By: Jennifer Beach, LSW, MA, C-SWCM
Doris is 81 years old and lives alone. She is well organized and prepared, in case something should happen to her. She has her Advance Directives in order and keeps a medication list and important contact information on her refrigerator. For her own peace of mind, Doris has an emergency call device, just in case something would happen when she does not have her phone nearby. This preplanning has given her adult children great comfort, as well.
Unfortunately, her well-thought-out system was put into action last weekend when Doris fell in her bathroom and hit her face on the side of the bathtub. She activated her emergency response device and was taken to the Emergency Department. After a series of tests, scans and lab work, it was determined that her face would be okay, but she was dehydrated, potentially contributing to her fall.
Dehydration is far too common in many older adults for a variety of reasons.
Why older adults become dehydrated so quickly:
- A Decline in Total Body Fluid – As we get older, the amount of water our bodies hold begins to decrease. As we age, we lose muscle. Muscle atrophy accelerates as you approach about 70 years old. Muscles hold the most water and there are over 600 muscles in the human body! This makes up, by far, the most weight in humans. So you can see why, as we lose muscle, we lose water.
- Lower Thirst Response – As we age, things change and often do not work as efficiently, including our brains. Your brain sends a signal to let you know when you are thirsty and this may not be as strong of a signal any more. Therefore, you don’t feel like you need or want to drink water, even though your body needs it. So, even if you don’t feel quite so thirsty, it is best to have a regular hydration schedule.
- Decreased Kidney and Brain Function – As we age, another area not working as efficiently is our kidneys. These organs are responsible for filtering blood and creating water which becomes urine, and our brain is responsible for sending these instructions to our kidneys. Since there is decreased function of both, we have two reasons why we lose more water. First, our brain isn’t telling our kidneys to create the right amount of urine, and second, our kidneys don’t create the usual correct amount.
- Underlying Conditions and Medications – As we age, many older adults need to take medications for a variety of conditions. Some common conditions or symptoms that cause direct dehydration are:
- Diarrhea
- Sweating
- Overheating/Heat Exhaustion
- Blood Loss
- Increased Urination
Diabetes and hypertension are also common causes of dehydration. With uncontrolled diabetes or high blood sugar, your body attempts to lower the sugar in your blood, and it does this by excreting more water in the form of urine from your body.
Hypertension is another common cause of excessive water secretion. This happens usually after years of uncontrolled hypertension. High blood pressure will eventually hurt the kidneys; if they don’t work as well, they will produce too much water/urine.
In addition, there are some medications that can cause dehydration, usually by promoting increased urination. The most common types of medications that can cause increased urination as a side effect are:
- Diuretics: Heart failure is the most common cause of fluid retention in the body. Your heart doesn’t pump as efficiently, so blood and water get “backed up” into your body and lungs. Diuretic drugs (which many people call “water pills”) essentially force you to urinate, and a side effect can be dehydration.
- Anti-hypertensives: These medications dilate your blood vessels; therefore, more blood is filtered through your kidneys, causing more urine production and water loss.
- Drugs for enlarged prostate: Medications to help shrink the prostate prompt urine production and can lead to dehydration.
- Drugs for anxiety: Medications often work by relaxing our muscles. They also relax the muscles around your bladder, which causes more urination.
Additional causes are alcohol consumption, infection, Alzheimer’s and dementia, mobility and incontinence.
Our bodies are made mostly of water, and like all things in life, this changes as we age. Like a sponge, we dry out if the water doesn’t come from somewhere else. Everything in your body works better when it’s hydrated. When there is not enough water, problems occur and our current conditions and issues are exacerbated. As we age, we must realize and understand the role water plays in our bodies. Do not put yourself or your loved ones at risk with something we can have some control over.
Original Article: https://www.northeastohioboomer.com/blogs/dehydration-why-it-increases-as-we-age/