When inflammation occurs in the large blood vessels, the arteries that run beneath the skin on the temporal (temple) areas of the head, the disease is temporal arteritis. Frequency of occurrence increases with aging. It often occurs in association with a problem called polymyalgia rheumatica. Temporal arteritis presents with throbbing headaches. These headaches occur in the area of the involved artery.
The skin and its appendages, principally the hair and the nails, are susceptible to aging. The commonest of all of the aging changes, gray hair, is an example of a skin appendage change. Many factors may affect the speed of the aging process in the skin. Exposure to sunlight speeds aging changes in the skin more than any other factor.
The skin may become inflamed because of contact with a variety of materials. Materials to which the patient is allergic or that are particularly irritating can induce an inflammatory response in the skin. Skin gradually acquires allergic sensitivity, and this becomes more common with aging. Aging changes in the skin also include thinning, which results in a more fragile and a less protected skin. These changes increase the susceptibility to irritants in elderly patients.
