Geria week 2

• Respiratory Changes


  1. Decreased chest wall compliance

  2. Decreased maximal breathing capacity

  3. Decreased number of alveoli

  4. Decreased elasticity

  5. Decreased parenchyma

  6. Impaired cough reflex

  7. Increased vulnerability to hypoxia and emphysema

  8. Increased susceptibility to respiratory infections
• Physiologic Changes in Aging


  Identify common age-related changes at the cellular level; in physical appearance; and to respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urinary, reproductive, musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, integumentary, and sensory organs
• Special Senses Changes


  Various changes in hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch
• Gastrointestinal Changes


  1. Decrease esophageal motility

  2. Atrophy of gastric mucosa

  3. Decrease stomach motility

  4. Less production of hydrochloric acid

  5. Fewer cells on absorbing surface of intestine

  6. Slower peristalsis

  7. Decreased taste sensation

  8. Esophagus more dilated

  9. Reduced saliva and salivary ptyalin
• Endocrine Changes


  1. Decrease thyroid activity

  2. ACTH secretion
• Cardiovascular Changes


  1. Aorta becomes dilated and elongated

  2. Resistance to peripheral blood flow increases

  3. Blood pressure increases

  4. Decrease cardiac output

  5. Less elasticity of the vessel

  6. More prominent arteries in head, neck, and extremities

  7. Stroke volume decreases by 1% per year
• Urinary Changes


  1. Decrease in nephrons

  2. Renal blood flow decreases 53% between ages 20 and 90

  3. Glomerular filtration rate decreases 50%

  4. Weaker bladder muscles

  5. Decreases size renal mass

  6. Decrease tubular function

  7. Decrease bladder capacity
• Integumentary Effects


  1. Wrinkling

  2. Decrease of the skin’s immune responsiveness

  3. Dehydration and cracking of the skin

  4. Decreased sweat production

  5. Decreased numbers of functional melanocytes

  6. Loss of subcutaneous fat

  7. Decrease in skin thickness

  8. Increased susceptibility to pathological conditions

  9. Growth of hair and nails decreases; nails become brittle with age
• Nervous Changes


  1. Decrease brain weight

  2. Reduced blood flow in brain

  3. Changes in sleep pattern

  4. Decrease conduction velocity

  5. Slower response and reaction time
• Musculo-skeletal Changes


  1. Decreased height

  2. Decreased ROM joints

  3. Increased postural sway/ difficulty balance

  4. Shrinking vertebral disc, slight kyphosis

  5. Loss of bone mass, bones more brittle

  6. Muscle Atrophy/ decreased lean body mass

  7. Joint degeneration (Cartilage surface)

  8. Foot problems: bunions, corns, and calluses
• Hematopoietic & Lymphatic Changes


  Various changes in the cardiovascular system
• Smell


  • Impaired ability to identify odors
• Changes to the Mind - Learning


  Learning ability is not seriously altered with age, but other factors can interfere with the older person's ability to learn
• Endocrine


  1. Decrease thyroid activity

  2. ACTH secretion decreases

  3. Pituitary gland decreases in volume

  4. Gonadal secretion declines with age

  5. Insufficient release of insulin by beta cells of the pancreas
• Changes to the Mind - Personality


  Drastic changes in basic personality normally do not occur as one age
• Changes to the Mind - Intelligence


  Interpret findings related to intelligence and the older population with caution
• Reproductive - Female


  1. Fallopian tubes atrophy and shorten

  2. Ovaries thicker and smaller & Cervix is smaller

  3. Drier, less elastic vaginal canal & Flattening of labia

  4. Endocervical epithelium atrophies

  5. Uterus smaller in size & Endometrium atrophies

  6. Alkaline vaginal environment & Loss of vulvar fat and hair
• Touch


  • Reduction in tactile sensation
• Sight


  • More opaque lens & Decrease pupil size
  • More spherical cornea
• Taste


  • High prevalence of taste impairment, although most likely due to factors other than aging
• Reproductive - Male


  1. Capacity of seminal vesicles reduces

  2. Possible reduction in sperm count

  3. Venous and arterial sclerosis of penis

  4. Prostate enlarges in most men
• Keratin


  A type of protein found in hair, nails, and the outer layer of skin
• Changes to the Mind - Attention Span


  Older adults demonstrate a decrease in vigilance performance and are more easily distracted by irrelevant information and stimuli
• Changes to the Mind - Memory


  Three types of memory: short term, long term, and sensory