Physical changes: A physical change which occurs only in women as they reach old age is menopause, however in some circumstances this can occur in younger women. As NHS, (2012) tells us, ‘menopause is also known as the ‘change of life’ and is the end of menstruation.’ This then means that a woman will stop producing an egg every 4 weeks, as a result of this she will no longer have a period or be able to have children. During menopause the first sign for women will be a change in the pattern of her monthly period. Women will experience physical changes such as hot flushes and night sweats, headaches, loss of libido, palpitations, vaginal dryness and itching or discomfort during sexual intercourse and also urinary tract infections. Women may also experience psychological changes such as mood changes which could include depression, anxiety or tiredness and also insomnia.
As a result our diet, habits and social and psychological factor remain some how quite unique as result of ageing. Changes that occur with aging fall into three categories: physical, psychological, and social. As changes begin to happen in one area of a person’s life, most likely the other two will be affected as well. There is a wide variation among individuals in the rate of aging and, within the same person, different organ systems age at different rates. However, we all experience common changes to some
This paper aims to explore the multiple factors that contribute to the occurrence of STDs in the older adult population. This paper will also identify possible implications for social work practice in order to address the occurrence of STDs in older adults. Many people assume that older adults no longer participate in sexual activity and they are considered to be at low risk for contracting STDs; however, this is a misconception. Studies have found that the majority of older adults report high levels of sexual interest well into their 70s (Hillman, 2008). In recent years, the diagnoses of STDs in older adults have sky rocketed.
Negative stereotypes can have harmful consequences for the quality of life of older adults and can also result in a major loss to society. With increases in life expectancy as well as reduced infirmity, many adults are aging well, but negative stereotypes of aging may put society at risk for losing the contributions of these vital and knowledgeable people. The potential individual and social effects underscore the need to understand the content of aging stereotypes in terms of their accuracy and applications. It is especially important to understand how negative stereotypes exacerbate poor performance in areas in which decline is real. That is, beliefs that memory is bad in old age can reduce motivation when increased motivation is needed
Many aspects can affect one's quality of life in late-adulthood. Different factors can contribute to the negative or positive qualities in one's life; however, some aspects are inevitable. This paper will address biological changes, cognitive function decline contrasted to acquired knowledge, coping with dying, and grieving death. A further look into these topics will help one understand many changes the elderly experience. Biological Changes Because of changes in late adulthood, people biologically develop at different rates.
These reasons range from excessive use of drugs and financial constraints to self-will, and others consider themselves young for marriage. Marriage has attributed to many success stories on different types of individuals who are in this institution. The most important one is the married men’s health compared to the unmarried men’s health. Through research in the last a few decades it was found out that married men live longer than unmarried men. Another revelation from
Other causes of negative body image are “stress, guilt, shame, insecurity, body-dissatisfaction and increased endorsement of the thin-ideal stereotype” (Fox). The images of the people seen in the media do not reflect what society sees every day, these individuals do not represent reality (A healthy body image: Why bother?). For one to obtain the ideal image, a lot of work is needed to enhance the reality of the physical appearance of a person to form that look. Generally, the media utilizes modern technology and enhances the images to show prime perfection. To accomplish this, many images are “touched-up” by using computer-enhanced
In regards to the comparison of female menopause and male climacteric, there are various differences between the two. However, both share similar qualities when looking at the male/female later mid-age stage of life. Female menopause is referred to as a woman’s final menstruation period. It is “a time in which women undergoes physiological changes, typically ranging from 2-5 years” (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2010). According to Chapter 10 in, “Understanding Human Behavior and The Social Environment”, the author states that menopause is caused by a decrease in the production of estrogen and typically begins from the age 36 to 51 years of age (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2010).
Hair takes on a bleached appearance, while skin becomes darker. Precautions should be taken to limit exposure to ultraviolet light to prevent skin and hair damage. Some of the sun's rays are beneficial, but others, such as ultraviolet rays, are hazardous. This radiation comes in three forms: ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC). The earth's atmosphere filters out UVC radiation, but UVA and UVB affect you every day.
Feldman tells us: “(m)iddle adulthood is generally a healthy period, but people become more susceptible to … arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension, and they have a higher death rate than before. However, the death rate among people in middle adulthood in the United States has been steadily declining” (2011, p. 506). Middle adults of higher socioeconomic status have fewer incidents of disease and middle adults of lower socioeconomic have more incidents of disease (Feldman 2011). People gain weight, decline in height and strength, and the lens of the eyes change causing diminished night vision; middle adults, also, experience declines in near vision and awareness of three dimensions (Feldman 2011). Also, cases of glaucoma, one of the diseases that causes blindness, increases during middle adulthood; hearing ability also declines, this involves being unable to pick some high-frequency sounds and some loss of “sound localization” (Feldman, 2011, p.505).