How Your Body Ages From Head to Toe | WIRED

Summary

This script delves into the aging process of human organs, highlighting how each part from the brain to the feet undergoes wear and tear over time. It discusses common age-related issues like brain atrophy, hearing loss, vision problems, and joint deterioration, and emphasizes the importance of maintaining vascular health. The speaker also addresses the psychological impact of aging, such as loneliness and depression, and concludes by valuing the wisdom that comes with age.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The human brain starts to atrophy around the age of 30, losing about 5% of its volume per decade due to cell loss and degeneration of neural tracks and fibers.
• 👂 As we age, all parts of the ear can deteriorate: the outer ear cartilage droops, middle ear bones can develop arthritis, and inner ear hair cells die leading to sensorineural hearing loss.
• 👀 Presbyopia, or age-related vision decline, affects the eye's ability to focus on close objects, and conditions like glaucoma and floaters become more common.
• 👃 The sense of smell diminishes with age due to a loss of specialized cells in the olfactory nerve and less mucus production, which can also affect taste.
• 👄 The skin's collagen and elastin decrease, causing sagging and wrinkles, and exposing individuals to more sun damage and negative social perceptions.
• 🦳 Hair thins and grays starting in the late 30s due to the loss of melanin and follicles, leading to male pattern baldness and the Androgen Paradox.
• 🦷 Gland secretions in the mouth decrease, leading to a higher risk of gum disease and tooth decay, and the loss of teeth can affect jawbone health.
• 💔 The heart's efficiency decreases in the 50s and 60s due to hardening arteries and reduced oxygen supply, highlighting the lack of collateral blood flow in the heart.
• 👩‍⚕️ After childbearing years, the female uterus and ovaries can become dangerous due to hormonal changes and abnormal cell growth, increasing the risk of ovarian cancer.
• 👨‍⚕️ The prostate often enlarges with age, blocking the urethra and causing frequent urination, and requires careful monitoring for signs of cancer.
• 🏃‍♂️ Joint deterioration can start as early as the 30s and 40s, especially from activities like running on hard surfaces, leading to conditions like arthritis.
• 👣 Proper foot care is crucial as aging can lead to reduced blood flow and sensation loss, increasing the risk of falls and injuries.

Q & A

What happens to our brain as we age?

As we age, our brain atrophies, losing about 5% of its volume per decade starting from the 30s. This decrease is due to the loss of cells and degeneration of tracks and fibers. Certain factors like vascular problems can contribute to brain atrophy.

How does aging affect our hearing?

Aging affects our hearing in several ways. Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, can occur due to arthritis between the ear bones or the death of hair cells in the inner ear, leading to sensorineural hearing loss. High-frequency sounds are typically lost first.

What is presbyopia and how does it relate to aging?

Presbyopia is the aging of aspects of vision, where the eye's ability to focus on close objects diminishes over time. It's due to the hardening of the eye's lens, making it difficult to focus on close objects.

Why do we start to lose our sense of smell as we age?

As we age, we lose many of the specialized sensory cells in our olfactory nerve and produce less mucus, which is necessary for catching odorants. This results in an altered sense of smell.

How does the skin change with age?

The proteins collagen and elastin in the skin start to decrease with age, leading to sagging of the skin all over the body and a downturn in facial features, which can give a sad or negative appearance.

What is the Androgen Paradox mentioned in the script?

The Androgen Paradox refers to the phenomenon where men experience hair loss on the top of their heads while simultaneously seeing increased hair growth in other areas like the ears, beard, and nose as they age.

Why is it important to take care of our teeth as we age?

As we age, the secretions from salivary glands decrease, leading to a higher risk of gum disease and tooth decay. Additionally, when teeth are removed, the bone supporting them can disappear, potentially leading to sinus infections if it's the upper dentition.

How does the aging process affect the larynx?

The joints of the larynx can age, muscles become thinner, and the vocal folds start to shrink. This can lead to problems with voice formation and is known as presbyphonia.

What is the impact of aging on the heart's ability to receive oxygen?

As we age, particularly in our 50s and 60s, the heart muscles can lose oxygen due to hardening and narrowing of the arteries, which reduces the oxygen supply to the heart.

How does aging affect the prostate in men?

The prostate tends to enlarge as men age, which can block the urethra and lead to difficulties in urination, such as needing to get up multiple times during the night to pee.

Why are our feet considered the most important, least appreciated part of the human body?

Feet are crucial for circulation and overall health. Reduced blood flow can lead to loss of sensation and increase the risk of falls and injuries, such as broken hips.