Health and Social Care Level Essay

3.1 Analyse why life expectancy has increase over the last century. Life expectancy in the human race has risen dramatically in the past century reaching its highest level for both male and female on record. Between 1981 and 2002 life expectancy at age 50 increases by four and a half years for men and three years for women and two years respectively. By 2002 women who were age of 65 could expect to live to the age of 84 while men could expect to live to the age of 81. The primary reason for the vast increase in life expectancy in developed countries in the 20th century is universal clean drinking water and very high level of public and personal hygiene. These two improvements account for probably 80%of the life expectancy. Overall life expectancy increased due to 6 mayor factors 1. Clean drinking water 2. Universal sanitation 3. Significantly improved nutrition, particularly during infancy and childhood 4. Vaccination against most common epidemic diseases 5. Access to high-quality trauma (accident and emergency ) care 6. Improved drugs ( particularly, antibiotic) 3.2 Examine the main causes of mortality in men aged 65- 84. The leading causes of mortality in men over the age of 65 are also among most common causes of death among the population are as a whole. Many of these conditions are also highly preventable and treatable. Here are the top six main causes of mortality in men over 65. * Heart Disease: Heart disease is the number one cause of death among adults over the age of 60. Heart disease includes conditions such as heart failure heart attack and heart arrhythmia that can cause the heart to beat ineffectively and impair circulation. Heart disease is associated with or caused by diabetes, high blood pressure , smoking, improper diet and lack of exercise. * Cancer: cancer is second leading cause of death among seniors. It includes all cancers including breast cancer, colon cancer, and skin cancer. Also include are the malignant blood and bone marrow disease that cause leukaemia .many cancers occur at a higher rate among older adult, thoug h the cause for that is not clear .cancer can also be more difficult to treat due to health condition that may also be present. * Cerebrovascular Disease: More commonly known as stroke cerebrovascular disease can be cause by either a colt or blockage that cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain or by haemorrhage. In both cases there is damage or death of the brain tissue that can cause paralysis, speech disorder, swallowing problems and immobility. People with diabetes and high blood pressure are at higher risk of stroke. * COPD: Chronic obstructive lung disease decreases the lungs ability to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. As the disease progress the patient has to work harder and harder to breathe often feeling as if they are suffocating. These disease are often link to a lifetime of smoking but be due to environmental factors. * Pneumonia: Pneumonia is the fifth highest killer of older adults, especially during the winter months of flu season. At high risk are seniors with chronic disease such as diabetes heart disease and reparatory conditions. The flu and pneumonia shot are recommended for all adults over the age 55 to help prevent this killer. Diabetes: Type two diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes is a chronic that lowers the immune system and can increase risk of stroke, heart disease and other circulatory problems. Wounds take longer to heal and respiratory infections like pneumonia often are more severe. 3.3 Analyse the possible future increase or decline in life expectancy. People have been long imagining that they might individually live to old age. For most of human history, the threats to survive overwhelmed this idea. A few people lie to be old, but most of the members of any society died young. Until the early twentieth century more people died in infancy than at any other age. Reaching old age in the democratization of survival to old age in the period since about 1800. Survival and health should be distinguished. A person may be alive but not well. The different matter because disease and injury have not retreated as far as death has. Morbidity, in the sense of sickness prevalence, remains high in all societies, in some because communicable disease has taken their place. Moreover the factor state influence sickness and death seem to overlap only in part, and often to influence these two effects differently. In a future stage of the global health transition, sickness prevalence too may be forced back. Life expectancy statistical estimate of the number of years an individual is expected to live based on such criteria as sex, race, health and occupation. Average life expectancy declined from 62years in 1990 to 50 years in 2007; it is projected to fall even further by 2011, to 48 years for men and 51 for women according to the institute annual South Africa survey. The decline in life expectancy and the gap between levels in Russia and the rest of Europe l can be attributed mainly to abnormally high rates of cardiovascular disease a nd injury, for both which abuse of alcohol was a major risk factor. The guest to prolong our youth continues today, though not through lengthy field explorations, but through improvements in health, nutrition and medicine. A healthy diet regular exercise and vaccination can greatly improve an individual’s life expectancy, while an outbreak of disease, and mainly lower an individual’s life expectancy. But how life expectancy affect on a national level? While these factors are central to living longer, they alone cannot be the only facets. The social and economic conditions of each country will undoubtedly affect its citizens, their life styles and decisions. Citizens of wealthier countries have access to modern medicine and medical facilities, the leisure to exercise and meticulous regulation of sanitation and drinking water. Their life expectancies therefore, naturally should be higher than those of less developed countries. TO CONCLUDE: The future increase or decline in life expectancy is increasing by two years every decade. They show no sign of flattening out. Average life span around the world is already double what it was 200 years ago. Since the 1980s expert through the increase in life expectancy would slow down and then stop but forecaster have repeatedly been proved wrong. The reason behind the study rise in life expectancy is â€Å"the decline in the death rate of the elderly†. It is said that our bodies are evolving to maintain and repair themselves better and our genes are investing in the process to put off the damage which will lead to death. â€Å"There is no use by date when we age, ageing is not a fixed biological process† professor Kirkwood says. And with people nearly one in five currently in the uk living to see their 100th birthday in a good and better shape, it is safe to assume that this is all down to better eating habits, living conditions, education and medicine.