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Unit 4 BTEC Health and Social Care Level 3 P5 M3
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Unit 4 P5 M3 Effects of ageingP5
Explain the physical and psychological changes which may be associated with ageing
Physical changes
Skin, bones, joints and muscles
When ageing, physical changes associated with the skin, bones, joints and muscles are; the
skin becomes much more frail and thin, wrinkles begin to appear on the surface of the skins
and it becomes less elasticated. The bones also become thinner making fractures much
more likely. The joints become rigid which may cause pain due to the cartilage becomes
thinner on the ends of the bone. Ligaments reinforcing joints can also become looser. An
ageing individual may also lose height as the cartilage that separates the vertebrae in the
spine can become compressed, as well as the back bone becoming more rounded. The
muscles in the body also become weaker with age.
Senses
The individual may find that as they become older their sense of balance can be influenced,
as well as the senses of taste and smell which can depreciate. The individuals’ vision may
deteriorate and cataracts may begin to develop. Lack of sensitivity in the skin can increase
the chances of hypothermia and hearing can also worsen leading to the individual being
unable to hear high-pitched sounds.
Organs
Muscles located within the digestive tract may weaken and present risk of constipation.
Blood pressure can increase and the heart becomes much less effective at pumping blood
throughout the body. Nutrients within food are not as easily absorbed as they were at
earlier stages in life. The metabolism in the body decreases as the performance of the
endocrine glands is reduced. As the respiratory muscles become frailer, breathing becomes
much harder. As the elasticated walls within alveoli become damaged, gas exchange within
the lungs decreases.
Hormones and menopause
As females age, they typically experience a major decline following menopause in the hormone
oestrogen. This decline is associated with osteoporosis. Females have a much higher risk of
osteoporosis than males as bone strength is effected by the decrease of oestrogen. Some individuals
may find that they have a higher risk of osteoporosis than others, as it may be influenced by genetic
inheritance. The environment of an individual can influence these chances as exercise is known to
toughen the bone and muscle aiding in the prevention of osteoporosis.
Cardiovascular system
Ageing individuals may experience narrowing arteries as well as other blood vessels due to fats such
as cholesterol thickening on the walls of the blood vessels. This process is referred to as
atherosclerosis. ‘Athero’ refers to the fatty deposits whilst the ‘sclerosis’ refers to the toughening of
the arteries. Atherosclerosis can cause higher blood pressure which poses risk of strokes and heart
attacks. The elasticity of the blood vessels may also reduce, forcing the heart to work much harder,
escalating in size leading to an increase in blood pressure. Athero can separate causing obstructions
in arteries. These obstructions pose a risk of coronary heart disease. If the coronary artery is partially
obstructed an individual may experience shortage of breath and pain in the chest associated with
angina. When the flow of blood becomes dangerously obstructed this may cause a heart attack.
Respiratory system
When bloods fails to pump around the body effectively, shortage of breath may result. The potency
of the muscles may decline as the individual ages and the effectiveness of the lungs may decrease.
Bronchitis and other chronic diseases may present themselves. Bronchitis consists of the airways
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