AGING: ADULTHOOD

AND LATER YEARS

ALOBA O.O
• Aging is a gradual, Continuous process of natural change that begins in
Early adulthood. In elderly many bodily functions begin to change. WHO
defines old age as 60 and above.
• 1. Chronologic age.
• 2. Biological age.
• 3. Psychological age.
•Gerontology: It is the study of aging process, include physical, mental and social
changes.

•Geriatrics: It is the branch of medicine that specializes in the care of older people, which
often involves managing many disorders and problems at the same time.
 PHYSICAL CHANGES:

As the cell age, they function less. Sometimes the old cells
die (apoptosis).

The reason for cell death includes:

1. They divide only a limited number of times.

2. Damage to a cell causes its death. damage caused by

harmful substances like radiation, Chemotherapy drugs,
sunlight.
 BONES AND JOINTS

• Bones tend to become less dense. Bones become weaker

  and more likely to break.

• In women after menopause, loss of bone density speeds up
because estrogen is produced less
 BONES AND JOINTS cont’d

• The amount of calcium in body reduced because the absorption

from food decreases. And also, the amount of vitamin D also
decreases slightly. The most affected bones usually include the
femur, the radius and ulna and the vertebrae.
 BONES AND JOINTS cont’d

• The older people become shorter because the vertebrae become

less dense due to loss of fluid in the cushion of tissues and

  becomes thinner.
• Cartilage tends to thin because of the wear and tear of years of
 
movement. This leads to osteoarthritis.
 BONES AND JOINTS cont’d

• Ligaments and Joints tend to become less elastic, making joints feel

  tight or stiff. This makes people less flexible.

• Ligaments tend to tear more easily and they heal slowly because the
cells maintaining ligaments and tendons become less active.
 MUSCLES AND BODY FAT

• The amount of muscle tissue and muscle strength tend to decrease as age
increases.
•  Muscles cannot contract quickly.
• However, aging effects reduce mass and strength by about 10 to 15 % than
during an adult’s lifetime.
 MUSCLES AND BODY FAT cont’d

• By the age of 75, the percentage of body fat typically doubles when compared to
adulthood. This increases the risk of health problems in old age. 

• A healthy diet and regular exercise can help older people minimize increase in
body fat.
 EYES

As people age increases this occurs,

The lens stiffens, making focusing on close objects harder.

The lens becomes denser, making seeing in dim light harder.

The pupil reacts more slowly to changes in light.

The lens yellows, changing the way colors are perceived.

The number of nerve cells decrease, impairing depth perception.

The eyes produce less fluid, making them feel dry.

 EYES cont’d

•  A change in vision is the first undeniable sign of aging.

 
•  Changes in lenses of the eyes can cause the following.
 
  • 1. Loss of near vision.
 
  • 2. Need for brighter light.
 
• 3. Changes in color perception.
 EARS

• As people age, hearing high-pitched sounds becomes more difficult.

This change is considered age-associated hearing loss (presbycusis).
These changes tend to speed up after age 55.
 
• In presbycusis for old people the words become harder to understand.
Gradually, hearing lower pitches also becomes more difficult.
 MOUTH AND NOSE

• The ability to taste and smell gradually diminish. This change affects mostly tasting
sweet and salt more than bitter and sour.
 the lining of nose becomes thinner and drier and the nerve ending in the nose
deteriorate.
•At aging the gum recedes slightly.
•The teeth loss can occur.
•With aging the nose tends to lengthen and enlarge and the tip tends to droop.
 SKIN:

•  thinner.
• less elastic.
•  drier.
•  body produces less collagen and elastin.
• thinning of fat layer wrinkling + decrease cold tolerance.
•  decrease in sweat glands and blood vessels.
SKIN cont’d

•  decrease in pigment synthesizing cells  less

protection against UV radiation.
•  skin less able to form Vit D
 BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM:

•  No of neurons in the brain decreases.

• However brain compensates thru the ffg:
• 1. New connections btw remaining neurons.
• 2. Formation of new nerve cells.
• 3. Brain has more cells than needed – redundancy.
 BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM cont’d

•  Blood flow decrease.

•  Changes in some mental functions – vocabulary,
short term memory, learning new materials, ability to
recall words.
 HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS:

•  Heart / blood vessels hardens arteries less

expandable increase blood pressure
•  arteriosclerosis etc.
 RESPIRATION CHANGES

•  weakening of the diaphragm.

•  decrease in alveoli and capillaries in the lungs.
•  lungs less able to fight infection.
•  lungs less elastic.
REPRODUCTIVE ORGAN CHANGES

• WOMEN
•  changes related to menopause decrease female
hormones lead to uterine and ovarian shrinkage.
•  vagina tissues- thinner, drier, less elastic (atrophic
vaginitis).
REPRODUCTIVE ORGAN CHANGES cont’d

• MEN
•  hormonal changes less sudden (decrease testosterone
 lesser sperm production.
 IMMUNE SYSTEM:

• Effect of aging on immune system include:

•  malignancies more common.
•  vaccines less protective.
•  infection (pneumonia, influenza) more common among the elderly.
•  less severe allergy symptoms.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF AGING

•  increased vulnerability to psychological dysfunction ffg

change.
•  inevitability of death in the elderly uncertainty and dread.
•  less physical ableness loss of independence.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DYSFUNCTION IN THE AGED

•  age related changes.

•  losses due to aging.
•  chronic illnesses.
•  increased dependency.
•  functional impairment.
•  loss of control (over environment).
PSYCHOLOGICAL DYSFUNCTION cont’d

• Memory loss
• Depression  can occur in 16% to 65% of elders in the
community
 loses can lead to depression.
 other disorders such as dementia (Alzheimer’s dementia).
SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN THE ELDERLY

• CAUSES
•  social isolation.
•  financial issues.
•  loneliness.
•  rejection and loss of purpose if life.
•  poor adjustment to tole changes.
•  family relationship problems.