Middle Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development Flashcards
(37 cards)
Defining Middle Age
Defining Middle Age
•Life expectancy: 77.6 years
•Middle age statistically: 39 years but typically middle age defined as later
By middle age, females begin to outlive males – trend continues into the late stages of life
•Human body like a machine: does not function as well as when it was new!
●Organs less efficient
Vision Changes
Vision Changes
•Presbyopia: normal condition: eye lens begins to harden, lose ability to accommodate. Symptoms: tired eyes, headaches, trouble reading at close range
- Adaptation to dark, glare harder
- Also decreased: distance acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual search, and pattern recognition.
Glaucoma: increased pressure caused by fluid buildup in eye, can lead to blindness if untreated
- Cataracts: clouding of the lens. Need surgery, then glasses.
- Floaters: annoying floating spots. May indicate retinal detachment.
- Dry Eye: decreased tears, need drops.
Macular Degeneration: thinning of the layers of the retina and/or rupturing of tiny blood vessels. Symptoms: faded, distorted or blurred central vision.
•Visual problems may be caused by a diet high in saturated fat (reduces blood flow to eyes)
●Smoking
●To avoid: lots of fruits and veggies
Presbyopia
Presbyopia: normal condition: eye lens begins to harden, lose ability to accommodate.
Symptoms: tired eyes, headaches, trouble reading at close range
Glaucoma
Glaucoma: increased pressure caused by fluid buildup in eye, can lead to blindness if untreated
damage caused by pressure on optic nerve
Cataracts
Cataracts: clouding of the lens. Need surgery, then glasses.
affects 30-50% of individuals age 65+
Can appear in individuals in late 50’s
surgical removal of lens then use glasses.
Floaters
•Floaters: annoying floating spots. May indicate retinal detachment.
particals suspended in gel-like fluid of the eyeball;
laser surgery to remove.
Dry Eye
•Dry Eye: decreased tears, need drops.
occurs in individuals who look at a computer screen, long readers
Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration: thinning of the layers of the retina and/or rupturing of tiny blood vessels.
Symptoms: faded, distorted or blurred central vision.
leading cause of visual impairment and legal blindness in people 50+
Visual problems may be caused by….
•Visual problems may be caused by a diet high in saturated fat (reduces blood flow to eyes)
●Smoking
●To avoid: lots of fruits and veggies
Prediction of doubling of visual problems in future due to diets high in saturated fat
Hearing Problems
Hearing Problems
•Changes in hearing: around age of 30
- Presbycusis: decreased ability to hear high pitched sounds
- Hearing loss can be caused by cumulative exposure to loud noise
Even a mild hearing loss can affect cognitive function since areas of the brain are reallocated to hearing instead of intellectual processes.
Audiology testing by audiologists determines extent/type of hearing loss.
How can it impact occupation?
Presbycusis
Presbycusis: decreased ability to hear high pitched sounds
Taste and Smell Problems
Taste and Smell Problems
•Taste buds replaced at a slower rate
- Sense of smell also begins to decline
- May increase likelihood of gaining weight by adding more and more fat and salt to diet to compensate
Appearance
Appearance
•Gums begin to recede periodontal disease loss of teeth
•Hair thins, grays
•Skin becomes dryer, thinner and less elastic; wrinkles (from sun exposure).
●Wrinkles, droopy eyelids, age spots.
●Skin loses collagen, fat, oil glands
•Men look “mature, sophisticated”
Women look “old, tired”
Flossing, tooth brushing and dental visits can preserve teeth, tooth loss and appearance of face
Smokers have more wrinkles
At this age, important to monitor skin for scaly patches (basal cell carcinoma) or melanoma (tumor – bleed, darken, itch).
Coping with Changing Appearance
Coping with Changing Appearance
•Women who were hugged, kissed and cuddled when younger accept their bodies
•Women who were active when younger are more positive
●athletes
•Women who were very attractive have a harder time
Changes in balance, mass, strength
May turn to cosmetic surgery –
Top female surgeries: liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, tummy tucks.
Top male surgeries: liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, face lifts
Body Composition
Body Composition
•Around age 30, muscles begin to atrophy, which can diminish strength, agility, and endurance.
- Weight gain becomes more pronounced as muscles diminish
- Can be prevented with resistance training, weight lifting
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
•A disorder of thinning bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue
- Women at greater risk, should take calcium supplements after age 35
- Also, weightbearing exercise, decrease caffeine and alcohol (diuretics)
Takes years to advance to a stage of detection. Decline of estrogen is contributing factor to bone loss.
Men have 30% more bone mass at age 35 than females and slower loss.
Osteoarthritis with joint inflammation that results in cartilage degeneration and friction between the bones. Causes chronic pain, functional limitations.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
•An inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function of the joints
- May also have fatigue and fever
- An autoimmune disease
- Treatment: pain relief, rest/exercise balance, patient education.
Autoimmune disease – person’s own immune system attacks it’s own body tissue
Menopause and Female
Midlife Change
Menopause and Female
Midlife Change
•Menopause: A process culminating in the cessation of menstrual activity
•Perimenopause: The time period preceding menopause
- Climacteric: Changes in the ovaries and hormonal processes over 2-5 years before complete cessation of menstruation
- Postmenopause: No menstrual cycle for 1 year
- Biggest change: huge drop of estrogen
- Between 45 and 55, average age: 51
Menopause
Menopause: A process culminating in the cessation of menstrual activity
Perimenopause
Perimenopause: The time period preceding menopause
Climacteric
Climacteric: Changes in the ovaries and hormonal processes over 2-5 years before complete cessation of menstruation
Postmenopause
Postmenopause: No menstrual cycle for 1 year
Menopause Symptoms
Menopause Symptoms
•Hot flashes - sudden reddening or heating of face, neck and upper back, may produce sweating; a few minutes.
- Night sweats, which may disrupt sleep and lead to insomnia.
- Pain during intercourse, thinning of vaginal tissues and loss of lubrication.
- Increased nervousness, anxiety, or irritability.
- Need to urinate more often, at night.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) •A regimen to: ● maintain cardiovascular fitness ● slow bone loss ● maintain sexual desire ● slow memory loss •Studies in early 2000s found:
●May increase incidence of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, blood clots?
•Are we “medicalizing” menopause?
