Accordingly, Americans, including seniors, visit a doctor at an average of 4x a year. Should it not be that seniors visit a doctor more regularly? It is general knowledge that aging is the single most common factor that affects our health. As a person ages, so do his organs. Body organs can also suffer from wear and tear. Hormonal changes can affect the structural integrity of body parts and how they respond to stimuli thrown at them. Take for example the bones. They get brittle and less dense, and so they become more vulnerable to trauma at old age. Weakened immunity is also a health issue among seniors, making them more susceptible to chronic illnesses.
While there are more reasons for a senior to visit the doctor more often, self-denial can be one reason that seniors do not go see a doctor. The thought that everything will be okay and a doctor may not be able to do something also makes a senior avoid consultation with a health professional. Although seeing a doctor may not really be important if you are sure that you are truly okay, like having no medical history at all, these 8 signs should be enough reasons to bring you to a doctor:
Signs of Medical Emergency
Signs, like choking or other breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness or change in mental status, heart attack symptoms, such as pain, pressure or tightness in your chest, arms, neck, or jaw, shortness of breath, and sudden lightheadedness should merit immediate medical attention
You should also call 911 when there is an injury to the head or spine, or other severe injuries, stroke symptoms, such as sudden numbness, confusion, speech problems, trouble walking, vision changes, and suicidal thoughts. Any delay in medical attention can result in a life-and-death situation.
Digestive Symptoms
This can be one of the most overlooked symptoms because it can pass as a mere digestive issue caused by eating something inappropriate. But when symptoms include frequent and worsening heartburn, vomiting blood, feeling full even before eating, difficulty swallowing, constipation, diarrhea, bloody, black, and tarry stool should alarm you to go and see a doctor.
Respiratory Symptoms
Do you know that a cough that will not just go away can be a sign of cancer? This means that you should not ignore persistent cough, wheezing, excessive mucus, and coughing blood. They may just be signs of something more serious like emphysema, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Bear in mind that a considerable number of seniors perish every year due to respiratory illnesses.
Cognitive Symptoms
If you see that you are having a worsening case of forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, trouble to make decisions, poor judgment, and personality and behavioral changes, you should see a doctor. A cognitive disorder may be waiting to be diagnosed.
Emotional Symptoms
Anxiety, depression, irritability, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, and sudden change of interests are symptoms that should never be ignored. Emotional and mental symptoms can indicate some medical conditions. If unchecked, there can be more complications to come.
Vision Symptoms
Seniors can have eye issues that are more profound than those being experienced by younger people. These eye problems can lead to total blindness which can debilitate you. Seeing a doctor can help find the cause, so treatment to save your vision can be identified. The soonest that you see a doctor, the greater possibility that your eyesight will be restored.
Post-Surgical Symptoms
Some surgeries may not come up as perfectly as we wanted. If you are unlucky to experience post-operative symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately. These post-surgery symptoms include bleeding that won’t stop, infection with fever, local swelling, redness, and pain, difficulty breathing and urinating, and allergic reaction to anesthesia.
Persistent Symptoms
When even with medications, some symptoms don’t just go away, there may be something wrong elsewhere. These symptoms may range from very high fever to sudden unexplained weight loss, menstrual issues such as, irregular periods and heavy periods with severe pain, and back pain that does not improve using conventional methods.
For these symptoms, a senior should be compelled to see a doctor immediately. A delay in getting the necessary medical intervention may lead to other worse medical conditions. If this happens, the quality of life that you will be having is at stake. Will you be living the rest of your life independently? Or will you be at the mercy of a family member or a caregiver? In worst scenarios, not seeing a doctor right away can spell death.