Mature adults are more prone to sickness for a variety of reasons. Many systems in the body lose their ability to work properly as we age. If mature adults do not lead healthy lifestyles, the situation will get even worse.
Let us at Discovery Commons South Biscayne explain to you about mature adults and illnesses.
Reduced Immunity
Some of the body’s defenses against infection include macrophages, natural killer cells, and T cells. They react to alleged intruders and recall each conflict. Adults’ bodies slow the creation of these protecting cells as they age. Because the young cells lack the memory of the older cells, they are unable to protect mature adults as efficiently.
Immune cells are also unable to communicate with one another as effectively as they did prior to the start of old age. Chemical mechanisms that alert the immune system to the need for an attack become faulty as well. As a result, older persons take longer to recover from infections, injuries, and diseases. Mature adults are also more likely to develop dangerous infections.
Malnourishment
According to studies, up to 11 percent of mature adults do not obtain the nourishment they require. Undernourishment can result from a variety of factors, including cognitive impairment, depression, undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes, and financial difficulties.
The body cannot operate correctly without the right nutrition. Iron, protein, and vitamin B12 deficiencies stymie the body’s ability to produce new immune cells and chemical messages.
Hiring a professional caregiver to assist your loved one in shopping for healthy foods and making nutritious meals may be the best option.
Side Effects of Medication
The immune system may be harmed by a number of common over-the-counter and prescription drugs. When someone takes antibiotics, the drug frequently kills both healthy and dangerous germs. Yeast cells flourish in the absence of beneficial bacteria, resulting in yeast or fungal infections.
Chemotherapy formulations are known to lower immunity, making patients more vulnerable to infections. For chronic inflammatory disorders, some older persons require prescription corticosteroids and TNF inhibitors. These drugs, on the other hand, can impair the immune system’s capacity to prevent or fight infections.
Proton pump inhibitors are used to treat inflammatory gastrointestinal problems in older persons. The drugs prevent stomach acid from being released, but this creates an ideal environment for microorganisms to grow and thrive without the risk of being killed by the acid.
Antidepressants, analgesics, and anti-inflammatory medicines can all impair immunological function.
Herpes Zoster/Shingles
Many adults contracted chickenpox as children before the vaccination was introduced. The varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox stays in the body indefinitely, and as humans age, the virus frequently resurfaces and produces shingles, a painful disorder.
Respiratory Conditions
Adults with persistent asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema have lungs that are weakened. The oxygenation process is hampered by the inability to take complete, deep breaths and eliminate carbon dioxide.
The lungs are more susceptible to infection since the tissue has already been damaged. As a result, a normal cold might develop into pneumonia. Mature adults who use inhalant drugs to help them breathe better are more likely to get yeast infections in their lungs.
