Aging is inevitable and yet many people have very limited knowledge about it. There are a lot of changes that take place due to aging, such as wrinkles, memory loss, bone deterioration, and the like. While most people are aware of these changes, not many understand why these changes happen and what aging actually is. So, we are going to shed some light on the process of aging and everything related to it.

Understanding aging

Aging is a process that takes place in the body over time. It is a broad term that covers all the aging that takes place and not just the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, memory loss, or gray hair that appear in the later years of human life.

Some aspects of aging are done by the body in a short period. For example, when kids reach their teenage years, their body undergoes puberty. Some other parts of aging accumulate over some time, like damage to the skin caused by exposure to the sun. Therefore, to understand aging, we can think of it as a combination of gradual changes in the body and the results of how healthy we can keep our body.

Symptoms of aging

All humans age at a different speed and in different ways. However, there are certain changes or symptoms of aging that are common and can be seen in almost every person. These symptoms include the following:

• Increased risk of contracting infections
• Increased chances of getting a stroke or other heart-related problems
• Decrease in the length of spine bones, which often results in some decrease in the height of the person
• Bones becoming more susceptible to breakage
• Changes in joints that can result in some stiffness and even serious arthritis problems
• Limited movements
• Decreased energy levels in the body
• Loss in bladder control
• Slowing down of brain functions that can reduce the thought process, memory retention, and thinking abilities
• Reduced peripheral vision
• Hearing loss to some extent
• Wrinkles and sagging in the skin
• Graying of hair
• Reduced body weight

Causes of aging

Aging is inevitable but certain causes can make the body age quicker. These causes often include:

• Free radicals
  Think of free radicals as rust that attacks your car. Free radicals are unstable chemical molecules that attack the cells in our body and cause damage to the human DNA. This is a process believed to accelerate the process of aging.
• Inflammation
  The human immune system makes sure that no foreign invasion takes place. However, sometimes, this immune system encounters some problems and it starts attacking healthy cells instead of protecting them. In such cases, the malfunctioning immune system is linked with an accelerated process of aging.
• Glycation
  This is a condition when sugar, in excessive quantities, mixes with fats and proteins in the body and accelerates the process of aging.

Risk factors of aging

Aging is unavoidable and every human goes through this process. But, certain risk factors can accelerate the process of aging in some people. These can include:

• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Unmanageable stress levels
• Skin damage due to exposure to sun
• Unhealthy diet