Water is one of the main components of the human body. It is essential to our good health. When it is hot, we must compensate for the loss of water from our body, in particular through perspiration which helps regulate body temperature, by drinking even more water than usual in order to avoid dehydration. However, with aging, the water reserve of our body decreases and the phenomenon of dehydration occurs more quickly. This is why it is necessary for seniors to know how to recognize the signs of dehydration and be able to fight against it.
Aging is accompanied by physiological changes in our body, some of which have direct consequences on the hydration of our body.
First, it is a natural fact, the older we get, the more the water reserves of our body decrease. The body of an adult is made up of approximately 60% to 65% water, which it eliminates every day (approximately 2 to 3 liters of water) through breathing, sweat or even urine. Drinking water or water contained in food therefore makes it possible to compensate for these losses. From the age of 50, our water content is already only 45% to 55% and decreases with age.
In addition to this physiological change, seniors naturally experience a decrease in the feeling of thirst, as does the loss of appetite seen with age. As a result, they find it difficult to compensate for water loss from the body, especially in hot weather. Kidney changes in the elderly, with consequences for urine, also contribute to a greater risk of dehydration.
Some medications taken by seniors also have undesirable effects on the production of perspiration or urine, for example. They can cause dehydration or make it worse.
On the other hand, seniors with a loss of autonomy who experience mobility, swallowing, cognitive problems, etc., experience more difficulties in easily accessing drinks on their own.
Isolation, low resources, the absence of home help, are also all situations that aggravate the fact of not being well hydrated for a senior.
The level of hydration of an elderly person must absolutely be well monitored because dehydration can lead, and quickly in a senior, to problems regulating his body temperature, blood pressure, respiratory system (pneumonia) or elimination of waste from the body (urinary tract infection, diarrhoea). Poorly detected, dehydration can have serious health consequences for seniors.
Detecting the signs of dehydration in seniors is not always easy. You should nevertheless alert yourself in the event of a decrease in attention, if you have the feeling of dry mouth, a drop in your blood pressure, dark circles in your eyes. Dejection, confusion, dizziness, falls, dark-colored urine, but also causeless fever or constipation are also to be taken seriously because these situations can also be signs of dehydration.
If in doubt, you should consult your doctor. If he notices rapid weight loss, dehydration may be the cause. The latter can also be detected through specific analyzes of your urine.
The entourage can also test the level of hydration of an elderly loved one by pinching their skin. If it does not go back into place immediately, it has lost its elasticity due to a lack of water and possible dehydration.
Learn to control your feeling of thirst
The first of the solutions to consider when you are a senior to avoid dehydration is to relearn how to anticipate your thirst, well before the heat periods arrive. Almost automatic sensation in most adults, it is no longer felt, or much less, by the elderly. The environment in particular can play a useful role in this regard. Drinking small amounts of thirst quenchers often throughout the day, rather than large amounts less often, is the first step in relearning how to control your thirst. The ideal is to associate your drinking with rituals (a glass of water at sunrise, at snack time and at dinner for example).
During hot weather, but also all year round, diet plays a role in hydration. It is advisable to consume more foods rich in water, such as fruits, vegetables and soups. Fruit sorbet-based ice creams are also welcome.
To encourage you to drink, it is wise to vary the drinks and not only have plain water available. The latter can for example be flavored or embellished with a fruit juice.
