Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston, Webster, Pasadena, Baytown, League City, Houston Bay Area Helping Seniors Living at Home with home health - Call us 281-484-0200.

Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is loosely defined as the heart’s inability to pump enough blood as required by the body to function properly. There are many potential causes of this often deadly disease, many of which seniors are more susceptible to contracting due to the natural aging process. Conditions that may result in heart disease can be silent killers, as they often are not detected until damage has already occurred. Causes of heart disease include both heart related problems, and diseases which may appear unrelated to the heart but can have severe consequences.

Heart Problems Causing Heart Failure

• Coronary Artery Disease – most common form of heart disease and the most common cause of heart failure.  Occurs when there is a build up of fatty deposits, which narrows the arteries. This can deprive areas of the heart muscles of oxygen creating greater weakness.
• Heart attack – plaque formed by fatty deposits in the arteries rupture, creating a back flow of blood clots to the heart.
• Faculty heart valves – healthy valves are forced to work overtime to make up from the lack of blood flow from the faulty valve.
• Cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle) – diseases, infections, alcohol and drug abuse can all damage the heart muscle.
• Myocarditus (inflammation of the heart muscle) – often caused by a virus.
• Congenital heart defects – valves or chambers in the heart may not form correctly at birth, which requires the healthy parts of the heart to work overtime.
• Heart arrythmias – the heart beats too fast, which creates extra work.

Aging Factors and Other Illnesses Causing Heart Failure

• High blood pressure (hypertension) – requires that the heart work overtime to pump the blood through the body.
• Diabetes
• Severe anemia
• Hyperthyroidism
• Emphysema
• Lupus
• Hemochromotosis
• Viruses that attack the heart muscle, severe infections, allergic reactions, blood clots in the lungs, and certain medications might cause acute heart failure.

If you or an important elder in your life have a family history which includes any of the above diseases or ailments, ensure these issues are discussed with your family doctor so your risk of heart failure can be assessed and treated. The potential for heart failure doesn’t have to be a looming fear, with proper diagnosis and treatment, effects can’t be reversed but severe damage can be prevented. Remember, a healthy life means a healthy heart, so take care of yourself through a well-balanced diet and regular exercise, and you will be rolling in the benefits.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/DS00061/DSECTION=causes

Home Instead Senior Care Southeast Houston, Webster, Pasadena, Baytown, League City, Houston Bay Area Helping Seniors Living at Home with home health - Call us 281-484-0200.

Hearing loss impacts about 28 million people in the United States alone, and will touch the lives of nearly one third of people seniors over the age of 60. Seniors are often reluctant to seek help for the aging related changes they’re experiencing, so it often falls to loved ones, like family members, elder care professionals or friends to spot when an older adult is having challenges hearing and to encourage them to seek medical attention which may be beneficial. Some of the signs and symptoms of hearing loss may seem obvious, but it’s important to identify them and acknowledge their significance. These characteristics include:

• Misunderstanding what people say
• Asking people to repeat statements they’ve made in conversation
• Strained conversation over the phone
• Thinking or stating that people are mumbling or not speaking clearly
• Turning up the TV or radio very loudly

Other factors that may indicate hearing loss may be harder to detect, but can be surefire signs that a senior is in the earlier stages of losing their hearing. Be aware if a senior demonstrates any of the following symptoms:

• Increased difficulty hearing when there is background noise present
• An inability to pick up on environmental sounds, like birds chirping
• Attempting to read lips, by watching the speakers face during conversations
• Pretending to understand by agreeing, head nodding or laughing. Due to lack of comprehension, these cues might be used at an irrelevant time
• The senior removes his/herself physically from conversations that are too difficult to follow

As the hearing loss progresses and worsens, the above signs do become increasingly more obvious. Depending upon the type of hearing loss the senior is experiencing; including conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss or mixed hearing loss, they may only demonstrate a few of the above signs. However, it is important for families, friends and other associates to be aware of the potential indicators early on, so that any serious health problems may be ruled out by a doctor, and appropriate treatment can be administered to make the senior’s day to day life more comfortable.

http://www.stronghealth.com/services/Audiology/hearing/symptomshearingloss.cfm