Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.

As you get older, you are more likely to have health problems. Many of these health problems can be fixed, though, if they are caught early enough. Even for health problems that can’t be fixed, there are often ways to slow them down or stop them completely. On the other hand, there may be ways to learn how to deal with health problems better. Some of the most common health issues that older people have are listed below.

Vision Loss

Loss of sight is a normal part of getting older. Most people have presbyopia, which is the progressive decrease of the capacity to focus on things close up. You can easily fix this problem by going to an eye doctor and getting a pair of reading glasses. Most people don’t feel this way until they are in their 40s.

Cataracts are a more serious eye disease that can cause you to lose your sight more quickly. This is when our eyes’ lenses get cloudy. This is often caused by genes, but bad habits like smoking and drinking a lot can make it more likely to happen. If your vision seems foggy, you see halos often, and you can’t see at night, you might want to see a doctor and have cataracts checked out. Surgery is the best way to treat cataracts, which could help you see normally again. You shouldn’t ignore the fact that cataracts are forming because you could go blind in the long run.

Hearing Loss

As people age, many of them lose their hearing. This is usually a normal part of getting older, but some people can lose their hearing faster if they are exposed to loud noises. Getting a hearing aid is often the best way to treat hearing loss. An audiologist can help you figure out what your prescription is, and it’s wise to have regular hearing tests to ensure all is well.

Some older people get a condition called tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ears. There may be hearing aids that can help with this problem.

Breathing Problems

As people get older, some of them have trouble breathing. This could be caused by a chest infection, the flu, or damage to the lungs from smoking for many years.

People who have the flu or a chest infection often lose their breath quickly. As you get older, these kinds of illnesses can get worse, so you should see a doctor as soon as you have trouble breathing. Most of the time, medicine can be given to help treat these conditions. Getting a flu shot every year can keep you from getting the flu.

When someone smokes, it makes COPD much harder to treat. Giving up smoking can help your lungs heal, but in more serious cases, you may need more help, like surgery. You should see a doctor as soon as you notice that you are having trouble breathing. Your doctor may give you an inhaler to help you breathe better.