Physical+changes+of+the+Senses+(Taste,+Smell+and+Touch)among+the+Elderly

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Definition:
__Taste__: The ability to taste the four basic flavors (salty, bitter, sweet and sour) does not seem to decline over the years of adulthood. Taste receptor cells (taste buds) have short lives and are continually replaced.

__Smell__: The sense of smell clearly deteriorates in old age (declines rapidly after age 60).

__Touch__: The skin of elderly adults is less responsive to cold and heat.

Examples:
Many elders report that flavors seem blander than in earlier years, leading them to prefer more intense concentrations of flavors, particularly sweetness. The sense of smell has an environmental component. Men and women who worked in factories (where presumably, they were exposed to more pollutants) show much greater losses of sense of smell in old age than do those who worked in offices.

For an elderly person to be able to feel a warm bath, the water temperature may have to be so high that it will burn the skin.

Analogies:
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Mnemonics:
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