Physiological Changes Due to Ageing

Ageing is a gradual and continous irreversible process that results in structural and functional changes .

Normal Ageing affects all physiological process . Irreversible changes in the functioning of most organs normally occurs the third and fourth decades of life , with progressive  deterioration with age . The rapidity of the decline in functining of organs varies from person to person .

Physiological Changes

Physiological changes which occur with ageing in all organ system are as under ;

1.Chnages in Muscle Size = Ageing takes its toll on the body and the musclesare not the exception . Muscles mass starts to decrease in amount after the age of 30 . Along with it comes a decrease in muscle strength . With age , muscles begin to shrnk and lose some of their cross sectional area . The number of muscles fbres decrease , and the ones that remain become smaller in size . 

2.Changes in Metabolism and body  composition = Over time , the body typically needs less energy , and metabolism slows down . Harmone changes in the aging body result in shift to more body fat typically doubles compared with what it was during young adulthood . 

3.Changes in bone density = Bones tend to become less dense due to advancement of age . Thus , bones become weaker and more likely to break . In women , loss of bone density speed up after menopause . Bones become less dense partly  because they contain less calcium which gives the bones strength . The amount of calcium decreases because the body absorbs which gives the bones strength . The amount of calcium decreases because the body absorbs less calcium from foods . Also the levels of vitamin D , which helps the body use calcium , decrease slightly  . Certain bones are weakened more than others . Thus the bones get less dense and weak .

4.Changes in Respiratory System =  The muscles used in breathing , such as the diaphragm , tend to weaken . The number of air sacs and capillaries in the lungs decreases . Thus  ,  slightly less oxygen is absorbed from air that is breathed in . The lungs become less elastic . These changes do not affect ordinary daily activities , but these changes maty make exercising more difficult . Breathing at high altitudes may also be harder . The lungs become less able to fight infection .

5.Changes in Heart and blood circulation = The heart naturally becomes less efficient as it ages ,and our heart has to work a little harder during activity than it didi in the past .There is decrease in strength of cardiac muscles .There is gradual decline in our energy or endurance from one decade to the next .

6.Changes in Brain and Nervous System =  Starting in the third decade of life , the brain weight , the size of its nerve network , and its blood flow decrease . But the brain adapts to these changes , growing new pattern of nerve endings . Memory changes are a normal part of the aging process . It is common to have less recall of recent memories and to be slower remembering names and details . 

7.Changes in Digestive System= With advancing age , the muscles of the esophagus contract less forcefully . Food is empited from the stomach slightly more slowly , and the stomach less forcefully . Food is emptied from the stomach slightly more slowly , and the stomach cannot hold as much food because it is less elastic . The digestive tract may produce less lactose , as a result , older people are more likely to develop intolerance of dairy products . In the large intestine , materials move through a little more slowly . In some people , this slowing contributes to constipation . T he liver tends to become smaller because the number of cells decreases . Less blood flow through it , and the liver enzymes thatb helps the body process drugs and other substances work less effeciently .