Each individual disease has a target group of people likely to contract it. For instance, Swine Flu struck mainly children and elderly individuals recovering from respiratory illness, chicken pox normally sticks with the young and certain strains of blood diseases only prey on those that are predisposed. Well just like other diseases, skin disorders each have their own set group that they are present in. There are several skin disorders that are common in older people and while they may be present in people outside of this subset, it is unlikely. One such disease that I want to talk about first are various abrasions. These are open sores that are generally caused by thinning of the skin associated with aging, long periods of bed rest without moving, and even the widening of another cut or abrasion.
These sores are not common in younger individuals unless they are bedridden for long periods of time. Skin lesions can also be called bed sores or pressure sores. It is easy to prevent lesions, first off if an older person is stuck in a bed for long periods of time it is necessary to move them about so that one part of their skin does not stay in contact with the bed. Also if you have an elderly individual in your life make sure that each and every abrasion is taken seriously and treated immediately. If you have already contracted an abrasion of some sort be sure to find some sort of cream or ointment that is made specifically to treat this type of skin disorder.
Another skin disease that is common in elderly people is skin lesions. These are discolored spots on the skin that are not cancerous. These can be slight differences in pigmentation to darkened spots that look like large moles. These are generally attributed to long periods of time in the sun, perhaps over the span of a lifetime, and are generally called age spots or liver spots. There is little that one can do to get rid of these spots after they form, especially if they are not cancerous or precancerous. If you want to prevent these spots it is very important to use sunscreen and keep out of the sun when it is not necessary.
Yet another common skin problem with older individuals are varicose veins. These are twisted veins that tend to bulge and protrude from the body due to the passage of blood through the twisted portions of the vein. They are not always harmful, though they are unsightly and sometimes uncomfortable. There is little that one can do to prevent these veins as they occur naturally over time. There are however ways to get rid of them with lasers and other cosmetic procedures that are not all together necessary unless you just want to be rid of them.
The last thing I want to talk about is not necessarily a condition in and of itself, but it does happen quite frequently in older people. This is itching. Due to the stretching and thinning of the skin, it becomes more and more sensitive to everyday materials and compounds. It is hard to prevent this as it is a normal side effect of aging but there are various ways to lessen the discomfort. This is for one lotion, the only thing you have to be careful of here is fragrance and other compounds that may cause irritation. There are also a number of different creams that are designed specifically to stop itch. The main problem with this is that excessive scratching can cause severe damage to thin skin.
Work Cited
http://www.caring.com/articles/aging-skin-care-how-to-treat-common-skin-disorders-of-the-elderly
