Week 2 Flashcards
why do we age?
aging causes functional changes at the cellular level
why use the term older adult?
- senior is too limited
- elderly connotes frailty
general physical changes with aging
- increased risk of chronic disease
- activity level declines (geriatric syndromes)
- decline in lean body mass and bone density
- increased risk of falls and fractures
- impaired oral/eye/ear health
- changes in skin, taste, smell
geriatric syndromes
the emergence of multiple isolated health conditions, including frailty, urinary incontinence, falls, and pressure ulcers, each with a distinct cause
changes during aging
- skeletal system
- musculature
- vision
- hearing
- vestibular
- joint perception
- balance
at what age do skeletal system issues arise?
30 years old
- happens to women after menopause
importance of the skeletal system
- calcium storage
- movement
- reduce frailty
what issues progress with the skeletal system when you’re ~30?
- density or mass of bones diminish
- bones are more fragile and likely to break
- development of osteoporosis or osteoarthritis
- stiff joints (cartilage decrease)
- limited ROM (fluid decreases)
- collapse of vertebrae (changes in posture)
what age is peak muscle strength?
age 20-30
importance of musculature
- preventing weakness and fatigue
- improve ability to perform daily activities
- reduce risk of falls and injury
what occurs to the musculature after 30?
- muscle atrophy
- sarcopenia
- muscle fibres not able to contract as quickly due to changes in NS
- presence of lipofuscin (muscle fibres shrink and replaced by bone)
muscle atrophy
thinning/loss of muscle tissues
sarcopenia
loss of muscle
at what age do visual changes start to occur?
age 50 due to environment, genes, illness/diseases, and socioeconomic factors
common diseases of the eye
- glaucoma (damages optic nerve)
- dry eyes (occurs due to aging)
- macular degeneration (macula damaged)
- cataracts (clouding of lens)
- diabetic retinopathy (vision loss due to diabetes)
age related changes to the eye
- pupil: decreased diameter
- vitreous humor: changes from gel to liquid and may detach from retina
- macula: loss of central vision
- lens: protein precipitate = cataracts
hearing changes
- presbysusis
- sensorineural hearing loss (fixed with a hearing aid)
- conductive hearing loss
- mixed hearing loss
*can impact one or both ears
presbycusis
progressive, multifaceted, age-related hearing loss
- influenced by genetics, environment, trauma and ototoxic medicines
ear changes - inner ear
hair cells lost and otoliths degenerate causing loss of balance
ear changes - Eustachian tube
muscle atrophy
ear changes - tympanic membrane
- becomes less vascular
- decreased elasticity
ear changes- cochlea
hair cells degenerate causing presbycusis
ear changes- ossicles
joints between bones become thinner
ear changes- ear canal
- may collapse
- earwax accumulates