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| Accept and embrace the changes in your physical and mental function. Your youth won't come back, but it doesn't mean that you can't be happy still. |
Cardiovascular System
Your heart muscles will have to work harder to pump the same amount of blood through your body, lowering your tolerance to exercise. Your blood vessels become less elastic and fatty plaque may accumulate in the walls of your arteries, making them stiffer. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems.
Bones, joints and muscles
Your bones may become less dense, a condition called osteoporosis. This lead to increased risk for fracture. You may also contract osteoarthritis as a result of wear and tear to your joints. Your muscles lose strength and flexibility causing you troubles with movement and coordination.
Digestive and Urinary System
Low fiber diet, lack of exercise, not taking enough fluids, and medications may cause constipation in elderly people. Loss of bladder control is also common with aging. Frequent constipation, obesity, and chronic cough may contribute to incontinence.
Memory
The number of nerve cells in your brain will decrease with aging, causing some memory problems and concentration. It may take longer to recall familiar names or to remember new things.
Vision and HearingYour eyes produce less tears, causing a sense of dryness. The lenses lose their clarity and the retina becomes thinner. You may need correctional lenses to help with reading and you may become more sensitive to glare. Your ears may have difficulty hearing high frequencies or following a conversation in a crowded room.
Oral Health
Your mouth may feel drier because of less saliva production. With less saliva to clear out the bacteria, your teeth and gums become more vulnerable to decay and infection. Your teeth also darken in color and become more brittle.
Skin and HairYour skin becomes less elastic, more dry, and wrinkled. It is also more fragile, causing you to bruise more easily. Dark spots or age spots, especially on sun-exposed areas of your body, may occur. Hair loss and loss of color and luster is common.
Weight
Muscle mass decreases with age and they are replaced with fat. Because fat tissue burns fewer calories than muscle tissue, you may need to reduce the number of calories in your diet or increase your physical activity simply to maintain your current weight.
Are you feeling troubled yet?
Don't be. These changes are inevitable, but you can minimize their impact on your well-being by adopting healthy lifestyle long before these changes even begin to occur. Start now. It's never too late to change your lifestyle into a better one.
