The life expectancy for US citizens is 79.05 years.
As you go through life gracefully aging, your body experiences changes in biological, physiological, environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social processes.
Aging alone is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases humans experience as they get older. Why is that?
What accounts for the decline in the function of your senses, your daily activity, and makes you more susceptible to disease?
What really happens to your body as you go into old age? Keep reading what the aging process actually looks like in practice.
Bones, Joints, and Muscles
Aging adults begin to experience shrinking and weakening bones making them more susceptible to breaks and fractures. Muscles begin to lose strength and flexibility. These changes affect coordination, balance, and stability. The possibility of falling becomes a concern.
Memory and Thinking Skills
This is the one you probably notice first…you walk into a room and can’t remember why you went there. Changes occur in the brain as you age and it has an effect on your memory and thinking skills.
You’ll notice that it’s a little more difficult to multitask, you may not be able to recall familiar words and names, and you may start forgetting things people have told you.
Skin
As you age, you might notice that your skin gets thinner, you bruise more easily, your skin is drier due to a decrease in natural oil production and starts to wrinkle, and you gain age spots. Your skin loses elasticity and the fatty tissue just below the skin decreases.
Eyesight
How many pairs of readers do people who are aging have around the house? It’s more difficult to focus on things that are close as we age. Eyes become more sensitive to glare and bright lights. Clouded vision, known as cataracts, result from the aging of the eye’s lens.
Hearing
Sometimes aging leads to diminished hearing. You may have difficulty following a conversation when you’re in a crowd or difficulty hearing high frequencies.
Cardiovascular System
Whether you have aging parents or you yourself are getting up there in age, the body’s blood vessels and arteries begin to stiffen making your heart work harder to pump blood. Heart muscles begin to change because of the increased workload.
All of these changes lead to a risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular issues.
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Can You Stop The Aging Process?
While it’s unlikely that you can stop the aging process, you can make life choices that will help you remain healthy and active throughout your lifespan. Making exercise and healthy food choices a priority will go a long way in keeping you feeling younger.
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