Understand what your symptoms mean, when to see a doctor, and safe first steps you can take at home.
58 guidesOverview Abdominal pain ranges from mild cramps to severe, sudden pain. In older adults, symptoms can be subtle even wit
Overview Ankle swelling (edema) happens when extra fluid collects in the tissues. It may be harmless after a long day st
Overview Appetite loss (poor appetite) is common in older adults and may follow illness, pain, low mood, or medication c
Overview Most lower back pain improves within a few weeks. In seniors, it often involves muscle strain, facet joint arth
Overview Feeling unsteady, dizzy, or veering is common with aging but not “just age.” Vision, inner ear, nerves, muscles
Overview Black, tarry , sticky stools (called melena ) often signal bleeding higher up in the digestive tract (esophagus
Overview Blood noticed on toilet paper, in the bowl, mixed with stool, or stools that appear black/tarry can come from m
Overview Bruises form when small blood vessels break under the skin. With age, skin thins and protection from fat decrea
Overview Chest pain or pressure may come from the heart, lungs, esophagus/stomach, muscles/bones, anxiety, or even the a
Overview Chills are a sudden feeling of cold with shivering. They often occur with fever from infection, but can also fo
Overview Sudden confusion (delirium) is a rapid change in attention, thinking, or awareness. It’s common in older adults
Overview Cough protects the airways. The sound (dry vs. phlegm), duration (days vs. weeks), and pairing with fever, brea
Overview Urine normally ranges from pale yellow to amber. Dark urine often means dehydration , but can also signal medic
In short Loose or watery stools occurring more often than usual (typically ≥3 times/day). Most brief episodes are viral
Overview Vertigo is a false sense of spinning or movement. In older adults, brief spins with certain head positions ofte
Overview Standing suddenly can make blood pool in the legs. If the body doesn’t tighten blood vessels or raise heart rat
In short Light-headedness, dimming vision, or unsteadiness within minutes of standing. Often due to a drop in blood pres
Overview Dry mouth ( xerostomia ) is a common problem in seniors. Low saliva can make swallowing, speaking, and wearing
Overview With age, skin makes less oil and the barrier thins, so water escapes more easily. Dry air, long hot showers, s
Overview Ear pain ( otalgia ) and a blocked/plugged feeling are common. In older adults, frequent causes include earwax
In short Swelling of the feet/ankles/lower legs from extra fluid in the tissues. Shoes feel tight, socks leave marks, an
Overview Feeling unusually thirsty (often with frequent urination) can signal high blood sugar , dehydration , medicine
Overview Eye pain ranges from surface irritation to deep, aching pain. Common causes include dry eye , corneal abrasion
Overview The cause depends on pain level , discharge/tearing , vision changes , light sensitivity , and contact lens use
Overview Fainting (syncope) is a brief loss of consciousness from reduced blood flow to the brain . In seniors, causes i
Overview Fatigue is more than feeling sleepy—it’s low energy or exhaustion not relieved by rest. In older adults, causes
Overview Fever is a body temperature of ≥38.0°C (100.4°F) . In older adults, temperatures may be lower even with serious
Overview Many headaches are benign (tension-type, migraine), but in older adults new or different headaches deserve atte
Overview Palpitations are feelings that the heart is racing, skipping, pounding, or fluttering. Many are harmless (extra
Overview Hoarseness is a change in voice quality (raspy, weak, breathy, strained). In older adults, causes range from mi
Overview Urinary incontinence is common and treatable. It can come from pelvic floor weakness , overactive bladder , pro
Overview Pruritus (itching) is very common with age due to dry skin and a thinner skin barrier. Other causes include ecz
Overview Joint pain and stiffness are common with age. Osteoarthritis (cartilage wear) is most frequent, but inflammator
Overview Sudden, painful tightening of calf or foot muscles that wakes you from sleep is common with aging. Often benign
Overview Pain, cramping, or heaviness that appears with walking and eases with rest is often called claudication . In ol
Overview Lightheadedness is feeling faint, woozy, or “about to pass out” (not a spinning sensation—that’s vertigo ). In
Overview Occasional name-finding trouble or misplacing items can be part of aging. Concerning patterns include repeating
Overview Nausea is an unsettled stomach feeling, sometimes with vomiting. In older adults, causes include infections/foo
Overview Most nosebleeds in adults come from fragile vessels in the front of the nose and stop with pressure. In seniors
Overview “Pins and needles,” burning, or reduced feeling may come from nerve irritation or damage , a pinched nerve in t
Overview Dysuria (burning, pain, or discomfort when urinating) is often due to a urinary tract infection (UTI) , but can
Overview Unintentional weight loss in older adults is common and important to evaluate. Loss of muscle raises the risk o
Overview A new or changing rash may be due to skin irritation or allergy , infection (viral, bacterial, fungal), immune
Overview Nasal symptoms are usually from viral infections (common cold, influenza, COVID-19 ) or allergies . Other cause
Overview Shortness of breath (dyspnea) can come from lungs (asthma/COPD, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism), heart (heart fa
Overview Pain can come from the rotator cuff tendons , bursa , joint arthritis , a frozen shoulder (stiff capsule), or f
Seek urgent care for a shoulder that looks out of place, sudden severe pain after a fall, new numbness or weakness in th
Overview Throat pain is most often due to viral infections (common cold), influenza/COVID-19 , or post-nasal drip from a
Overview Swallowing trouble ( dysphagia ) ranges from mild “food sticking” to choking risk. In seniors, causes include t
Overview Swelling of the feet/ankles ( peripheral edema ) happens when extra fluid collects in tissues. It’s often relat
Overview Feeling unusually thirsty ( polydipsia ) often signals the body needs fluids or that you’re losing water faster
Overview Tremor is a rhythmic shaking of a body part (often hands). In older adults, common causes include essential tre
Overview Urgency is a sudden, hard-to-delay need to urinate. It commonly occurs with overactive bladder , urinary tract
Overview A sudden change in vision is always important. Causes range from benign (temporary migraine aura) to emergencie
Overview Vomiting is the forceful emptying of stomach contents. In older adults, risk of dehydration and electrolyte imb
Overview “Weakness” may be true loss of strength (hard to move a limb) or fatigue (low energy). New or worsening weaknes
Overview Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound when breathing—usually from narrowed airways. In older adults, commo
Overview Yellow skin or eyes (scleral icterus) happens when bilirubin builds up in the blood. In older adults this may c