The Physical Changes of Ageing

Question 1

Cardiovascular Disease

Answer 1

• Narrowed arteries filled with fats, plaques.
• more at risk of angina, heart attacks
• Unhealthy lifestyle, overweight, history, high blood pressure, eating unhealthy, lack of exercise

Question 2

Osteoarthristis

Answer 2

• Inflammation of one or more joints, wear and tear of joints, cartilage is thinner, bones rub together.
• More common in females than males, family history increases likelihood, common in ages over 40, being overweight.
• Pai, stiffness of joints, tender/warm joints, swelling, limited movements, bony out growth, popping/cracking
• P: Obesity, Loss of mobility, Fatigue, pain
• I: Curious, boredom, inactive cognitive decline
• E: Distress, depression, anxiety, misunderstood, worry
• S: Not enjoy life, cannot partake in physical activity, cannot see friends and family

Question 3

Degeneration of Nervous Tissues

Answer 3

• Decrease in physical and mental function
• Decreased sensation, slower reflexes, tendency to be clumsy
• Sight: Structure changes with age, loss of sight
• Hearing: Structure changes, loud noises cause wear and tear on hair or nervous cells in cochlea. Loos of hearing
• Smell: Loss of smell, different odor molecule
• Taste: Taste buds decrease, rest shrink by 60. Cant distinguish taste between, sweet, salty, sour and bitter foods.
• Touch: Cannot feel temperature, Cannot feel pain, less sensitive, toucher exterior, loss of elastin and collagen.

Question 4

Dementia

Answer 4

• Caused by abnormal brain changes
• Decline in cognitive ability
• Effect behavior, feelings, and relationships
• Damage brain cells, cannot communicate normally

Question 5

Alzheimer’s (Type of dementia)

Answer 5

• Causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior
• More common in over 60
• Family history, head injuries, past head trauma, mild cognitive impairments
• Memory loss, misplace items, forget names, places, objects, problems with speech/language, mood swings

Question 6

The Reduced Absorption of Nutrients

Answer 6

• Eating healthy becomes important in age, lead to nutrient deficiency
• need to eat protein, fibre, calcium, vitamin D

Question 7

Other Age Relates Illness

Answer 7

• Angina: Chest pain, blood supply of heart is restricted
• Hypertension: Extra strain on heart and blood vessels. Increase chance of heart attack, heart failure, stroke
• Heart Attack: Tightness/squeezing in chest, other pains in body, travel to heart to arm, shortness of breath, overwhelming sense of anxiety.
• Atherosclerosis: Arteries become clogged with with fatty substances called plaques. Cause arteries to harden and narrow, restrict blood flow, oxygen supply for organs, blood clots.
• Parkinson’s: Part of brain progressively damages over years, involuntary shaking of parts of body, slow movement, stiff, inflexible muscle.
• Stroke: Blood supply for brain is cut off. Medical emergency, urgent treatment.
• Incontinence: Unintentional passing of urine/loss of bladder control cause of weakened or damaged muscles.

Question 8

Depression

Answer 8

• Loneliness, lose loved one, do not go out to socialize, retire
• Go hours without communicating to anyone
• Impact physiological health
• Physical: Difficult sleeping/oversleeping, intake drugs/alcohol, weight loss/gain, fatigue, losing interest in hobbies
• Psychological: suicidal thoughts, feeling worthless, social isolation, sadness, low self-esteem