We all get older day by day. Our body changes throughout life. Some face changes sooner than others, but everyone starts to notice when their body has changed due to age.

Here is a summary of important changes of the aging body:

Eyes: After about 60 years, the lens of the eyes’ adaptability to short distances may be lost. This development may start in a person’s 40s. The adaptability to changing light conditions and fast Scharftstellen may also surface.

Hearing: The hearing of both ears, specifically the inner ear, may be strained. The ability to perceive high tones decreases. In addition, an aging person may also hear annoying noises (tinnitus).

Smell, taste and thirst: Smell and taste perception may change. Possible consequences include decreased appetite and an unbalanced diet. Plain salted food often tastes bland and boring. The sensation of thirst is reduced, so that older people often have too little liquid intake.

Brain: Over the years, the number of brain cells and connections of nerve cells in the brain to work with each other may be less apt to work efficiently—primarily the frontal brain is affected, the seat of higher mental and perceptual abilities. Elderly people may have better memories than younger people though because they rely on when their memories were swifter. Diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, an underactive thyroid or lack of perfusion of the brain, may likely increase.

Skin: The skin becomes thinner aged, dry and contains less protein fibers such as collagen. The skin becomes stretchy and may not hold together properly when doing simple things like smiling or frowning. The decrease of water content in the body is at the voltage condition of the visible skin. The subcutaneous fat is falling. It loses its tightness and smooth appearance and forms wrinkles.

Bones: The bones are subject to a permanent assembly and dismantling process. The mining process is gaining the upper hand, especially with a lack of vitamin D. It is more than a broken bone set. This primarily affects women after menopause. Bones of elderly people are therefore less stable and break easily. People who are aging should also beware of pathological reduction of bones known as osteoporosis.

The body loses water, which is also an essential part of the cartilage tissue in the joints is. Without sufficient water, the cartilage shrinks and loses its cushioning properties. This leads to limited mobility of joints and there can be pain in the vertebrae, knees or hips. Mechanical wear of the cartilage due to years of overexposure can accelerate this process, known as osteoarthritis.

Connective tissue: The elasticity of the connective tissue decreases. Those affected have damaged walls of blood vessels. This obstructs the blood flow and increases the systolic (upper) blood pressure, and the diastolic (lower) value decreases. This increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.

Muscle: The muscles in the structure are slower at a young age and increasingly fat is stored. Above all, the muscle fibers are declining. However, muscle strength training can improve fat storage. Even in old age, it’s possible to gain and lose muscle strength.

Heart and Circulation: The heart muscle is also affected by the aging process: muscle fibers are replaced by connective tissue, and the performance of the heart decreases. Elevated blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, or difficulty breathing are possible signs of such changes. Increasing blood pressure also influences deposits in the blood vessels (arteriosclerosis), making the walls less flexible. Consequences of these changes can be a heart attack and stroke.

Kidney and Bladder: Older kidneys lose part of their usability, therefore, some medications are dosed differently. Pelvic floor, bladder and sphincter muscle of the anus are less flexible, so that older people may have to wake up in the middle of the night to urinate or have a bowel movement to avoid bed accidents. Sometimes urination can also no longer be controlled (incontinence). In men, the prostate can enlarge, resulting in incontinence and pain (Harnstorungen). A dreaded complication is the development of prostate cancer. Therefore, men ages 45 and over should have an annual prostrate exam.

Hormones: The hormone balance changes with age in both women (menopause) as well as in men. Some hormones (Testosterone or estrogen) decline, and others are increasingly forming (ex. Insulin and gonadotropin). Also, the thyroid produces fewer hormones.

Immune system: The defenses will be weaker with age. The immune system produces fewer elderly immune cells and antibodies, so that many elderly people are likely to carry diseases that will result in severe consequences. With increasing age, the body reacts more sensitive to pathogens and diseases with significantly more complications.

Intestinal and digestive: Over the years, the glands of the body produce less hormones and digestive secretions. A decreased production of insulin in the pancreas of Type-2 diabetes (age sugar) can become a danger to a person’s diet. Disorders of the gastro-intestinal irritation (Ttraktes) like appendicitis, ulcers, constipation, chronic intestinal inflammation and intestinal seals are also frequent in old age.

Body Composition: With less water and reduced muscle mass, the body fat percentage increases. The water body content in a person’s 30s is about 60 percent; for active sports from 55- to 65-year-old men and women, it drops from 49 to 56 percent. This trend is accelerating with age.

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