Age is Not a Cage Part 1: 7 Physical Signs of Aging
Aging is a natural process that not many people realize or look forward to. However, it will happen and the sooner we accept it, the sooner we can deal with it in a gentle and sensible way. Aging need not be a ‘cage’. In our Beyond Medicine series titled ‘Age is not a Cage,’ we examine different aspects of aging. In this post, which is an extension of our first episode, we look at the general and physical changes that start taking place as people age:
1. Hair: One of the first things that people note about aging is the greying of hair. These days young people may show grey hair due to the use of chemicals that are present in many hair care products.
2. Slowing down: General slowing down in terms of walking, or other activities. This could even be due to balance issues. Ears may be affected due to aging – more on this later.
3. Weight: Losing weight and maybe height as well. Not everyone follows this path, some older people may even gain weight.
4. Dryness: Dryness of the skin tends to occur as we age. There is also dry mouth, which brings a slew of problems.
5. Wrinkles: Wrinkling of skin due to loss of subcutaneous fat, which means fat right under the skin.
6. Eyesight: As we age we may experience difficulty recognizing people due to weakness in the eyes.
7. Hearing: We may experience a range of symptoms, like disorientation and social withdrawal, due to hearing loss.
There are many changes that take place as people age. However, not being aware of them may make it very frustrating for the aging person and their families, relatives and caregivers. This series aims to address the perspectives of an aging person and people who live and take care of them.
There is nothing to hide or feel bad about aging – aging is a natural process. Yet, many people resist or deny or hide their aging process. Some people age faster, other people age more slowly. Diet, lifestyle and diseases matter a lot on how fast people age. Stay tuned as we explore many more topics related to aging in this series.
Share with us your experience with aging.
