Dehydration in seniors is epidemic and leads to many common disordersIdentify, prevent and manage dehydration in the elderly to avoid serious health problemsAging is just a normal, unavoidable process. what seems to accompany aging that is also assumed to be unavoidable is physical dehydration. Yep, if you haven't noticed it, as we get older we get drier.
In turn, many symptoms and illnesses associated with dehydration in the elderly can be avoided. So, too can disorders associated with chronic, mild elderly dehydration.
Interestingly, the process of physical dehydration begins in the fetus. It accelerates at birth, childhood and adulthood. A fetus is over 93% water. Dehydration gradually continues into old age where the water content reaches only 60%.
What is clear is that many elderly simply do not drink enough fluids especially water. This exacerbates normal dehydration. This also places the elderly at risk for life-threatening severe dehydration.
A research journal found that seniors lose between 3 and 5 quarts of fluid over 10 years. Most of this is water lost from the inside of cells. Dehydration can occur quickly, often without notice. But most likely the process of mild, chronic dehydration may have taken hold years or decades earlier. Just a little causes health problems. The elderly suffer from numerous symptoms and health problems that are linked to dehydration. To go to list of symptoms/illnesses associated with dehydration click here .
If you are a senior citizen, have you noticed that you do not feel as thirsty, as often as you did in your youth? If you observe an elderly person, did you notice that while her mouth area looks dry, she is never really thirsty? A study showed that the elderly do not perceive thirst as well as younger subjects. The perception of thirst and dryness should force seniors to drink but this sensation is gradually lost. Why? 1)Well, dry mouth becomes something the elderly get used to. Good news. Drinking more water will bring back some sensation. 2)The perceptions of thirst and hunger come from the same part of the brain. So thirst and hunger could become confused in the minds of many seniors. You drink when you should be eating. 3)Our bodies are very wise. The loss of thirst is the body's way of dealing with the information that water is not going to be consumed. Years of drinking less water for our body weight leads our mouth-brain connection to say, "I give up!" 4)Finally, when thirst is perceived, too many elderly settle for a few ounces of water or sugary and/or caffeinated drinks instead of water. Thirst is not enough Even thirst and the feeling of a dry mouth are not enough if you want to stay hydrated. That's because the mouth area stays hydrated, or juicy, even as other body parts dehydrate. It's just a biological fact and insures that there is saliva ready to go in case we eat. Effects of chronic dehydration in seniors They include kidney and heart damage. The kind of damage dehydration can cause can result in shortness of breath that is termed cardiac asthma. Of course, as mentioned above, any of the illnesses linked to dehydration can be seen in elders only more so. Click "Dehydration Illnesses" on the navigation bar for more. Correctives for dehydration in seniors You know. Drink more. When? Yesterday. Or at least, NOW. Then later. Got the idea. It's easy. For the elderly that have weak thirst perceptions, there are many other signs that should be used as signals to drink. These include fatigue, flushed skin, irritability, anxiety, depressed mood, insomnia, concentration problems. A reminder to drink could include to drink every time you urinate. Another reminder could be to fill up a bottle of water, place it in the frig and the goal is to completely drink it by 3 hours before bedtime. The bottle could gradually get bigger as weeks pass. Aim for at least 8 glasses a day. Persons with heart and kidney problems should gradually increase water intake in consultation with medical personnel. As water intake is increased, make certain that urination increases. If not, slow down on the water intake. Look to urine color. It should be lightening. By the way, do not on your own discontinue taking medication even if drinking causes improvement in symptoms. Salt If we don't have a whole section on the role of salt, we will soon. But for now... In response to health advice, elderly often cut back on salt. However, salt help our bodies hold on to water for use by our organs. This is a two-edged problem exacerbating the problem of dehydration in seniors. Salt is extremely important to us. In fact, it is a wonder element (sodium) in so many ways. Discuss this with your physician. As you drink more water, start adding a quarter tsp of sea salt to each quart of water. You can reduce salt in foods but if you balance water intake with salt intake, you should be ok. A balanced calcium, magnesium, potassium supplement should also be added to your diet. Drink first thing in the morning. Drink 2 hours after meals. Drink a little with meals or have another beverage then if you insist. Dehydration in seniors can easily be managed. As you drink more water, some improvements may be experienced immediately. However, it could take weeks for cells to become hydrated, so... ...be patient and keep drinking. To go from senior dehydration to home click here
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