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Ageing - Physical and Psychological Changes. Pathological Ageing

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4. Discuss the physical and psychological changes associated with normal ageing. How can one minimise pathological ageing?

The process of aging has been around as long as life itself. All living organisms pass through three broad stages from conception to death, which are maturation, maturity and aging. Aging affects everyone because nearly everyone has the potential to grow old and all the societies in which we live have older members (Macdonald, 1997). Gerontology is the use of reason to understand aging. The term was used to refer to the scientific study of aging, but nowadays it includes the study of aging using views from other disciplines such as humanities, social policy and human services. To correctly understand aging, …show more content…

In order to counter act this one must maintain regular and also suitable exercise. One must take into consideration the exercise tolerance in relation to his/her current age. Change to healthier lifestyle by quitting smoking as this can have a direct relationship and can worsen the breathlessness. It is important to not mix mild shortness of breath that does not affect normal daily activities with shortness of breath at low exercise level and wheezing as these may be symptoms of chronic bronchitis, asthma or heart failure.

Digestive System

A common change related to normal aging is changes that affect the digestive system. The most common one observed in old age is constipation (Macdonald, 1997). In order to minimise constipation it is essential or eat a fibre rich diet with more vegetables and fruit. Also maintaining regular exercise can also reduce the chance of developing constipation. Stools with blood or mucus are not part of normal ageing.

Urination

In normal ageing changes in urination also occurs. It is seen that there is more frequent urination at night (Matteson et al., 1998). In order to minimise this pathological aspect of normal ageing, it is suggested to avoid fluid intake one hour before sleeping. It is important to distinguish between difficulty or pain while passing urine as this may be due to urinary tract infections and for men as well as

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