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What Causes Cold Intolerance, Irritability, Weakness And Constant Headache In An Elderly Person?
Question: hi my 80 y/o dad has not ate or drank for 4 days he is in bad health bad back, diabetes, htn, dementia he is also always sleeping and very cold all the time being very irritable to all family members Willin to help and also having a constant headache . we are unable to even get him to drink supplments drinks
Brief Answer:
He needs fluids and some tests to find the reason of these changes
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for writing at healthcaremagic.
I carefully read your question and understand your concern.
If your father is not eating or getting out of bed this seems to be a very important thing.
Not drinking well for a few days is enough to cause him to not be able to stand or be alert due to dehydration so even if he had no other medical issues he should be sent to have some fluids.
Also in elderly infections can show with very unspecific complaints like weakness, changes in mood and behavior in elderly without much fever or other specific symptoms like cough or urinary symptoms.
Your father will need to have at least a chest xray and a urinalysis to rule out infection of his lungs or urinary system which in elderly might just cause changes of mood or behavior.
Having diabetes also shows that he needs to have a check of his sugar levels and few other blood tests to check his kidney function (creatinine).
So to conclude i would say:
1. your father needs fluids and if he is not taking them orally he needs them intravenous
2. he needs to have some basic tests like chest xray, urinalysis
3. few more tests due to having diabetes might be helpful also to check his sugar levels and kidney function.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question but please feel free to reply in case more clarifications related to this are needed.
I hope your father will get better soon
Kind regards
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
He needs fluids and some tests to find the reason of these changes
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for writing at healthcaremagic.
I carefully read your question and understand your concern.
If your father is not eating or getting out of bed this seems to be a very important thing.
Not drinking well for a few days is enough to cause him to not be able to stand or be alert due to dehydration so even if he had no other medical issues he should be sent to have some fluids.
Also in elderly infections can show with very unspecific complaints like weakness, changes in mood and behavior in elderly without much fever or other specific symptoms like cough or urinary symptoms.
Your father will need to have at least a chest xray and a urinalysis to rule out infection of his lungs or urinary system which in elderly might just cause changes of mood or behavior.
Having diabetes also shows that he needs to have a check of his sugar levels and few other blood tests to check his kidney function (creatinine).
So to conclude i would say:
1. your father needs fluids and if he is not taking them orally he needs them intravenous
2. he needs to have some basic tests like chest xray, urinalysis
3. few more tests due to having diabetes might be helpful also to check his sugar levels and kidney function.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question but please feel free to reply in case more clarifications related to this are needed.
I hope your father will get better soon
Kind regards
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Remy Koshy
Answered by
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