By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2010-12-15 11:48:49 | Word Count: 664
Your senior loved one may choose to age at home, but they may need some healthcare assistance. If you notice that your senior loved one needs help with their healthcare needs, Nursing Care in Home Setting can help your elderly loved one. You may notice changes in a seniors skin, which can be the result of something more serious. Paying close attention to your, and your senior loved ones skin can have its benefits later in life. As changes in the body occur during the aging process, it is a good idea to focus on any changes you may be noticing on your body, and to consider home healthcare services if needed. The skin’s surface can tell you a lot about your overall health. Since skin protects against bacteria, regulates the body’s temperature, and utilizes one of the senses, touch, it is important to keep your skin healthy.
Some changes in the skin can result in more obtrusive health problems in the future. Since the skin changes due to changes happening in the body, it is good to know the warning signs by observing your skin. Seniors living independently should have a home healthcare individual stop-by to help them with their medical needs and for check-ups in order to make sure they are remaining healthy. Healthcare professionals spot noticeable changes in the skin, but sometimes family members will be able to notice on their own. Always be aware of the changes in your body, as this may be a look at your health.
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Now, let us talk about some changes in the skin that may be the cause of health problems. If your senior loved one has yellowish skin, orange palms, or orange soles of their feet, this may be a result of a thyroid problem. Since hypothyroidism causes increased levels of beta-carotene in the blood, the vitamin builds up can becomes visible through the skin. A diet heavy on carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, can cause this orange hue on the skin. Sometimes people with the thyroid health issue, hypothyroidism, will have cold, dry and pale skin, and may be tired, weak, and have unexplained weight gain. Most times, women who have hypothyroidism are over the age of fifty. If your senior loved one has symptoms of a thyroid problem, you should consult a physician, as many people with thyroid disease also have heart problems.
Seniors may receive small bumps on the skin from sunshine, which resemble hives. Some seniors take medications that causes changes in the body and the skin. This reaction will cause a person to become sensitive to sunlight. Some labels may state that the prescription cause sensitivity to sunlight, or may state that the person should stay out of direct sunlight. If the prescription mentions either of these cautions, a senior should try to stay out of the sunlight, or cover the skin as much as possible. If the rash is only on the parts of the body that were exposed to the sun, a senior may want to talk to a physician. Asking a doctor if a medication will cause hives on the skin from sunlight will help your senior loved one understand this skin issue. Your doctor may recommend a similar medicine with less side effects regarding rash on the skin due to sun exposure.
Your veins on your legs may be causing circulation problems. Varicose veins, venous disease, often affects people who may have constricted the veins in the legs causing the veins to no longer pump blood. Some people experience blood clots from dangerous venous veins. You should not worry about the small dark lines, known as spider veins, but rather the larger protruding veins that are quite lengthy. This could be a sign of something more dangerous than a cosmetic nuisance. Contact you doctor if you are seeing these varicose veins on the lower parts of your legs.
The palms of the hands can indicate disease. If your senior loved one has long dark lines in the palm of their hand, this could be a symptom of an endocrine disorder, Addison’s disease. Also, hyper pigmentation may be visible around scars, lips, knees, knuckles, or skin folds. Addison’s disease affects people from thirty-fifty years old usually, and the sufferers have low blood pressure. If you suspect that your loved one may have Addison’s disease, you should consult with a doctor right away before the disease gets worse or has a flare-up.
A person who is diabetic may notice brown spots on their shins. This brown discoloration is known as diabetic dermopathy which is a result of damage to the capillaries and vessels. There is no health risk because of this, however, if a senior who has diabetes is being careless and bumping things a lot, they may be hurting their feet. Diabetics may not feel pain on their feet, which can ultimately cause discomfort or sores on the feet without the seniors knowledge.
Allergies to gluten, or celiac disease, can cause rash on the skin that is itchy. This rash, dermatitis herpetiformis, can be found on the forearms, knees, buttocks, or scalp. This rash is extremely itchy, which is almost unbearable for seniors to handle. A gluten-free diet may help these rashes, but consult your doctor to see if there is any other changes you can make to your daily life.
Skin that is tingly and is followed by a rash on only one side of the face or body can be a symptom of shingles. Shingles can affect seniors later in life, and some medications can cause shingles to appear. The skin is extremely sensitive to touch and has a burning sensation. Painful shingles are bumps that turn into fluid-filled pustules. If you start medication within seventy-two hours of the rash’s first appearance, you can reduce the severity of the disease. If your senior loved one gets shingles, they may be at risk for postherpetic neuralgia, which is the continuation of shingles for weeks to years. The shingles vaccine is available for seniors over the age of 60 years old, and will help to prevent this skin disorder.
There is nothing wrong with questioning abnormalities on the skin, just as we would question body aches and pains. The best thing to do is to pay attention to any changes, and to monitor your seniors care by visiting them and really looking at them. Examine their skin for differences in color, bumps, rashes, or anything else. If you notice something, call a doctor. You may avoid future problems, and may be aware of any health problems your senior loved one may be facing.
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