P5- Describe physical and psychological changes due to the ageing process
The ageing process does not begin at any particular age. People age throughout their life, and so it is not only those in older adulthood or the final stages of life that experience ageing. People do not age in a fixed way as they are constantly changing in individual and different ways.
In this assignment I am going to be talking about the physical and psychological changes due to the ageing process.
Physical changes
Each and every person experience ageing in a different way compared to another individual and there is no simple process that affects everyone in the same way. (B.Stretch, 2007). Physical changes inside the body are normally associated with the ageing process of the person. I am going to be talking about the physical changes of some of the body systems and the skin. (M.Crittenden, S.Pope, 2007).
The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart and blood vessels and its main function is transport materials around the body. As people grow older, the arteries and other blood vessels may start to narrow, because of the fats, such as cholesterol start to build up in the blood vessels. This is called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can result in higher blood pressure and higher blood pressure can put the individual at risks of strokes and heart attacks. The heart may start to work harder when the blood vessels walls deteriorate, which can result in coronary heart disease (CHD). (B.Stretch, 2007).
The respiratory system is made up of the lungs and airways and its main job is to take in oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. As people start to age their maximum amount of air in which they can breathe out after a large breath in, decreases, because the diaphragm and the intercostals muscles start to reduce (M.Crittenden, S.Pope, 2007). Emphysema, a disease where the air sacs (in the lungs) become damaged, causes a shortness of breath and in severe cases it can result in respiratory failure. Asthma can also occur when the respiratory system starts to deteriorate, it is caused by a narrowing of the airways and it can be present in any life stage. If there is an airflow obstruction (which can lead to serious disruption of air in the lungs), this is called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). (B.Stretch, 2007)
