Lee Ann Lindquist, a professor of geriatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “If someone comes into my office walking at a snail’s pace and tells me ‘I’m old I’m just slowing down,’ I’m like no, that isn’t right,” said Dr. Perhaps most important is ensuring that older adults remain physically active and don’t become sedentary. Medications for blood pressure, sleep problems, pain and gastrointestinal reflux can induce fatigue, as can infections, conditions such as arthritis, an underactive thyroid, poor nutrition and alcohol use.Īll can be addressed, doctors say. (Other estimates are lower.) There are plenty of potential culprits. Nearly one-third of adults age 51 and older experience fatigue, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Related article 'The older you are, the worse the hospital is for you' (Heidi de Marco/KHN) Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News Ron Schwarz, 79, says he has hardly been able to eat since being admitted to the hospital. You’re tired all the time.ĭon’t underestimate the impact: Chronically weary older adults are at risk of losing their independence and becoming socially isolated. Here are four common concerns that should spark attention – only a partial list of issues that can arise:įatigue. The earlier you identify and deal with these problems, the better. If you suddenly find your thinking is cloudy and your memory unreliable, if you’re overcome by dizziness and your balance is out of whack, if you find yourself tossing and turning at night and running urgently to the bathroom, don’t chalk it up to normal aging. Of course, peoples’ bodies do change as they get on in years. Many older adults remain in good health for a long time and “we’re lucky to live in an age when many remedies are available.” Related article 7 ways you should tweak your diet as you age Tonight, skip the wine and drink some water to optimize your mood and metabolism. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Jeanne Wei, a geriatrician who directs the Donald W. “People have a perception, promulgated by our culture, that aging equals decline,” said Dr. Instead, they’re a signal that something is wrong and a medical evaluation is in order. In fact, fatigue, weakness and depression, among several other common concerns, aren’t to-be-expected consequences of growing older, said Callahan, director of the Center for Aging Research at Indiana University’s School of Medicine. This fatalistic stance relies on widely-held but mistaken assumptions about what constitutes “normal aging.”

I’ve been feeling kind of down, but I know I’m getting old and I just have to live with it.” Christopher Callahan examines older patients, he often hears a similar refrain. Talk to your doctor if you're tired, weak, depressed or don't feel like eating People's bodies change as they age, but aging doesn't equal decline

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