People are despising the fact that one has to get older. In this time and age, a lot of negative things are associated with aging. One of those negative associations is geriatrics diseases. The younger generation observes the older generation depressed and not the same old happier person they once were before geriatrics diseases start to set in. Although, not all geriatric disease are curable, it better to be aware. So therefore it good to learn about the definition of geriatric disease and the people at risk, treatments and what happens if some diseases go uncured and the statistics of people with the disease and the occurrence of the disease. The topic of geriatric diseases is not fully understood, so the definition needs to be elaborated.
According to the medical dictionary the term geriatrics means “the department of medicine dealing especially with problems of aging and diseases of the elderly”. The world dictionary defines disease as “any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown.” So in other terms geriatric disease can be defined as an interruption of normally functioning body part, organ and or system with problems of the elderly. The most common types of geriatrics disease are arthritis, cardiovascular and osteoporosis. Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints. The cause of arthritis is normal wear and tear on the bones. Prevention can happen by early detection. Cardiovascular diseases come from unhealthy life styles, such as high sodium diets and not exercising. To prevent cardiovascular disease, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet by eating the recommend value of fruits and vegetables. Osteoporosis is the loss of bone density over time. To prevent osteoporosis eat or drink dairy products with calcium and/or vitamin D, which is a vitamin and mineral that works synergistically together. Although prevention is the key it is great to be knowledgeable about the population who is at risk.
Children are the population that at are at risk for geriatric diseases. The common diseases are diabetes and heart disease. In this century children are being baby sat by television and technology. Kids do not go outside and play to get the recommended exercise needed. In all actuality it is not the child’s fault, it is the parents, for example a well balance diet is not given to the child. Parents work more often now, so fast food is convenient. According to Kids Health it states “poor lifestyle and dietary choices allow our children to bypass these childhood illnesses taking the fast-track towards adult illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.” In order to reduce this risk factor, meals needed to reach the recommended daily value needs to more appealing. Vegetables such as bell peppers come in a variety of colors and look more appealing when presentation plays a factor. Treatment goes beyond just eating a balanced meal; it includes a variety of factors.
The development of geriatric medicine has begun in the eastern world. This happens to be a positive aspect, because different environmental reasons could be the root of some geriatric diseases. For instance a patient in the continent of Europe will be suffering from a totally different disease from a person in America due to the environment obstacles. Zheng, the author of Management of geriatric disease stated “The evidence-based medicine has shown that the geriatric care about case management, multidisciplinary team work, health assessment, geriatric rehabilitation, long term care and end of life care can decrease disability and promote longevity, as well as control medical care expense and increase satisfaction of patients and family numbers.” Health care providers need to make older patients feel comfortable and satisfied. That mission can be accomplished by raising the awareness of the treatment for the common diseases. In particular cardiovascular disease can be treated by making lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes include consuming a low sodium diet, exercising regularly and limit alcohol intake. Even though some of the common diseases have treatment but some may be chronic and go uncured.
Healthcare is an issue that some underclass Americans has to deal with it. When there is limited health care, the diseases could go untreated. Some older patients do not have the funds to pay for expensive health care and these symptoms go undiagnosed. For example, when osteoporosis is left untreated it is usually a fracture in the hip, waist or spine. The mayo clinic states:
If osteoporosis is left untreated, your bones can break. The Mayo Clinic states that fractures can occur as the result of a fall or just by lifting something, sneezing, coughing or bending and twisting during everyday activities. The breaks can be severe and cause disability, as in the case of a hip fracture. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons states that "about 24 percent of hip fracture patients over age 50 die within 12 months after injury because of complications related to the injury and the extended recovery period." You may also experience spinal or vertebral fractures also called compression fractures. Compression fractures occur when the vertebrae in the spine collapse onto one another. This can lead to chronic back pain, loss of height, and the development of a dowager's hump. A dowager's hump means that you have a rounded upper back. This posture not only causes chronic pain, it can also compress your lungs and inhibit their ability to expand. This can lead to problems breathing.
Majority of the time something may start of small and usually turn it to something big. Osteoporosis is one of these occurrences. Osteoporosis is one of the other classical deficiencies that society can gain more knowledge about. When taught about important things as a younger child, one gains healthy habits as an adult, and lowers the risk factors around the senior years. Therefore matters such as diseases being left untreated will become avoidable.

In the year 2007 the center of disease control reported the statistics of the aging and the health of geriatric patients. Information provided by Gigi K stated “

88% of those over 65 years of age have at least one chronic health condition
Nearly 40% of deaths in America can be attributed to smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, or alcohol misuse. Almost 20% of older Americans suffer from a mental disorder that is NOT part of normal aging. Even though cognitive decline (becoming senile) is NOT a normal part of aging, many people assume it is and 25% of the elderly have experienced it. Arthritis and related conditions are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. heart disease is still the leading cause of death with Cancer coming in second
20% of people over 65 have diabetes.
The author of Disable world towards tomorrow is spreading the same information as health providers, school and many other outlets that try to promote a healthy life style. In order to avoid the statistics located above one has to live a healthy life style.
All in all geriatric disease can be avoidable. One of the ways the people can prevent geriatric disease is by being aware. Know that any type of geriatric disease can happen to anyone. The awareness has to start off as a child. Healthy habits can growth with a person. Medical advances help maintain the pain from some of the geriatric diseases. If the disease is left uncured it can turn chronic and may be irreversible. The easiest treatment to prevent some of the geriatric disease is to start, keep and maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating healthy and exercising daily. These may not be all of the answers to finding a cure, but it sure is a start.

References
Arnst, C. (2010). The hospital, your care coordinator. U.S News Health, Retrieved from http://health.usnews.com/health-news/best-hospitals/articles/2010/07/26/the-hospital-your-care-coordinator After patients get routine checkup, some get a regularly scheduled visit from their geriatrician. In this situation a relationship is develop between patients and doctors.
Jernigan, D. (2010). Your children are at risk for geriatric disease. Kids Health, Retrieved from http://www.drjerniganblog.com/articles/kids-health/108
Many children are at risk for geriatric diseases. Many physicians are observing that children bodies do not generate fever. Now children are manifesting diseases that a while back were consider geriatric disease. The methods that our children are partaking in now are making them by pass adolescent diseases and going straight towards geriatric diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart diseases.
Omarali, T. (2011). Medical economics. Retrieved from http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=709212&pageID=1&sk=&date= Health care providers need to understand the patients needs, not just physically but emotionally also. In this article it is identified that “we must treat the whole patient and not just the disease”. The subject in the article was the evidence that this is very true.
Roe, D. (1990). Geriatric nutrition. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2184927
Nutrition status changes as we get older. Genetic disease can be prevented by an adequate amount of exercise and a proper diet. In many cases disease can be nutritionally prevented. Nutritional requirements should be taken into consideration and followed to insure healthy eating habits.
Zheng, C. (2008). Management of geriatric diseases. Retrieved from http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-SDYD200803001.htm
Geriatric medicine has come a very long way. Research has not only been done in America, but developed in other countries. The main purpose of the research is not only about treating the disease but also protecting the patient bodily functions. The evidence presented with this medicine shows increase satisfaction with patients and their family members.