Dental problems have a great impact on the quality of life. Besides the pain and discomfort associated with cavities (caries), the loss of teeth makes it difficult to chew food properly. This in turn may lead to poor nutrition. Prevention is always better than treatment. Prevention of caries even in teeth already damaged can slow or arrest further progression of tooth problems.
Most people are familiar with diabetes as a sugar disorder. The body lacks enough of the hormone insulin to fully use sugar in the diet. However, this is only one aspect of the disease. Diabetes is also a major cause of problems with blood vessels. These blood vessel changes often affect the kidneys. Diabetes is a cause of disease
When bowel movements become unusually frequent, loose and watery, or both, it is diarrhea. The range of normal for bowel habit is highly variable among individuals. Generally, if an individual is having more than three bowel movements daily, particularly if they are loose and if the volume seems large, there is cause to investigate the possibility of diarrhea. If a patient has a change in customary bowel habit, although it may not exceed these limits, there is cause for further investigation.
It is unfortunate but true that many elderly who are forced to become dependent on caregivers for some or all of their daily care respond with the development of patterns of disruptive behavior. This behavior may produce harm to the patient, caregiver, or others who live or work in close proximity to the patient.
Few things are as dear to each of us as our independence. The process of growing older tests our independence in many different ways. Often it seems that a driver’s license is an official symbol of one’s independence. In all except the largest cities, public transportation is limited. The structure of suburban America seems to require a car to complete the simple acts of daily living. No one surrenders his or her driver’s license lightly.
Excessive dryness of the mouth can cause difficulty with talking and swallowing and can irritate or exacerbate gum disease, which results in tooth loss. Dry mouth is not a result of an aging process, but it may be a consequence of diseases related to aging or the treatment of these diseases.
Male impotence is the inability to maintain (or attain) a penile erection that is sufficient to permit sexual intercourse. It is distinguished from libido, which is sexual desire. The two function independently. Male impotence has many causes, and these increase in frequency with age. Difficulties with blood supply and neurologic changes are common causes of this dysfunction. Many drugs have impotence as a side effect as does alcohol. The problem requires a thorough evaluation. The best treatment is treatment of the underlying problem where possible.
Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear. It is very common in children but can also occur in adults. The chamber of the middle ear is connected to the outside through a hollow tube, the eustachian tube, that leads down to the throat. Air may enter or leave through this tube to keep the pressure in the middle ear equal to the outside pressure. This is important because of the pressure changes that occur when one changes altitude as in a tall building elevator or in an airplane.
General Information Depression is a disorder of mood. Depression may vary from a mild, expected (normal) response to the stresses of daily living t...
Dental problems have a great impact on the quality of life. Besides the pain and discomfort associated with cavities (caries), the loss of teeth makes it difficult to chew food properly. This in turn may lead to poor nutrition. Prevention is always better than treatment. Prevention of caries even in teeth already damaged can slow or arrest further progression of tooth problems.
Most people are familiar with diabetes as a sugar disorder. The body lacks enough of the hormone insulin to fully use sugar in the diet. However, this is only one aspect of the disease. Diabetes is also a major cause of problems with blood vessels. These blood vessel changes often affect the kidneys. Diabetes is a cause of disease
When bowel movements become unusually frequent, loose and watery, or both, it is diarrhea. The range of normal for bowel habit is highly variable among individuals. Generally, if an individual is having more than three bowel movements daily, particularly if they are loose and if the volume seems large, there is cause to investigate the possibility of diarrhea. If a patient has a change in customary bowel habit, although it may not exceed these limits, there is cause for further investigation.
It is unfortunate but true that many elderly who are forced to become dependent on caregivers for some or all of their daily care respond with the development of patterns of disruptive behavior. This behavior may produce harm to the patient, caregiver, or others who live or work in close proximity to the patient.
General Information Dizziness is described by some individuals as a feeling of faintness and by others as a feeling of rotary motion when no rotary...
Few things are as dear to each of us as our independence. The process of growing older tests our independence in many different ways. Often it seems that a driver’s license is an official symbol of one’s independence. In all except the largest cities, public transportation is limited. The structure of suburban America seems to require a car to complete the simple acts of daily living. No one surrenders his or her driver’s license lightly.
General Information Dry eyes may be the consequence of decreased tear formation, the result of a slow blink rate, or both. Blinking, which is so au...
Excessive dryness of the mouth can cause difficulty with talking and swallowing and can irritate or exacerbate gum disease, which results in tooth loss. Dry mouth is not a result of an aging process, but it may be a consequence of diseases related to aging or the treatment of these diseases.
General Information With age, the esophagus, the swallowing tube that leads from the mouth to the stomach, undergoes changes that impair coordinati...
Male impotence is the inability to maintain (or attain) a penile erection that is sufficient to permit sexual intercourse. It is distinguished from libido, which is sexual desire. The two function independently. Male impotence has many causes, and these increase in frequency with age. Difficulties with blood supply and neurologic changes are common causes of this dysfunction. Many drugs have impotence as a side effect as does alcohol. The problem requires a thorough evaluation. The best treatment is treatment of the underlying problem where possible.
Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear. It is very common in children but can also occur in adults. The chamber of the middle ear is connected to the outside through a hollow tube, the eustachian tube, that leads down to the throat. Air may enter or leave through this tube to keep the pressure in the middle ear equal to the outside pressure. This is important because of the pressure changes that occur when one changes altitude as in a tall building elevator or in an airplane.
