According to recent definitions the person enters a senile age after 65. Each person starts ageing after the completion of maturation. The phenomenon of ageing is highly individual and differs among people with respect to its rate and affected systems and organs. This may be responsible for a frequent inequality of metrical and biological age. Ageing is a multisystem process which also leads to alterations in symptomatology of many diseases. The process of ageing has been very well described, especially in the cardiovascular system. In contrast, ageing of the respiratory tract is far less recognised and still remains a subject of debates. The elderly are affected by the same diseases as younger individuals. The most common diseases at this age are respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and bronchial asthma. Their course may be, however, different in the elderly not only due to the physiologic process of ageing but also frequent comorbidities. This fact should be taken into account when establishing a diagnosis and treatment regimens. A therapy of the older person usually requires a highly individualized approach.