Laura Ford
Laura Ford, Columnist
With each year that passes and attaches itself to my aging body, I notice a few more wrinkles, additional gray hairs, unidentified aches and pains, and a lot more noise in my joints as I get out of bed in the morning. In fact, Rice Krispies and I have a lot in common, we are both full of crackle and pop first thing in the morning. However, unlike most, giving into aging is not an option for me, and discovering how to avoid it by watching the signs will help decrease the effects of growing older and increase the ability to enjoy the golden years. Drinking from the fountain of youth, or just staying hydrated is a big part of looking and feeling great.
Dry mouth and dry eyes are only a couple effects that seem to attack the body as it ages. This lack of moisture causes more than just a dry mouth, and I didn’t know this until, after filling a crater of a cavity, my dentist asked the big question, “Do you drink alcohol?” I didn’t know where he was going with this question, especially since I’m not one to indulge in it. “No,” I answered, “but I can drink my weight in coffee.” Deep cavities are sometimes created by dry mouth, which in turn can be caused by alcohol consumption because it causes the body to dehydrate.
According to Mayo Clinic, dry mouth is caused by the lack of saliva, which helps prevent tooth decay by washing away food and plaque, and many seniors take medications and have an array of medical conditions that increases their chances of cavities by reducing saliva production. In other words, they create dry mouth. Staying hydrated is essential for saliva production and good teeth.
Dry eye is another symptom that attacks seniors, and eye drops is an essential item in every pocket or purse. With age the eyes naturally slow down the tear production process, and tears protect the eyes from a multitude of intrusions such as dust and organisms that cause infections. For seniors, medications, caffeine, and computer use can cause symptoms of dry eye, as well as menopause for women.
With older adults, staying hydrated is harder because the body tends to hold less and less water with age. Because seniors do not feel the need to drink like they did when they were young, they may not realize they are dehydrated. Those sensors that caused them to drink are no longer working properly, so dehydration is more likely, and with it comes dry mouth, dry skin, decreased urination, headaches, sleepiness and irritability, cramping in the limbs, weakness or a general sense of not feeling well. Even worse, is with severe dehydration, wrinkled skin, low blood pressure, dry and sunken eyes with no tears, rapid but weak pulse, or even seizures and kidney failure that can ultimately lead to coma or death.
Since the body is made up of 64% water, the more intake of water, the more frequently the moisture in skin can be replenished and toxins flushed while reducing the dryness. Staying hydrated improves eyesight since the eye is surrounded by fluid which protects it, it can also reduce redness, puffiness, and gives them a healthier look. Soft or peeling nails can be a key sign that water levels are low, so give those nails what they need by drinking more water and by avoiding foods and drinks heavy in caffeine, salt, and alcohol.
So, increase the chance of “aging gracefully” by drinking lots of water from the fountain of youth.