Geriatric Medicine

There is a lot of difference between being young and being old. Old people are very fragile and weak in many aspects. But young people are full of energy. Also young people have sharper reflexes.

Similarly, old people are prone to several diseases and can be attacked by any disease easily. They also get frequent disorders. One should also remember the fact that most medicines that are used by normal adults cannot be done so by elderly as they are more allergic and higher dosages will harm them. Hence it is important to take special care in it. The branch of the medicine that is concerned with health and care for the elderly is called as Geriatrics and the medicine which the old people use is called as geriatric medicine. Special care must be taken while prescribing medicines for elderly.

The elderly cannot take high dosages and at the same time, strong medicines also harm them. As a result they must be given a dosage that would sufficient all the needs. Many doctors are given training in geriatric medicine and there are lists of alternative medicine that a doctor would prefer to give for the elderly Also the old people must be checked frequently to find whether they show any symptoms of allergy or side effects. The medicines have to be changed because, they old people have lower absorbing capacity and hence the medicines are less effective. Skipping dosages and milder dosages are always preferred. Frequent monitoring of the health condition must be done in order to ensure safe and sound health for the old people.