5 Surprising Signs of Aging

I’ve noticed two odd things about my feet lately: They’ve grown a shoe size, and walking barefoot hurts on flat surfaces such as my kitchen floor.

Last year, I wrote a column about weird signs that you’re getting older, including shifting teeth and changes in your voice.

I’ve spotted plenty more since then — like the foot changes. So I called Sabrina Minhas, blockistant clinical professor at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, and asked her if both experiences were common.

“Absolutely,” she said.

Dr. Minhas explained that as we age, the ligaments, tendons and muscles that support the arches in our feet can weaken, causing the arch to gradually descend.

As a result, our feet can become longer and wider, which may require a larger shoe size.

Gaining weight later in life or becoming pregnant can also cause arches to lower, Dr. Minhas said. “I tell patients, ‘Don’t get too attached to the shoe you wore when you were 15 years younger,’” she added.

As for the pain of walking on flat surfaces, she said, with age, the fat pads under your heel and the ball of your foot tend to diminish and are less effective at cushioning the bones.

“My older patients have very little fat on their feet, and they will tell me that walking barefoot on a hard floor feels as though they are walking directly on their bones or on pebbles,” Dr. Minhas said.

She advises patients to wear slippers or sandals with sturdy foot support at home.

I wondered, What else can surprise us with age? I asked experts to find out.

Your skin might be itchier

As we age, our skin gets drier, thinner and can develop tiny cracks, leading to inflammation and itchiness, said Dr. Saranya P. Wyles, a dermatologist and specialist in regenerative medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, itchy skin is one of the most common reasons older adults see a dermatologist.

“I have some patients who say, ‘I don’t sleep a wink at night, I’m so uncomfortable,’” said Daniel C. Butler, director of the Inflammatory and Aging Skin Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson.

Dr. Wyles suggested bathing in lukewarm water, rather than hot water, “which can strip the skin of natural oils,” and moisturizing right after bathing. Use products that contain skin-calming ingredients, such as ceramides and colloidal oatmeal, she said, which can help repair and build the skin barrier and reduce inflammation.

Dr. Butler has found in his research on chronic itching that the causes are a complex interplay of a broken skin barrier, the immune system and the nerve system beneath our skin — all of which, he said, are significantly influenced by aging.

If you have chronic itching, meaning six weeks or more, a dermatologist can often help treat it, Dr. Butler said.

Itching without a rash can also be a sign of conditions such as chronic kidney disease or liver disease, Dr. Wyles added.

Your heart can beat more slowly during exercise

While your resting heart rate largely stays the same as you age, your maximum heart rate will slow during physical activity, said Dr. James Sawalla Guseh, director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program in the Mblock General Brigham Heart & Vascular Institute.

The causes are not completely understood, Dr. Guseh said. It might be that “your heart’s natural pacemaker, called the sinus node, has a tendency to slow down with age,” he said.

Your heart’s ability to respond to signals from your nervous system may also slow as you get older, he added.

See a doctor if you notice a sudden and unexplained change in heart rate during exercise, shortness of breath, or feel as if “your heart rate is consistently higher than usual for the same amount of effort,” he said.

Your sense of taste may diminish

Lately I’ve noticed that my constant companion at dinner is a shaker of salt. Or, I’ll slop more hot sauce on my food than usual.

Sometimes when we age, our sense of taste can diminish, said Dr. Lisa M. Walke, professor and chief of geriatric medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

In a 2025 study, researchers conducted taste tests with 1,392 healthy people ranging in age from 10 to 94, and found that the ability to perceive flavors began to decline in the 30s — and dropped substantially after 60.

If, like me, you notice that your food is more bland, adding more salt may not be the answer, Dr. Walke said.

“You want to be mindful if you do this, particularly if you have medical conditions such as high blood pressure,” she said. If you need to add flavor, explore safer options like herbs and spices, lemon or salt substitutes, Dr. Walke advised.

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