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Felip Ariza
Health

The older we get, the less we drink: these are the warning signs for dehydration

A lack of fluids can often go unnoticed but there are tricks for tackling the problem

Solange Vázquez

Madrid

Friday, 20 June 2025, 12:28

As we age, we lose some things and gain others (or so they say). It's a fact of life. The thing is, the human body isn't best equipped for this rebalancing process. Physiologically, we won't improve. That's just the way it is, and even the most optimistic among us have to accept that fact. As we grow older, our bodily functions begin to fail, and some mechanical issues that used to happen seamlessly begin to require effort. Staying hydrated is one of them, because we start losing more water as we age: the human body is over 60% liquid, that is until we reach middle age and it then goes down to 50%.

This is how Dr Naiara Fernández explains it. She specialises in geriatrics and is a medical director at IMQ Igurco (a provider of social and health services for seniors in Spain).

To put it less subtly: we dry out as we age. "Lean body mass and bone mass decrease as bones lose water," she says. To top it all off, this is further complicated by a reduction in thirst: the brain mechanisms that regulate the need to drink become lazy and fail to warn us that our optimal fluid reserves are declining. Yet they are so necessary.

"Especially because, at certain ages, we succumb to more diseases and take lots of medication... and the kidneys need water to function properly, to eliminate toxins, and not suffer," she explains.

For this reason, dehydration is a major problem among the elderly. According to Dr Fernández, this is especially true starting from the age of 70 or 75 at the latest, although the desire to drink diminishes in the immediately preceding decades.

"For a person, especially an older person, dehydration is very dangerous: with a dry mouth, the sense of taste (the taste buds perceive less flavour) and appetite are lost," she says.

So, an older person who stops eating will quickly weaken and begin to experience problems affecting their mobility and internal organs.

Tricks

Increase liquid intake

Coffee with milk. Decaffeinated!

Sometimes it’s difficult for older people to drink the minimum of eight glasses of water or other liquids they need daily for their bodies to function properly. Any tricks? “What usually works best is telling them to drink coffee with milk - decaf, of course. They always crave it,“ says Fernández.

Soups, infusions and juices All types

Good alternatives for fluid intake that may be more appealing than plain old water. Jellies, ice cream and smoothies are also good options for those who hate drinking plain water.

A beer? Alcohol free

If you fancy a non-alcoholic beer, that too provides the body with fluids. “And if you drink it when in company, it has that social element that also helps,“ says Fernández.

Diet. Fruit and vegetables

Water melon,melon, cucumber, tomato, lettuce... all have a high water content and also help to eliminate toxins from the body.

Well, despite these serious consequences, this issue isn't given much importance. After all, it's "cured" by the intake of fluids, right? Nothing could be easier! Well, it doesn't seem to be that easy. Drinking without any desire to drink is a real trial for many people. Therefore, older adults (or their caregivers, if they are dependent) should be very attentive to the signs that warn us that we are lacking fluids. These are:

The tongue

"For me, the main warning sign of dehydration is the mucous membranes," says Fernández, especially the tongue. Furthermore, many medications (for example, those prescribed for depression or neurological disorders) dry out the mouth. If this is the case, be extra careful: drink more fluids. Our bodies are crying out for it. "Sometimes seniors have difficulty speaking or even swallowing due to lack of hydration," say sources at TKE Home Solutions, a firm specialising in senior living.

Sunken eyes

When the eyes of older people appear sunken, this is also a sign of dehydration and therefore requires treatment. It is very common for their low fluid intake to be accompanied by the use of diuretics to treat coronary heart conditions, which further exacerbates dehydration.

Skin elasticity check

This test involves pinching the skin on the abdomen between thumb and index finger, without twisting it, to check its turgor. How fast the skinfold springs back depends on the level of hydration. It's more effective in detecting the problem in younger people than in older people, but if an older person takes the test and gets unequivocal results, then it's a useful warning sign.

Dry skin

"It may even appear cracked," says Dr Fernández. The lack of hydration really shows on the skin.

Deterioration in mobility

"Cartilage and joints also need water and this isn't obvious, of course, but if we notice mobility problems, it could be because we're lacking in fluids," notes the expert in geriatric care. Also, if hydration is lacking, older adults tend to suffer cramps due to the reduction of electrolytes in the blood.

Less urine

The TKE senior living experts explain that small quantities of highly concentrated, darkly coloured urine indicate dehydration. This is because the kidneys filter less blood and so produce less urine.

Constipation

Stools are mostly water. If not enough fluids are ingested, constipation and abdominal pain will occur.

Tiredness

"A lack of water in the blood causes a drop in blood pressure and makes us tired, listless, and fatigued," comments TKE's spokesperson.

Headaches

If there is a lack of water in the body, the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain is reduced and this causes headaches.

Increased heart rate

This is another consequence of dehydration. The body's machinery, when deprived of essential fluids, is altered and that's why, for example, the heart can race.

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