Getting old is about as unglamorous as you think it is going to be. While without a doubt it is possible to enjoy the wisdom of age and the perspective that it affords you, what is far less compelling is the way that your body slowly but surely starts to let you down. Things that once worked so well stop working entirely or slowly start to give up the ghost. Different people fall apart, or should we say age, in different ways, but here are some of the common signs of aging that everyone should anticipate experiencing once they hit the wrong side of the middle of their lives.
Joints
Joints deteriorate with use and by the time you are getting old they can be properly tatty. A large part of this deterioration depends of course on how the joints were used in the younger years. If you were a runner or an athlete and your ankles, knees or hips took a pounding then you may well suffer the consequences. But similarly, if you have lived a very sedentary life there may also be issues. Overweight people will suffer with joint issues s well if they have been carrying excess weight for too long. Fortunately in many instances dodgy joints can be overhauled or even replaced. A quick Google search for something like ‘knee replacement Melbourne’ should furnish you with a list of surgeons able to perform the operation. You many well be better off with a replacement joint than trying to make the rapidly wearing original last the distance.
Cosmetics
Your appearance will change, and it almost certainly won’t be to your liking. Wrinkles appear and parts change size and shape. Your breasts won’t be as firm as they once were. Ears grow and sag and get bigger. Muscle tone is less defined unless you work really heard to maintain it and hair becomes thinner and changes colour. Fortunately, these changes are all slow, which means that you don’t notice them as much. They creep up on you, but they are cosmetic, so while you might lose the lustre of youth you are not otherwise affected.
Fragile skin
As you get older your skin will become more fragile. Bumps and scrapes that would not have bothered the younger you will now bleed and bruise badly and the skin will take a lot longer to heal. It is like you are now covered in thin paper rather than the resilient and pliable skin of old. The difference in time that it takes to heal for a child and an octogenarian is astounding.
Bladder and bowels
Bladder control is a big issue as you get older. So too is visiting the toilet for a regular movement. Things that were taken for granted when you were younger are not as easy to count on as before. Bladder control is affected by things like prostate health and pregnancy. Many a person who previously slept the entire night without a visit t the bathroom will find themselves having to go multiple times a night as they get older. It is not fun!