Tuberculosis in the Elderly

Rubric Consulting Health care Samsuridjal Prof. Dr. Djauzi in KOMPAS newspaper Sunday edition:

My father (68) lived at home with my sister and her family and I are still in college. I am a student, is working on college thesis so that the obligation no longer exists. Therefore, recently assigned to escort my father went to the hospital.

It turned out that the task is quite time consuming. I had to take him to the heart clinic, diabetes, and arthritis because my father suffered from such diseases. Each visit spent half the day.

I began to realize the disease is much older. Since I am also a father to fetch medicine, I also understand a lot of elderly people require medication.

Because cataract vision impaired father, so I also have to help provide medicine Dad at breakfast, lunch, and at night. I imagine how the fate of the elderly who do not have children, surely they have trouble taking the drug because of many kinds and different life rules.

There are drugs are eaten before meals and after dinner there. All can run well because of our cooperation within the family.

A month ago my father used to walk in the morning to complain shortness of breath. I think the heart of Father recurrence. It turned out that after consultation with cardiologists, cardiac function, he good. He even consulted a doctor lung specialist.

I was surprised because my father was infected with tuberculosis. Indeed dad cough, but cough is not great. I understand the symptoms of TB are fever and persistent cough. My father was a fever. What are the symptoms of tuberculosis in young people is different from old age? What can we do to keep us at home do not catch TB from him? Thanks for the reply Doctor.

A in A

First of all I would like to express appreciation for your concern on the health of your father. Hopefully you quickly complete the thesis and successfully pass well.

It is true that symptoms of infection in elderly people is not the same as young people. If a young man infected with, for example, tuberculosis, so he usually experience high fever, coughing, and weight decrease.

In elderly people the classic symptoms of infection, ie fever, do not always arise. Sometimes you see elderly people are poor appetite, feeling weak, and there is also a consciousness decreased.

So, indeed infection symptoms in older adults differ from young people. This is due to the immune system in elderly people decreased so that the body's defense less time to walk like a young. Fever is the body's effort to kill germs.

Because the immune system declines, then the fever reaction may not be clear, not even arise. Well, the symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis in the elderly is also somewhat different from young people.

Symptoms of cough, which is an important symptom of TB in young people was at an advanced age is less prominent. Usually the more frequent are the symptoms of shortness dikeluhakan. Fortunately, a heart specialist physicians sharp enough so that the later diagnosis of pulmonary TB can be enforced.

Therapy of pulmonary tuberculosis in Indonesia is available and even receive government assistance. I very much hope that you can memantu father completed therapy of pulmonary tuberculosis which takes 6-9 months.

Regarding the prevention of tuberculosis transmission in the home that is needed is an effort for the TB germs are out at the time sucked cough or breathing no other people, especially children.

Usually if pulmonary TB patients have been taking medication tuberculosis, the bacteria will no longer be found in sputum. Thus, the possibility of contagious already declining.

In addition, the doctor will usually try for a child is not infected with tuberculosis in a way to maintain good nutrition and give BCG vaccination.

04.04 | 0 komentar | Read More

When Lust Less Large Power

MANY complaints occur in men aged over 50 years while having sex. Mockery "great lust of less" so embedded, so they can experience frustration.

Things like this should be worth exploring further. For example, body weakness due to recovering from an illness. When the body is still not strong right forced to do his will to his wife, was doomed to failure.

At the age of 50 years, levels of male hormones in the body is greatly reduced, thereby increasing weakness tool genitalia (sex). This failure can lead to confusion of mind which in turn aggravating the weakness in a vital tool. Needed rest in the recovery of vital organ health, Dr suggestions. January Takasihaeng, DGS, in his book Healthy Living with Illness Problem.

Not only men, women also believe that menopause is the end of their sex lives. In fact, menopause simply marks the reproductive phase is over and it does not mean the end of the ability to have sex.

This recovery can be obtained with a nutritious food that adequate protein and calories. Sports and nutritious food is the only way to recover stamina.

Furthermore, Prakash Kothari MBBS, Ph.D. in his book Common Sexual Problems and Solutions, recommends exercise to tighten your muscles and make the body function better used. Moreover, at the age of 50 years most people tend to suffer from obesity as more seating and lack of exercise.

However, if it has not been functioning properly, Dr. January suggested to regulate blood pressure to get back to normal. "Sometimes the narrowing of blood vessels affects the blood vessels in vital areas. Lack of blood flow to the area is what causes the lack of a vital tool, "said Dr. January

Arrangement of sex hormones in the body is carried out through a complicated system and influenced important glands in the brain and in testis. However, this also must be carefully examined if a simple manner if the appliance has not been functioning genitalia normal. For example, if the lifestyle as a youth or still consume alcoholic beverages? Or the drinking habits of certain drugs containing sex hormones?

Habit of taking drugs that contain sex hormones are often considered the same as eating so much that medicine can help. In fact, swallowing an uncontrollable drug can result in interference with the function of glands in the body.

When a person becomes weak and sick, this dysfunction will be increasingly obvious, resulting in weakness. Consuming alcoholic beverages was a significant effect on vital equipment weaknesses.

In facing this problem try soon to consult a good doctor. Do not then be too anxious, disappointed, and then try to treat yourself. Remember, sexual failure does not mean the end of everything. Men and women can remain sexually active until about the end of his life as long as it has a body and mentally healthy.

04.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Elderly Prone to Diabetes and Stroke

It is not uncommon, when people age or older (elderly) usually store intractable diseases. You see, as we get older, their immune system weakened.

According to Djoko Maryono, Specialist Doctors internists and cardiologists Pertamina Hospital (RSPP), Jakarta, diseases which usually descend elderly are diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease.

Diabetes mellitus or diabetes to be one disease that is often undermined. There are four types of diabetes are. Type 1 diabetes which occurs due to genetic problems. Type 2 due to unhealthy lifestyles. Third, Gestational diabetes mellitus type found in pregnant women. Finally, the type of diabetes is no known cause.

If left unchecked, diabetes will be widened to other diseases. For example, disturbances in the area of ​​the eye that can cause blindness or nerve disorders that can result in stroke.

Djoko recommend that diabetics take vitamin C. "Consumption of 500 milligrams (mg) to 1,000 mg per day," he said. Vitamin C is able to bind to vitamin and mineral intake into the body so that it can be better absorbed by the body.

If a person suffers from diabetes, many vitamins such as B12, magnesium, and zinc are not absorbed properly by the body. In fact, these vitamins support the immune system. "That's why diabetics are susceptible to infection," said Djoko.

Nutrition experts from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (Faculty of medicine) Sri Murni recommend people with diabetes eat a diet with low sugar levels. Also preferably, the elderly eat three meals a day, and healthy snacking between meal hours.

In addition to diabetes, cardiovascular disorders or blood vessels also become customers of the elderly. Examples of cardiovascular disease is stroke and coronary heart disease. Disturbances in blood vessels does not occur immediately. Usually, the patient has an unhealthy lifestyle. Alcohol drinkers, the owners of high cholesterol and being overweight or obese are vulnerable to this attack. Stroke occurs due to narrowing of blood vessels of the brain that disrupts the nervous sufferer.

Djoko suggested that stroke patients taking vitamin B, which serves to keep the blood vessels in order to remain flexible and not narrow. Vitamin B which contains folate can be found in green beans, red rice and black rice.

Similarly, patients with coronary heart disease. Patients with coronary heart ring has been installed to maintain the blood vessel remains open there is any possibility of blood vessels can be narrowed again.

04.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Elderly Not Aware Birthdays Stories

Have grandfather, grandmother, or your brother who is elderly or elderly (seniors) to submit stories or life experiences over and over again?

Maybe we're tired of hearing the same story over and over again. However, do not blame them. The reason, according to research published reports LiveScience site, the elderly often tell the same thing over and over again because they actually forgot to anyone who has shared their stories.

"Compared to young children, the elderly are more confident when telling others. This self-confidence that causes the elderly to repeat the same story to the same person, "said an expert in cognitive Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, Nigel Gopie.

04.01 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mental Healthy Early Retirement

Retirement for most people regarded as the liberating and the road to peace. For this they took early retirement a very positive impact for mental health.

A study of more than 14,000 karyawaan in a French national company shows, those who filed for early retirement at the age of 55 years to benefit free from stress, feelings are always pressed, and fatigue. Even so, not known for this early retirement benefits for physical health.

In the study, Dr Hugo Westerlund and colleagues from Stockholm University studied the health records of employees for 15 years before and after they decided to take early retirement.

One year before retirement, one-fourth of workers experience symptoms of depression, and 1 in 10 workers suffering from illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease. Interestingly, after their retirement, mental disorders associated with reduced. Similarly, complaints of fatigue. This, though little, take part to reduce the symptoms of depression they feel.

"In men who began to enter middle age, can feel very exhausting work. In retirement, so they have more time to activities with relaxation," said Westerlund.

Slightly different, large-scale study published last year found that those who spent his retirement without working at higher risk of heart attack, cancer and other chronic diseases than their colleagues who chose to do work part time in retirement.

Psychologists say the reactions experienced by the body, both physically and mentally, is associated with self-confidence and feelings of prosperity thanks to the work that is owned. People who still do work in retirement activities also benefited from the extra income so that his life more comfortable.

Anyway, in middle age 50 years someone still has a mental health remain as before. The ability to solve the problem is still strong and will not decline until the person reaches the age of about 75 years, especially if you are still honing the brain through various activities, like reading or crossword fill.

03.59 | 0 komentar | Read More