150121 Body changes after sixty, information for those with inquiring minds part one of two
Here is a short, perhaps, depressing list of a few of the things that happen as we get older. Take heart though because, to a certain extent, mitigation of some of these issues helps, so don’t give up hope just yet.
A simple look in the mirror reveals we are no longer the youthful version of ourselves we are used to seeing in our old pictures.
For instance, over time our hair begins to get gray, eventually, it will get so gray that it is hard to deny that it is happening. It may be falling out and we are getting bald. Generally, though we don’t take particular notice of the gray because we look at ourselves every day in the mirror and these changes are so small, they don’t register on our brain.
This is the effect of renorming.
Renorming is a fact. We don’t necessarily see these changes because we are renorming every day and fail to notice these imperceptible age changes taking place.
We can’t see as well any longer and need to wear eyeglasses to read, drive, and in general, be safer in our environments.
Our faces change their configuration due to the loss of collagen[1]
We begin to have skin wrinkles due to the natural aging process and the loss of elasticity, a decrease in the body’s production of natural oils, which dry out the skin and exacerbated by exposure to the sun, UV light, smoking and facial expressions repeated over time.
Our auditory perception[2] begins to diminish and we start having difficulties understanding what others are saying, in my case, it is the high ranges where it has dramatically changed.
Dental issues begin to appear with the loss of our teeth, and we start to bend over and lose the upright posture we had for so long during our younger years.
The muscles of the skeleton atrophy, sarcopenia[3] sets in, we lose strength and the muscle mass that remains starts to sag. We start noticing stiffness and overall weakness in our joints, which may lead to problems in walking or even standing.
Our bones become brittle and easily broken if osteoporosis is present.
More fat deposits appear in and around our stomach, hips, and internal organs leading to a whole host of new health problems.
For now, let’s concentrate on the age-related issues involving the inevitable deterioration of our body and mind what we can do to slow these changes down.
Many of these ailments can be mitigated by paying attention to the problem and then aggressively attacking it head on through either or both physical and cognitive approaches. However, none of the following is medical advice…see your doctor for this.
In my opinion, the cognitive issues deserve attention since it is common in most older people. Cognitive impairment for us has a multiplicity of potential causes. Such things as side effects of our medications, imbalances in our metabolic and/or endocrine[4], delirium due to the ongoing process of a current illness, depression is common as well as dementia with Alzheimer’s being the most common.
[1] Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, found in the bones, muscles, skin, and tendons. It is the substance that holds the body together. Collagen forms a scaffold to provide strength and structure. … Exogenous collagen is used for medical and cosmetic purposes, including the repair of body tissues.
See also https://www.nia.nih.gov/site-search/Q29sbGFnZW4%3D
[2] Auditory perception could be defined as the ability to receive and interpret information that reached the ears through audible frequency waves transmitted through the air or other means.
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10756 Auditory perception: The ability to identify, interpret, and attach meaning to sound.
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066461/ Sarcopenia, or the decline of skeletal muscle tissue with age, is one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults.
[4] https://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa09/hstat/hi/pages/217emd.html#:~:text=%C2%BB%20Health%20Indicators-,Endocrine%20and%20Metabolic%20Disorders,process%20certain%20nutrients%20and%20vitamins. Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders. Endocrine disorders involve the body’s over- or under-production of certain hormones, while metabolic disorders affect the body’s ability to process certain nutrients and vitamins.
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