The Effect Of Aging On The Respiratory System

Aging is something that continuously happens throughout life, which produces a lot of changes throughout the body. With that being said, many changes throughout the body affect the respiratory system. As individuals age, bones of the body become thin, weak, and change shape. The ribcage is affected by this change and can alter a person's breathing as it becomes unable to expand and contract the way it used to. Muscles in the body also become weak. If the muscle that supports breathing, called the diaphragm, becomes weak, individuals may have difficulty breathing enough air in and out of the body, which could not only lower the body's oxygen level but also remove less carbon dioxide from the body. As a result of muscle and bone changes, tiredness and shortness of breath can occur.
"Aging causes muscles and other tissues near the airways to lose their ability to keep the airways completely open which causes the airways to close easily. Aging also causes air sacs to lose their shape and become baggy, which can allow air to get trapped in the lungs." (Aging Changes in the Lungs", 2014). In the nervous system, breathing is controlled by a specific part of the brain, and if that part of the brain loses its function, breathing may become difficult. Breathing may become difficult because the lungs are not able to get enough oxygen and release enough carbon dioxide. The body's immune system may also become weak over the course of a lifespan. With immune system changes, "the body is less able to fight off lung infections, and the lungs are less able to recover after exposure to smoke or other harmful particles." ("Aging Changes in the Lungs",