Physiological changes in your aging parents: Are you taking the right care?

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According, to the National Statistical Office (NSO)’s Elderly in India 2021 report, the elderly population aged 60 years and above will increase up to 41% in the next 10 years. That means in the coming 10 years we have to understand the changes that occur in our parent’s bodies as they age as well as be equipped to take care of them while those changes occur. 

Why should you take care of your aging parents?

Well apart from the love and care we hold for our parents and the ethics and morality of it, there are other things that we need to understand.  Once we are familiar with what changes happen at the physiological level, our understanding of the reasons for their health status and the consequences of the aging process will be something that we understand much better and thus we will be more equipped to take care.

Ageing is a natural process and everyone undergoes certain physical and physiological changes in their body as the age. A physical change is a change in the growth of the physical body like bones, muscles, hair or any other physical aspect of our body. On the other hand, Physiological change is a change in our body’s ability to function. 

So, what are the 6 physiological changes your aging parents are going through? Let’s find out:

Cardiovascular System

As our parents are ageing, 

Their heart is slowly losing its elasticity

There is a build-up of fatty tissue around the heart and arteries

The heart walls start to thicken

These reasons cause the heart to work harder and add pressure on the heat in order to pump blood to the rest of the body. It puts a load on the heart, lowering the stamina and ability to do normal chores and activities which they could do easily before. 

What does this extra effort put on the heart lead to?

Well overtime along with an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle can lead to major heart problems like:

High blood pressure (hypertension), 

Atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries),