Aging Changes of the Cells, Respiratory, and Cardiovascular System
Imagine your body is like a car. As it gets older, some parts don't work as well as they used to. This video talks about how three main parts of your body change as you age.
First, your cells (the tiny building blocks of your body) start to decrease in number. This means you have a little less muscle and bone, more fat, and less water in your body, which makes it easier to get dehydrated.
Next, your breathing system (lungs and nose):
Your nose might droop a bit, and the snot inside can get dry, making your nose feel blocked.
It becomes harder for your chest and lungs to stretch and shrink when you breathe because they get stiffer.
Tiny hairs that usually clean your lungs don't work as well, so it's easier to get lung infections like pneumonia.
Your lungs actually get a bit smaller and less bouncy, making it harder to get air in and out.
Finally, your heart and blood vessels:
Your heart size stays mostly the same, but one part (the left ventricle) gets a tiny bit bigger.
The doors inside your heart (valves) can get thicker and stiffer, which might cause unusual sounds or make the heart work harder.
The main tube carrying blood from your heart (aorta) gets wider and longer.
Your heart's pump gets a little weaker, so it pushes out slightly less blood with each beat. This usually isn't a problem unless you're doing a lot of hard exercise.
The natural 'pacemaker' cells in your heart, which keep a steady beat, can become irregular, leading to odd heart rhythms.
Your blood pipes (vessels) get stiffer and can get clogged with fatty stuff, making them narrower. This increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure.
Special sensors (baroreceptors) that tell your body when to adjust blood pressure become slower. This means when you stand up quickly, your blood pressure might drop too much, making you dizzy and increasing your risk of falling. So, a good tip is to stand up slowly!
In short, as you get older, your body's cells, lungs, and heart all experience some natural changes that can make them less efficient and increase certain health risks, but staying active can help a lot!
Imagine your body like a car getting older. Three main parts change: * **Cells**: Decrease in number, leading to less muscle/bone, more fat, and less water (easier dehydration). * **Breathing System (Lungs & Nose)**: * Chest/lungs get stiffer, making breathing harder. * Lungs get smaller and less bouncy. * Cleaning hairs in lungs work less, increasing infection risk. * **Heart & Blood Vessels**: * Heart pump slightly weaker; valves get thicker/stiffer. * Blood vessels get stiffer and narrower, raising risk of heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure. * Blood pressure sensors slow down, causing dizziness when standing quickly. *Remember: Staying active can greatly help manage these natural aging changes!*