Geriatrician

Years go by and, unfortunately, none of us gets any younger. With our ecology, sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and constant lack of time for our health, the body ages quite quickly. And the depletion of the body's resources is fraught with the exacerbation of many chronic diseases. What to do in such a situation? Who to contact? For this, there is a geriatrician.

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Who is a geriatrician?

A geriatrician is a specialist, usually a therapeutic specialist, who studies, diagnoses and develops a treatment plan for diseases of the elderly. Who are these "elderly" people? After all, it happens now that even at 20 years old a person has a dozen chronic diseases and feels 50. Therefore, in geriatrics it is accepted that an elderly person is a man or woman aged 60 years.

Where can I find a geriatrician? Usually, you won't find this specialist in a regular district clinic. They are located in special centers for the study of gerontology (the science of the aging processes of organs and humans as a whole), as well as in private clinics.

When should you see a geriatrician?

Most often, a person (no matter whether a man or a woman) has about four or five chronic diseases by the age of fifty. Over the next ten years, the number of chronic diseases almost doubles. As a result, so-called "senile" diseases arise in the form of deterioration or loss of hearing, deterioration or loss of vision, mental dementia. In order to maintain your health in its original form for as long as possible, you need to contact a geriatrician for preventive purposes starting at 55-60 years. You should also pay close attention to the signs of such common diseases of the elderly as myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease and stroke. And at the first symptoms, call a geriatrician.

What tests should you take when visiting a geriatrician?

Most often, the geriatrician will prescribe a list of laboratory tests at the first appointment, based on existing diseases and anamnesis analysis, but to make the process easier, you can come to the appointment fully armed.

What tests exactly should you take when visiting a geriatrician?

• general blood test (to determine the presence of chronic inflammation, blood diseases);
• blood glucose test (for early detection of diabetes);
• general urine analysis to determine the presence of chronic or acute diseases of the genitourinary system);
• a comprehensive biochemical blood test (to assess the functioning of the liver and kidneys, as well as the mineral composition of the blood);
• blood test for thyroid hormones;

It is also advisable to see a gynecologist (for women) and a urologist (for men) before the appointment, and measure your blood pressure and pulse.

At a follow-up appointment, the geriatrician may prescribe laboratory tests such as:

• blood test for female or male sex hormones (to identify problems with the reproductive system, to relieve menopause symptoms);
• blood test for tumor markers (to detect the presence of malignant neoplasms);
• cholesterol test (for timely detection of disorders and dietary prescription);
• blood coagulogram (for prescribing blood thinning drugs if necessary);
• other narrowly focused laboratory studies.

What diagnostic methods does a geriatrician use?

During the appointment, the geriatrician carefully studies the patient's medical history, notes the presence of any chronic or acute diseases, indicates the medications being taken, their names and doses. Pays attention to the notes of specialized specialists and, if necessary, sends for additional examination. During the examination, the geriatrician examines the condition of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, the conjunctiva of the eyes, the color and integrity of the skin. Then, he listens to the respiratory organs using a phonendoscope, checks the main reflexes, measures blood pressure and pulse, and records the patient's complaints.

What other diagnostic methods does a geriatrician use?

If further examination is necessary, the geriatrician may refer you to:

• cardiogram (to check the heart rhythm and clarify diagnoses of cardiovascular diseases);
• Ultrasound (to determine disorders of internal organs, as well as to identify benign or malignant neoplasms);
• X-ray (to determine the condition of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract);
• angiography (to detect cerebral circulatory disorders);
• endoscopy (to detect problems of the gastrointestinal tract);
• CT – computed tomography – (to detect abnormalities in organs and tissues);
• MRI – magnetic resonance imaging (for diagnosing disorders in organs and tissues, as well as identifying neoplasms);
• biopsy (to collect a piece of tissue or fluid from the neoplasm for subsequent histological examination).

What does a geriatrician do?

Let's take a situation: a person lives, eats, sleeps, goes to work and then an illness occurs. Naturally, this person immediately turns to a specialist, who prescribes him an impressive number of drugs, each of which has an equally impressive number of side effects. The person begins to take everything as prescribed and understands that the liver can no longer cope with such a load, and then hypertension made itself known. He goes to a therapist, and he in turn prescribes him more pills, upon reading the annotation to which it turns out that they cannot be taken for another chronic disease. It turns out to be a vicious circle. It is in such situations that a geriatrician comes to the rescue. He analyzes all existing diseases of a person and based on this data builds a treatment plan. It turns out that you need to go to a geriatrician only when there are diseases? In fact, no. The responsibility of this doctor also includes a set of measures to maintain the normal physical condition of an elderly patient for as long as possible, develop a balanced physical activity, nutritional recommendations and much more. These specialists also have close ties to medical and social assistance for disabled people and people with disabilities.

What diseases does a geriatrician treat?

Geriatrics covers a fairly wide range of diseases. There are such narrow specializations as: geriatric psychiatry, geriatric nephrology, geriatric cardiology, geriatric neurology, geriatric oncology and many others. So what diseases does a geriatrician treat?

• cardiovascular diseases (heart ischemia, heart failure, arteriopathy of various types, and others);
• neurological diseases (strokes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, dementia and others);
• mental disorders (depression, anxiety, dementia, schizophrenia and others);
• metabolic disorders and diseases of endocrine organs (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis, lipidosis, and others);
• diseases of the genitourinary system (impotence, prostate adenoma, renal failure, senile urinary incontinence, and others):
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (devirticulosis, constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, etc.);
• diseases of the respiratory system (asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc.);
• disorders of the musculoskeletal system (arthritis, arthrosis, prolapsed discs, neuropathies, etc.);
• oncological diseases (conditions after oncological operations, chemotherapy, etc.).

Advice from a geriatrician

Every person wants to live long and have a minimum of diseases. In order to do this, you need to follow the advice of a geriatrician. As trite as it may sound, you need to lead the healthiest lifestyle possible. So:

• give up bad habits. Smoking reduces the lifespan of the lungs and heart by 5 years, and drinking alcohol harms not only the liver, but also the brain, kidneys, heart, and pancreas;
• Avoid fatty and spicy foods. Such foods lead to excess weight gain, deposition of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels, and increased cholesterol levels in the blood;
• Drink enough fluids and fiber. This will help avoid problems with the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and help you forget about constipation;
• Observe the daily routine. Healthy, sound sleep has a positive effect not only on the physical, but also on the mental state of a person;
• fight excess weight. Excess weight provokes cardiovascular diseases and diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• lead an active lifestyle. Moderate physical activity will help get rid of blood stagnation in the pelvis, tone the muscles, and also have a positive effect on the body as a whole, because as they say, "a healthy mind resides in a healthy body";
• avoid severe stress. And if it has already overtaken you, then use natural sedatives (valerian, motherwort);
• take vitamins and mineral complexes in the winter, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables in the summer. This will help you make the most of your natural resources to improve your own immunity;
• try to take a vacation every year. The ideal option would be a trip to the sea or out of town;
• undergo a full examination once a year. This will help to avoid the emergence of new diseases and the exacerbation of old chronic ones;
• Smile more often, because laughter prolongs life!

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