physiological effect of aging

8/3/2019 Physiological Effect of Aging

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Even though everyoneis familiar with aging, but it is

difficult to define the term. Aging

is the accumulation of changes in

an organism or object over time.

It is also known as senescence. In

order for some average reader to

understand, the term aging is

usually used. Aging is one of the

most complex biological process.

The aging process is

constant and it cannot be

avoided, but how fast we age is

different from one person to

another person. We might not

notice the changes of aging

unless we see the changes in our

body like wrinkles, hair loss or

graying hair.

As we age, most of thebodys organ will perform less

efficiently. Our vision and hear-

ing power become less sensitive,

strength of muscles weakens,

immune system weakens, skin

and blood vessels become less

flexible. Hence, the overall per-

formance of our body declines.

Infancy

From birth to age 2, human develop

muscle strength and nervous system

control. Infants start to develop

verbal communication skill. By age 2,

their vocabulary may include as

many as 200 words.

Childhood

Humans begin to develop a sense of

humor along with their emerging

sense of identity and self-expression.

After puberty, they move into ado-

lescence with the development of

genital organs and characteristics.

Adolescence

They have improved ability of

self-expression but may have

difficulty refining a self-identity

and controlling their emotions

and impulsions. They also experi-

ence rapid growth due to pu-

berty as well as hormonal

changes.

Young adulthood

Human reach their physical ma-

turity and stop growing at this

stage. At the age of 30, human

bodys major organs begin to

decline.

Middle adulthood

After age 40, metabolism slows down

skin and hair may show more signs o

aging. Muscles strength decreases,

vision and hearing diminish while

bones become weaker. People in the

late 50s will experience a small degre

of declining cognitive abilities.

Senior adulthood

The advanced signs of aging including

skin elasticity are apparent in adults

over 65. Arthritis and osteoporosis

affect the joints and bones of many

senior adults. Other chronic condi-

tions like heart disease and cancer als

may attack them.

Senior adulthood

What is Aging?

C O N T E N T :

What is Ag-

ing?

1

Stage of Life 1

Natural

Change WithAge

2

How to Slow

Down Aging

Process

3

Aging Test 4

Stage of Life

Physiological Effect of Aging1 0 M A R C H 2 0 1 1

V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 7

S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

As one ages, it

may take longer

to respond to

stimuli.

After an illness,

it may also take

longer to return

to feeling your

best. Body changes

associated with

aging usually

make us more

vulnerable to

various dis-

eases. Aging can also

be defined as a

state of mind,

which does not

always keep

pace with our

chronological

age.

Stages of life

Infancy: 0-2 Childhood: 2-13 Adolescence: 13-18 Young adulthood: 18-40 Middle adulthood : 40-65

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Aged people will

experience hearing

loss. Sounds and

noise can damage

the hair cells of

inner ears.

Wrinkle skin on face

Natural Changes With Age

Aging has an effect on the way

we function. These are some

changes that occur as the effect

of aging.

Heart

Heart muscle becomes less effi-

cient . Heart functions begin to

slow down with age. Its pumping

power declines and the maximal

heart rate also decreases. Some

fatty deposits may form on the

walls of arteries. As the results,

the arteries become stiffer. Thiswill make the heart to work

more harder which later can lead

to high blood pressure or hyper-

tension.

Blood vessels

The connective tissue that make

up the walls of vessels become

less elastic and therefore less

efficient in carrying the blood.

Brain and nervous system

The number of neurons in brain

will decreases. The memory is

also become less efficient and

the reflexes on past events be-

come slower. Other than that,

body coordination will decrease.

Bones and joints

The bones shrink in size. Their

density also reduces and becomemore susceptible to fracture.

Less calcium is incorporated into

the bones and thus making them

more fragile which later leads to

osteoporosis. Muscles, tendons

and joints will lose their flexibil-

ity and strength.

Digestive systemThe process of digestion be-

come slower and may cause

constipation.

Hormone

Hormones are natural chemi-

cals produced by the organs of

the endocrine system. They

are secreted into bloodstream

to be used by other organs and

systems in the body. As aging

goes by, some hormone levels

decrease and some are me-

tabolized more slowly.

Kidneys, bladder and uri-

nary tract

Kidneys become less efficient

while the bladder will loss

control.

EyesEyes produce less tears. The

retinas become thin and lenses

gradually become less clear.

Cataract, glaucoma and macu-

lar degeneration may happened

to some individual.

Teeth

Mouth will feels drier and

gums may have pulled back.

Teeth will become more brit-

tle.

Ears

Aged people will experience

hearing loss. Sounds and noise

can damage the hair cells of in-

ner ears. The walls of auditory

canals become thin while the

eardrums thicken.

Skin

Skin become drier, rough and

produces more wrinkles. Skin

also become slack. The loss of

elastic tissue which in the skin

causes the skin to hang loosely.

As we age, skin will be more

transparent. This is caused by

thinning of the epidermis. Be-sides that, skin also will become

more fragile because of the flat-

tening of the area where the

epidermis and dermis come to-

gether. Next, skin becomes

more easily bruised, this is due

to thinner blood vessel walls as

we age.

Sleep

Aged people will experience

disturbed sleep which makethem wake up several times each

night.

Weight and metabolism

Body metabolism gradually slows

down. Calories are not utilized

efficiently and stored as fat.

Weight may increases as the

level of activity decreases.

Sexuality

Sexual performance may change.

For women, vagina walls become

less elastic and experience vagi-

nal dryness. For men, they be-

come impotent.

Graying hair

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ranges from 25 to 29.9. Above 30 is

considered as obesity. If it is 20 per-

cent over the ideal weight, you must

drop some extra pounds. Being an

overweight is a factor in adult-onset

diabetes, heart disease and breast

cancer.

Exercise

As we age, our muscles and tissues

break down. Keeping them healthy is

necessary to avoid broken bones and

strains. The more we use our muscles,

the stronger they will be. Strong tis-

sues don't break down as easily. Stand-

ing on one foot for as long as possible

and then switching to

the other foot andrepeating is a best

single exercise

which improves

motor coordina-

tion. It can be done

at any time and without any special

equipment. Exercising for 30 minutes

three times a week is an ideal pro-

gram.

As we know, growing older cannot be

prevented. It is continued from day to

day. However, some of the effects of

aging can be slowed down or even pre-

vented. Lifestyle determines how well we

age. Practice healthy lifestyle can im-proves the quality of our life, prevents

decline in bodily function and contributes

to longevity.

Here are some health practices for a long

healthy life:

Enough sleep

Getting enough sleep

are important to let

our mind and body

rest and prepare for

the next days adven-

ture. Sleeping six toeight hours a day is

enough.

Maintained normal body mass index

Body mass index is a measure of body fat

based on height and weight. Normal BMI

ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight

Limited alcohol consumption

Limit the alcohol intake as it can take off de-

plete the nutrients of the body.

Eating balanced food

Eat a varied and healthy diet. Include plenty of

fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods. Fiber,

calcium, iron, magnesium and vitamins all play

a part in keeping our body functioning at its

best. Drinks a lot of water to maintain healthy

skin and drain out

waste. Eating right

can help us to main-

tain ideal weight.

Stimulate your mind.

This can be done by reading books, articles or

newspapers. Do some puzzle games. Find

things that we like to do and do them often.

The more we use our brain, the sharper it

will remain for longer periods of time. Avoid

artificial sweeteners. Some studies have

shown that because of their excitotoxin ef-

fects, they overstimulate the brain cells until

How to Slow Down Aging Process?

Percentage of diseases with age

Hair

The color of hair will change.

They will graying or even whit-

ening. As we get older, the pig-

ment cells in our hair folliclesgradually die.. When the pigment

cells become fewer in hair folli-

cle, that strand of air will no

longer contain as much melanin

and will become a more trans-

parent color like gray, silver or

white as they grow.

Nails

The growth of nails reduces to

half. Nails also become less shine and

more brittle. Other then that, the yel-

low color of nail increased.

Immune system

White blood cells are the central com-

ponent of the immune system. Although

the number of these cells are constant

throughout the age, but the relative

proportion of the different types of

white cells changes. That is why older

people become less able to fight off

infections and therefore make them

easily to get diseases.


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Prepared by:

Aging Test

they die. This will leads to diseases like Alzheimers and dementia.

Quit smoking

Smoking is bad for your health as it can lead

to lung problems and some forms of cancer.

It also has an adverse effect on your skin's

texture. Sucking on a cigarette could en-

courage lines to appear around the mouth.

Social interactions

Having a network of connections to other people is beneficial for

brain health and well-being. Humans appear to benefit and func-

tion more optimally when connected to other humans in a so-

cially organized network. It is seen that people with a

strong support network of family, friends, and acquaintan-

ces are less susceptible to stress-related problems.

Manage stress

Stress accelerates the aging process. When we suffer

stress we lose our bodies natural balance which causes

damage to hormone secretion, cell repair, and collagen

production. When the body is exposed over a long period

of time to stress hormones, it can speed up brain aging.

Skin Elasticity Test for Skin AgingPinch the skin between your thumb and forefinger on the back of your handfor 5 seconds. Now check how long it takes for the skin to flatten out.

Average rates:45-50 yrs: 5 s60 yrs: 10-15 s70 yrs:35-55 s

Reaction Time TestTell a person to hold an 18-inch wooden ruler at the top, large numbers down,suspended centered above your thumb and middle finger. Ask the man to drop

the ruler without warning, and you try to catch it. Repeat 3 times.

Average score20 yrs: 11 in. mark60 yrs: 6 in. marki.e. a younger person will catch it quickly.

Eye Visual Accommodation TestHold a newspaper in front of your naked eyes. Slowly bring the paper in closer

to you, until the regular sized letters start to blur. Measure the distance fromyour eyes to the paper at this point.

21yrs: within 4 in.30 yrs: within 5.5 in.40 yrs: 9 in.50yrs: 15 in.

60yrs: 39 in.Static Balance TestStand barefoot on a hard and flat surface. Have someone stand close by in caseyou fall. Close your eyes and lift your dominant foot about 6 inches off of thefloor and bend your knee at an angle of 45 degrees. Stay still. How long youare able to do this without moving and opening your eyes.

A younger person: usually 30 s or moreAn older person: usually a few seconds only.

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