Originally published September 27 2005
Symptoms of dementia, anxiety and depression plague many elderly people
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
While it is well-know that many elderly suffer from dementia, anxiety and depression, few are aware that many symptoms can be prevented with improved diet and exercise, and paying attention to possible drug interactions.
This condition is characterized by confusion, memory loss and disorientation.
It is not an inevitable part of growing old -- only 15 percent of older Americans suffer from the condition -- but it is devastating.
Advertisement The most common and notorious form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which progressively destroys the parts of the brain controlling thought, memory and language.
Alzheimer's usually appears after age 60; the number of people afflicted doubles every five years beyond age 65, from about 5 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 to nearly half for those 85 and older.
Other than Alzheimer's, dementia may be caused by complications of chronic high blood pressure, blood vessel disease or a previous stroke.
Deterioration occurs in steps rather than as a steady progression.
Pseudodementias mimic the symptoms of dementia but can be quickly reversed with appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Until recently, it was widely believed that anxiety disorders decline with age.
Phobias are the most common anxiety ailment appearing late in life.
1. Specific phobias are irrational, persistent fears of a specific object or situation.
2. Social anxiety disorder is the fear of being embarrassed or scorned in a public situation.
3. Agoraphobia is the fear of experiencing an anxiety attack in a place or situation where escape is difficult or embarrassing.
Other anxiety disorders range from obsessive-compulsive behaviors to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Depression in varying degrees affects up to 5 percent of all elderly.
Some researchers believe the percentage is greater, that some elderly patients diagnosed with dementia may actually suffer from depression that, if treated, is reversible.
It is not, and in serious cases it can pose a significant health hazard in the elderly by exacerbating existing physical problems or boosting the risk of suicide.
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