As you get older, there are several ailments that you have to face. This includes suffering from severe loss of muscle. And that is what we call as sarcopenia in older adults.

This is because of a natural aging process.

What happens in this is that a person’s strength becomes less.

And due to that they will be losing their balance and gait also.

It is a condition which can make your state worse.

So with time you will notice how it is also impacting how a person is performing day to day activities.

Which can include and relate to something as simple as having to climb the stairs, trying to pick different kinds of objects. Even the ability to walk becomes hard.

In this article, I will be sharing all the details relating to sarcopenia in older adults. Including the symptoms, causes and ways of treating it.

So let’s begin:

What is Sarcopenia?

what is sarcopenia?

In some cases, a person who is in their 30s will also be starting to loss the muscle mass. So much so that their strength will be leaving them.

It can develop and cause even more concerns in the body.

That includes when you are completely losing the ability to keep your body in motion. When you start to lose control of it. Or when it becomes really tiring for you to even perform the simplest of actions, you know there is something not quite right.

Remember that sarcopenia in older adults is a serious condition and should be considered in that way.

The thing is it can play a serious role in the quality of life.

And you will notice how it is going to be leading towards the condition in which you cannot really perform simple tasks anymore. This can be something as simple as having to get out of your chair even.

What happens when this becomes a standard norm?

Having an increase in disability can lead to several concerns. Among which the main one is you will be having your loss of independence.

And that will mean that long-term care is needed.

If there is no proper cure for this condition, it can trigger even more complications in the system. And this includes:

  • Having the risk of falls and fractures
  • When the condition keeps on getting worse, you will be needing to take on hospital visits.
  • This is because you cannot manage and control the condition on your own anymore
  • There will also be chances of an increase in the complications if a surgery is taken on
  • In the worst case scenario, you will be facing the risk of death even

Now let’s look into its leading symptoms.

Sarcopenia in Older Adults Symptoms

So this is basically something which can differ in severity from one person to another. There is muscle mass. But just how much is one person going through it?

I want to now share some of the most common symptoms that come with this:

  • You will definitely face a decrease in the muscle size
  • People may feel complete weakness
  • Loss of endurance is also quite possible
  • It begins with when a person is having really poor balance
  • Something as simple as climbing the stairs can be a tough notion

This kind of muscle mass loss can start of really slow. It can mean you are getting weaker by the day. And it will also be increasing your chances of having a sharp fall even.

That makes a person less independent.

You will not be able to move around comfortably . Every step matters. It all comes down to analyzing and creating a solid framework which gives you results.

Knowing the complete picture of how your health is directly relating to how you age, allows for you to have a better handle on it.

And making use of a walking stick becomes a necessity even.

This condition also leads for a person’s activity to decrease even more. So much so, that their quality of life becomes highly affected.

But why does it even happen in the first place?

Causes of Sarcopenia

causes of sarcopenia

Having muscle loss is common. It is more so common when a person crosses the age of 50.

However in certain cases, the muscle loss will be way too much for a person to actually comprehend and bear.

While there isn’t a fixed rate at which this decline happens, a person may well be losing about 3 to 8 percent of their muscle mass every 10 years.

That may not seem a lot but over the years, it becomes a big number which can impact your life in many ways.

In technical terms, this relates to when you are facing a reduction in your muscle fibers. And that makes the muscles even smaller and shrinks them too.

Also why the muscle loss accelerates is because as a person is getting older, their body is losing its ability to create proteins.

And that means the muscle loss is far more drastic and is accumulating even more complications in the system.

You will be facing a decline in the hormonal levels and this can lead to severe issue and problems in the body.

That will in itself be leading to a decline in hormone levels. And that is a leading factor to what we consider as having muscle mass loss.

Having a sedentary lifestyle as well as poor nutrition can contribute towards you suffering from this condition even more. The results can be drastic and long-lasting in this case.

Now let’s get to the good part- you can actually control and manage your condition.

Home Remedies for Sarcopenia in Older Adults

There are plenty of ways in which you can ensure that your health is taken care of.

You can adapt these remedies which allows you to feel better. And to have better control over your muscle mass loss.

So before you actually go onto medications or use hormonal therapy for hormonal imbalance , you can adapt certain lifestyle changes which are going to combat the muscle loss control.

There are so many elements and things to consider in the same. Let’s see what these are :

The first and most effective way is to make use of regular exercising. This is when we can adapt the phrase- use it of lose it.

So you need to make sure you are flexing those muscles often.

This will allow you to maintain the muscle mass as well as strength.

And when the muscles are not being used in a proper manner, you will notice they are shrinking.

Some of the common exercises that work include strength training as well as resistance training.

They are really good in improving the muscle size, as well as providing you with strength and even tone. It all comes together, as it allows for the strengthening of the ligaments, tendons as well the overall health of a person.

But for very old people, they should be speaking to their doctors first before taking on any exercise.

This is to ensure that there are no health problems and concerns.

Your Nutrition Matters

sarcopenia in adults

Time and again, it has been proven how what you eat plays a strong role in this too.

Having a proper nutrition is essential.

It while may not be treating the condition. But it is a good way to actually delay the condition and its impact as further as possible.

You should be including plenty of protein in your diet.

This is about 1.2grams every day.

Also nutritionists suggest that you should be having skinless poultry. As well as lean cuts of beef in the diet.

These are really good sources of protein. They keep you energized and attentive. Make sure you are including plenty in your diet.

Seafood and lentils are also important. It also includes protein and allows you to feel energized and healthy for longer periods of time.

There is also tofu and beans that are really solid additions to your whole diet regime. Make sure you are also adding probiotic foods in your diet.

When you are choosing protein-rich foods, you will be able to read on food labels which are helpful and allow you to have a good balance of food.

Takeaway

managing your sarcopenia

Our health is our biggest asset. It is what keeps her fit and energized for long hours. But as we age, the energy level begins to fall.

There are several issues and concerns you will be suffering from.

One of the main things is that you will be having to go through muscle mass loss.

This is common and happens to older adults even more.

The condition is called as sarcopenia in older adults. It leads to severe concerns. And when there is no proper treatment or prevention, it can very well cause even more problems.

In this article I have shared in complete detail what sarcopenia is. The symptoms and causes of it.

As well as we looked into the main home remedies which will be showing results for the same. These will definitely be helping in controlling the spread of this condition and its impact.