From 18 to 65, one of the most stable stages at an organic level takes place: adulthood.During this stage, taking into account each person’s lifestyle, a general physical wellbeing presents itself. Capabilities and physical skills reach their peak: there is great visual and auditive sharpness, and cerebral development has been completed. Corporal wellbeing allows one to dedicate oneself to transcendental decisions during this period. Job perspectives, financial independence and life as a couple are some of the most recurring themes. It is a period in which many couples chose to be parents, while others resort to specific contraceptive methods in order to prevent pregnancies. Although it is not evident in the firs ears of this period, little by little the entire body’s cells begin to age, beginning a gradual process of cell degeneration.
Change in the tissues
The supporting tissue that connects or joins most of the body’s parts, except the nervous system, receives the name of conjunctive tissue (it is also known as connective or interstitial). It is mainly made up of collagen and elastin, makes up most of the tendons and ligaments and grants an important support for both bones and muscles. As time passes, conjunctive tissue loses a considerable amount of cells because they do not have the same regeneration capabilities. Collagen fibers even get thicker, becoming more rigid. Both phenomena explain that, from the age of 40 on, arteries get harder, muscles and articulations lose flexibility, and the skin wrinkles noticeably.
New transformations
Many call the stage between 40 and 65 “middle age” or “middle adulthood”. It is again a stage of transition in which the body begins to suffer the first noticeable signs of aging. The skin is usually more wrinkled and has lost its elasticity, hair loses its color little by little and turns grey or even begins to fall out, visual and auditive skills are reduced. Climaterium occurs at this stage, period characterized for numerous physiological and hormonal changes. Female climaterium is called menopause, while men’s is called andropause. Menopause is the end of the female fertile period. It takes place between 45 and 54 and begins with the definite end of menstrual periods. The ovaries stop producing ovules as well as stopping their hormonal tasks.
They no longer produce estrogen or progesterone so women usually go through hot flashes, loss of sexual drive, vaginal dryness and narrowing, osteoporosis and reddening of the skin, among other disorders. Meanwhile andropause does not have a well defined limit. Although there is an important drop in the main male sexual hormone (testosterone), men do not lose their reproductive capability, being able to be fathers even at the age of 70. Despite this, there is a reduction of their sexual capability (it is possible for impotence problems to appear at this age), of the size of their sexual organs, in the capacity and force of the ejaculation and an incipient osseous deterioration.
