As we get older, our olfactory function declines. Not only do we lose our sense of smell, we lose our ability to discriminate between smells.
Sense of hearing
Hearing loss can be one of the most pronounced sensory changes associated with aging. Age-related hearing loss (also called presbycusis) typically results from changes to the inner ear or the auditory nerve, which carries sound signals up to the brain for processing.
About one third of older adults have some form of vision problems or loss by age 65, and nearly 50% of people older than 75 have disabling hearing loss.
Our sensory memory tends to decline over time; the time taken for sensory signals to be processed slows down. The brain will take more time to compute and process information, causing cognitive abilities to decline in older people.
Most older people cannot see, hear, feel, taste, or smell as well today as they did ten, twenty, or thirty years ago. Why? The normal aging process causes gradual losses to the sensory system. Generally, these changes begin around the age of 50 years.
Most people begin to notice a shift in the appearance of their face around their 40's and 50's, with some also noticing a change in their 30's. But with these physical changes brought on by aging also comes a change in the appearance of our face - Luckily, there is treatment available.
According to the doctors on the show, your 40s is when you really start to see major changes in the firmness of your skin. You're dealing with loss of volume and elasticity (leading to skin that appears saggy), as well as more pronounced wrinkles and sun damage, which may lead to conditions like melasma.
Older people usually experience a decline in visual acuity because of changes in lens elasticity which consequently lead to a decrease in abilities to focus on near objects (i.e., presbyopia) and to adapt to light [2].
The hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in the formation and retrieval of memories, often deteriorates with age. Hormones and proteins that protect and repair brain cells and stimulate neural growth also decline with age.
An explanation on the neural level of the decline of working memory and other cognitive functions in old age has been proposed by West. She argues that working memory depends to a large degree on the prefrontal cortex, which deteriorates more than other brain regions as we grow old.
Smell: This is often one of the first senses to be impacted by Alzheimer's disease. The individual may experience either confusion as to what they smell or a lack of sensory capability. It is important if caring for an individual living alone, to keep the refrigerator and cupboards clear of outdated and spoiled food.
74 percent of participants suffered impairment in their ability to taste, which was the most common sensory loss.
"Our findings here give us a better appreciation of the prevalence of multi-sensory loss, a first step toward learning more about what causes the senses to decline." The most prevalent sensory deficit, affecting 74 percent of participants in the study, was a decrease in the sense of taste.
Your bones, joints and muscles
With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
Skin changes are among the most visible signs of aging. Evidence of increasing age includes wrinkles and sagging skin. Whitening or graying of the hair is another obvious sign of aging.
You have trouble following a conversation. You find it hard to make decisions, finish a task or follow instructions. You start to have trouble finding your way around places you know well. You begin to have poor judgment.
Episodic memory is considered to be the form of long-term memory that displays the largest degree of age-related decline 4, 5, 6, 7. Working-memory performance is also reduced in old age 8, 9.
“Cognitive decline may begin after midlife, but most often occurs at higher ages (70 or higher).” (Aartsen, et al., 2002) “… relatively little decline in performance occurs until people are about 50 years old.” (Albert & Heaton, 1988).
The normal aging process is associated with declines in certain cognitive abilities, such as processing speed and certain memory, language, visuospatial, and executive function abilities.
Functional decline has been identified as the leading complication of hospitalisation in the elderly and can result in under-nutrition and dehydration, decreased mobility and loss of independence, accelerated bone loss, delirium and depression, pressure ulcers and skin tears and incontinence.
Physiological changes occur with aging in all organ systems. The cardiac output decreases, blood pressure increases and arteriosclerosis develops. The lungs show impaired gas exchange, a decrease in vital capacity and slower expiratory flow rates.
Most of Europe have similar views of old age to the World Health Organisation, believing old age starts at 65 years of age. In America, one researcher found that you are considered old at 70 to 71 years of age for men and 73 to 73 for women.
You might be surprised to know that your face is not actually the part of your body that ages the fastest. It is, in fact, your breasts. A study, published by the journal Genome Biology has found that breast tissue is the part of the body that's most sensitive to the affects of ageing.
“Retinol and alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) can rejuvenate the skin and eliminate fine lines and wrinkles,” Dr. Patel says. “Hyaluronic acid helps your skin retain moisture, which gives it a smooth, glowing look.” Opt for serums and night creams with retinol and AHAs, and a daily face moisturizer with hyaluronic acid.