To all my elderly bros and sisters. Nanganallur J K SIVAN
Wherever we turn and look, there is immense change in everything and in everyone. Chnge is inevitable and happens every moment. Life is a momentum involving ever changing pattern in its structure. Aging is part of such a change in human life. It is a gradual and never failing continuous process of natural change right from childhood. Bodily functions grdually decline with growth. We are not as brisk as children are. We become older every day.. It is biological aging.
Psychologic age is based on how people act and feel while facing various issues in life which are inevitable. An 80-year-old who works, plans, looks forward to future events, and participates in many activities and it makes him psychologically young . Every individual’s aging is different. Some changes result from internal processes .
Healthy aging is something which refers to postponement of or reduction in the undesired effects of aging .
We have to introspect and maintain physical and mental health for our well being.
We should be aware of and avoid disorders observed in our attitudes and behaviour.
By remaining always active and feeling independent we will be able to defeat the feeling of aging.
Eating makes a lot of diference in our aging and maintaining good health. Nutritious diet is helpful. Dont give importance to taste.
Exercising regularly is important. Walking is the best while sitting erect and doing breathing exercise is good.
We should never give room for mental depression.
Gerontology is the name given for study of the aging process. It includes physical, mental, and social changes in our life .
Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that specializes in the care of elderly people, which often involves managing many disorders and problems . It may be remembered that most of us, do not need the expertise of a geriatrician (a doctor who specializes in the care of the elderly) until they are 70 to 75 years old.
In India, life expectancy at birth in 1947 was 32 years .In 2015, Life expectancy at birth In India improved double, since it was 69.9 years for women and 66.9 years for men. Women mostly outlive men. While the average life expectancy has increased considerably, the maximum life span has not ncreased that much. It is due to heredity. It influences whether a person will develop a disorder or not. A person inheriting genes that increase the risk of developing high cholesterol levels is likely to have a shorter life. A person who inherits genes that protect against coronary artery disease and cancer is likely to have a longer life. In some families therefore most of the members normally lve upto a very old age—to 100 or older—
Our life style is influenced by our habits also. Smoking, drugs and alcohol and odd time eating habits makes a difference in longevity..
Exposure to toxins in the environment can also shorten life expectancy even among people with the best genetic makeup. Japanese experienced it after the second world war due to atomic bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Disorders, not aging, usually account for most loss of bodily functions.
The numerous organs in our body function depending on how well the cells within function (Older cells function less well) When the number of cells becomes too low, an organ cannot function normally.The first signs of aging involve the musculoskeletal system. The eyes, followed by the ears, begin to change early in mid-life. Bones tend to become less dense. Loss of bone density is known as osteoporosis . Damage to the cartilage due to life long use of joints often leads to osteoarthritis.My dear brothers and sisters, who are of my age almost, say 80+ please ensure that you carefully enter the toilets and wet areas in the house and elsewhere. We cannot afford bath room falls which account for many to be bedridden before death.
Our muscle mass and strength reduce to say 10% -15% during our lifetime gradually as we are aging. By the time we are 75, the % of body fat typically doubles compared with what it was during young adulthood. Too much body fat can increase the risk of health problems, such as diabetes.To make up for the muscle mass lost during each day we have to be active alwahys and walk. As we grow old, the eye 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. The change in vision, called presbyopia, occurs because the lens in the eye stiffens. So for reading, brighter light is needed. Colors are perceived differently, partly because the lens tends to yellow with aging. Colors may look less bright and contrasts between different colors may be more difficult to see. Blues may look like gray. Older people may see more tiny black specks moving across their field of vision. These specks are bits of normal fluid in the eye that have solidified. We may need 3 times more light to read than 20- year-olds
Let me tell you something about our ears. Changes in hearing are probably due as much to noise exposure as to aging .This change is considered age-associated hearing loss (Presbycusis). For example, violin music may sound less bright. High-pitched sounds are particularly hard for older people to hear.
Now about mouth and nose. Taste and smell starts to gradually diminish. Many foods tend to taste bitter, and foods with subtle smells may taste bland. With aging, the nose tends to lengthen and enlarge, and the tip tends to droop.
Now about the skin. The skin tends to become thinner, less elastic, drier, and finely wrinkled . The skin changes because the aging body produces less collagen (a tough, fibrous tissue that makes skin strong) and elastin (which makes skin flexible). The fat layer under the skin thins (Cushion and preserves body heat).
In my next post, I shall tell you some interesting facts and information about our brains and nerves.
