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As we grow older as adults we will age and certain changes will appear evident in our bodies. The science that deals with the aging process is called gerontology. This science tries to find the reason we age, and the details of aging such as biological problems of senescence. There is also a related science known as Geriatrics that is concerned with the disease characteristics of aging and the medical care associated with this process. We all have a life span that varies as to the individual. Some individuals at 60 are considered old while others at 60 are still thought of as young. The chronological age is measured in years and the psychological age is expressed by our emotional and mental phases. The anatomical age is the condition of your various body organs regarding the stages of your life span (growth, maturity, and so on). The psychological age is measured by our emotions and mental phases.
The aging process does not proceed at a uniform rate all over the body. Before a person is born the aging process has started. By the time you reach puberty the thymus gland has degenerated and before you are 50 your tonsils are old. As you age, the various functions and physiological reactions of your body gradually slow down. These changes are not apparent until perhaps 50 years of age as they are not perceptible. We will not all age at the same rate, but the aging process is impossible to escape even though it may be postponed. Some changes can be forestalled by frequent medical checkups to make these years more comfortable and satisfying.
Many people as they grow older do not pay enough attention to their diet or to their health and can become malnourished. They eat the wrong foods and thereby can suffer from deficiency diseases. The teeth in an older person may be defective and they may resort to eating softer foods and the digestion will become impaired as the body will be deficient in minerals and vitamins. Diets high in calcium promote better digestion, better vitality and better growth thus delaying the onset of old age. People tend to exercise less as they age and their metabolism becomes slower. Proper weight control is so very necessary for a person as they start to age. Rest is as important as proper nutrition and exercise even at frequent intervals. Tobacco and alcohol ingested can interfere with the health of a person as they age. A cheerful attitude in life helps to keep the body healthy especially the heart and blood vessels.
As we grow older, bones will undergo changes in shape, degree of calcification and texture. Bones develop indistinctly and shaggy-appearing margins with spurs in a process called lipping. This lipping causes degenerative changes that restrict movement as the bone tissue piles up around the joints. There is a change in calcification that brings on a reduction of the size of bones especially those that are porous and subject to fracture. The major sites of frequent fractures are in the lower cervical and thoriac vertebrae. In late adulthood some people will develop curvature of the spine that causes them to be shorter and humped over. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. Osteoathritis, sometimes called degenerative arthritis is a degeneration of the joints associated with age and wear and tear on the joints. It involves degeneration of cartilage and the growth of bony lumps that may produce unsightly fingers and knuckle joints. It rarely produces crippling. Osteoporosis is characterized by excessive loss of calcified matrix and collagenous fibers from the bone and occurs in aging especially in women.
Vision and hearing can show impairment at we age. Loss of accommodation of the lens is one of the most striking changes in vision. Most people by the age of 65 are farsighted due to the eye lenses becoming hardened and losing elasticity. The lenses cannot become curved to accommodate for near vision. This hardening of the lens is called presbyopia (pres-bee-O-pee-ah), which means an"old eye." There will become a need for bifocals or glasses that incorporate two lenses to automatically accommodate for near and distant vision. A cataract (KAT-ah-rakt) may form when the lenses become cloudy and vision is significantly impaired. The loss of transparency of the lens or its covering capsule is another common age-related eye change. Glaucoma (glaw-KO-mah) is another serious age-related eye disorders associated with age. This disease will cause pressure to increase within the eyeball and, unless treated, it will result in blindness.
The hair cells in the organ of Corti (inner ear) can cause a decline in hearing frequencies. The eardrum and ossicles are less able to tansmitt mechanical sound waves. Many elderly people have hearing impairment because of aging. There can be a loss of appetite connective tissue cells replace taste buds. The sense organs all will most likely become impaired as the person ages.
As the body ages the number of nephron units in the kidney decease as less blood flows through the kidneys creating a reduction in function and excretory capacity or the ability to produce urine. Diminished muscle tone can occur in the bladder and is age related. The muscle atrophy (wasting) in the bladder wall can result in decreased capacity and inability to empty or void completely.
Without the proper diet of healthy and nutritional foods fatty deposits can build up in the blood vessel walls and narrow the passageways for the movement of blood. The condition called atherosclerosis (ath-er-o-skle-RO-sis) can lead to eventual blockage of the coronary arteris and a "heart attack." There is a condition of arteriosclerosis (ar-te-ree-o-skle-RO-sis) that is hardening of the arteries caused by fatty accumulations or other substances in the blood vessels. Strokes can occur because of the rupture of a hardened vessel in the brain. High blood pressure can occur and is very common and is called hypertension.
The respiratory system can be diminished due to the loss of muscle cells decreasing the strength of the muscles associated with inspiration and expiration. The costal cartilages that connects the ribs to the sternum can become hardened or calcified. This makes it difficult for the rib cage to expand and contract normally. This condition can cause chest movements to become difficult.
The skin can become dry, thin and inelastic as it ages and "sagging" on the body can cause skin folds and wrinkling. The hair can become thin and the pigmentation of the skin will change.
Heredity plays a prominent part in our longevity. One cannot do much about these heredity changes but much can be done to ward off disease and to strengthen the body's resistance to them. Look around you at the ones who are aging and I know you will notice the ones who have an honest zest for living are the healthiest and the happiest. These are the ones who are eating a diet that is healthy and nutritional, exercising and getting plenty of rest.
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