Over seventy percent of our body is made up of water.
And, our body requires water no matter what happens.
A person can survive without food, but not without water.
We all lose water from our bodies through perspiration, breathing and urination.
When the intake of water is not sufficient to meet the demands of the body, a person ends up suffering from dehydration.
While dehydration can occur in anyone, the elderly are highly susceptible to it.
Following are the signs of dehydration in the elderly that you should be aware of as it can be fatal: •Confusion •Muscle weakness •Constipation •Sunken eyes •Dizziness •Irritability •Fever •Pneumonia •Disorientation •Infections of the urinary tract •Tachycardia •Weight loss •Dry skin •Less output of urine •Increased rate of the heart •Low blood pressure •Increase in the frequency of infections While the signs of dehydration can also be reflective of other health problems, they should not be ignored.
In case a senior is showing any of the above mentioned symptoms, he or she should be rushed to the hospital.
Many seniors suffer from dehydration because as they age, then tend to have decreased appetite and thirst.
Also, certain medications like laxatives can increase the loss of fluids from the body leading to dehydration.
Health conditions like diabetes, diarrhea or heat exhaustion can also cause dehydration.
If you are worried about your loved one suffering from dehydration, you can use a simple technique to check for it.
Monitor the person's body weight on a daily basis.
If the person loses 2 percent of his or her body weight, then the dehydration is considered to be mild.
However, if the loss of weight is higher, then the dehydration is severe and the person needs immediate hospitalization and replenishment of fluids.