Ageism in Society: A Look at the Aging Body’s Three Major Systems

Introduction

Aging is a part of life. There is no way around it and no use in fighting it. Unfortunately, in society though, there is a lack of respect for the elderly, and ageism is becoming a large problem. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 47.8 million people in the United States are aged 65 and over, equivalent to 14.9% of the population. That number is growing every day and it is important as a society to understand and be knowledgeable about what our aging population is currently going through, physiologically. Most importantly though, it would be of great benefit to understand the cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems as they age and change throughout a lifetime. These three systems play the largest role in an individual’s quality of life and go through numerous changes as one age. The aging body is infamous for “slowing down” as it gets older and being informed about why and how would be of great benefit.

Cardiovascular

Let’s start off with discussing what the cardiovascular system does before delving into its aging of it. The Cardiovascular system is otherwise known as the circulation system in the human body and it delivers nutrients and oxygen to every cell in our body. It contains the heart and blood vessels. Basically, this system uses arteries to carry the blood from the heart and veins to bring it back. It is also important to note that there are two parts to the cardiovascular system, the systemic part, and the pulmonary part. They work together to get the job of delivering oxygen and nutrients to the cells and organs in the body.

As individual ages, the cardiovascular system also ages. The cardiovascular system has what’s known as a “reserve system”, and as one gets older, this “reserve” decreases. This leads to altered cellular function, cardiac shape, plasticity, and valvular stiffening. Overall, the muscle mass in the heart stays intact, but the structure does change and deteriorate overtime. The heart also calcifies and hardens over time.

Respiratory

The respiratory system’s main function is to provide the body with oxygen from the air and rid it of carbon dioxide. It contains quite a few parts, but the major ones include the alveoli, lungs, pharynx and larynx, pulmonary vasculature, and chest wall. Aging affects the respiratory system in many ways that can decrease one’s quality of life. Although it is difficult to determine whether the changes one experiences to their respiratory system are due to normal aging or things like air pollutants and respiratory disease, there are still some consistencies seen within the respiratory system throughout life.

Alveoli

Alveolar surface area decreases along with the diffusion capacity of them and the elastic recoil. This leads to a lessened ability to cough, and the potential for airways to close earlier rather than later.

Lungs

The lungs are made of elastic tissue that stretches to inflate and deflate to help a person breathe. This decreases over time and the lifespan. Air flows into the lungs and into the alveoli where carbon dioxide goes from the blood into the lungs to be exhaled. As a person ages, the residual volume (amount of air remaining in the lungs after an individual completely exhales) of the lungs increases greatly. This means that oxygen and carbon dioxide aren’t being as efficiently exchanged as they should be.

Pharynx and Larynx

The pharynx is also known as the throat and the larynx is deemed the voice box. The muscles of the pharynx and larynx begin to atrophy throughout an adult’s life, along with the vocal cords becoming limp. The laryngeal muscles being to lose their stretchiness and cartilage begins to disintegrate in the airway.

Pulmonary Vasculature

The circulatory part of the respiratory system may be the most complicated because it works together with the cardiovascular system hand in hand. The resistance of vascular blood flow from the heart to the lungs greatly increases making it harder for oxygenation to happen. Also, the risk for becoming hypoxic increases as well, due to pulmonary capillary blood volume decreases.

Chest Wall

The chest wall is for the protection of the respiratory system and all its parts. The anteroposterior diameter increases over time, and the thorax becomes shorter. The elastic capabilities of the chest wall decrease making it harder to breathe because chest expansion isn’t as great. Progressive Kyphosis (humpback) can occur as well as potential Osteoporosis which could lead to an abnormal chest wall.

Common Issues

Because of all the changes happening in the respiratory system, an older adult can face many debilitating issues. This can include, much higher susceptibility to infections like pneumonia or bronchitis, shortness of breath, lower oxygen saturation, and irregular breathing patterns like Sleep Apnea or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The susceptibility to infections in the aging adult is one of the most common respiratory complications seen. The decreased immunoglobulin A and decreasing effectiveness of cilia play a large role in helping the lungs combat infections. It’s also noted that the infection susceptibility is higher because of the altered alveolar macrophages.

Nursing Implications

Respiratory

To combat the aging in the respiratory system, older adults should be encouraged to practice immense pulmonary hygiene. This can include using an incentive spirometer (especially for an immobile or post-operative patient) to decrease the risk for pneumonia and increase lung capacity. Another simple way to help the lungs is sitting in an upright position for those that are able to. This can minimize carbon dioxide retention helping to eliminate the possibility for respiratory acidosis or other effects.

Basic preventative measures for respiratory health include: not smoking because it damages the lungs and can speed up the aging of the lungs exponentially, exercising to improve lung function and capacity, and avoiding staying in bed or being immobile if possible because this causes mucus and secretion to collect in the lungs thus becoming a risk factor for lung infections. This is especially important after a surgical procedure or a major illness.

Neurological

There are many things that can be done to help an older adult’s neurological capabilities. Things to help improve sensory perception, cognitive abilities, and motor functions can greatly help their quality of life.

The neurological system is part of the nervous system, otherwise known as the body’s “control center”. The nervous system controls everything in the entire body, from movements to senses, thoughts and memories, movement, breathing, and everything in between. There are many changes in the neurological system that happen as a person ages but most of them affect mobility or sensory perception.

Sensory Changes

The changes in an older adult’s senses include a decreased pupil size causing the amount of light entering the eye to be restricted and adjust slower. Also, their sense of touch decreases immensely along with vibration sense in the ankles and feet, contributing to an increased risk for falls. Perception in pain also begins to change in the aging adult.

Cognitive Functions

The decline in cognitive abilities is also common among older people. Although intellect does not decline during the aging process, things like perceiving, storing, registering, and using acquired information may change. A decrease in cognition itself can be related to drug interactions, toxicity, or hypoxia. It is not uncommon for older adults to need more time answering questions or processing newly acquired information and solving problems.

Memory changes in the aging adult can also be a common issue they face. Short-term memory is often much harder for them compared to long-term memories that have been stored for a longer period. Again, the older adult will need more time when trying to remember things just like with answering questions or solving problems. The memory issues could be caused by the loss of cerebral neurons which is a normal part of the aging process.

Sleep

As one age, sleep becomes more difficult to come by for a lot of people. The sleeping patterns change quite a bit in older age. The biorhythms change and vary among people and it is not uncommon for sleep habits to begin changing with older age. Circadian rhythms and responses begin to decline along with the sleep-wake cycle becoming less responsive to typical stimuli that usually determine patterns of sleep and waking. It is typical of the older population to go to bed earlier and wake earlier as well as take an afternoon nap.

Sleep deprivation can be common in the aging adult as well. It is typical for older adults to experience multiple periods of waking during the night sometimes lasting more than 30 minutes. This can impair cognition and worse symptoms in conditions like dementia and can be related to delirium. The lack of sleep some older adults experience can also contribute to decreased immune function and wound healing.  

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the aging of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems is a natural process that everyone will experience. The cardiovascular system ages by decreasing its reserve system, altering cellular function, cardiac shape, plasticity, and valvular stiffening. The respiratory system is affected in many ways that decrease one’s quality of life, including a decreased alveolar surface area, decreased elastic recoil, increased residual volume, and muscle atrophy. Common respiratory issues include infections like pneumonia or bronchitis, shortness of breath, and irregular breathing patterns like Sleep Apnea or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Nursing implications include practicing pulmonary hygiene, using an incentive spirometer, sitting upright, and not smoking. By understanding the changes that occur in these systems as one age, healthcare professionals can better care for and improve the quality of life for older adults.