Table of Contents
- Overview
- Prevention
- Images
Aging also affects inflammation and wound healing. Inflammation is an immune response -- when the immune system thinks there is trouble, it sends more cells to the site of the problem. This causes swelling, pain, redness, warmth, and irritation. Inflammation is often a sign of infection, but it may also occur as part of an autoimmune attack.
Many older people heal more slowly. This may be directly related to changes in the immune system, or it may be a result of other problems such as diabetes or arteriosclerosis, which leads to decreased blood flow to some parts of the body such as the lower legs.
Also, many older people take anti-inflammatory medications (to control conditions such as
COMMON PROBLEMS
- Increased infection risk
- Decreased ability to fight diseases
- Slowed wound healing
- Autoimmune disorders
- Cancer
DISEASE PREVENTION
Just as routine immunizations are important to prevent illness in children, a few routine immunizations are important as we get older. Adult
Your health care provider may recommend other immunizations, including Pneumovax (to prevent
Keeping generally healthy also helps. Maintaining good health involves:
- Exercise
- A well-balanced diet
- No smoking
- Limited
alcohol use -- moderate drinking seems to have some health benefits, but excessive drinking can cause serious damage -
Safety measures to avoid falls and other injuries
RELATED TOPICS
Aging changes in hormone production Aging changes in organs, tissues, and cells
Images
Review Date: 12/13/2010
Reviewed By: Michael Langan, M.D. Department of Geriatrics, Massachusetts
General Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare
Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director,
A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
