 Health & Nutrition
Thoughts on
Aging
Aging and Touch
(2 minutes: 46 seconds)
 MP3 (audio
only)
Audio/Video Script:
Dr. LaVona Traywick
Assistant Professor - Gerontology
[Announcer] Welcome to Thoughts on Aging with Dr. LaVona Traywick,
Assistant Professor of Gerontology with the University of Arkansas Division of
Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.
[Dr. LaVona Traywick] Have you ever wondered how aging affects your sense of
touch? The skin senses include touch, pressure, heat, cold, as well as pain. Reductions or
changes in this system take place gradually as we age but it is not completely
clear if this is due to the aging process itself or to disorders that occur more
often in older adults.
The primary concern with age-related changes in the skin
senses is safety. Older adults are more susceptible to burns or hypothermia
because they may not accurately perceive the temperatures of hot and cold.
An
older adult may be at higher risk for falling if the touch receptors on the
soles of the feet are not working effectively and allowing one to accurately
perceive where the body is in relation to the floor. After the age of 50, people
have a reduced sensitivity to pain putting a person at greater risk for not
reporting abnormal aches and pains.
For many, fine touch may decrease, but there
are some, usually over the age of 70, who develop an increased sensitivity to
light touch due to thinner skin.
A person may also be socially affected by
declines in this system. For example, if a person cannot tell how much pressure
is needed to hold onto a fork while eating, the fork may fall causing society to
perceive the older adult as clumsy (Saxon & Etton, 2002).
To increase safety, try these tips:
- First, limit the maximum water temperature in your house to reduce the
risk of burns
- Next, look at the thermometer to decide how to dress rather than waiting
until you feel overheated or chilled.
- Don't forget to ispect your skin, especially your feet, for injuries, and if you
find an injury, treat it. Don't assume that just because an area is not
painful, the injury is not significant.
- And finally, use adaptive equipment for eating and dressing
[Announcer] Thank you for listening to Thoughts on Aging with Dr. LaVona
Traywick. To learn more about this and other topics, contact your local county
Cooperative
Extension Service office.
References:
Saxon, S. V., & Etten, M. J. (2002). Physical change & aging: A guide for the
helping professions, (4th ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Company.
University of Maryland Medical Center: “Aging changes in the senses:
Overview.” Retrieved 1-15-09 from
http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/004013.htm
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