Physical Development in Middle Adulthood Flashcards
The Climacteric
- Midlife transition in which fertility declines
- Female bodies: reproductive capacity comes to an end (won’t be fertile) which occur in the early and late 50s
- Men bodies: reproductive capacity diminishes, not end
Menopause
- When your period stops
- Our culture has traditionally viewed menopause as a disease rather than a natural process
- Menopause is viewed as negative for women due to gender roles such as not viewed attractive
- Controversies on how menopause should be managed
Signs of menopause
- Cessation of periods
- So your periods will be erratic and irregular - Hot Flashes (experienced by 47-95% of Western Women)
- Get super hot, skin itchy, dry skin
- It a need to cool down
- Heavier the women is the better the hot flashes is (better reaction to heavier women) - Vaginal Changes
- Becomes thinner
- Painful and uncomfortable
- Women tend to not have sex anymore - Drop of Hormone Levels
- Women’s won’t have enough estrogen
Post Menopause
A year after your period
Perimenopause
Time period when your period stops
Hormonal Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Extract hormones from their urine, Premarin: an early drug, like horse pee
- Not prescribe for breast cancer, not recommended over 60
HRT Advantages
- Short term management of severe discomfort such as severe hot flashes, vaginal pain during intercourse
- Reduce the risk of osteoporosis, results brutal bones (common bones to break is wrist). Which is more dramatic for women than men
- Reduce the risk of colon cancer. It is the leading cancer for older individuals and it is a slow growing
HRT Disadvantages
May increase the risk of: Endometrial cancer, Breast cancer, Heart disease (2003), Stroke (2003), Dementia (2003)
Other Health Concerns for Women in Middle Adulthood
- Breast cancer
- Detected by a monograph - Cervical Cancer
- Huge percentages of cervical cancer
- Detecting by a PAP smear
- Around age 50 for diagnosis
- 20% of women will occur over age 65
The Climacteric and Men
- Decrease in the quantity of semen and sperm after age 40
- More common to find problems with erectile dysfunction
- 20% of men experience some degree of erectile dysfunction by age 60
Viagra/Cialis
- Increase blood flow to not have the erectile dysfunction
- Symptoms: Headache, prolong erection, etc.
Preventions for Erectile Dysfunction (Mayo Clinic)
- Walk with your doctor to underlying health conditions
- See your doctor for regularly
- Stop smoking, limit or avoid alcohol and don’t use illegal drugs
- Exercise regularly
- Take steps to reduce stress
- Get help for depression, anxiety, Etc.,
Some Contributing Factor to Erectile Dysfunction
- Vascular disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Smokin
- Surgery
- Nerve damage: stroke
- Endocrine imbalance
- Emotional/Psychological issues
9, Drugs
Levinson’s Seasons of Life
- Seasons coincide with Erikson’s stages
- Construction of a dream
- Importance of mentorship
Construction of a dream
- Establishing a career
- Focus on career but around 30s, start to focus on relationships
Importance of mentorship
- Help others with same career
- Give back to the community
- Giving off what you learn as a individual to others
- Looked at it as a transition
- Implied the transition of midlife crisis
Vaillant’s Adaptation to Life
- Also built on erikson
- Focus on things in terms of age groups
— People in 20s
— People in 30s
— People in the 40s
— People in 50 and 60s
— People in the 70s
People in 20s
Will focus on intimate relationships
People in 30s
- Will focus on career consolidation
- Establishing a career
People in the 40s
Became generative
- Develop the need to give back to the community, people, etc.
- Imply to being a parents and help an guide their children
People in 50s and 60s
- Became the keepers of meaning
- Share stories
- Explore ancestry
People in the 70s
- Found that they will be spiritual and reflective as a whole
- Which helped them approach death as a positive note
Is there a midlife crisis? Levinson vs Vaillant
- Levisons suggest yes due to the age progression
- Lavint suggest no because over the occurs of age there was a slow transition
- There do seem to be gender difference in timing
If there is an transitional crisis going on (that’s a big if)
- Men: more likely to experience transition in the early 40s
- Women more likely to experience the transition in the late 40s or early 50s
