Health wellness and normal aging Flashcards
Health
State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease or impairment.
Illness
Presence of physical or mental disease or impairment
Quality of life
Subjective judgement
People’s perception of their position in life in context of their culture
Valuation of life : qualitative (enjoyment, hopes)
Strengths and compensations for age related change
Alzheimer’s (and related dementia)- difficult to measure
results to specific diseases or conditions or end of life issues
Immune system
Defense system works against foreign invaders (bacteria, virus, parasites)
With aging, there are less “soldiers”
Autoimmunity= immune system can attack the body itself
Stress
stress as a physiological state
- Sympathetic nervous system
Stress and coping paradigm= interaction of a thinking person and an event
Nervous system
Central nervous system
- brain
- spinal cord (connects the brain to rest of body)
Peripheral Nervous system
- autonomic (regulates internal environment. carries info from CNS to organs, blood vessels , and glands.
-Sympathetic (arouses body)
- Parasympathetic (calms after arousal)
- somatic (carries info from CNS to sense and skeletal muscles)
Effects of Chronic stress on health
-Immune system suppression
-Effects can last for decades
Acute and chronic diseases
Acute- conditions that develop over a short period of time and cause a rapid change in health
Chronic- conditions that last a long time (min. 3 months) an may be accompanied by residual functional impairment that necessitates long-term management
Arthritis
Inflammation of one or more of your joints
symptoms: joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsens with age
Common types:
Osteoarthritis= causes cartilage (the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of the bones where they form a joint) to break down
Rheumatoid= autoimmune disorder, body’s own immune system attacks the body’s joints
Cardiovascular system- blood pressure
Healthy arteries are made of muscle and a semi-flexible
tissue that stretches like elastic when the heart pumps blood
through them.
When the arteries are not as elastic because of the build-up
of cholesterol or plaque or because of scarring, the heart
pumps harder to get blood into the arteries. Over time, this
increased work can result in damage to the heart itself. The
muscles and valves in the heart can become damaged
and heart failure can result
Common chronic conditons
Diabetes mellitus:
- insulin (glucose)
- glucose (blood sugar) blood
- cells without energy
Diabetes I: no insulin
Diabetes II: body does not make or use insulin well
Cancer: uncontrolled growth
and spread of abnormal cells
- primary risk: age and family
-secondary risk: tobacco, diet, pollution, etc…
Incontinence
Four major reasons:
Stress- Pressure in the abdomen exceeds the ability to
resist urinary flow (coughs, heavy object)
Urge – Not quickly enough
Overflow – Overdistended bladder (improper function
of the kidneys)
Functional – Unaware of the need (cognitive
impairment)
Interventions: muscle training, diet, special underwear, etc)
Managing pain
Pharmacological: non-narcotics and narcotic meds
Non-pharmacological: acupuncture, therapeutic touch, heat
Polypharmacy and Adherence
Polypharmacy: many meds at once (side effects and interactions may be dangerous)
Adherence: taking meds correctly
- hard with older patients
Health promotion
-physical activity
-eating well
-health literacy
-avoid negative health behaviors like smoking, alcohol, and tanning
-immunizations
