Middle & Later Adulthood - week 3 Flashcards
What is the menopause
When the ovaries stop releasing eggs for fertilisations
When does the menopause start
Typically between 45 and 55 years old
What are the 3 stages of menopause?
Peri-menopause
Menopause
Post-menopause
What happens in perimenopause
Level of Oestrogen start to decrease. You start to experience menopausal symptoms, but an individual’s period has not stopped
What happens in menopause
An individual has not had a period for 12 months (period stops). Hormone (Oestrogen) levels are lower.
What happens in post-menopause
Post = AFTER menopause…
Oestrogen levels are low and stay low. May continue to experience symptoms of the menopause.
What are some of the physical signs and symptoms of the menopause?
Hot flushes
Weight gain
Sleep difficulties
Vaginal dryness
Heart palpitations
Skin may become dryer or itchy
Joint pain
Fatigue
Mood swings
Night sweats
What is middle aged spread?
Weight gain during middle adulthood, typically around the stomach, hips and bottom
What can cause middle aged spread?
Aging bodies need less calories
Adrenal glands and thyroid become less active so hormones can make us feel hungry when we aren’t
Loss of muscle mass as we age so calories aren’t burned as efficiently
Poor sleep, means hormones are disrupted and can cause us to eat more
Less inclination to exercise due to tiredness
What are some signs of physical development (AGING) in MIDDLE adulthood
Changes in eyesight (eyesight worsens, may need glasses)
Changes in hearing (possibly leading to deafness, needing hearing aids)
Joint pain
Hair loss
Grey hair
Loss of elasticity of skin (wrinkles)
What is the current life expectancy in the UK
80.90
(Life expectancy is the number of years an individual can expect to live)
What are some things that happen to physical development (aging) in LATER adulthood?
Decline in physical strength
Decline in coordination
Trips, falls
Memory issues (cognitive)
Immune system not as strong
What is mild cognitive impairment?
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition in which someone has minor problems with cognition - their mental abilities such as memory or thinking.
These difficulties are worse than would normally be expected for a healthy person of their age. However, the symptoms are not severe enough to interfere significantly with daily life and activities, and so are not defined as dementia.
Symptoms of mild cognitive impairment?
Memory - for example, forgetting recent events or repeating the same question
reasoning, planning or problem-solving - for example, struggling with thinking things through
attention - for example, being very easily distracted
language - for example, taking much longer than usual to find the right word for something
visual depth perception - for example, struggling to interpret an object in three dimensions, judge distances or navigate stairs.
What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s is a type of Dementia. It is believed that Dementia is caused by an abnormal build-up of proteins in the brain
