Read this article to learn about the Diseases of the Geriatic (Diseases of the Elderly). After reading this article you will learn about: 1. Atrophy of the Skin 2. Angina Pectoris, or Myocarditis or Cardiac Dilatation 3. Benign Enlargement of Prostate Gland 4. Delayed Union of Fracture 5. Deafness Due to Otosclerosis. 

Contents:

  1. Essay on Atrophy of the Skin
  2. Essay on Angina Pectoris, or Myocarditis or Cardiac Dilatation
  3. Essay on Benign Enlargement of Prostate Gland
  4. Essay on Delayed Union of Fracture
  5. Essay on Deafness Due to Otosclerosis.

Essay on Geriatric Disease # 1. Atrophy of the Skin:

An elderly person complains of terrible itching, with wrinkles on his skin, and the skin shows loss of elasticity. The condition is ATROPHY OF THE SKIN. This is a very common condition of the skin in the aged unless it is accompanied by any infection. The natural process of degeneration of the skin with the age has set in and one cannot stop this process.

Only thing one can do is to retard this process or delay the changes and reduce the unpleasant symptoms accompanying the process. The general health of the patient will decide the prognosis.

Croton Tiglium:

It produces erythema, erysipelas, eczema, herpes pustules. There is plenty of itching. But the patient cannot bear to scratch very hard as it hurts, a very light rubbing allays the itching. Otorrhoea when there is lot of itching.

Secale cornutum:

The skin is shriveled, numb, dusky blue tinge, cold, dry, wrinkled worse over the affected parts. Twitching and quivering in the skin, with formication under the skin. Burning sensation better by cold, wants parts uncovered. Skin cold to touch, yet the covering is not tolerated. Slight wounds continue to bleed.

Sepia:

The skin is delicate, the least injury tends to ulcerate. Itching often changes to burning when scratched. Soreness of the skin on bends of the knee. Ringworm-like eruption on the face and on different parts of the body every spring. Better in warm room. Desperate itching especially when there is eruption on the genitals and anus.

Alumina:

Dry skin with inability to perspire. Dry and cracked skin. Intolerable itching when getting warm in bed, must scratch until it bleeds. All the skin symptoms get aggravated in winter, full and new moon. There are many other drugs which are indicated in this type of skin of the elderly, and one should remember to consider entire drug as a whole.

Essay on Geriatric Disease # 2. Angina Pectoris, or Myocarditis or Cardiac Dilatation:

An elderly person complains of dyspnoea, weak and rapid pulse, heart failure is threatened with slightest exertion either because of valvular disease or anaemia. It is a case of ANGINA PECTORIS, or MYOCARDITIS or CARDIAC DILATATION.

Crataegus oxyacantha:

It is nearest approach to heart tonic and is not the heart poison as digitalis. It is a heart tonic, and does not produce any cumulative effect. It is a sedative in cross, irritable patients with cardiac symptoms. The patient suddenly becomes weak and exhausted with high blood pressure. Creatagus 5 drop doses of mother tincture is a dose that should be administered five times daily for a long period.

Digitalis:

Least movement causes violent palpitation, and a sudden sensation as if heart stood still. Palpitation from depression from grief. Heart is tired after sprains. Hypertrophy with dilatation, irregular heart, especially with mitral valve disease.

The greatest indication is failure of compensation, specially when auricular fibrillation has set in. Great weakness and sinking of strength, faintness and coldness of skin and irregular respiration, cardiac irritability.

Cactus gandiflorus:

Chief action is around the heart and the circulation. Many complaints are associated with heart disorders. Atheromatous arteries, and weak heart. Cactus produces characteristic constriction feeling as from an iron band. Body feels tight or wrapped. Hot gushing in the chest.

Fainting, pulseless, panting, and prostration, low blood pressure from weakness of the heart. Congestion and irregular distribution of blood. Palpitation is worse on lying on left side. Pulsation increases on holding the breath. Endocarditis, with mitral insufficiency together with rapid and violent action.

Essay on Geriatric Disease # 3. Benign Enlargement of Prostate Gland:

An elderly patient complains of frequency of urination, usually noted as night difficulty or delay in initiating urination with variability and reduced force of the urinary stream, and post-void dribbling. The condition is BENIGN ENLARGEMENT OF PROSTATE GLAND.

Conium maculatum:

Conium corresponds to elderly people. Old feeble men, old maids and bachelors with strong sedentary habits and those who are easily intoxicated by stimulants. Scrofulous constitution and glandular enlargement. Difficulty of passing urine in the beginning even when standing, and then it flows freely.

Interrupted urination stops and starts. Better standing, dribbling in old men. Cutting and burning after urination. Testicles are hard and enlarged. Prostatitis, dribbling of prostatic fluid. Worse stools, emotions. With decreased power has increased desire. Often without any erection.

Clematis erecta:

Tingling in urethra lasting sometime after urination. Frequent scanty urination, burning in urethra during urination and last drop causes violent burning. Urine stops and starts, or dribbles after urination.

Staphysagria:

Enlarged prostate with haemorrhoids, and pain extends from anus to urethra. Pain running from anus, along urethra, inflamed testicles with shooting and drawing in the cords, stitching towards groin and testicles.

Sabal serrulata:

Enlargement of prostate. Constant desire to pass urine at night, paresis of the bladder sphincter, incontinence from any exertion. Like lifting, laughing. Cystitis from prostate enlargement. Impotence and loss of sexual power, sex is painful at the time of emission.

Selenium:

Frequent urination with urgent need to urinate, involuntary dribbling when walking. Dribbling of urine after urination and after stool. Prostatitis with dribbling of prostatic fluid, irritability after sex. but there is loss of sexual power. Lascivious but impotent. Easy loss of semen during coitus, with feeble erection.

Essay on Geriatric Disease # 4. Delayed Union of Fracture:

An elderly person who had a fall more than six weeks ago complains that the repeat X-ray of the fracture site shows that the fracture has not healed. The condition is DELAYED UNION OF FRACTURE. This delay is because of slow formation of callous in the bone at the site of the fracture. This can happen in the brittle bones.

Calcarea phos:

Calcarea phos affects the nutrition of the bones and glands. Bones become soft, thin and brittle and Cal phos promotes the ossification of the bones in the non-union of fractures. In any case there must be other symptoms of Cal phos. in general.

Symphytum Officinale:

Symphytum is the bone remedy. Useful in injuries to bones, cartilage and. periosteum. Painful old injuries fractures and broken bones. Pricking and stitching pains remaining after wound is healed. Non-union of fractures with deficient callus. Arthralgia of joints. External application disposes the swelling due to injury or other growths. Bruises, sprains and inflammation of bones facilitated its quick healing.

Silicea:

Useful in diseases of bones and cartilages, decay and necrosis, softening of bones. Silica can stimulate the organism to reabsorb fibrotic conditions, and scar tissue.

Essay on Geriatric Disease # 5. Deafness Due to Otosclerosis:

An elderly person complains of gradual loss of hearing. This is DEAFNESS due to otosclerosis. One should evaluate his loss of hearing. Try and find out whether there are any associated complaints. Associated complaints are usually tinnitus, vertigo, difficulty in balancing, earache, otorrhoea, and aural fullness.

And carefully reconstruct the history of evolution of the hearing deficit. Gradual deficit in hearing is common with oto sclerosis.

Graphites:

There is hardness of hearing, but hears better in noise. Hissing in the ears. Tinnitus. There is sudden detonation like report of a gun in the ear. Dryness in the inner ear. Thin white scaly membrane covering the eardrum. Sensation as if air is filled with water cracking in the ears while eating.

Pulsatilla:

Hearing is difficult, as if the ear was stuffed. Deafness as if the ear was stopped. Can hear better in warm room and a moving car. Otorrhoea, discharge of pus, of blood thick yellow humor offensive after exanthema.

China sulph:

Violent ringing, buzzing in the ears. Deafness with tinnitus, Usually the tinnitus in the left ear and there is deafness. Associated with this, at times, there is violent headache. Useful in Meniere’s disease.

Hepar sulph:

Whizzing and throbbing in the ear, with hardness of hearing. Deafness is from Eustachian catarrh after scarlet fever. Painful otitis media, and ears are sensitive to touch. As said earlier there can be no set disorders in old age.

A that is found often is the continuation of diseases originated in the younger age which depends on the heredity, exposure to various environments, modification of susceptibilities. These coupled with the reduced resistance of old age, natural changes in the metabolism present the disease picture.

The pathogenesis of certain homoeopathic remedies point to multiple actions in these elderly and can cover many old age conditions. Those curable can be cured but those which are incurable are paliated so that the patient is comfortable. Few of such remedies are:

Ambra grisea:

Is temperamentally a nervous personality. Insomnia is a characteristic complaint particularly arising from worries and anxiety. Although very tired he just can’t sleep. Another important factor is loss of memory. Forgetful and cannot remember the simplest fact. Because of defective nervous system the drug responses also get altered. Being a nosode it can be used as an inter-current remedy to correct the altered drug response.

Conium maculatum:

Is known remedy for the disorders of the old people. These old people have had some exhaustive diseases and Conium tends to correct this exhaustion. In cardiovascular system action of the heart is weak, with irregular pulse, in various glands of the body there is stony hard mass.

In breast fibro adenoma, or benign mastitis after injury, or orchitis in testes, in prostate there is stop and flow situation in the stream of the urine, and the flow is better standing, an early prostatitis, in the nervous system there is due to cerebral anaemia, vertigo on turning the head when in bed.

Baryta Carb:

It is known for the action on both extremities of life. It is more suited to old age when there are mental symptoms. There is a peculiar aversion to strangers. There are some elderly people who do not like the approach of an unfamiliar face and have fear of the presence of other.

They get easily angered. Following an acute attack of apoplexy they tend to develop paralysis. They develop loss of memory. In old people chest is weak and they suddenly develop a chill and catarrh, sensation of smoke in the chest causing dyspnoea. And this aggravation takes place in wet and warm weather.

Senega:

It has its action on the mucous membrane causing catarrhal symptoms especially of respiratory tract, bladder and eyes. Asthmatic bronchitis often with emphysema, or chronic nephritis. Opacities of vitreous humour.

Lachesis:

Its use is well-known to all homoeopaths. Its use in the menopausal condition in the females is important, provided the patient has aggravation from heat and in the evening or after sleep. There is great physical and mental tension. High blood pressure and manic depressions are common.

For general muscular weakness:

Gelsemium:

There is loss of power of muscular control, excessive trembling, weakness of all the limbs. Cramps in the wrist, professional neurosis, writer’s cramp, weak limbs while climbing with tottering gait, great fatigue after slight exercise. Staggering as if intoxicated when trying to move, with dizziness and blurred vision.

Phosphoric acid:

There is weakness with great debility. Pain in the bones as if scraped. Tearing pains in the joints bones and the periosteum. Prostatorrhoea even when passing a soft stool. Sleepy by day, hot and wakeful by night, but short sleep rests him. In diabetes there is history of sexual excess or of severe mental strain. The urine while passing is clear but turns white on standing.

Causticum:

Paralysis of single parts, trembling of hands, cannot lift hand, cannot walk without suffering. Unsteady walking and easily falling with weak ankles. Pains like electric shock, restless in the limbs. Prostatitis and frequent urethritis, and cannot retain urine.

Warts are notable features in the hands. For osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis or disc prolapse which are particularly troublesome in the old age Bryonia, Rhustox, Manganum aceticum. Formic acid. Tellurium should be remembered.

There can be no limit to this list. Since there is no specific remedy for one single condition we have to depend on the totality. Along with the medication what is equally important is counseling. Loneliness is one of the most important psychological block that can cause a condition or prolong a condition, in spite of the right treatment.

Foresaken, unwanted feeling, feeling of neglect in the family can cause a lot of depressive condition and sometimes the will to live is lost.

With right type of counselling to the patient and the relatives inter-current remedies like Ignatia, Phosphoric acid, Staphysagria, Natrum mur, Aurum met can help. As said earlier the patient must find a vocation to keep himself busy, take up painting, reading or working in social organizations.

In fact, change of attitude is necessary in both the patient as well as the relatives around. The patient must learn to adjust to the changed times. If this is accepted then the indicated remedies will work to get the desired result.

Home››Essay››Diseases››