Parts of Your Body That Begin to Break Down as You Age

One commonality between all human experiences is the effects of aging. As you get older, your body slowly begins to break down. Not everyone will be affected in the exact same way, but there are some areas of the body that are most often impacted by age.

Your Mind

With age, the brain begins to shrink and you can experience mental decline. The areas primarily affected include the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. As these areas shrink, you can see a decline in several functions. It can be difficult to commit new information to memory such as a phone number. You may even struggle to remember past life events. It can also be difficult to focus at times. While cognitive decline is normal, there are still ways to keep your brain sharp. Keeping up with your health, including diet and exercise, can be beneficial. Stimulating your brain with word puzzles or math games also helps to keep your mind active.

Bone Health

Another area of the body commonly affected is your skeletal system. Over time, your bones will begin to weaken as you lose bone density and mass. The minerals in your bones, such as calcium, are also lost as well. It can make movement difficult and you may feel weak and tired. It may be common to develop osteoporosis. This is more likely in post-menopausal women. Some treatments like TYMLOS can reduce vertebral fractures from osteoporosis. This treatment works by increasing bone density in order to prevent fractures. To help with bone health, make sure you are getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D. It can also be helpful to maintain some sort of exercise in your schedule.

Your Skin

As you age, your skin will see many changes. You will lose the elasticity of your skin which can cause it to hang loosely. Skin will also become thinner and more translucent. With these changes, your skin becomes more fragile and you are more likely to bruise. These bruises and any cuts you have will also take longer to heal. Other factors, such as sun damage, can have an impact on the health of your skin. To improve these symptoms, you can make sure to eat well, stay hydrated, and exercise. It’s also helpful to stop certain habits like smoking and drinking alcohol.

No matter what, everyone’s bodies will show signs of age. Your body will begin to deteriorate and it can be beneficial to know what to expect, how to prepare for it, and even how to reduce the effects.