Senility, deterioration of body and mind associated with old age. Indications of old age vary in the time of their appearance. Stooped posture, wrinkled skin, decrease in muscle strength, changes in the lens and muscles of the eye, brittleness of bone and stiffness of the joints, and hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis) are among the physical changes associated with old age. The mental changes associated with senility include impairment of judgment, loss of memory, and sometimes childish behavior.
The psychological changes are thought to be related to aging of the cortical brain cells. Whereas the physical changes associated with aging occur in all individuals to some extent, evidence of psychological degeneration is not universal. In common usage, the term senility is applied only to mental deterioration.
Just about everyone over the age of 40 is worried about their memory. The news media has done a good job in the last ten years of raising people's awareness of the ravages of Alzheimer's and other dementias on individuals and their families. Jokes abound about "senior moments", and often it's the joke-tellers themselves who secretly fear that the jokes are on them.
What used to be called "senility" is now called "dementia". Many people are afraid of becoming "senile" or developing dementia. This is because as our population grows older, more people will eventually get some form of the problem. However, while the risk increases with age, there are precautions that can be taken to reduce it. There are many different types of dementia, Alzheimer's disease is the most common. No one is certain about its cause. As a result, we do not know how to prevent this type of dementia.
Strokes are the second most common cause of dementia. To reduce your risk of stroke, make sure that you keep an eye on your blood pressure. Take medicines, if they are prescribed.....
