http://www.care2.com/greenliving/is-lack-of-energy-a-normal-sign-of-aging.html
Is Lack of Energy a Normal Sign of Aging?
By Sarah Henry, Caring.com
Mom routinely nods off in the rocking chair while she knits. Dad snores loudly on the sofa all afternoon while the TV blares. Just typical snapshots of healthy aging among the silver-haired set, right?
Wrong. Despite the popular misconception, feeling old and tired don’t have to go hand-in-hand. And, according to a recent study in the Journal of Gerontology, when a senior lacks energy, it could well be a sign that trouble is brewing.
Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center found that almost 1 in 5 senior citizens report feeling so lethargic that they spend most of the day sitting on the couch. Such behavior, stress the researchers, isn’t normal and warrants investigation.
Study subjects reported napping over two hours a day, waking feeling tired, or simply not having enough energy to function. Those who felt worn out reported more health problems, such as sleep disorders, cardiovascular complaints, arthritis, and other ailments that commonly afflict the elderly than those who didn’t feel spent.
The study of 2,100 New York City residents between ages 65 and 104 also found that subjects who flagged fatigue as a problem reported twice as many hospital stays, emergency department visits, and home care services. A lack of energy was associated with a 60 percent greater death rate in the six years after the survey was conducted as well.
So here’s a wake-up call: Don’t ignore a loved one who complains of feeling weary. It could well be a red flag for heart and kidney disorders, arthritis, lung disease, anemia, depression, sleep apnea, or other age-related ailments.
A lack of energy (fancy-pants medical moniker: anergia) is the universal language by which the elderly talk about their health problems, explains study author Mathew Mauer, an associate professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University. “Instead of noting symptoms of pain or a depressed mood, many older adults feel more comfortable telling their physicians that they’re tired.”
That’s probably how they communicate with us — their caregivers — too. So tune your antennae to pick up on when your loved ones say they’re worn out. The good news is that for most complaints that can lead to listlessness, treatments are available. Supplements can cure anemia. Prescription pills or talk therapy can ease depression. Behavioral modifications may help your parent get a better night’s rest. Drugs and other therapies can tackle chronic conditions. But, of course, diagnosis is key.
Mauer maintains that anergia needs to be regarded as a geriatric disorder along the lines of other age-related syndromes, such as increased risk of falling and memory impairment.
Makes sense, given how many old folks constantly feel wiped out. If seniors report exhaustion on a regular basis, make a doctor’s appointment pronto. You may not get to the bottom of things in one visit. Persevere. For the sake of their health and well-being, it’s important to tease out the underlying cause of your loved ones’ lack of energy.
If their doc doesn’t take your concern seriously, show him this post. No one wants parents who’re too pooped to enjoy their twilight years.
Caring.com was created to help you care for your aging parents, grandparents, and other loved ones. As the leading destination for eldercare resources on the Internet, our mission is to give you the information and services you need to make better decisions, save time, and feel more supported. Caring.com provides the practical information, personal support, expert advice, and easy-to-use tools you need during this challenging time.More from Mel, selected from Caring.com (91 articles available)
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16 comments
add your comment »This was interesting... I think I enjoyed reading the responses almost as much as the article itself... =)
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Randolph D.
Your suggestion of CoenzymeQ10 is very interesting...I just did a bit of research on it and it does sound like a promising way to treat many diseases, not to mention aging.
I just wish the medical researchers would stop testing on those poor animals and ask more people to volunteer...albeit it's not so convenient and controlled as they are used to, but what the ### there are plenty of alternative out there including some gnats....
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Being tired was also a telltale sign of serious health problems. People classified as anergic reported more arthritis, sleep disorders, cardiovascular symptoms and other health issues. They also reported twice as many overnight hospitalizations, emergency department visits and home care services. Anergia was also associated with a 60 percent greater rate of death in the six years after the survey was conducted.
pregnancy
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I see young people getting tired when they shouldn't. These kids generally are usually overweight and don't get nutritional value from good foods. Rather, they indulge in fast food and sugared soft drinks. I see adults do the same thing! The middle-aged man with that big bulge in the belly and fat women are real commonplace in America. Really some bad diets just don't change, but instead have become American classics.
When I see an elderly person that is active, bright, positive and full of life, I know that person is eating right and nothing will convince me otherwise. I've seen problems with the elderly, but it's seems a miracle when you see one that is healthy and vibrant. This has to be the cumulative effect of people who have learned through childhood of eating properly. I think of the elderly of Sardinian, people of Crete, and Japanese people in remote fishing villages. Many live well over 100 years and lifespans are long. Why? They eat natural, fresh foods. They work hard and don't quit!
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I am 76. I weigh just the same as I did at high school graduation.
I walk around the block, Breathing On Purpose. I pay the price
for energy. You want energy? Walk around the block. Three times a week. Good luck.
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Interesting - the comment about how debilitating arthritis can be - everything you do takes twice as long and three times as much energy to achieve!
And, yes, we're not children, and do NOT like being treated as such!
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If you feel wiped out and you take regular prescrip. drugs, then look at their list of side effects. Causing drowsiness and fatigue is a common side effect of many drugs.
Will your conventional medical doctor do anything about your fatigue? No. Been there, done that. Arrogant doctors are more interested in administering their precious drugs rather than protecting the health of their patients. They will even admit that drugs cause fatigue, but "you will get used to it..."
A naturopathic doctor would recommend supplements like CoenzymeQ10 since it's a key energy processor that is depleted in elderly people. Dr. Mercola wrote an article a while back, "Most Common Cause of Fatigue that is missed or misdiagnosed by Doctors" which indicates the signs, symptoms, and necessary test for adrenal fatigue, so look into that too.
Finally, there's always depression that can occur in people who live alone and/or missing their spouse. Fatigue is a symptom of depression. And you don't have to turn to drugs for depression either. There are all kinds of senior social groups when the family is not available. Seniors can also be volunteers who serve important functions. There's also emotional freedom techniques if the depression is deeply engrained.
So many natural choices. The hell with the decadent doctors; they probably caused you that fatigue in the first place. You're worth more than that, no matter how old you are.
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No doubt about it. I find that I cannot stay ahead of my grand children, like I did with my children. I have slowed down and it took trying to catch up with my grand children to help me realize it.
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So ! We should be preparing for the senior years looking for the signs of wearing & tiring before it get down to the bottom.
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My mother was eighty-eight (88) when she went to to the other side of the curtain but she had a lot of energy but she would nap durring the day but she was very alert mentally. She retired when she was eighty-one (81) and she drove twenty-five (25) miles one way to work and she was secretary-bookkeeper for a large church for over thirty (30) years.
She kept the family together and all of us would go to her for advice no matter what problem we had she all of the answers. She was the greatest mother anyone could ever dream of having and that is all what was important.
She retired when she was eighty-two (82) and she had to drive twenty-five (25) miles to work one way and she was a secretary-bookkeeper of a large church and she drove very well and never had an accident. She got one ticket for going to fast in the area where she lived but she was the best mom anyone could have.
She still had absolute rule and we all listened to her because she knew more than any of us.
I miss so much I just don't have the words to say.
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