Occupation, diet, and lifestyle can all affect wellness adversely. Individuals who work with vibrating equipment, for example pneumatic drills, might go on to suffer from Raynaud’s phenomenon – a circulatory disorder affecting the fingers and toes – and possible hearing loss. Quarry employees, miners and other industrial employees danger developing lung illnesses for example silicosis and asbestosis, although dust control measures, medical monitoring and the use of protective clothing have greatly reduced their incidence. Contact with harmful chemicals for example lead, mercury, tar and radioactive compounds can also harm health. Computer operators and assembly-line employees may develop overuse injuries (repetitive strain disorders), while workers involved in highly pressurized jobs are at risk from stress-related illnesses, such as stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression.

The biggest group of nutritional difficulties in developed countries results from failing to eat a balanced diet and from overeating. Eating too much saturated fat raises the amount of cholesterol within the blood, causing narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). This, in turn, can lead to coronary artery disease (angina pectoris or heart attack, for instance) and stroke (damage to part from the brain due to an interrupted blood supply or a leakage from a blood vessel). People who consistently overeat and fail to take exercise turn out to be obese and run a greater danger of developing not only coronary artery illness but also diabetes mellitus and osteoarthritis – a painful and disabling joint illness frequently afflicting the elderly. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of building lung cancer (and many other illnesses). Alcohol abuse increases the chances of obtaining cancer from the liver (too as nervous system disorders and heart and circulatory difficulties). Dependence on both nicotine and alcohol produces a a lot higher danger of cancer of the mouth, tongue, throat and gullet than utilizing either drug alone.

The ageing process

Since the body ages, it becomes more prone to illness. Wear and tear on the joints can result in osteoarthritis, causing pain, stiffness and reduction of mobility. Organs such as the heart, lungs and liver gradually become less efficient and declining numbers of nerve cells lead to a loss of sharpness in all the senses. As a result of their reduction of sensitivity to changes in temperature elderly people are more susceptible to hypothermia – a serious situation caused by a fall in body temperature to below 35°C. The condition can be largely avoided by the use of thermostatically controlled central heating and by keeping an eye on elderly relatives and friends, particularly during the winter months.

Numerous elderly people experience declining mental ability – forgetfulness, in particular. About one in five people over the age of 80, nevertheless, suffers from dementia – a general and progressive decline in all areas of mental ability. The situation is usually due to brain disease, most commonly Alzheimer’s illness. In the early stages, most Alzheimer’s sufferers are usually greatest cared for at home, but since the illness progresses patients frequently need the specialist care provided by a nursing home.