms (incompletion of phagocytosis, reduced neutralization of microbial toxins, poor development of tissue barriers). Regional lymph nodes in a child begin to function as a tissue barrier only after the third month of life. Before this period, microbes freely penetrate into the internal environment of the body. At the same time, in this period of life, sensitivity to pathogens of a number of infections (scarlet fever, diphtheria, measles, rubella, typhoid fever) is reduced due to the presence of passive immunity due to the intake of antibodies from the mother's body through the placenta and with milk during breastfeeding. A great danger for young children is purulent infection, especially staphylococcal, as well as viral infections, which are one of the common causes of pneumonia in children.

The level of immunoglobulins in the blood of a newborn corresponds to that of the mother. 0.5-1 year after birth, susceptibility to infectious diseases increases due to the disappearance of maternal antibodies from the child's blood. At the same time, there is an ability to form their own antibodies and to develop allergic reactions, which are not expressed during the neonatal period. But in general, the volume of antibody formation during the first year of life is insufficient.

One of the most common diseases in young children is pneumonia. Its development is facilitated by insufficient expansion of the lungs during inspiration due to weak chest excursion.

cells, rigidity of the stroma of the lungs, frequent formation of atelectasis (ie, collapse of the alveoli). Pneumonia in most cases is interstitial and has a generalized character. The development of pneumonia in newborns is not accompanied by the appearance of severe shortness of breath, which is explained by the weak excitability of the respiratory center. Weak cough reflex. By the end of the first year of life, the basic functions of the child are not yet stable. There is no ability to limit the pathological process, such as inflammation, within the primary affected tissue area, the tendency to diffuse reactions and the development of sepsis remains. The central nervous system of a child is easily depleted.

At the age of one year to 6-7 years, children gradually improve all the functions of the body, weaken the tendency to generalized reactions under the influence of pathogenic factors, the incidence of childhood infections increases, and manifestations of allergies increase.

During puberty (puberty), excessive instability of the autonomic nervous system, psyche and behavior can be observed. Possible dysfunction of the cardiovascular (juvenile hypertension, acrocyanosis) system. At this age, there is also an increased incidence of tuberculosis and diabetes. The process of sexual development may deviate from the norm - it can be accelerated or, on the contrary, slowed down.

As the body grows, tissue barriers and the immune system develop and improve, and neuroendocrine regulation improves. Therefore, in people of mature age, reactivity and resistance are most pronounced. The characteristic features of this or that disease and various pathological processes are clearly manifested. The same can be said about the development of protective-adaptive and compensatory reactions, which contributes to a favorable outcome of the disease.

When advancing from mature to elderly and senile age, a decrease in the reactivity and resistance of the organism occurs again. Old people have a reduced ability to adapt to the effects of changing physiological and pathogenic environmental factors due to a decrease in metabolism and functional reserves of various organs. There is oppression

immunological reactivity. Reduced anti-infective immunity. The development of diseases caused by viruses, pyogenic microorganisms is especially often observed, which is associated not only with insufficient formation of antibodies, but also with a weakening of the activity of phagocytes and an increase in the permeability of tissue barriers. Reduced antitumor resistance. The frequent development of malignant tumors in the elderly and senile age is facilitated not only by the weakening of immune surveillance, but also by the accumulation of somatic mutations with age, which are associated with tumor transformation of cells. The frequency of cardiovascular pathology increases due to the development of atherosclerosis and imbalance in the system of regulation of vascular tone. Increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus (diabetes in the elderly), dementia; bone fractures are becoming more frequent due to the development of osteoporosis.

Many diseases at this age have a chronic course and are often characterized by insufficiently clear manifestations due to reduced reactivity.

Thus, age-related reactivity is essential and must be taken into account in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of patients of any age.

From this article you will learn:

• What are the causes of diseases in the elderly
• What are the most common diseases in the elderly
• What are the most common diseases in older people?
• Why is Alzheimer's dangerous for the elderly?
• What is Parkinson's disease in the elderly
• What are the most common heart conditions in the elderly?
• What are the most common joint diseases in older people?

The processes of withering of the human body are normally activated after 40 years, however, in our time, even people 20-30 years old are prone to ailments characteristic of the elderly. This is due to environmental degradation, poor quality products, bad habits, and a sedentary lifestyle. Which of the ailments can be recorded in the diseases of the elderly?

What are the most common causes of illness in older people?

According to statistics, today every sixth person in Russia is elderly.
Pronounced signs of physiological aging are changes in appearance, mentality, performance, etc. As a rule, such manifestations occur in people over 60 years of age. However, in reality, the process of wilting begins when the organism stops growing and developing. Thus, already at the age of 30-35, the level of biological processes is significantly reduced, diseases of the elderly occur. By the way, the rate of aging depends on the adaptive capabilities of the organism.

Diseases in old age are characterized by a slow onset, the first signs, as a rule, are not very pronounced, but rather vague. The period of “accumulation” of diseases itself begins at the age of 35-40, and only in old age do these diseases manifest themselves. Diseases of an elderly person are often completely invisible in youth, but they fully make themselves felt in old age.

Over the years, the number of chronic diseases increases, but the number of acute ones decreases. The fact is that pathological processes that are not cured in time progress, symptoms and organic changes accumulate. In other words, the diseases of the elderly do not appear suddenly, they simply appear when the body is weakened.

The causes of premature aging are previously transferred diseases, bad habits, adverse environmental factors. Due to irrational nutrition and bad habits, the adaptive capabilities of the body decrease. For this reason, diseases characteristic of old age develop.

Different tissues and organs of the body age differently. Gradually, the vitality of the organism decreases. First, there are changes in protein biosynthesis, a decrease in the activity of oxidative enzymes, a decrease in the number of mitochondria, and a violation of the function of cell membranes. As a result, the cells are destroyed and die. This process proceeds differently in different tissues and organs of the body. As a result of age-related changes, serious diseases of the elderly gradually develop.

Age-related changes lead to significant dysfunctions of various organs and systems of the body. This, in turn, causes structural changes in the body. For example, due to age-related changes, the mass of the brain decreases, the convolutions become thinner, and the furrows, on the contrary, expand. Gradually, the diseases of the elderly are manifested brighter and brighter.

The main manifestations of the aging process are age-related changes in the central nervous system. We are talking about a weakening of the mobility of the processes of inhibition and excitation, a violation of the activity of the analyzers, a weakening of the sensitivity of smell, a decrease in visual acuity and the power of accommodation of the eyes. Of course, such changes in the body cause diseases of the elderly.

The adaptive capacity of the elderly, as a rule, is limited by senile changes in the cardiovascular system.

In old age, atrophic and sclerotic changes in the endocrine system develop. The same goes for the respiratory system. The respiratory rate increases, ventilation of the lungs decreases. The digestive and excretory systems, the bone and joint apparatus are also affected by the aging process. Over time, there is a decrease in oxidative processes in the body, an increase in protein loss, and an increase in calcium excretion. By the way, the likelihood of developing cancer in older people is especially high.

The most common diseases of the elderly

Let's look at the most common diseases of the elderly and their signs:

Heart disease and cerebrovascular disease

We are talking about hyperlipidemia, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, stroke, dementia. By the way, if you are caring for an elderly person, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with how first aid is provided for a heart attack. Similar diseases of the elderly require an immediate response.

Every year, more than 15 million people die due to cardiovascular diseases. According to statistics, in developed countries, 10% of all funds earmarked for health needs are spent on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

As a rule, such diseases are the result of diabetes mellitus, constantly high cholesterol levels, smoking, obesity, and stress. Diseases of the elderly, the treatment of which, as a rule, is delayed, are mostly chronic.

Diseases related to digestion

The most common disorders of the digestive system are poor appetite or lack of it, flatulence, pain in the abdomen, disorders of gastric juice, constipation. Such diseases of the elderly, as a rule, cause very uncomfortable sensations.

People age gradually. Over the years, there is a decrease in the functions of the body as a whole, including the digestive system. The weakening of the digestive function is very often expressed by discomfort in the stomach and intestines.

In older people, teeth become loose and fall out. They practically do not feel the taste of food, the muscles of the internal sections of the gastrointestinal tract partially atrophy, become less elastic, food is slowly moving and digested, constipation is formed. Gradually, the internal walls of the stomach sway, which causes atrophy of the digestive glands, the secretion of digestive juices decreases, and the ability of the stomach to break down food decreases. As a rule, a pensioner experiences discomfort, but does not understand what exactly is happening to him. He does not even know that the diseases of the elderly are manifested in this way.

Frequent diseases of the elderly, as already mentioned, are associated with digestive problems. About 2.5 centuries ago, the currently world-famous ancient Greek scientist Hippocrates said: “The main cause of death is gastric and intestinal diseases, because. they are the main source of evil.”

If you do not provide a quick and effective fight against diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, they can provoke the appearance of erosion of the entire mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, ulcers, and even lead to cancer.

The mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines is exposed to environmental factors, drugs, alcohol, strong tea, too hot, cold, spicy food, contaminated water, pesticides, etc. At a young age, all this was easily tolerated, but a person in years knows firsthand that is a disease of the elderly.

According to doctors, it is the pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract that provoke hundreds of other diseases.

A healthy intestine and stomach allows the body to absorb nutrients and safely eliminate harmful substances and waste. In other words, if the intestines and stomach are healthy, then this means that the health of the pensioner is in perfect order, and the diseases of the elderly do not bother him.

Sleep disturbance

This is a problem that negatively affects the well-being and health of pensioners.

Young people sleep deeper than older people. By the way, sound sleep is a physiological need of any living organism. And, if a person does not sleep for more than five days, then this can lead to death, provoke illnesses in the elderly.

Constant insomnia is fraught with the following consequences:

• Decreased immunity;
• High blood pressure, cardiovascular disease;
• headache, dizziness, weakness;
• Bad memory, neurasthenia;
• Depression;
• Premature aging.

Frequent diseases of the elderly: TOP-10

Doctors consider infectious diseases and short-term injuries to be common troubles of modern man. In 2013, there were nearly 2 billion cases associated with upper respiratory and GI pathogens.

Ordinary caries is also considered a serious problem. In 2013, dental diseases of the elderly, accompanied by all sorts of complications, were found in 200 million pensioners.

Thus, headache has become the number one problem on our planet for more than 2.4 billion people. Note that 1.6 billion of them are pensioners.

The main cause of long-term disability in the elderly is considered to be chronic severe back pain, a major depressive disorder. These ailments are among the most common diseases in many countries.

We list other frequent senile diseases of the elderly included in this list. This list may surprise you a little.

Consider the 10 most common chronic diseases of the elderly, the treatment of which requires material and time costs:

• Backache;
• Severe depression;
• Iron-deficiency anemia;
• Diabetes;
• Pain in the neck;
• hearing loss;
• restlessness, anxiety;
• Migraine;
• Chronic lung diseases;
• Diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

If there are elderly people in your family, the symptoms of diseases that often occur in the elderly should be carefully studied.

Why is Alzheimer's dangerous for the elderly?

Alzheimer's disease in the elderly of people is the most common form of dementia, that is, an incurable disease that is associated with the degeneration of brain substances. Nerve cells are damaged, which makes it difficult to transmit impulses. In this regard, memory is disturbed, there is a loss of elementary human skills.

Alzheimer's disease in the elderly was first described in 1906 by the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, who discovered signs of the disease in a 56-year-old woman. Since then, the disease has been studied, but its causes have not yet been identified. As a rule, the disease affects the cerebral cortex. The more disorders Alzheimer's disease causes in the elderly, the more pronounced are its disorders. Biochemical studies have shown that patients have poor production of the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of acetylcholine. It is this substance that is involved in the transmission of impulses between cells.

According to statistics, Alzheimer's disease can occur in people of absolutely any age and social status. For example, cases have been reported when patients aged 28-30 suffered from dementia, but the elderly are most often tormented by this disease. There are more women than men among the patients.

The risk of developing the disease is high if a person is affected by adverse factors. We list the main points that contribute to the development of this disease in the elderly:

• Age. At risk are people over 65 years of age. Alzheimer's disease in older people over 85 occurs in only half of the cases;
• Heredity. In a small proportion of patients (no more than 5%), the disease appears at the age of 40-50 years. Some of the patients "inherited" the gene that is responsible for the development of this disease. Moreover, in children of such patients, the likelihood of morbidity is doubled. Alzheimer's syndrome with delayed onset can also be triggered by genetic information;
• The disease can be caused hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hypothyroidism and other diseases. Past head injuries, metal poisoning, brain tumors also contribute to the development of the disease. However, the presence of such problems does not always mean that the patient will then necessarily be struck by Alzheimer's disease.

Depending on the symptoms, early and late stages are distinguished. Such diseases of the elderly at the initial stage are almost never manifested. Several years or decades may pass before the initial signs appear. Sometimes such diseases of the elderly are not noticed and they believe that it is simply a matter of the natural aging process. The main symptom of Alzheimer's disease is memory loss for events that have recently occurred. The disease is accompanied by anxiety and confusion.

In addition, the patient's attention is disturbed, the ability to learn is reduced, and problems with thinking appear. The patient is not able to find the right words, loses orientation in space and time. Amnesia also applies to ordinary objects, indifference to others appears. Neurotic states, depressive, paranoid disorders are not uncommon at this stage. Such diseases of the elderly are practically untreatable.

At an early stage, senile dementia in some cases may be accompanied by a typical change in facial expressions, while the patient's eyes are wide open, he rarely blinks, which is called "Alzheimer's" amazement. The patient becomes irritable, unclean, does not shave, does not wash, does not wear clothes. An elderly person loses weight, he is often disturbed by dizziness and nausea. First, short-term memory is affected, then the patient smoothly forgets events that happened not so long ago, echoes from childhood or youth are stored in memory for the longest time. Such diseases of the elderly are a real test for both the pensioner and his relatives.

If the disease progresses, the manifestations become more pronounced. The second stage is characterized by a violation of voluntary movements, speech, writing, there are problems with counting, reading. At the same time, patients cannot remember the name of any part of the body, confuse right and left, do not recognize their own reflection in the mirror. During this period, psychoses or epileptic seizures are not uncommon, and somatic pathology may join. The person becomes more constrained. Similar diseases of the elderly greatly change patients and their behavior.

Patients with Alzheimer's walk shuffling, cannot do household chores, lose interest in everything. They often have hallucinations. The patient cannot recognize the area, etc. Sometimes, due to a hostile attitude towards the people around him, it is advisable to isolate him. Such diseases of the elderly are very dangerous, because the patient can behave completely unpredictably.

Alzheimer's disease in the elderly can worsen under the following circumstances:

• Hot weather;
• Darkness;
• The presence of strangers;
• Loneliness;
• Infectious diseases.

Gradually, the patient's state of health weakens, as a result, the patient loses the ability to self-service. The process of destruction of the nervous system sometimes lasts several years. Such diseases of the elderly bring torment to both the patient and his relatives.

Alzheimer's disease is a steadily progressive disease, resulting in inevitable disability and death of a person. However, at the initial stage, it is possible to slow down the course of the disease and alleviate the pain of the patient. It should be mentioned that there are a large number of diseases that have similar symptoms, but are quite treatable. Simple forgetfulness can be a sign of a disease in the elderly, such as Alzheimer's disease, and it is unacceptable to delay treatment. But only a doctor can correctly determine the diagnosis after a thorough examination, because the diseases of older people manifest themselves in different ways.

What is Parkinson's disease in the elderly

Brain damage that occurs with trauma, viral infection, neurological disease can cause dopamine deficiency. This is a hormone that is responsible for the psycho-emotional state of the patient. The lack of dopamine causes disruption of the daily lifestyle and leads to a slowly progressive Parkinson's disease. This mental illness is the most common brain disease.

According to many, Parkinson's disease is only for grandparents. This is not so: representatives of the younger generation can also get sick, which is largely due to genetic reasons. More than 85% of these cases are due to heredity. The disease can develop as a result of a viral and infectious disease. For example, the flu 3 times increases the likelihood of an illness. The main causes of the disease are:

• Mechanical damage to the brain (trauma, falls, etc.);
• atherosclerosis;v
• Serious emotional shock;
• Alcoholism and drug addiction. Unfavorable ecological situation: radiation, influence of metals, released toxins;
• Long-term use of certain medications.

Parkinson's disease has a pronounced symptomatology. It is simply impossible not to notice the elderly suffering from this disease. However, at the initial stage, the disease is not strongly manifested. Usually, anemia of the limbs and slight tremor of the hands are considered a consequence of fatigue. However, we recommend that you contact a specialist if this happens often, as these signs can signal such a terrible disease for older people.

Over time, Parkinson's disease in older people begins to manifest itself as follows:

• Akinesia (muscle activity decreases, movements slow down, reaction worsens);
• Postural instability (impaired coordination when walking, performing movements);
• Rigidity (increased muscle tone, the appearance of an inadequate response to touch);
• Vegetative disorders (disease of the stomach, intestines, sexual dysfunction);
• Unintelligibility of speech, increased salivation, parted mouth, shaking jaw;
• A sharp drop in pressure, fainting, depression, depression.

In the last century, people affected by the disease lived for a short time, although the remedies for this disease of the elderly have become known for a long time and still form the basis of the treatment of the disease.

Such diseases of the elderly gradually lead to the fact that the quality of life of patients deteriorates markedly over time. However, the problem lies not even in the disease itself, but in the complications to which it leads. Patients can live for a long time, but impaired coordination of movements leads to falls, fractures of the limbs. Sometimes they cannot swallow food, which can result in death. It is important to understand that such patients cannot do without constant care.

• Parkinson's disease in the elderly is treated with atropine or belladonna, discovered in the 19th century.
• Therapy of this disease of the elderly involves the use of anicholinergic drugs, that is, cyclodol, akineton, antihistamines, etc.
• Thanks to the discovery of levodopa half a century ago, the possibilities of rehabilitation have expanded: a third of bedridden patients began to walk independently.
• Treatment of this disease of the elderly involves the mandatory use of antidepressants.
• The treatment of this disease of the elderly will be more effective if patients eat right, do therapeutic exercises, and breathe in the fresh air.

It is important for relatives of the patient to remember that a person suffering from Parkinson's disease, as a rule, retains mental abilities. The patient realizes that he is helpless, falls into depression because of this, which entails a deterioration in his condition, further complications. It is necessary to take care of the sick, of course, constantly, but unobtrusively.

Loving relatives often fail to provide delicate treatment and care for an elderly person. If your grandfather or grandmother was struck by Parkinson's disease, then it is better to place him in a specialized institution where qualified doctors and nurses will monitor his condition.

What diseases of the joints in the elderly are most often concerned

As a rule, over the years in older people, tissues become less elastic, joints become angular, and muscles and cartilage become flabby. Many pensioners complain of joint pain. Painful sensations can be caused by a variety of reasons. By the way, problems with the joints often bother young people.

As mentioned earlier, pain in the joints can be caused by a variety of factors. Often it is extremely difficult to determine what exactly causes the disease. For example, the causes may be inflammatory processes, impaired metabolism, degenerative process. About 70% of patients over 65 years of age have osteoarthritis. This disease quickly spreads and progresses, causing defects in the motor activity of the joints.

Consider the main features of diseases of the elderly, namely osteoarthritis and gonarthrosis of the knee joints:

• mechanical pain;
• Crepitus;
• Pain on palpation;
• X-rays show joint spaces;
• Stiffness when moving;
• Fracture of the femoral neck.

Osteoarthritis of the hip joint has the following symptoms:

• Pain when walking;
• The joint space is visible on the x-ray.

The most common disease that affects the mobility of the elderly is arthritis. This disease damages the joints and is characterized by pain. The most common diseases are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Joint diseases in the elderly develop in stages. For example, osteoarthritis can progress for a long time. The fact is that the interarticular cartilage pads are gradually destroyed. Often, the disease affects the joints, which are subjected to heavy loads during life. We are talking about the joints of the hands, knee and hip joints. Sometimes joint diseases in older people affect only one side.

Arthritis

The most common disease among the elderly. This disease leads to inflammatory processes in the joints and in the body as a whole. So, in people with arthritis, there is swelling of the joints, their redness, pain, which intensifies at night. The cause of such a disease is the infection of the patient. It also happens that arthritis appears due to impaired metabolism.

The changes that come with arthritis don't just affect the joints. Often the disease affects the health of the patient as a whole. For example, there may be disturbances in the work of the heart, liver, kidneys. It must be understood that arthrosis is more common than arthritis in the elderly.

arthrosis

Formed as a result of age-related changes. Very often, a similar problem concerns the shoulder, knee, elbow or hip joints. It is in them that numerous cracks appear. In addition, arthrosis may well affect the fingers of the upper and lower extremities, the joints of the ankle.

Note that in a situation where joint diseases in the elderly have already been diagnosed, it is important to take timely treatment in order to slow down the progress of the disease. An elderly person needs to do light exercises and eat natural food containing a large amount of vitamins.

What are the most common heart conditions diagnosed in the elderly?

Heart disease in the elderly is the most common ailment in this age group.

arterial hypertension

Stable increase in blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg. Art. The development of arterial hypertension is due to genetic and environmental factors. External risk factors are: age over 55 years for men, 65 years for women, smoking, obesity, elevated cholesterol level above 6.5 mmol / l, unfavorable family history of heart and vascular diseases, glucose sensitivity disorder, high fibrinogen, inactive image life and so on.

In old age, arterial hypertension appears most often as a result of atherosclerotic lesions of blood vessels.

Atherosclerotic hypertension

This is hypertension, in which there is an increase in systolic blood pressure, but diastolic blood pressure remains normal, resulting in a large difference between systolic and diastolic pressure. Elevated systolic blood pressure with normal diastolic pressure is caused by the presence of atherosclerosis in large arteries. If the aorta and arteries are affected by atherosclerosis, they lose their elasticity and the ability to stretch and contract. If you measure the blood pressure of a patient, then the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure will be about 190 and 70 mm Hg. Art. If your relative is concerned about similar diseases of the elderly, we recommend that you regularly monitor the level of pressure.

Consider 3 degrees of increased blood pressure:

• I degree: 140-159 / 90-99 mm Hg. Art.
• II degree: 160-179 / 100-109 mm Hg. Art.
• III degree: 180/110 mm Hg. Art.

Patients with high blood pressure complain of headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, "flies" before the eyes. By the way, a severe headache, which is accompanied by dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, may indicate a hypertensive crisis. In addition, patients are often concerned about pain in the area of ​​the heart, palpitations.

Elderly people suffering from atherosclerotic hypertension do not have objective symptoms. As a rule, signs of the disease appear only when the blood pressure numbers increase significantly. That is, diseases of the elderly are most often diagnosed later, which means that treatment does not begin on time.

Often, elderly patients do not have any complaints, even if blood pressure rises significantly. Patients also feel good at pressures of 200 and 110 mm Hg. Art. The diagnosis of such patients is often made under random circumstances, for example, at a regular examination by a doctor. Many patients believe that in the absence of discomfort at high pressure, it indicates a benign course of the disease.

This opinion is fundamentally wrong. Such a latent course of the disease is dangerous because a person who is not bothered by painful, painful symptoms is in no hurry to see a doctor and be treated. As a result, therapy is started late or not carried out at all. According to doctors, the risk of developing vascular accidents in such patients is higher than in people with normal blood pressure.

Measurement of blood pressure in elderly patients has its own characteristics. In older people, the walls of the brachial artery are significantly thickened due to the development of atherosclerotic processes in it. In this regard, when measuring pressure, it is necessary to create a higher level of pressure in the cuff to compress the sclerosed artery. If this is not done, then the result will be overestimated. This is called pseudohypertension.

In addition, blood pressure in the elderly should be measured in the supine position. By the way, if your relative is concerned about similar diseases of the elderly, we recommend that you keep a blood pressure monitor at home.

Arterial hypertension must be constantly treated. Patients should regularly take medications, eat rationally, control body weight, give up alcoholic beverages, smoking. Patients are not recommended to take more than 4-6 g of salt per day.

Arterial hypertension is treated with various drugs. We are talking about ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, diuretics, sedatives. These groups of drugs are often combined with each other, because the diseases of the elderly require complex treatment.

angina pectoris

The form ischemic heart disease. The main symptom is typical angina pain. We are talking about pressing, squeezing pain behind the sternum, which occurs even with small physical exertion, passing at rest, due to the intake of nitroglycerin. Painful sensations occur if insufficient oxygen is supplied to the heart muscle when the need for it is increased (for example, during physical exertion, emotional overstrain).

Angina attacks can also occur if an older person walks in cold weather or drinks a cold drink. Most often, patients know at what load angina attacks occur, that is, the patient knows which floor he can climb without any consequences. By the way, if you are concerned about diseases such as angina pectoris, we recommend that you always have medicines with you.

There is also unstable angina, in which retrosternal pain can change dramatically. For example, it often happens that the distance that the patient walks without pain decreases, and nitroglycerin stops helping, you have to increase the dosage in order to relieve pain. The most dangerous is the situation when the pain appears at night. Unstable angina is always considered a pre-infarction condition, and, as a rule, the patient needs urgent hospitalization. Severe pain syndrome requires taking nitroglycerin under the tongue. Do not give the patient several tablets at once. The patient needs to drink 1-2 tablets, wait 15 minutes, then another one, wait 15 minutes again, etc. Nitroglycerin should be taken only by controlling blood pressure, since it cannot be allowed to decrease.

If angina pectoris develops over a long period and there is no treatment, then this is fraught with heart failure, myocardial infarction. Therefore, if you suspect the presence of a particular disease of the elderly, do not delay visiting a doctor.

It is important to understand that not all pain in the heart area is a manifestation of angina pectoris. Sometimes older people complain of pain that occurs in the left side of the sternum, which is aching in nature and increases with movement. As a rule, specialists manage to establish painful points when probing the spine and ribs. In this case, we are no longer talking about angina pectoris, but about osteochondrosis, intercostal neuralgia, and myositis.

Sometimes these diseases are exacerbated by colds. Pain is treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Sometimes painful sensations appear after a hearty dinner, or rather, after the patient lay down after eating. This may indicate bloating, diaphragm tension. In the elderly, diaphragmatic hernias often appear, which are accompanied by painful sensations in the region of the heart.

Menopause in women is often accompanied by hot flashes to the face, goosebumps on the arms and legs, anxiety, trembling, pain in the heart area. As a rule, painful sensations are not associated with physical exertion, but they disturb patients for a long time. Usually the pain goes away if the woman takes valerian tincture, corvalol or valocardine.

Angina pectoris is treated with nitrates, that is, nitroglycerin, gitrosorbide, erinite. By the way, these drugs often cause headaches, so doctors recommend taking additional validol. In addition, specialists prescribe medications that help lower cholesterol levels. We are talking about vasilip, atorvastatin, etc.

Heart failure

Pathological condition, which is due to the fact that the contractile activity of the heart is weakened, and blood circulation is disturbed. As a rule, heart failure is preceded by the following diseases: IHD, heart malformations, arterial hypertension, myocarditis, dystrophic changes in the myocardium, myocardiopathy.

At the initial stage of the development of the disease, there is a violation of the ability of the heart to relax, diastolic dysfunction occurs, the left ventricular chamber is less filled with blood, which causes a decrease in the volume of blood ejected by the ventricle. However, at rest, the heart copes with its functions. During physical exertion, the heart rate increases, the total blood output becomes smaller, the body lacks oxygen, and the patient develops weakness and shortness of breath. With heart failure, the patient's usual physical activity is reduced. Remember that if you suspect heart disease in older people, a visit to the doctor should not be postponed.

stands out acute and chronic heart failure.

Acute left ventricular failure is a consequence of the load on the left ventricle. As a rule, infectious diseases, physical and emotional stress are provoking factors.

cardiac asthma

The disease has the following symptoms: shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, suffocation, cough with light sputum, which sometimes has streaks of blood. Patients sit in bed with their legs down, as in this position their condition is facilitated. If treatment is not started on time, there is a risk of developing pulmonary edema. The disease progresses very quickly.

Atrial fibrillation

This is a frequent irregular activity of the atria. This condition occurs when an electrical impulse emanating from the pacemaker in the right atrium begins to wander through the conduction system of the heart. Impulses add up or mutually cancel each other out. For this reason, there are chaotic contractions of individual groups of atrial fibers with a frequency of 100-150 beats per minute. Pathology, as a rule, is caused by organic damage to the heart: cardiosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, heart defects, coronary heart disease. Atrial fibrillation also occurs in the presence of additional conductive bundles.

Due to the complete blockade of the conduction system of the heart, the impulse from the atrium may not reach the ventricle at all. In such a situation, the atria contract at their own speed, and the ventricles at their own, that is, much more slowly than usual. At the same time, the heart does not respond with an increase in contractions to the need.

Atrial fibrillation is divided into permanent and paroxysmal.

Consider how these heart diseases manifest themselves in the elderly. The paroxysmal form occurs against the background of any provoking factor. For example, the heartbeat may increase if an older person is nervous. At such moments, the patient feels interruptions in the work of the heart, he is worried about shortness of breath, weakness, sweating. An attack can occur both at rest and while taking medication. You can help a sick person by pressing hard on the eyeballs, painfully massaging the supraclavicular region, quickly squatting the patient. Such techniques have a positive effect on cardiac activity.

The permanent form of arrhythmia is characterized by the constant presence of arrhythmic heartbeats; sinus rhythm does not resume in this form. In such a case, doctors strive to ensure that the rhythm ceases to be rapid - no more than 80-90 shocks per minute. With a constant form of atrial fibrillation, the patient always feels disturbances in the work of the heart, shortness of breath during physical exertion. When examining the pulse, pulse waves of different content, non-rhythmic, are detected. If you compare the pulse rate and heart rate, you can find the difference between them in the direction of increasing heart rate. This phenomenon is called "pulse deficit". It determines the inefficiency of certain heart contractions. The fact is that the chambers of the heart do not have time to fill with blood, as a result of which an empty "cotton" occurs. In this regard, not all contractions are carried out to peripheral vessels.

The prolonged course of a constant form of atrial fibrillation leads to the progression of heart failure.

Atrial fibrillation is treated with cardiac glycosides. We are talking about corglycone, digoxin, etc. In addition, therapy involves the use of beta-blockers, that is, atenolol, concor, etacizin, etc.

With a complete blockade of the conduction pathways of the heart, blood pressure sharply decreases, the frequency of heart beats decreases - up to 20-30 beats per minute, and symptoms of heart failure increase. A patient with newly diagnosed complete heart block must be hospitalized, otherwise the development of myocardial infarction can be missed. Today, the treatment consists in installing an artificial pacemaker, which generates electrical discharges and stimulates heart contractions. The device is sewn into the patient for 5-8 years. This elderly person is forced to stay away from areas with high magnetic fields, he can "obstruct" the reception of radio and television transmissions if he stands next to the antenna. Heart disease in the elderly requires special attention to the patient and constant care for him.

In our boarding houses we are ready to offer only the best:

Round-the-clock care for the elderly by professional nurses (all staff are citizens of the Russian Federation).

5 meals a day full and diet.

1-2-3-seater placement (for recumbent specialized comfortable beds).

Daily leisure (games, books, crossword puzzles, walks).

Individual work of psychologists: art therapy, music lessons, modeling.

Weekly examination by specialized doctors.

Comfortable and safe conditions (comfortable country houses, beautiful nature, clean air).

At any time of the day or night, the elderly will always come to the rescue, no matter what problem worries them. In this house, all relatives and friends. An atmosphere of love and friendship reigns here.

Old age is a natural and irreversible process that each of us will have to face at some point. Very often people, especially at a young age, have no idea what awaits them during this period. Someone imagines how he improves the garden or hosts a large family, while someone sees only a heavy burden in old age.

In fact, the aging process depends on many factors, no one can know for sure what lies ahead. But you can get acquainted with the main problems of old age in order to prevent and recognize the disease in yourself or your loved ones in time. One of the most common problems is personality and behavioral disorders in adulthood. What are these disorders? How can they be recognized and can they be cured?

Senile diseases - where do they come from?

To understand who is threatened with mental deviations of late age, you need to decide what is "late age"? In the Russian scientific and medical community, it is generally accepted that all people over 60 years of age belong to the elderly. Age is obtained through extensive statistical data, but not always people over 60 feel bad, and those who are under 60 are good.

As we age, every person's body undergoes changes. Hair turns gray, bones become more brittle, blood vessels thin, blood circulation slows down, skin withers and wears out, muscles become flabby, vision falls. For some, these processes do not interfere with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, while others begin to suffer from concomitant diseases. These can be physiological or mental illnesses that take away strength, preventing them from leading a former lifestyle. Many of us have heard or read about physical ailments, but mental disorders often remain an unknown area. What happens to the psyche in old age?

In all older people, mental flexibility decreases in the process of aging, it is difficult for them to maintain their previous mood, adapt to new and unforeseen situations, and change the environment around them.

Old people often have thoughts about death, about relatives who will remain, about children and home. Anxious thoughts creep into the head every day, which, together with a breakdown, provokes various deviations.

To understand how to distinguish between diseases, you need to know that they are divided into two types:

• involutional;
• organic.

Involutional deviations

Mental disorders of late age, which are associated with the involution of the organism, are mental disorders that respond well to treatment without leading to dementia. These include:

• paranoia
• manic states;
• depression
• anxiety disorders;
• hypochondria.

Paranoia is a psychosis characterized by various delusional ideas that complicate the life of the elderly and their environment. Many become suspicious, irritable, cease to trust their loved ones, begin to accuse relatives of non-existent problems, delusional ideas of jealousy arise. Sometimes this condition is accompanied by hallucinations: auditory, tactile, gustatory. They exacerbate the symptoms and the conflict itself, as many older people regard them as confirmation of their suspicions. Before making a diagnosis, the psychotherapist must make sure that the symptoms that have arisen do not indicate a serious illness, such as schizophrenia.

Depression in older people is always more severe than at an earlier age. If left untreated, this ailment will continue for years, aggravated with each experience. Depression is characterized by a persistent low mood, loss of strength, unwillingness to live and perform daily activities and duties. Many are overcome by fear and anxiety, negative thoughts creep in. Often the symptoms are similar to dementia: the patient complains of memory impairment, weakening of other mental functions. It is worth remembering that depression, even in old age, responds well to treatment, there are many special medications and techniques.

Anxiety disorders in their symptoms are similar to depression: the patient is overcome by fear, anxiety, loss of strength, lack of motivation. Former duties seem impossible, they are accompanied by constant unrest and negative thoughts. Even household chores cause fear and apprehension: going to the store, meeting with relatives, traveling by public transport. Elderly people become restless and fussy. There is a strong tension inside, which is combined with anxiety, which can eventually lead to severe neuroses. The patient's life revolves around an imaginary problem, which makes it impossible for the former, full-fledged existence. Many neuroses are accompanied by somatic symptoms: tremor develops, abdominal cramps, headaches, insomnia.


Often anxiety centers around one topic - health. Over time, painful sensations arise more and more often, age-related diseases make themselves felt, which provokes a lot of negative thoughts. Some people develop hypochondria against this background. This is a disorder that is characterized by focusing on one's illnesses, the belief that something bad is happening to the body. Many begin to continuously visit doctors, take tests that do not confirm fears. The lack of evidence of the disease convinces not that it does not exist, but that a bad specialist has simply been caught. Continuous talk about health and ailments complicates communication with a hypochondriac, many try to distance themselves from contact with such people. Hypochondria is accompanied by complaints of unpleasant, blurred and inexplicable sensations, low mood and irritability. This disorder complicates the patient's life, as it takes a lot of effort, time and money. Treating hypochondria is not an easy task, but it can be done. The main thing is to contact an experienced specialist.

A manic state is a dangerous and severe deviation for an elderly person. Patients with mania are always cheerful, unrestrained and talk a lot, are in a state of some kind of euphoria. Patients are not aware of the possible consequences of their actions, their high spirits can abruptly change to aggression and anger. Susceptibility to momentary impulses interferes with leading a normal life, such patients rarely seek medical help themselves, although they urgently need help. In such situations, understanding people should be nearby who will take the elderly person to a psychotherapist.

organic deviations

Organic disorders of personality and behavior in adulthood are severe, irreversible diseases that most often occur as a result of dementia.

Dementia is dementia that does not appear suddenly but develops gradually. In the early stages, the consequences of this deviation may not be very noticeable, but gradually they begin to worsen, aggravating the symptoms. The type of disease that dementia can cause depends on its type. Distinguish between total and lacunar dementia. Total dementia in the elderly is characterized by complete damage to various body systems. Performing even the simplest things becomes impossible, many experience the loss of their identity, forget who they are, cease to adequately assess their condition. With lacunar dementia, partial memory loss, mental disorders are possible, which at the same time do not interfere with evaluating oneself, preserving one's personality.

The main organic diseases that are a consequence of degenerative dementia are Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a mental illness that occurs when the central nervous system is damaged. It is characterized by a decrease in cognitive functions, the loss of individual traits of character and personality, and behavioral changes. The initial signs of the disease: memory impairment, which manifests itself in the form of difficulty in remembering past and current events. Older people have difficulty concentrating, they become forgetful and absent-minded, many current events are replaced in the mind by past moments. Some people stop recognizing their loved ones, see them as departed relatives or old acquaintances. All events are mixed in time, it becomes impossible to determine when a situation happened. The person may become suddenly rude, callous, or distracted and carefree. Sometimes the first signs of Alzheimer's are hallucinations and delusions. It may seem that the disease progresses almost instantly, but in fact the first stage of the disease in the elderly can last up to 20 years.

Gradually, the patient ceases to navigate in time, is lost in memories, cannot answer elementary questions. He does not understand who he is, what year it is, where he is, who surrounds him. The former course of life becomes impossible, since even household chores are fraught with many difficulties. Dementia gradually worsens: skills for writing and counting are lost, speech becomes scarce and compressed. Many people cannot remember simple concepts to describe their state and feelings. Over time, motor function begins to suffer in the elderly. The disease is irreversible, without proper supportive treatment, it progresses rapidly, leaving the patient bedridden with a complete loss of mental and mental functions.


Pick's disease is a mental illness that occurs with various lesions of the brain. This deviation, even in the early stages, is characterized by a rapid loss of the core of the personality. Mental functions can remain practically unchanged for a long time: the patient considers tolerably, remembers names, dates, events, reproduces memories in the right order, his speech practically does not change, vocabulary can remain the same. Only the character changes significantly. The patient becomes irritable, aggressive, stops thinking about the consequences of his actions, gives in to anxiety and stress. The course and severity of Pick's disease depends on which lobe of the brain was initially affected. The disease is irreversible, but it is possible to maintain an acceptable level of life and consciousness with the help of special therapy.

Such a phenomenon as senile dementia can also be attributed to organic disorders. This deviation is associated with a total loss of intellectual abilities, some mental functions. The person becomes irritable, suspicious, often grumbles and is indignant. Memory gradually deteriorates, current events mainly suffer, and memories from the past are reproduced quite accurately. Gradually, gaps in memory are filled with false memories. There are various crazy ideas. The mood can change dramatically to the opposite. The patient ceases to adequately assess his condition, is not able to compare elementary situations, to predict the outcome of obvious events. Some people with senile dementia have a disinhibition of instincts. A complete loss of appetite is possible, or vice versa, a person cannot satisfy his hunger. There is a sharp increase in sexual instincts. This can be expressed both in the form of ordinary jealousy and in sexual attraction to minors. It is impossible to reverse senile dementia, all that can be done is to maintain the proper standard of living for the patient.

Reasons for deviations

In old age, it is quite difficult to determine what could cause any deviation. The deterioration of health is the norm, so it is not always possible to detect diseases in time.

Involutional disorders are most often the result of poor mental health, combined with negative thoughts, stress and feelings. Being in constant tension, the nervous system fails, from which neuroses and deviations arise. Often mental ailments are exacerbated by concomitant physical abnormalities.

Organic ailments can have a variety of causes. For example, diseases caused by lacunar dementia are the result of lesions of the vascular system, infectious diseases, alcohol or drug addiction, tumors, and injuries. Degenerative dementia is not fully understood, but it is known for sure that Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease are the result of CNS damage. In addition, the presence of relatives with these diseases significantly increases the risk of these ailments.

Treatment of disorders

Treatment for personality and behavioral disorders in adulthood depends entirely on the type of disorder. People with involutional deviations have a fairly high chance of successful treatment, their ailments are completely reversible. Depression, hypochondria, stress, paranoia are treated by a psychotherapist. In young people, everything is often limited to psychotherapy sessions, but in old age, sessions are almost always combined with drug treatment. These can be antidepressants, anti-anxiety and sedative drugs. Many attend group psychotherapy. A sense of community gives a positive result in treatment.

Organic disorders caused by any dementia are irreversible. There are many techniques and therapies that are aimed at maintaining the proper standard of living for as long as possible. Various drugs are used to help maintain consciousness and cognitive functions. The bigger problem is diagnosing these disorders - the signs of dementia are confused with the usual manifestation of old age, so the detection of diseases often occurs already in the later stages.

Prevention of disorders

It is impossible to limit oneself from organic personality disorders in old people. But there are methods for preventing involutional deviations. To help your loved one maintain mental clarity for as long as possible, you need to understand the main factors that can be stressors. These include:

• narrowing the circle of communication;
• loneliness;
• loss of loved ones;
• retirement;
• inability to maintain an adequate standard of living on their own.

Many people are very painful about leaving work, moving children, losing close friends. All these situations suggest that life is coming to an end, there are no more goals to strive for, there are no opportunities to fulfill many dreams.

One of the biggest stressors is loneliness. It is isolation from society that gives rise to thoughts in people about uselessness, uselessness, the proximity of death. Living alone, a person begins to think about the indifference of others and loved ones, about the fact that he is forgotten by his children and grandchildren. The state of constant anxiety and stress provokes the aggravation of psychological ailments.

It can be concluded that overcoming the feeling of loneliness in an elderly person is possible if he lives with his children, grandchildren, and other relatives. But practice shows that those elderly who live with relatives often feel their uselessness and uselessness. Many young people believe that by placing an elderly relative with them, their duty is fulfilled. But the point is not in the physical distance between people, but in the psychological one. It is the loss of emotional connection that makes old people suffer from loneliness.

Pay attention to changes in the condition of an elderly relative, be interested in his affairs and problems, ask for some little help so that he feels important and needed. If a pensioner suffers from a loss of employment, then try to find a replacement for his former pastime: donate embroidery or knitting kits, books, films, take fishing and other vacations with you. All you can do to avoid personality and behavioral disorders in adulthood is to be open, honest, and caring.