What do
we knew about aging process and when its begin? The aging process will happens
to all human kinds and none can escape it. As we were young, aging usually
associated with growth, exploration, discovery and maturation. Most human
abilities peak before age 30, while other abilities continue to grow through
life. We learn that great majority of those over age 65 today are healthy,
strong and some of them are fully independent. Due to these results, some
individuals begin to experience changes that are perceived as signs of deterioration
or decline. But as a normal human being, we must try to forget that kind of stereotypes
and look at older individuals as unique individuals, each with a particular set
of resources and challenges.
Normal
Aging
The
changes aging individuals experience are not necessarily harmful. With age,
hair thins and turns gray. Skin thins, becomes less elastic, and sags. There is
a slowing down of functions which go forward throughout adulthood - loss of
function of bodily organs. In the gastrointestinal system, for example,
production of digestive enzymes diminishes, reducing the body's ability to
break down and absorb the nutrition from food. Some of these losses may not be
noticeable until later life.
Scientists
theorize that aging likely results from a combination of many factors. Genes,
lifestyle, and disease can all affect the rate of aging. Studies have indicated
that people age at different rates and in different ways. Normal aging brings
about the following changes:
Eyesight - loss of peripheral vision and decreased ability
to judge depth. Decreased clarity of colors (for example, pastels and blues).
Hearing - loss of hearing acuity, especially sounds at the
higher end of the spectrum. Also, decreasing ability to distinguish sounds when
there is background noise.
Taste - decreased taste buds and saliva.
Touch and Smell - decreased sensitivity to touch and ability to
smell.
Arteries - stiffen with age. Additionally, fatty deposits
build up in your blood vessels over time, eventually causing arteriosclerosis
(hardening of the arteries).
Bladder - increased frequency in urination.
Body Fat - increases until middle age, stabilizes until
later in life, then decreases. Distribution of fat shifts - moving from just
beneath the skin to surround deeper organs.
Bones - somewhere around age 35, bones lose minerals
faster than they are replaced.
Brain - loses some of the structures that connect nerve
cells, and the function of the cells themselves is diminished. "Senior
moments" increase.
Heart - is a muscle that thickens with age. Maximum
pumping rate and the body's ability to extract oxygen from the blood both
diminish with age.
Kidneys - shrink and become less efficient.
Lungs - somewhere around age 20, lung tissue begins to
lose its elasticity, and rib cage muscles shrink progressively. Maximum
breathing capacity diminishes with each decade of life.
Metabolism - medicines and alcohol are not processed as
quickly. Prescription medication requires adjustment. Reflexes are also slowed
while driving, therefore an individual might want to lengthen the distance
between him and the car in front and drive more cautiously.
Muscles - muscle mass decline, especially with lack of
exercise.
Skin - nails grow more slowly. Skin is more dry and
wrinkled. It also heals more slowly.
Sexual Health - Women go through menopause, vaginal lubrication
decreases and sexual tissues atrophy. In men, sperm production decreases and
the prostate enlarges. Hormone levels decrease.
The aging
process also brings social and emotional change and loss into our lives.
Inevitably, as we age, older relatives die, then some of our friends may grow
frail and die, then loss of a spouse affects many. Physical losses and social
losses that can accompany aging may be very difficult emotionally. Grief and
sadness are normal reactions to such situations, and we cannot stamp out these
reactions in ourselves or our older relatives. Just as the physical losses of
later life can be compensated for, so can the social and emotional losses be
overcome.
The
physical aging process can be influenced in a variety of ways. Excess capacity
is built into the human system. The bulk of the changes that take place over
the years can be strongly affected by exercise levels and other lifestyle
characteristics. People who live in areas with especially long life expectancy
have the following characteristics, apart from hereditary or genetic
influences:
Dietary and Nutritional Factors - diets tend to be low in animal
fats and high in vegetables and whole grains.
Moderate Consumption of Alcohol - some alcohol is consumed,
although alcoholism is uncommon.
Physical Activity Throughout Life
Sexual Activity Continues in Later Years - sexually active and free to
express themselves in this way.
Social Involvement - respected and valued and
remain in community life.
Physical Environment - challenging and free from
pollutants.
In
general, the lessons are clear. Regular physical activity, a balanced diet,
social involvement, moderate or no drinking, and no smoking, can significantly
decelerate the aging process.
