Old age is one of the stages in life that you have to go through even though you may not want to. Old age comes with a lot of changes and you may be forced to adjust how you do a lot of things. You may not walk as much as you used to and sometimes you may be easily exposed to a lot of health risks. As much as everybody ages, there is a huge difference in the way men and women age. Here are some of the main differences between men and women that occur when one is getting old.
Life Expectancy
One of the major aging difference among men and women is life expectancy. Death is a major issue that is associated with old age. People who have become old are more likely to die naturally. However, the time of death varies between men and women. According to doctors all over the world, women are at a higher chance to live longer than men. Therefore, as men start to get old, they become more exposed to risk factors that can easily cause them to die compared to women. Moreover, statistics have shown that in society, you are more likely to find a high number of old women compared to men.
Facial Appearance
Aging comes with a lot of changes to the body and the face is usually the most noticeable. The first thing that can easily tell you whether a person is you or old, is their facial appearance. Older people tend to have wrinkled faces. However, there is a significant difference between men and women. An aging woman who is the same age as a man, is more likely to develop wrinkles on their face. Therefore, they may look much older than men. For the aging population who are not comfortable with how their face looks with wrinkles, they can be recommended for services such as facial enhancement. Click here to get the best services that would improve the facial appearance of your aging loved one.
Emotional Reaction
From life expectancy, the other way that men and women age differently is evident in their emotional reaction. Your aging loved ones tend to show different types of emotions compared to when they were younger. As they continue to get old, the aging population is more likely to avoid situations that would lead to negative emotions. However, the way these aging populations react emotionally is totally different between women. You will notice that older women tend to avoid anger while men don’t.
Hormones
Without different types of hormones, it would be difficult for the human body to send message from one point to another. However, as you grow and become older, the function of these hormones change. Many women getting into old age are likely to experience a reduction in the estrogen levels. Research shows that Estrogen levels are vital to the female body because it helps in reproductive. Normal levels of estrogen ensure that the reproductive system is maintained, including the pubic hair and the breasts. Therefore, as women get older, the level of estrogen reduces making, making it difficult for women to support reproduction.
As for men, main hormone that changes is the testerone, which is the sex hormone. During growth, one of the main function of the testerone helps a man to develop masculine features such as strong muscles, facial hair, and deeper voice. All these begin to change with an increase in the age of a person.
Sexual Differences
The more men and women continue to age, the more their sexual function changes. However, these changes are different in men and women. The sexual functioning of women changes when they get older when they encounter menopause. In this case, aging women cannot be able to conceive and give birth any more. Apart from menopause, the sexual functioning of women in old age is characterised by dryness in their vagina, and this causes a lot of discomfort for them to continue engaging in sexual activities. On the other hand, the sexual function of a man does not change dramatically compared to that of a woman. For men, the body changes slowly to adapt to old age. In this case, the sexual functioning of men is usually characterised by issues such as erectile dysfunction. Many men may consider using pills at this point or seeking the help of a specialist. Even though that may help to some extent, the issue remains because the body is changing.
Aging of the Brain
When it comes to aging, you cannot forget the brain. The brain controls every function of the body by sending impulses to various parts. Even though the brain coordinates all the processes in the body, that shouldn’t make you think that it is not affected during aging. In fact, the volume of the brain shrinks as one gets old. Therefore, the brain cannot continue to function effectively as it used to before. As much as these changes occur to both men and women, there are some notable differences. Aging men are at a higher chance of suffering from brain impairment especially if they have diabetes, are overweight or suffered from stroke. However, research shows that women are at a higher risk to experience brain impairment if they are not able to do most of their tasks on their own. Therefore, they are forced to rely on other people. Moreover, scientists explain that women with small social networks are at a high risk of suffering from brain impairment.
Getting into old age is one of the scariest things that many people worry about. Even though you may worry about being old, you will not avoid it. To make the matters worse, no one prepares you enough for the challenges that your are bound to experience as soon as old age starts setting in. Some of these changes make you vulnerable. Therefore, there is need to seek proper care services. In this case, it is important to contact reputable elderly homes for proper care services.
