Causes of anorexia in the elderly

To overcome anorexia, the elderly need to eat soft, liquid foods that are easy to swallow. They should not eat too much, should not eat salty foods, and should not eat foods high in fat.

Recently, my mother often feels like she has no appetite or even doesn't eat, which makes me very worried. Please tell me the cause and how to fix it.

Hoang Thi Van(Gia Lai)

Loss of appetite and poor appetite are common feelings in the elderly. There are many causes for this condition, as the elderly have reduced senses such as: blurred vision, poor sense of smell, and a less sensitive tongue, making eating less enjoyable. In addition, the teeth begin to weaken, causing chewing function to decrease, especially for people with dentures. Weak, loose teeth make chewing and swallowing difficult, and eating slowly makes cold food unappetizing.

In addition, the elderly suffer from some chronic diseases such as: high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, bronchial asthma, osteoarthritis, insomnia... causing fatigue, pain and also leading to loss of appetite.

In addition, if you have a chronic disease, you often have to take medication. Some of these medications have side effects that cause bloating, indigestion, and loss of appetite, such as: heart medications, sedatives, sleeping pills, pain relievers, cold medications, and nasal decongestants, which reduce the feeling of eating, and some people even skip meals.

To overcome this condition, the elderly need to eat soft, liquid foods that are easy to swallow, should not eat too much, should not eat salty foods, should not eat too much fat. Need to eat many meals a day. Should divide soft, liquid foods into small portions for easy digestion. For the elderly with some chronic diseases, a nutritional regimen is required as prescribed by a doctor.

According to Dr. Tri Trang - Health & Life - NT